Letters to the Editor - 5-2-24

Ground Ball

A hard, deft swing of the bat brings delight

while leaping catch at the wall conjures surprise!

Swinging for the stands may be a strikeout,

but a well-placed bunt may win the series.

The ref may be doing his agonized best,

yet fail to meet your high expectations.

The pitcher may walk a slugger-batter,

as a double-play may save the inning…

Fans in the stands may be too excited

when the popcorn vendor juggles a spill.

The bald coach in the dugout has the stats

on a legendary relief pitcher…

Reporters play bloated hyperbole,

but the infield knows the real, lean story.

Kevin T. McEneaney

Verbank, New York

Sharon Hospital excels again

This time I was testing cardiology! Sunday morning at Church I developed symptoms of what family and EMTs present thought might be a mild heart attack and a visit to the hospital was in order.

The emergency room staff were at their best and detected a minor change in my status which then precipitated an overnight stay at the hospital for further testing. I was overwhelmed by the professional attention in the emergency room and then further impressed with testing from the cardiology department the next day.

To watch this 93-year-old heart working away during the electrocardiogram was like watching something from outer space with color. The Technician loves his job and was so proud of the high-tech equipment provided by the hospital and exceedingly patient with all my questions.

The Stress test was equally high tech catching my heart before, after, and during. The idea of a stress test can be daunting but the technicians involved were most considerate and encouraging.

Fortunately, the result of all this is that I am good to go but I want to sincerely thank the good nurses who are the backbone of the hospital and the sophisticated skill of technicians and doctors. We are so fortunate to have a hospital nearby where you have the comfort of familiar faces, kind words, and excellent care.

Elyse Harney

Salisbury

Pope Property density too high

Housing is a clear need in Salisbury. Articles in The Lakeville Journal about town employees’ inability to afford living in Salisbury, the state’s recommendation that 10% of CT towns’ housing should be affordable, the recent go-ahead from the Planning and Zoning Commission for the Dresser Woods project and other locations, and the planning for the Pope property all indicate a pressing issue.

Planning for the Pope Property is on-going, but it needs critical consideration.

The current Pope building area is 9+ acres, including historic district land along the Rail Path.

Assuming the Historic District Commission allows full use of that acreage, one wonders what “historic district” means if bucolic land is used for 64 housing units (approximately 110 people). That amounts to a huge intrusion into an historically protected area in Salisbury center.

The number 64 is worth further consideration. It represents the maximum number of units possible on the available land. But why must we build to the maximum? Apparently, the state favors funding larger projects over smaller ones. If Salisbury opted to spread out a portion of the development, the town might have to pay some of the cost — a trade-off citizens should be given the opportunity to vote on.

There are other (smaller) locations that could decrease the Pope density. The meadow where Cobble Road intersects with RT. 41 is ideal for about 20 units, especially because it can tap into water and sewer across the street in Sarum Village. It is, however, owned by the Appalachian Trail (i.e. the U.S. Government ). If they haven’t already done so, town officials should approach the government to sell the land for affordable housing. Another plot is situated above the town hall off Factory Street; it, too, has water and sewer available. There is yet another plot off Rt. 44 beyond Lion’s Head. The point is, if our aim is 64 units, we don’t have to build them all on the Pope property.

Two months ago, in a letter to the Lakeville Journal (Feb. 22, 2024), a representative of the Pope Land Design Committee stated, “Our charge was to determine if up to 64 [housing units]...could be accommodated. They can be. Whether they should be (my italics) is up to the elected and appointed town Commissions and ultimately the citizens of Salisbury.” Residents should think carefully before supporting 64 units all in one place. Fewer will be more — for thepeople who live there, for the land that will be disrupted, and for the character of the town itself.

George and Lorraine Faison

Salisbury

Grumbling Gryphons thanks for April celebrations

Letter of Thanks from Leslie Elias to the Connecticut Office on the Arts and Local Partners with Grumbling Gryphons for Earth Day Arts and Poetry Celebrations!

A resounding cry of music and laughter filled the air as children , teens and seniors danced with The Golden Lady Puppet in Cornwall, Canaan, Salisbury on town greens, in libraries and senior centers, throughout the month of April , in celebration of Earth Day and Poetry Month. A special thanks and shout out to the genius and artistry of Ellen Moon, who created this magnificent puppet and the imaginative masks and costumes she created especially for Grumbling Gryphons poetry and earth day performances.

Thank you to the Connecticut Office on The Arts, The National Endowment of The Arts for a special FY 24 Artist Grant I received to bring forth multiple celebrations in honor of Earth Day and Poetry month: “To further Youth Empowerment & Foster Community Engagement and Environmental Stewardship through the Arts in our region.”

Thank you to Noble Horizons, Geer Village, Scoville Memorial Library and Cornwall Library for hosting and contributing to the poetry and earth day performances and events held throughout the month!

Thank you to child and teen actors Stephany Quezada, Willa Lesch, Peter Parizhsky, Ruby Goldberg, Journey Johnson, Kylik and Avion Alleyne, Philippa Cavalier and my fellow troupe members Katherine Almquist, Daniel Saed and Natalie Resto who participated in multiple performances!

Thank you to artists Katherine Freygang and Natalie Resto for making Endangered Species puppets with children in Cornwall for the jubilant parade on the Cornwall Town Green on Saturday April 27. Thank you to Shamu Sadeh and all members of The Berkshire Resilience Brass 8-piece band which played an array of fabulous tunes for our pageant and parade!

Thank you to violinist Jane Prentice who fiddled ominously as our 12-person giant oil spill costume ominously approached the innocent animals and were ultimately repelled by the bluebird of happiness with a crew of zebras, lions, whales, fish, goats, ducks and a myriad more, calling for the end of fossil fuels and the need for conservation and environmental protection!

An enormous thanks to musician and composer Joseph Sobol for his own original musical settings of some of the world’s best-loved poems which brought healing harmonies to our new poetic production — Hold Fast To Dreams — Bringing Poetry to Life!

Thank you to artist Jude Streng for her fierce and provocative FACTORY Puppet which held court in our 2024 Earth Day Pageant.

A huge thanks to award winning filmmaker Ben Willis for his vision and phenomenal cinematography and editing of our intergenerational film, Count Ampula and The Carbon Curse , dedicated to the need for clean energy and reducing our carbon footprint. Thanks to The Cornwall Library and Margate Haske for hosting this film’s premiere screening to a packed audience on Saturday evening.

A special thanks to my son Daniel Saed whose commitment to community engagement through the art of participatory theater continues to inspire me as both a mother and an artist.

I wish everyone a beautiful spring full of health, growth, love and enjoyment of our beautiful earth.

Leslie Elias

Artistic Director

Grumbling Gryphons

West Cornwall