Housatonic Railroad to remove dead trees

CORNWALL — Trees that likely died as a result of herbicide spraying along the railroad track are due to be taken down by the Housatonic Railroad Company (HRRC) this spring.

The Board of Selectmen reviewed the proposal submitted by HRRC at its regular meeting Tuesday, April 2. The work is expected to remain within the railroad’s right of way.

“Along River Road is the primary area,” said First Selectman Gordon Ridgway. “They’ve got some big trees to take down.”

Herbicide has not been confirmed as the cause of death for these trees, but it is suspected. Concerned citizens and representatives have lobbied state officials to revise the herbicide laws in Connecticut to prevent further impact to vegetation along the track.

State Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) and State Sen. Stephen Harding (R-30) both sit on the Environment Committee. Both met with HRRC on March 26 to discuss adopting the regulations in place in Massachusetts.

Tree Warden Bruce Bennett added that he has been invited to a meeting with HRRC April 15. Bennett is a member of the Housatonic Herbicide Working Group, a coalition of concerned citizens representing the towns through which the railroad runs.

“We’ve been wanting them to adopt the Massachusetts regulations, which are much more strict that Connecticut,” said Bennett. “Finally we’ve gotten through and they are actually going to sit down and speak with us.”

Road sealing

BOS reviewed plans to reseal town roads this spring. Ridgway reported that 11 miles of road have been identified to start. Seymour Sealing was selected to complete the work. Funding for the job will need to be approved at the April 19 Town Meeting.

Latest News

East Canaan's CowPots to face the 'Sharks'

Amanda Freund of East Canaan will appear on the television show "Shark Tank" on April 4 to pitch CowPots.

Photo by Ruth Epstein

CANAAN — Fans of the television show “Shark Tank,” stay tuned. On Friday, April 4, Amanda Freund of East Canaan will be facing the panel, imploring members to invest in her unique product: cow poop.

Freund and her father Matthew Freund produce and market CowPots, which are made from the abundance of manure found on their dairy farm. Matthew Freund, realizing cows were producing more manure — 100 pounds per cow per day — than was needed for fertilizing fields for crops, came up with the concept of the pots. Years of trial-and-error experimentation finally resulted in success. In 2006 he began selling the biodegradable pots using 100% composted manure to local stores. Now the pots can be found in outlets across the country, as well as internationally.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hotchkiss lacrosse ices Kingswood Oxford 19-0

LAKEVILLE — The Hotchkiss School opened the girls varsity lacrosse season with a big win in the snow against Kingswood Oxford School.

The Bearcats won 19-0 in a decisive performance March 26. Twelve different players scored for Hotchkiss, led by Coco Sheronas with four goals.

Keep ReadingShow less
HVRHS releases second quarter honor roll

FALLS VILLAGE — Principal Ian Strever announces the second quarter marking period Honor Roll at Housatonic Valley Regional High School for the 2024-2025 school year.

Highest Honor Roll

Grade 9: Parker Beach (Cornwall), Mia Belter (Salisbury), Lucas Bryant (Cornwall), Addison Green (Kent), Eliana Lang (Salisbury), Alison McCarron (Kent), Katherine Money (Kent), Mira Norbet (Sharon), Abigail Perotti (North Canaan), Karmela Quinion (North Canaan), Owen Schnepf (Wassaic), Federico Vargas Tobon (Salisbury), Emery Wisell (Kent).

Keep ReadingShow less
Thomas Ditto

ANCRAMDALE — Thomas Ditto of Ancramdale, born Thomas David DeWitt Aug. 11, 1944 in New York City changing his surname to Ditto at marriage, passed peacefully on Pi Day, March 14, 2025. He was a husband, father, artist, scientist, Shakespeare scholar, visionary, inventor, actor, mime, filmmaker, clown, teacher, lecturer, colleague, and friend. Recipient of numerous grants, awards and honors in both the arts and sciences, a Guggenheim and NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts fellow, he was a creative genius beyond his time. In addition to authoring scores of papers, he held several patents and invented the first motion capture system and the Ditto-scope, a radically new kind of telescope. He was a pioneer in computer generated video, film, and performance.

When not hard at work, he was always there to help when needed and he knew how to bring smiles to faces. He loved his family and pets and was supportive of his wife’s cat rescue work.

Keep ReadingShow less