Hold elected officials accountable for votes

With area elections over, and most town officials sworn in to begin their terms of service, it is a good time for all of us to begin to keep closer track of the decisions made at the open meetings of the boards of selectmen, boards of education and all the other commissions and committees that define the reality of life in the region. The decisions made at these meetings will determine the approach each town takes toward the future. Citizens often take the relatively routine board actions for granted; once town officials are elected, most of us assume they will run things as they have been charged. Between elections, town residents tend not to follow every vote, important though these votes often are to their daily routines.

To give an example, an important decision was made at the meeting of the Board of Selectmen in Salisbury this month (Nov. 2): to act on the recommendation of the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and hire a consultant to make a complete review of Salisbury’s land-use regulations and procedures (see this newspaper’s front page story last week.) The analysis, which will be done by Connecticut Planning and Development of Hartford, should give Salisbury the opportunity to redefine its zoning process, if necessary, in order to have a better structure and oversight for the town’s incremental development.

Salisbury’s Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman Jeff Lloyd pushed for the analysis after a particularly tough go-round in reference to a property on Lakeville Lake, which had neighbors suing each other and the town, and which ended up creating a disagreement between the two zoning entities in town, the ZBA and the Planning and Zoning Commission. When the two bodies given the charge of overseeing development in a town, with the added input of the zoning enforcement officer, cannot find common ground, how can citizens understand how to proceed in planning their own building projects? Such a situation creates a chilling effect on any kind of improvement or new building in town, both commercial and residential.

This action on Salisbury’s part should set a standard for other towns to observe and perhaps take some inspiration from for their own zoning, as Salisbury did from the town of Washington, Conn., after that town did a similar analysis resulting in the modification of office procedures and a better defining of duties for zoning officials. All towns whose zoning was written and boards and commissions formed decades ago are finding there are any number of difficulties surfacing as more and more complicated problems need to be solved by them. It can only be hoped that the analysis will provide Salisbury with the help it needs to feel more in control of its destiny going forward.

This is one instance of the sort of thing that can be revealed at governmental meetings which can be of great importance to the way a town develops. The meetings are open and should, according to state law, always be noticed at least 24 hours before they are to begin. Keeping track of discussions and decisions at these meetings can seem daunting to citizens with busy lives, who can’t attend such meetings on a regular basis. However, many are recorded by the area cable access channel, CATV-6, and are then broadcast at regular intervals. There is also some discussion on town government on the local radio stations, WQQQ in Lakeville and WHDD in Sharon.

And, as anyone reading these words already knows, this newspaper lists upcoming municipal meetings on the town pages every week, to give interested citizens time to plan ahead, as well as having reporters attend meetings and write about them. Simply reading the paper can help all keep up closely with what’s happening in the region. It’s not only important that we vote in elections, but that we monitor and keep those voted into office accountable throughout their terms.

 

 

Latest News

Club baseball at Fuessenich Park

Travel league baseball came to Torrington Thursday, June 26, when the Berkshire Bears Select Team played the Connecticut Moose 18U squad. The Moose won 6-4 in a back-and-forth game. Two players on the Bears play varsity ball at Housatonic Valley Regional High School: shortstop Anthony Foley and first baseman Wes Allyn. Foley went 1-for-3 at bat with an RBI in the game at Fuessenich Park.

 

  Anthony Foley, rising senior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, went 1-for-3 at bat for the Bears June 26.Photo by Riley Klein 

 
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

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Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit lakevillejournal.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

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