I’m wondering about a few things

A few thoughts:• Where are the small tokens and instances of community pride in Winchester/Winsted? I have yet to see a Winchester shirt or coffee mug, standard community items in most towns. I am part of this town, I’m proud of it, and we need to promote it, both in little ways and big.• What’s with the incredibly low voter turnout for the town budget referendum? I mean, given the strong feelings and contentiousness of the proposed budget, how is it only a little more than 10 percent of the voters felt the need to contribute to the direction of the town? The referendum was posted on signs downtown and announced prominently in area newspapers. Absentee ballots were aof-town for the holiday weekend. Hey, if you are willing to let such a small percentage guide our future, stay home — but don’t complain after the fact.• Why are people so negative? Is the attitude driven by the ability to hide anonymously behind Internet message boards? I challenge anyone posting on such boards to attach your name to your comments and information. Issues need to be discussed, and viewpoints need to be presented, but let’s be civil in our discourse. Sometimes I think we fall into the partisan rhetoric bred at the federal level. Town government is about our neighbors and community. It should be about building relationships and bridges, not winning and losing.I have a set of miniature autos on my desk at Town Hall representing the characters from the Pixar movie “Cars.” I recommend that all of you watch that movie (preferably before “Cars 2” is released and most likely destroys the brand). Beyond the neat animation and cute characters, recognize the theme of the story: Our small towns truly suffered with the new-found mobility of the automobile. To paraphrase, we used to drive to have a good time; now we drive to make good time. Radiator Springs revitalized itself, so let’s see what we can do for Winsted.Here’s a way to start: Shop locally whenever you can. Ask yourself, “Can I buy it in town?” First, with the price of gasoline, you may save money by not traveling to other towns. Second, consider the long-term impact of your decision to purchase elsewhere. If (and that is a significant “if”) the local stores carry items for just a few dollars more, consider that added cost as the “community tax.” That tax is strictly voluntary — if you’d rather buy the hammer in Torrington rather than the Winsted hardware store, go right ahead. In a few years, when your local stores begin to shutter themselves and neighborhood shopkeepers disappear, you will then wonder, “Where did the old Winsted go?”Here’s an interesting observation about the economy. When I left Michigan, the voters in that state had just thrown the Democrats out of office after several years of failure. Apparently, before I got here, Connecticut voters threw out the Republicans for the same reason. You know, maybe the economy is bigger than political parties. Maybe we need to focus on electing leaders with ideas and vision, rather than those with party connections. Interesting concept, but probably not likely to happen if we only have low voter turnouts, right?I have been invited to the monthly community dinner at the United Methodist Church on June 23. I’ve been asked to share with the audience some insights as to what a town manager does and to offer my perspective on my first several weeks in my adopted state and town. If you would like me to share similar thoughts with your group or perhaps discuss a more specific issue, please contact me. I enjoy speaking to interested groups.I will get to experience my first Laurel Festival this weekend. I look forward to the town showing itself off again with all of the wonderful people and supportive organizations and businesses. How about some positive comments and gratitude for the volunteers that make this annual event such a success? Thank you, Laurel City commissioners.Have a great weekend. As usual, comments are always welcome. Dale Martin is the town manager in Winchester.

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).

Keep ReadingShow less
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.

Keep ReadingShow less