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Letters to the Editor 7-24-15

 

Changing times, changing town

Bit by bit, Winsted is turning toward a bright new future. There are subtle signs that you must open your eyes to see and appreciate. 

One of the most vibrant elements in our community is our Farmers Market held on the Town Green in East End Park on Fridays through mid-September. The market is in its third season and finally hitting its stride. There are many vendors at the market offering a wide variety of produce, baked items, fresh meats, seasoned salts and peppers, locally sourced soaps and candles, and even live music on occasion. It is something to truly embrace and enjoy.

At the risk of mentioning some and missing others, I will mention improvements in town that are so striking to me. After recent surgery and confinement at home for several weeks, I was struck by how beautiful Main Street looked this past weekend. We drove down the street and viewed the lush, beautiful hanging baskets, store fronts adorned with containers of flowers, not to mention the areas landscaped in front of many stores and in the median, all of which made for a lovely summer scene along our Main Street. How inviting to anyone coming to our town. I noticed the new banners for the American Mural Project, yet another exciting prospect for our community.

We have many thriving and creative businesses in town that deserve recognition. Aside from Nutmeg Potters and Morsel Munk we have two Quilt Shops in town! How wonderfully vibrant to see each one thriving. We now have an antiquarian book store, The Colebrook Book Barn at Whiting Mills, a beautiful bookstore you can easily spend hours in. There are a host of terrific antique stores to complement our Main Street. People, like myself, who love antiques and “old stuff” go out of their way to visit such stores. 

This past weekend’s newspaper noted that Artwell from Torrington is looking to relocate to Whiting Mills. Whiting Mills on any day is well worth a visit, but how nice to hear of someone moving to Winsted because they simply want to be in Whiting Mills! We also hear that not only will the former Winsted Furniture Building be renovated and repurposed but that the former Kathy’s Cupboard location is now an art gallery. 

All around the town there is evidence of citizens’ involved in and creating a vibrant town. From the WRC working on the lampposts along Main Street or the friends who no longer live in town cleaning up Tatro’s Pond, citizens working together to the betterment of Winsted is so exciting.

There are things on the horizon as well — music all summer long on the Town Green, and the 125th anniversary of our beautiful Soldiers’ Monument in September. Please be a part of this vibrant new Winsted. 

Deb Kessler

Winsted

Lakeville Journal

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