Putting the fun in fungi
An example of a giant puffball mushroom found by Dave Paton.
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John Harney, president of the Salisbury Housing Trust, presents Jocelyn Ayer, executive director of the Litchfield County Centers for Housing Opportunity, center, and U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, 5th District, with local maple syrup. Hayes was in Salisbury Thursday to tour one of the trust’s latest houses on Perry Street.
Ruth Epstein
Jocelyn Ayer, director of the center, joined members of the housing trust and First Selectman Curtis Rand in welcoming Hayes and explaining how the project came together. Rand said the property was the site of a dry-cleaning establishment located in the center of a residential area. “It was owned by two people who walked away from it. It took 15 years before we took the initiative to do something. We didn’t want to foreclose until we were sure we had someone to share in the cleanup.”
That partner was the state Department of Economic and Community Development, which provided a grant. Once the contamination was abated, a process that took five years, the town gave the property to the trust.
Hayes commended the town, saying, “I’m surprised you took the risk.”
Ayer said the critical pieces in making the project happen were the town donating the land and the Planning and Zoning Commission approving two homes on the Perry Street lot. She also thanked Hayes for her support in securing some federal funding toward the project.
“Other towns are jealous of the support we have here,” Ayer told Hayes, which includes help from the town, state and federal government.
Jennifer Kronholm Clark, vice president of the Salisbury Housing Trust, shows Congresswoman Jahana Hayes the kitchen in the trust’s newly built affordable house on Perry Street during Hayes’s visit Thursday.Ruth Epstein
Each of the houses costs $250,000. The trust retains the land on which they sit. The cost to build each house was $500,000, said Ayer. So far, two of the four Salisbury homes are occupied. Those eligible must be first-time homeowners.
Heat is provided by mini-split units in each room. The houses run on electricity and Ayer said the trust is exploring solar options. “We have $40,000 for each house, but we’re having a hard time getting bids near that.”
Jennifer Kronholm Clark, vice president of the trust, described the families who are already occupying the two houses. Just next door at 19 Perry St. is a young family with two children, one born recently. The mother grew up in Salisbury and “this is a wonderful opportunity for her to raise her children where she was raised. It’s a beautiful story.”
The family in one of the Undermountain Road houses has three boys who are thrilled to have a playground practically in their front yard, said John Harney, president of the trust. When the town conveyed that parcel, it stipulated that the existing playground remain.
Even with the $250,000 price tag, which is considered affordable in today’s housing market, Ayer said there has been a lot of interest expressed, but many just cannot afford to buy because they are unable to secure a mortgage. Hayes noted the guidelines have to be adjusted, adding that while affordable housing has always been an issue, “it’s getting to the top of the priority list.”
She lauded Ayer for all the work she does to promote affordable housing, telling her “You have a great vision. I’ll keep going to bat for you. I’ll keep trying to get federal money.”
As she was about to leave, Hayes was presented by Harney with what he called “liquid gold” — maple syrup made by Dolores and Champ Perotti of East Canaan. He also had a bottle for Ayer.
Those who may be interested in applying for the homeownership program should contact Ayer at 203-579-3180.
Olana State Historic Site, the hilltop home created by 19th-century Hudson River School painter Frederic Edwin Church, rises above the Hudson River on a clear winter afternoon.
By Brian Gersten
2026 marks the 200th anniversary of Church’s birth, making this a particularly timely moment to take in what he created during his lifetime. Church — one of the most notable artists of the Hudson River School movement — was an accomplished landscape painter who gained a reputation as an artist-traveler.
From South America and Western Europe to the Middle East and the Caribbean, Church sought out dramatic, epic scenes that he could capture on canvas and bring back to the U.S. to sell. The profits from those works, in turn, allowed him to create a breathtaking masterwork of his own: Olana.
Olana rises above the Hudson River like a mirage, its Persian-inspired facade an unexpected sight amid the barren winter landscape. With miles of trails, visitors can take in the natural splendor of rolling hills and the river from every angle. From the house itself, the view stretches across the Catskills, a layered panorama of soft blues and silvers that appears all the more dazzling in winter.
A window at Olana.By Brian Gersten
Inside the home, the sense of awe deepens. Olana’s interior is rich with color, pattern and texture — warm reds, stenciled walls, intricate woodwork — a striking counterpoint to the monochrome world outside. Light pours through tall windows, framing the Hudson Valley like living paintings.
Every corner of the house pays tribute to the far-flung places Church visited throughout his career. From architectural details to the objects he collected and displayed, visitors are transported to another world. Walking from room to room feels less like touring a house museum and more like stepping into the mind of an artist transfixed by the staggering beauty of the world around him.
As I made my way back down the hill, the winter light fading fast, I felt refreshed in a way that only comes from seeing something anew. Olana is not just a monument to one artist, but a testament to a way of viewing the world — one that values observation, patience and reverence for the natural environment. For those looking to venture out during the colder months and to be reminded why this region has inspired generations of artists and dreamers, there may be no better place to start than Olana.
Olana State Historic Site is located at 5720 State Route 9G, Hudson, New York. For more information and to purchase tours, visit: olana.org
The dining room at OlanaBy Brian Gersten
