Grinding it out on the Blackberry

Trout Unlimited’s Scott Ritchie fished as his fellow chapter members heckled him at Beckley Furnace on Saturday, April 16.
Photo by Patrick L. Sullivan
NORTH CANAAN — The Blackberry River is well-stocked and fished hard.
It also has Beckley Furnace, which is Connecticut’s only industrial monument and as such has a couple of picnic tables.
On a pleasant day it’s a nice spot to grab a sandwich and relax.
Saturday, April 16, was not a pleasant day. The temperature struggled to get much above 50, and there was a nice bone-chilling breeze. It wanted to rain.
None of that bothered the members of the Northwest Connecticut Trout Unlimited chapter. Chapter President Ken Ludwig provided doughnuts and coffee for the early going, and grinders at lunchtime.
Beckley is always a popular fishing spot, especially in the early part of what used to be the trout season.
The state of Connecticut got rid of a closed season for trout, and the new regulations took effect this year.
Sort of.
Prior to 2022, there were rivers that had year-round fishing (such as the Trout Management Areas on the Housatonic and Farmington rivers).
But the state still required a new license at the start of the calendar year, and for those of us who bought one (plus the so-called trout stamp, which extracts an extra five bucks from the angler and doesn’t include any sort of stamp), we could then fish those year-round areas plus any other open water (not otherwise regulated) until the last Saturday in February.
Then we had to wait for the third Saturday in April for “Opening Day.”
This was changed a couple years back to the second Saturday in April.
It’s worth noting that April 16 would have been “Opening Day” not so long ago.
None of this mattered to the TU members either. They were too busy shivering and telling each other stories about past angling triumphs.
Also on the agenda:
1. Is a $1,000 fly rod worth it?
2. What the heck is this fish this guy has?
3. Is Scott asking for trouble by getting up on that boulder?
As spin-casters circulated in and out of the Beckley Furnace area, most of them hauling off a fish or five, the TU membership stayed out of the water, with the exception of treasurer Scott Ritchie, who suited up and established himself just upstream of the bridge.
For the technically inclined, Ritchie was nymphing with a tight line and extra weight added, with sighter material rather than a strike indicator.
For the less fussy, Ritchie was flipping a little weighted thing into the current, and occasionally catching something.
About one out of 20 times, that something was a fish, not a rock or piece of submerged log.
Most serious anglers prefer solitude for the practice of the craft.
Very few enjoy having a gallery of hecklers watching.
But that’s what Ritchie got from his fellow TU members, who shouted out helpful things like “Don’t slip!” and “Trophy fish!”
At noon or so lunch arrived and the membership continued to talk about gear and adventures with their mouths full of grinder.
The answers to the agenda questions above:
1. No. For $1,000 you can buy expensive waders that will leak just as fast as cheap ones, and a mid-range rod to go with them.
2. That is a rather sickly looking brown trout straight from the hatchery, where it was bullied.
3. Yes. It is always easier to go up than to get down.
LAKEVILLE — Barbara Meyers DelPrete, 84, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, at her home. She was the beloved wife of George R. DelPrete for 62 years.
Mrs. DelPrete was born in Burlington, Iowa, on May 31, 1941, daughter of the late George and Judy Meyers. She lived in California for a time and had been a Lakeville resident for the past 55 years.
Survivors, in addition to her husband, George, include son, George R. DelPrete II, daughter, Jena DelPrete Allee, and son Stephen P. DelPrete. Grandchildren; Trey, Cassidy, and Meredith DelPrete, Jack, Will and Finn Allee, and Ali and Nicholas DelPrete.
A Funeral Mass was held at St. Mary’s Church, Lakeville, on Saturday, Oct. 4. May she Rest in Peace.
Ryan Funeral Home, 255 Main St., Lakeville, is in care of arrangements.
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com
SHARON — Shirley Anne Wilbur Perotti, daughter of George and Mabel (Johnson) Wilbur, the first girl born into the Wilbur family in 65 years, passed away on Oct. 5, 2025, at Noble Horizons.
Shirley was born on Aug. 19, 1948 at Sharon Hospital.
She was raised on her parents’ poultry farm (Odge’s Eggs, Inc.).
After graduating from Housatonic Valley Regional High School, she worked at Litchfield County National Bank and Colonial Bank.
She married the love of her life, John, on Aug. 16, 1969, and they lived on Sharon Mountain for more than 50 years.
Shirley enjoyed creating the annual family Christmas card, which was a coveted keepsake.She also enjoyed having lunch once a month with her best friends, Betty Kowalski, Kathy Ducillo, and Paula Weir.
