Another sign of a new era

You will see in the pages of this newspaper, or online (click here for more), a listing of events from The Lakeville Journal unlike any you have seen before. That is because this company is now owned by The Lakeville Journal Foundation, a nonprofit organization. And we now have a very active and committed Foundation board, which has developed a series of fundraising events to support local news and to celebrate the 125th anniversary of The Lakeville Journal.

Back in August of 1897, when this newspaper first published, it would have been unimaginable to those, like Publisher Col Card and Editor Irving J. Keyes, who began it that not only would it still be around in 125 years serving the Northwest Corner and the surrounding towns, but that it would be both in print and have an active website accessible to readers from all over the country and the world.

And how could they have known that local news would have become at such high risk of disappearing? In their time, the newspaper included national as well as local news, in that access to the wider world was not quite as available as it is today. To say the least.

This newspaper was then serving a thriving farming and industrial community. If you read Norma Bosworth’s weekly column, Turning Back the Pages, and read the “100 years ago” section, you will have a good idea of the kind of news covered by The Lakeville Journal then.

While the communities have changed in the 125 years of this news organization’s existence, the needs of those who live here have been more consistent than one might first think. Employment, housing, good schools, a helping hand from one’s neighbor when it’s needed, are all just as key to rural life now as they were then.

The needs of part-time and full-time residents are also more aligned now than might seem obvious at first glance. Access to good medical care, good food and a wide range of services, from cleaning and yard work to auto mechanics and repairs of all kinds, are basic needs in common.

The Lakeville Journal is very glad to still be here, to be able to serve our communities in the northwest Connecticut hills. And as noted in this space before, we are only here because of the ongoing support of our readers, who contributed to keep us going before we were nonprofit, and are continuing to do that now that we are. If you missed the Donor Listing that printed in the paper this month, please do go back on the website and take a look to see who has helped keep us going.

We have so much gratitude for the support from our readers and for the hard work of our board of directors who are running the events listed this week to commemorate the anniversary of local news in this region. Please take a look at the list of possibilities and plan to take part in the events that look interesting to you.

They celebrate the history and lives of all those who reside in the communities covered by The Lakeville Journal. Whether new to the area, or a longtime or lifelong resident, these events should enrich your knowledge of the Northwest Corner. That is our goal every week: to tell you something you didn’t know before about your town or a neighboring one.

Thank you for reading the Journal, and for supporting local journalism.

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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.

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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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