Letters to the Editor - July 9, 2026

Trees: We have ideas, we need implementation

Several weeks ago, Lizbeth Piel wrote to the Editor about saving our forests.She is right. Whether you are a fly fisher, a hunter, bird watcher, canoeist or follow another sport, the forest is important for you. If you are builder or woodworker trees are essential. If you are looking for exercise or peace of mind, then the forest is a good bet.

Trees are subject to pandemics, usually caused by filamentous fungi but sometimes by insects (ash) or nematodes (beech). We have lost three and a half billion immense and valuable chestnut trees. Also, elms, and ash. Beech trees are not far behind. Trees cannot run away and they do not have an immune system that remembers what attacked them before. The administration meanwhile Is closing labs that study tree infections. The Forest Service has taken deeper budget cuts than any other federal agency. There are fewer sources of funds than before and a scientist with a good idea about how to control infectious fungi faces a mountain of funding difficulties.

We in Connecticut are not helpless. We should do our best to fund good ideas and struggle along until Mr. Trump and his destructive acolytes are gone. We have a superb Connecticut Agricultural Research Station andUniversities. We have experimental forests. We have labs from high school to Universities that could pitch in. We have ideas about how to battle fungi and insects that infect our forests. We should find a way to implement them.

Richard Kessin

Formerly of Norfolk

Thank you to the good samaritan who led us home

I think we should have a monthly Good Samaritan Award given to one of our neighbors in the Northwest Corner who goes out of their way to lend a helping hand because that’s just who they are.

I have a nominee for the first award. My husband and I were driving back to Sharon Saturday night after our annual July 4th trip to see James Taylor at Tanglewood. His songs were still playing in our heads as we made our way along in the dark on Rte. 7, midnight approaching, when we came to an abrupt halt.

A sign in the middle of the road surrounded by barricades read “something, something DANGER.”I never remember the word DANGER being used in a traffic sign, but this began a night of much danger and blocked roads and downed trees and swinging power lines.

With no cell service, so no GPS, we were driving around in circles in the dark, when we eventually saw a sign for Lakeville. We turned that way, only to be deterred by another “road closed” sign and a crew working on downed power lines. I couldn’t tell which direction I was going in and was considering just pulling over and spending the night in the car when the white truck pulled up beside us. It looked official, so I jumped out to ask for directions or help. Turns out it was a young man who said he was also trying to get to Sharon. He knew where he was and he knew the roads. He waved me back to my car and said, “Follow me!”

Which we did, eventually on to Housatonic River Road where he’d been earlier.However, this time a downed tree had blocked the road after we’d driven about four miles. We had to turn around -- there is a ravine on one side so not so easy!When we reached the end of the road he jumped out of his truck, walked to our car and said he thought our best bet was to go back to where they were working on the power lines because eventually, they’d fix them and we’d be on our way.

Turns out the lines had been fixed while we were driving around. So, all clear - he led us to the four corners at Hotchkiss School.We said our goodbyes there, since he was going one way and we were going the other.We didn’t know what we’d encounter next on our way home, but at least we knew where we were going.

Most importantly, we were reminded in the current climate where so much seems to be about money and self-aggrandizement, there are people like Ashton Cooper.

Thank you Ashton.

Chris and Geraldine Rubin

Sharon