In addition to John, she is survived by her three children and their families; Sarah Medeiros, her husband, Geoff, and their sons, Nick and Andrew, of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, Shelby Diorio, her husband, Mike, and their daughters, Addie, Lainey and Lyla, of East Canaan, Connecticut,Jeffrey Perotti, his wife, Melissa, and their daughters, Annie, Lucy and Winnie, of East Canaan. Shirley also leaves her two brothers, Edward Wilbur and his wife Joan, and David Wilbur; two nieces, three nephews, and several cousins.
At Shirley’s request, services will be private.
Donations in her memory may be made to the Sharon Woman’s Club Scholarship Fund, PO Box 283, Sharon, CT 06069.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
MILLERTON — Veronica Lee “Ronnie” Silvernale, 78, a lifelong area resident died Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, at Sharon Hospital in Sharon, Connecticut. Mrs. Silvernale had a long career at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, where she served as a respected team leader in housekeeping and laundry services for over eighteen years. She retired in 2012.
Born Oct. 19, 1946, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Bradley C. and Sophie (Debrew) Hosier, Sr. Following her graduation from high school and attending college, she married Jack Gerard Silvernale on June 15, 1983 in Millerton, New York. Their marriage lasted thirty-five years until Jack’s passing on July 28, 2018.
Ronnie is survived by her daughter, Jaime Silvernale (Wm. MacDaniel, Sr.) of Millerton, her beloved grandson, Wm. MacDaniel, Jr.; two special nieces, Shannon and Rebecca and a special nephew Sean Hosier. In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her brother, Bradley C. Hosier, Jr. and her dear friend Ruth Fullerton of Millerton.
Visitation was private. A celebration of Ronnie’s life will be held in the future. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546. To send an online condolence to the family or to plant a tree in Ronnie’s memory, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com
Christine Gevert, Crescendo’s artistic director, is delighted to announce the start of this musical organization’s 22nd year of operation. The group’s first concert of the season will feature Latin American early chamber music, performed Oct. 18 and 19, on indigenous Andean instruments as well as the virginal, flute, viola and percussion. Gevert will perform at the keyboard, joined by Chilean musicians Gonzalo Cortes and Carlos Boltes on wind and stringed instruments.
This concert, the first in a series of nine, will be held on Oct. 18 at Saint James Place in Great Barrington, and Oct. 19 at Trinity Church in Lakeville.
For those unfamiliar with Crescendo, the award-winning organization was founded in 2003 and brings lesser-known works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods — along with contemporary fusion pieces — to new life. Its performances often blend classical composition with nontraditional instrumentation for a refreshing new take on an established body of work.
Gevert, who is German, Chilean and American, is a conductor, keyboardist and musical scholar. As the multi-national, multi-lingual (German, Spanish and English) creative director, she is a veritable whirlwind of talent, professionalism and inspiration who conceives of new musical treats for her audiences. She also hires and nourishes local talent, sources internationally known vocal and instrumental professionals, and provides her audiences with well-researched program notes for each concert, packaged in lush, full-color programs that resemble illuminated manuscripts.
“It is the excitement about and dedication to the music, along with the prerequisite vocal and instrumental talent, that characterizes a Crescendo member,” said Gevert. “I don’t care about things like how old or young you are or where you’re from — it’s all about bringing these performers together to provide unforgettable musical experiences for its audiences.”
“Traditional audiences for classical music performances tend to skew older,” Gevert continued. “For that reason, I’ve embarked on an effort to reach younger listeners, and have done things like taken a Crescendo choral group to perform at Housatonic Regional High School. I’ve also launched an effort to recruit and train young singers in Baroque singing techniques so they can perform with our existing choral group.”
The upcoming 2025-26 season includes, among other performances, a solo recital and benefit concert on Nov. 22 by the international Baroque opera star and countertenor Nicholas Tamagna. The curated program will include works by Handel, Vivaldi, and Monteverdi.
Two dazzling Christmas concerts follow: on Dec. 6 and 7, Crescendo presents J.S. Bach’s “Sweet Comfort” cantata and Mass in G minor, featuring the full chorus and soloists with a period instrument orchestra. On Dec. 21, the annual Holiday Concert will be presented: “A Tapestry of Traditions: Unraveling the History of Christmas Carols,” with the entire Crescendo vocal ensemble and Gevert on organ.
For the full schedule, concerts details and ticket information, visit: www.crescendomusic.org