
TLA President Grant Bogle, left, and Bill Littauer, president of the Lake Wononscopomuc Association, addressed stakeholders during an Oct. 10 forum at the Salisbury Town Grove.
Debra A. Aleksinas
TLA President Grant Bogle, left, and Bill Littauer, president of the Lake Wononscopomuc Association, addressed stakeholders during an Oct. 10 forum at the Salisbury Town Grove.
“In three years, we will have spent over a million dollars to manage this, but if we don’t, we lose this lake.”
—Grant Bogle, Twin Lakes Association president
SALISBURY — As if on cue, the setting sun at Lake Wononscopomuc signaled the end of the day and hope for a new tomorrow, a fitting backdrop to the group of lake representatives that had gathered on Oct. 10 at the Town Grove to pool resources, share information and discuss management plans in the ongoing threat from invasive hydrilla.
During the nearly two-hour forum, Bill Littauer, president of the Lake Wononscopomuc Association, and Grant Bogle, president of the Twin Lakes Association (TLA), addressed an audience of about 50 stakeholders, including property owners, representatives of nearby Mt. Riga, Inc., and town officials.
“Hydrilla, I’m told, was named after Hydra, the nine-headed monster of Greek mythology,” known to regenerate two heads for every one that was cut off, said Littauer. “So that is very germane to this discussion.”
Littauer explained that the hydrilla verticillata which found its way into Florida through the aquarium industry in the 1950’s is not the same strain that has devastated coves and tributaries throughout the Connecticut River since 2016.
“It has morphed and created a much more virulent strain known as the Connecticut River variant, because that’s where all of the problems stem from. You just can’t kill the stuff,” noted Littauer. He said sea planes and fishing boats likely contributed to its inland spread.
A more aggressive approach in 2025
In June of 2023, East Twin Lake became the first lake outside of the Connecticut River to identify the presence of hydrilla, and the TLA immediately assembled a coalition of scientific and environmental advisers to address the threat.
As a precaution, Lake Wononscopomuc, also known as Lakeville Lake, immediately closed its launch to outside boaters, and Mt. Riga, Inc. also played it safe by closing its Ostrander beach and campsites this past season until preventative measures were in place.
Despite two summers of herbicide spot treatment mainly around the marina at East Twin, hydrilla has migrated to deeper waters, prompting the TLA to take a more aggressive approach in the spring of 2025 by treating the lake’s entire littoral zone with multiple doses of the herbicide SonarOne.
So far, Littauer said, hydrilla has not been found in Lakeville Lake, and keeping it out is the primary goal, which is why its boat launch will remain closed indefinitely.
“Unfortunately for us on Wononscopomuc, the only alternative should hydrilla find its way into the lake, is herbicides, and we have had such opposition on this lake” to chemical treatment, even for milfoil, he explained. “I shudder to think that is the only solution.”
Bogle explained that at Twin Lakes, in addition to a more aggressive approach to controlling the invasive weed on East Twin, “our goal is to stop hydrilla from getting into West Twin. We’re chasing the plant at this point in time, but we’re not down and out by a long shot. We’ve made real progress this year.”
But the chase comes at a cost. In 2021, lake management costs were about $50,000 for the Twin Lakes. “We are spending roughly $300,000 this year and project spending $350,000 next year,” the TLA president told those assembled.
“In three years, we will have spent over a million dollars to manage this, but if we don’t we lose this lake.”
The TLA has launched a year-end appeal to raise $250,000 for hydrilla control next year and to eventually eliminate the noxious weed.
Chemical treatment carries hefty price tag
According to the TLA, projected lake management costs next year will exceed $350,000, a seven-fold increase from just four years ago and a figure that will remain elevated for years. More than nine in every 10 dollars raised gets spent directly on lake management.
The town of Salisbury has traditionally picked up two-thirds of the lake management costs but lacks the resources to sustain that share at current spending levels, according to TLA officials.
In response to an audience question about why management of hydrilla is so expensive, Bogle noted that while herbicides are relatively low-cost, it takes a crew of trained and licensed professionals to apply the treatments to the tune of about $2,500 per application.
Discussion also centered around the need for all lakes to have an emergency plan should hydrilla take root, since approvals for treatment from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEEP) could take several months and hydrilla can double in biomass every day during the height of the summer growing season and can quickly outcompete native plant species.
