Kent to invest in tree trimming project

KENT — The Kent Board of Selectmen held a special meeting, led by First Selectman Marty Lindenmeyer and Selectmen Glen Sanchez and Lynn Worthington, on Tuesday, May 7, in preparation for Kent’s annual budget meeting on Friday, May 17.

The board is seeking to create a project called “Hazardous Tree Removal or Trimming” to address clearing hazardous branches, limbs, or fallen trees on municipal property or within the right-of-way.

Funding for this tree removal project is proposed at $20,792.13 for the fiscal year of 2024 and will be reimbursed by The Local Capital Improvement Program (LoCIP), which aids towns in improvement projects involving roads. Removing tree limbs for road accessibility would fall under LoCIP’s guidelines. The selectmen carried the motion.

Another motion carried at the meeting was to increase funds for improvements to Kent Town Hall, including the air conditioning, the generator, the parking lot, and the boiler. LoCIP’s grant would also reimburse this project, which is set for $41,425.

Funds for both the tree removal project and improvements for the town hall project, if passed, would be disbursed by Sunday, June 30, and an annual expense report from the town will be due by Sunday, Sept. 1.

The agenda for the town meeting was set and it was decided that the meeting would start at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 17, but doors would be open for voters early at 6 p.m. to allow time to verify voting eligibility.

Much of the discussion at the special meeting was reserved for addressing the grant-funded Housatonic Resource Recovery Authority program at the transfer station called “Save As You Throw.”

The project began in 2023 and the board is now looking at spending costs to residents in the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years regarding the system of special bags used at the transfer station.

A motion was passed for residents to use colored bags, which they will receive in a bundle with the option to purchase more, with locations pending.

Discussion turned to getting an official Kent logo printed on the bags, which was not expected to add any additional cost to residents, but exact numbers were not available at the time of the meeting regarding the logo bags. Further details will be clarified by the selectmen’s office.

Latest News

Books & Blooms returns for ninth year

Four distinctive Cornwall gardens will be open for self-guided tours Saturday, June 22.

Photo Provided

On Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22, the ninth annual Books & Blooms event will take place, benefiting the Cornwall Library. This two-day garden-related event has become a cherished highlight, offering an enriching experience for garden enthusiasts and art lovers alike.

Friday evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a presentation by Ann Temkin, the distinguished Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Temkin will explore the deep connection between Claude Monet’s passion for gardening and his renowned paintings of water lilies. Her talk will reveal how Monet’s extensive gardens at Giverny were not just a source of inspiration but a vital part of his artistic process. Despite the current acclaim of the water lilies series, they were initially met with significant criticism in the early 20th century. Temkin will discuss the transformation in public perception that eventually led to their recognition as pioneering works of 20th century art.

Keep ReadingShow less
‘Old Glory’ finds new home for Flag Day

North Canaan Elementary School students applaud as the flag reaches the peak of a new 35-foot flagpole.

Riley Klein

NORTH CANAAN — Students of North Canaan Elementary School gathered at Sam Eddy Field Wednesday, June 12, to witness the stars and stripes hoisted high on a newly installed flagpole.

Celebrated two days early due to school ending, the Flag Day ceremony took place on a pristine spring morning. Patriotism was palpable as the students sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Grand Old Flag” beneath a clear blue sky.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy at The Playhouse

The Sharon Playhouse honors Bobbie Olsen at its annual Spotlight Gala.

Justin Boccitto

The Annual Sharon Playhouse Spotlight Gala cast their theater light upon a worthy honoree this year: Bobbie Olsen, Bobbie Olsen, former president of The Playhouse board and namesake of a well-known location, The Bobbie Olsen Theatre, where residents pack the seats each summer to see the mainstage production plays and musicals. Held on Saturday, June 1, the dinner, cocktail, and musical review at the Olsen Theatre was a celebration of all she has contributed to keeping live theater active and alive in Sharon, even in the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Bobbie Olsen is an incredible supporter of not just this theater, but this community,” said Sharon Playhouse Artistic Director Carl Andress. “She supports the Sharon Playhouse in her leadership, and in the beauty of her person-hood. We’re just so grateful that she’s been in our lives and that she continues to be such a good friend to the theater, Sharon Playhouse, and the theater in general.”

Keep ReadingShow less
NWCT Arts Council: Arts Connected

Matica Circus duo from Harwinton, Connecticut performing at NWCT ARTS Connected event in May

Jennifer Almquist

The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council (NWCT Arts) recently held Arts Connected, their first fundraiser, at the Spring Hill Vineyard in Washington, Connecticut. The evening celebration, a combination of Fellini movie, carnival, and Renaissance Fair, featured an aerialist from Matica Circus in Harwinton, and a flame and flow performer out in the courtyard under the stars. Momix, based in Washington Connecticut, under the artistic direction of founders Moses Pendleton and Cynthia Quinn, also performed. Two dancers wore Jeff Koons-style inflated red dog suits, and Momix dancer Jared Bogart wafted through the space wearing an immense, two-stories tall silk fan. Persian calligraphic painter Alibaba Awrang created a community work of art, while Ameen Mokdad, a violinist from Iraq, made music with Hartford’s Cuatro Puntos Ensemble. A young musician, Adelaide Punkin, performed an original song from the balcony of the vast space, while a giant puppet from Sova Dance and Puppet waltzed through the festivities. DJ Arvolyn Hill from Kent spun the tunes, an African drum circle set the rhythm, and there was abundant food and drink for the gathered crowd.

Keep ReadingShow less