Election Season

Fall colors are beginning to arrive in the Northwest Corner and driving through our hills and valleys presents us with a changing vista of oranges, reds, yellow and browns as temperatures drop and daylight hours diminish. And there’s another traditional change to the landscape happening just beyond our windshields: the sprouting of multicolored political candidate signs that call to us for our vote. 

The Lakeville Journal does not endorse candidates for office since we became a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2021.  

Some readers have asked if we would be covering elections. The answer is yes. Last month we reported on the  Republican primary in North Canaan, laying out the issues and talking to the candidates about the race. Now, we begin profiling candidates running for municipal office on Election Day in November. Across Region One towns there are 25 candidates for selectman. 

In today’s paper (here), you can read about the five candidates for selectman in Cornwall. We will do the same in upcoming editions for the selectmen races in Falls Village, Kent, North Canaan, Salisbury and Sharon. Our approach is to give each candidate the opportunity to discuss their priorities, and ask them why they want to be a selectman. 

Lawn signs can have an impact. A study done by a Columbia University professor a few years ago established that they can make a difference of 1 or 2% in a tight race. An earlier study by a Vanderbilt University professor found that merely putting up a campaign sign in the mix of candidates can be effective. A completely fictitious candidate received nearly a quarter of the top three picks from potential voters who responded in the study. The conclusion was that name recognition counted for a lot. According to some political consultants, the colors employed by candidates on their signs have blurred party lines as voters internalize traditional identifying colors. 

Newspaper endorsements of candidates have faded substantially in the past few years. One argument is that they’ve outlived their usefulness in an age of bitter politics, combined with growing skepticism of media in general. We hope that our summary-length profiles — in the words of the candidates themselves — will serve to inform a little more about the candidate behind the lawn sign.

Discover Salisbury 

This week’s edition includes a special supplement about Salisbury. We take a look at women-led businesses that have opened this year giving our small town a richer and more varied experience. The stories range from a new yoga studio to a dance studio for young aspirants to a community arts center and a new interior design business, as well as a rotating art exhibition gallery. We also tell you about a dog park that beckons four-legged best-friends, a pollinator meadow at Salisbury School and offer a book review from our own Tom Morrison’s latest legal novel.

We also hope this Discover Salisbury will be a handy guide for the 66th Salisbury Fall Festival happening this weekend, Oct. 6 through 8.