“In the event it was found, we’d go very forcefully to DEEP to ask their permission to use the herbicides,” Rand explained.
Bogle credited DEEP for becoming “a partner with us, and that was not true two years ago. What happened to Twin Lakes is unfortunately going to happen elsewhere and they’re trying to learn, too.”
Preparing for worst-case scenario
Discussion centered around the importance of lake groups creating a management plan in preparation for a worst-case scenario.
“There are things that can be done to get ready. Active monitoring and having a plan I think will be helpful,” Bogle noted.
Other strategies Twin Lakes will be putting into place next season is to increase hours for the boat monitors at the marina, and possibly adding a boat-washing station.
In closing the meeting, Bogle praised the camaraderie among the lakes’ stakeholders, all of which face unique challenges.
“I think it’s been a positive benefit. We are all in our own little bubbles and I think it has been helpful to have this type of discussion. Each lake is different, and each lake community is different.”
While playing outside in the early post-pandemic days, Berkshire Busk! founder Eugene Carr had an epiphany: why not expand the idea of performing on the street (aka busking)into a full-fledged festival in Great Barrington?
As an entrepreneur and cellist, Carr envisioned a well-organized jamboree featuring regional talent, including musicians, acrobats, storytellers, fire-eaters, and more. He formed a team, connected with local businesses and the town of Great Barrington, and launched Berkshire Busk! in 2021. Since then, Berkshire Busk! has grown into a summer staple for Great Barrington.
In the summer of 2024, over 25,000 people experienced Berkshire Busk!. The festival is free to the public, provides a big boost to local businesses, and spectators can tip performers.
Busking takes place all over the world, either organized by individual performers or via busking festivals. Artists like The Roots, Tracy Chapman, Phoebe Bridgers, and Old Crow Medicine Show have all cut their teeth performing on the street.
General Manager Carli Scolforo is a Berkshire native with a love of music and writing. She can often be seen roaming the streets of Great Barrington, making sure everything’s in order, and serves as the festival’s face on social media.
“This year is the fifth anniversary of Berkshire Busk!, and it’s been an amazing summer,” said Scolforo. “We were able to welcome back a lot of our favorite performers, and bring in some new experiences as well. After getting rained out last year, we were able to host our first outdoor movie night in partnership with The Triplex Cinema and the Boondocks Film Society.”
Scolforo added, “This summer, we also introduced our first Open Mic Night, hosted by local recording artist and music producer Jackson Whalan. We were really pleased with the turnout of talent. The sheer amount of talent that’s hidden within an hour or so drive of Great Barrington always astounds us.”
Local businesses sponsor various busking spots, like the Berkshire Money Management Stage in the parking lot between the Triplex Cinema and Mama Lo’s BBQ. Typically, buskers bring their own amplification, while there are few spots — such as Berkshire Mountain Distillery in Sheffield — provide power.
Berkshire Busk! will end its season with a fireworks display on its last night on Saturday, Aug. 30.
Berkshire Busk! is endorsed by the Select Board of the Town of Great Barrington and is entirely supported by sponsorship fees from companies and organizations, as well as philanthropic donations from granting organizations, individuals and the Town of Great Barrington.
It operates under a fiscal sponsorship agreement with the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires and participates in Mass Cultural Council’s Card to Culture program — in collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Public Health’s WIC Nutrition Program, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and hundreds of organizations — by making cultural programming accessible to those for whom cost is a participation barrier.
For more information, visit: berkshirebusk.com
What if the dog onstage was played by a person? That’s the delightful twist in A.R. Gurney’s “Sylvia,” opening at the Sharon Playhouse on Aug. 29. In this clever and heartfelt comedy, the title character — a stray pup who disrupts the lives of a married couple — is portrayed not in costume but by an actor who brings insight, charm, and chaos to the role.
Stepping into Sylvia’s paws is Jen Cody, who is returning to the Sharon Playhouse in a starring role for her third year in a row, ready to bring this spirited dog to life. She’s joined by Jonathan Walker as Greg, the middle-aged man smitten with his new four-legged friend, and Jennifer Van Dyck as Kate, his wife, whose patience and identity are tested by Sylvia’s sudden presence in their home.
