Posey family donates 128 acres to Sharon Land Trust

Posey family donates 128 acres to Sharon Land Trust

A creek on the property recently preserved by Sharon Land Trust cascades over the rocky terrain to form one of several waterfalls.

Brooke Loening

SHARON — On Monday, Sept. 30, the Sharon Land Trust (SLT) announced its acquisition of 128 acres on Dug Road, donated by Samuel Posey Jr., who has owned the property for eight years.

“Our goal is to preserve and conserve the rural heritage of the town of Sharon, and to protect both its agricultural and ecological resources for future generations,” said SLT Executive Director Carolyn Klocker said. SLT has named the parcel the Posey Family Preserve in honor of the donors.

This particular donation is an inspiring model for future land protection in the town, Klocker said. “This is huge,” Klocker said. “That the Posey family reached out to us sets an amazing example for landowners who are as invested in the Town of Sharon as we at [SLT] are.”

The land will now be a resource “for many future generations to enjoy” while continuing to contribute agricultural value to the region. “it’s critical in this day and age that we protect our agricultural lands in the Northeast,” she emphasized. Posey leased the land to farmers during his ownership of the property, and SLT will continue those same leases.

The new preserve abuts the Twin Oaks Preserve, already under SLT’s management, which then connects to the Tory Hill Preserve in Salisbury. This will promote ecological connectivity in the region, increasing mobility and habitat for local wildlife, while also preserving views of Sharon when traveling from Salisbury on Route 41.

“This stunning view of our area will now continue to be forever protected,” Klocker said.

The preserve will remain closed to the public until the completion of a trail, which Klocker said will follow a series of tumbling waterfalls on Long Pond Brook through a “beautiful” forest.

She hopes to have the trail ready “in the next year or two.”

Latest News

Gilbert Kenneth Schoonmaker

WINSTED — Gilbert Kenneth Schoonmaker, of Monroe, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on July 24, 2025, at the age of 77. Born on Jan. 18, 1948, in Winsted, Connecticut to Gilbert and Alta (Bierce) Schoonmaker, Gil spent four decades enjoying life on Highland Lake before settling in Monroe.

He is lovingly survived by his wife of 56 years, Sally (Gustafson) Schoonmaker, and his two daughters, Lynn Sindland and her husband Lee of Lead Hill, Arkansas, and Deb Pikiell and her husband Tim of Bristol, Connecticut. Gil was a proud grandfather to Ozzie, Tommy, Betsy, Katie, George, Lucy, Maddie, Joey, and Julia, and he cherished his time with his eight great-grandchildren. Gilbert leaves behind his siblings Ann, Gary, Gail, Jan, and Tim.

Keep ReadingShow less
Books and bites beckon at the upcoming Sharon Summer Book Signing

Author and cartoonist Peter Steiner signed books at Sharon Summer Book Signing last summer.

Photo by Stephanie Stanton

The 27th annual Sharon Summer Book Signing at the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon will be held Friday, Aug. 1, from 4:45 to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 3, at noon.

Friday’s festivities will honor libraries and the power of the written word. In attendance will be 29 locally and nationally recognized authors whose books will be for sale. With a wide array of genres including historical fiction, satire, thrillers, young adult and non-fiction, there will be something for every reader.

Keep ReadingShow less
Voices from Ukraine to America come to Stissing Center July 27

Ukraine Emergency Fundraiser at The Stissing Center in 2022 raised over $120,000 for Sunflower of Peace.

Photo by Michael Churton

The spirit of Ukraine will be on display at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains on Sunday, July 27. Beginning at 5 p.m., the “Words to America from Ukraine” fundraiser is set to showcase the simultaneous beauty of Ukrainian culture and the war-time turmoil it faces, all the while fundraising in support of Ukrainian freedom.

“Words to America from Ukraine” aims to remind and spread awareness for the suffering that often gets forgotten by those who live in comfortable worlds, explained Leevi Ernits, an organizer for the event. “We are trying to make an attempt to remind people that we are human, and we are connected with human values,” she said. “With very few words, poetry can express very deep values.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Grumbling Gryphons’ set to celebrate 45th anniversary with gala and summer theater camp

Celebrating its 45th year, the Grumbling Gryphons will perform at HVRHS Friday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m.

Photo provided

The Grumbling Gryphons Traveling Children’s Theater is preparing to celebrate its 45th year — not with fanfare, but with feathers, fabric, myth, chant, and a gala finale bursting with young performers and seasoned artists alike.

The Gryphons’ 2025 Summer Theater Arts Camp begins July 28 and culminates in a one-night-only performance gala at Housatonic Valley Regional High School on Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. Founder, playwright, and artistic director, Leslie Elias has been weaving together the worlds of myth, movement and theater for decades.

Keep ReadingShow less