Directed by Colin Hanlon, this production balances elements of comedy and emotional depth. Gurney’s script may be filled with laughs but at its core, “Sylvia” explores loyalty, companionship, and how love sometimes arrives in unexpected forms. The play premiered Off-Broadway in 1995 and has since become an audience favorite for its wit, warmth, and originality.
Rounding out the cast is Sienna Brann, taking on a trio of roles that highlight the play’s comic versatility. The design team includes Christopher and Justin Swader (scenic), Kathleen DeAngelis (costumes), Bobbie Zlotnik (wigs), Wheeler Moon (lighting), and Graham Stone (sound), ensuring the story is grounded in a fully realized world, albeit one occasionally seen from a dog’s point of view.
Performances run through Sept. 7 at the Sharon Playhouse. For tickets and more information, visit sharonplayhouse.org.
Paul Chaleff’s exhibit at Mad Rose Gallery in Millerton.
The unofficial end of summer is here, and while some of us may mourn the shortening days and cooler nights, the culturally-inclined denizens of the Litchfield Hills, Berkshires and Taconics have plenty to look forward to.
During Labor Day weekend, visit one of the offerings below, and maybe even take home a watercolor, rug, or locally-crafted wooden bowl to ready your home for the indoor season ahead.
Kick off the weekend with libations and bites from legendary New York City importer Rosenthal Wine Merchant at Mad Rose Gallery (5916 North Elm Ave., Millerton). The evening will mark the end of Paul Chaleff’s ceramics exhibition, which closes at the end of the weekend. Ashley Gilbertson and Franco Pagetti’s photography exhibition “Fragments in Time,” which has been extended through Sept. 21, will also be on display.RSVP by emailing info@madrosegallery.com.
Head to the Cornwall Library (30 Pine St., Cornwall) for its seventh annual weekend-long Art Sale, and peruse an endless supply of prints, posters, watercolors, photos, paintings and more, with price tags ranging from a very reasonable $20 to much greater sums.
The Library has announced that this year’s selection will “run the gamut from the antique to the contemporary, from the jazzy and colorful to the classic black and white, from realistic to abstract.” Thanks to generous donors, the sale will feature works from notable artists such as Amedeo Modigliani, Enrique Chagoya, Marc Simont, Leonard Baskin, Ruth Gannett, Robert Andrew Parker, Nicole Eisenman, R. H. Quaytman, and others, as well as a special exhibition of vintage photos, paintings and posters from late artist Duncan Hannah.
For more information and hours, visit cornwalllibrary.org/labor-day-art-sale/.
Visit the Barn at the Pine Plains location of beloved antiques and décor purveyor Hammertown (3201 NY-199, Pine Plains) and find the coffee table of your vintage dreams this weekend. Up to 75% off home goods and furniture of all kinds will be available.
This year’s iteration of the biannual tent sale features a “Makers Market” with local artisans, craftspeople and food vendors.
Visit https://shop.hammertown.com/blogs/journal/hammertown-labor-day-tent-sale for additional details and hours.
The Berkshire Woodworkers Guild, a coalition of local woodworkers that supports the local industry and its craftspeople, is hosting its 25th Fine Woodwork Show at the Berkshire Botanical Garden (5 West Stockbridge Rd., Stockbridge) this weekend. Attendees will have the chance to watch 32 masters from around the Tri-Corner region demonstrate their trades, from woodturning and Chinese joinery to boat building and French polishing.
The event will also announce the allocation of $32,000 from its scholarship fund to support 9 aspiring woodworkers, and host a silent auction of guild member-crafted pieces to support next year’s fund. Works from the artisans will also be available for viewing and sale.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts’ Hot Plate Brewing will provide frothy, local ales for swilling, while SoCo Creamery of Great Barrington will be pedaling its handcrafted ice cream for sweeter options for the whole family. Great Cape Baking Co., from Dover Plains will offer a full breakfast and lunch menu, including donuts, while Pleasant & Main from Housatonic will be providing the caffeine and crepes.Further details can be found at berkshirewoodworkers.org.
Artists across Cornwall will fling open their studio and gallery doors to welcome Labor Day culture ramblers on Saturday afternoon. An eclectic lineup of ten participating artists will show their work, ranging from pottery to sculpture paths, allowing participants a chance to enjoy the fresh late-summer weather as they meander through Cornwall’s green valleys from studio to studio.For a list of the artists, a map, and directions to each studio, visit ornwallct.org/event/cornwall-open-studio-2025/.