Regional solid waste plan still in limbo

Towns in Connecticut have until 2027 to secure solid waste hauling contracts.
Jennifer Almquist
Towns in Connecticut have until 2027 to secure solid waste hauling contracts.
Plans for Northwest Corner towns to join the Housatonic Resource Recovery Authority (HRRA) have fallen through due to uncertainty surrounding the cost of the merger.
Leaders from across the region discussed the situation at a meeting of the Northwest Hills Council of Governments (COG) Sept. 12.
Contracts with the state for refuse hauling are due to expire in 2027, by which time municipalities must have alternate solutions in place. Some COG towns have signed contracts with USA Waste & Recycling, but as of the September meeting, eleven COG towns have yet to identify a new hauler (Barkhamsted, Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Goshen, New Hartford, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon and Winsted).
HRRA represents 14 municipalities spanning from Kent to Ridgefield. Its model allows for local transfer stations to maintain standard operating procedure at no additional cost.
COG heard a presentation from HRRA in July and discussed the possibility of the 11 outlying towns joining the coalition. At a follow-up meeting, HRRA informed the COG that uncertainty regarding the municipal solid waste tonnage totals, along with the lack of a centralized collection center, prevented the group from extending an invitation to the northern towns.
COG is looking into purchasing the Torrington Transfer Station to use as a collection hub for the Northwest Corner towns. The idea is to short-haul refuse to Torrington, which can then be taken to recycling centers, incinerators, or out-of-state landfills.
COG was hopeful that by joining HRRA, the waste could be collected in Torrington, sorted by type, and hauled to HRRA’s network of processors. COG Chair Dan Jerram, first selectman of New Hartford, said the increased workload on HRRA’s small team would have been too much to take on.
“It seemed like a lot of work, and what was the benefit?” Jerram shared. He stressed the importance of COG moving forward with the Torrington Transfer Station purchase and finding a long-term partner for waste management.
Salisbury First Selectman Curtis Rand said Casella Waste Systems, a large interstate resource management provider in New England, is in the process of acquiring Royal Carting and Welsh Sanitation (an Amenia, New York-based waste company that operates in Western Connecticut).
The sale is expected to be finalized before the end of 2024. Rand said there may be opportunities to work with Casella as it enters the Northwest Corner.
SALISBURY — Amanda Cannon, age 100, passed away Oct. 15, 2025, at Noble Horizons. She was the wife of the late Jeremiah Cannon.
Amanda was born Aug. 20, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York the daughter of the late Karl and Ella Husslein.
She was widowed at the age of 31 and worked as a bookkeeper for the Standard Oil Company and other oil companies in New York City until she retired at age 72.
Amanda moved to Noble Horizons in 2013 to live near her daughter Diane and son-in-law (the late) Raymond Zelazny.
She enjoyed her time in the Northwest Corner and was an avid nature lover, albeit considered herself a native New Yorker as she was born and resided in NYC for 88 years.
She was a faithful parishioner of St. Mary’s Church in Lakeville and attended Mass regularly until the age of 99.
Amanda was the grandmother of (the late) Jesse Morse and is survived by her daughter, Diane Zelazny, her grandsons, Adam Morse, Raymond Morse and his wife Daron and their daughter and her great granddaughter Cecelia Morse.
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Thursday, Oct. 23, 11 a.m. at St Mary’s Church in Lakeville, Connecticut.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Mary’s Church.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
LAKEVILLE — Barbara Meyers DelPrete, 84, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, at her home. She was the beloved wife of George R. DelPrete for 62 years.
Mrs. DelPrete was born in Burlington, Iowa, on May 31, 1941, daughter of the late George and Judy Meyers. She lived in California for a time and had been a Lakeville resident for the past 55 years.
Survivors, in addition to her husband, George, include son, George R. DelPrete II, daughter, Jena DelPrete Allee, and son Stephen P. DelPrete. Grandchildren; Trey, Cassidy, and Meredith DelPrete, Jack, Will and Finn Allee, and Ali and Nicholas DelPrete.
A Funeral Mass was held at St. Mary’s Church, Lakeville, on Saturday, Oct. 4. May she Rest in Peace.
Ryan Funeral Home, 255 Main St., Lakeville, is in care of arrangements.
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com
SHARON — Shirley Anne Wilbur Perotti, daughter of George and Mabel (Johnson) Wilbur, the first girl born into the Wilbur family in 65 years, passed away on Oct. 5, 2025, at Noble Horizons.
Shirley was born on Aug. 19, 1948 at Sharon Hospital.
She was raised on her parents’ poultry farm (Odge’s Eggs, Inc.).
After graduating from Housatonic Valley Regional High School, she worked at Litchfield County National Bank and Colonial Bank.
She married the love of her life, John, on Aug. 16, 1969, and they lived on Sharon Mountain for more than 50 years.
Shirley enjoyed creating the annual family Christmas card, which was a coveted keepsake.She also enjoyed having lunch once a month with her best friends, Betty Kowalski, Kathy Ducillo, and Paula Weir.
In addition to John, she is survived by her three children and their families; Sarah Medeiros, her husband, Geoff, and their sons, Nick and Andrew, of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, Shelby Diorio, her husband, Mike, and their daughters, Addie, Lainey and Lyla, of East Canaan, Connecticut,Jeffrey Perotti, his wife, Melissa, and their daughters, Annie, Lucy and Winnie, of East Canaan. Shirley also leaves her two brothers, Edward Wilbur and his wife Joan, and David Wilbur; two nieces, three nephews, and several cousins.
At Shirley’s request, services will be private.
Donations in her memory may be made to the Sharon Woman’s Club Scholarship Fund, PO Box 283, Sharon, CT 06069.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
MILLERTON — Veronica Lee “Ronnie” Silvernale, 78, a lifelong area resident died Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, at Sharon Hospital in Sharon, Connecticut. Mrs. Silvernale had a long career at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, where she served as a respected team leader in housekeeping and laundry services for over eighteen years. She retired in 2012.
Born Oct. 19, 1946, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Bradley C. and Sophie (Debrew) Hosier, Sr. Following her graduation from high school and attending college, she married Jack Gerard Silvernale on June 15, 1983 in Millerton, New York. Their marriage lasted thirty-five years until Jack’s passing on July 28, 2018.
Ronnie is survived by her daughter, Jaime Silvernale (Wm. MacDaniel, Sr.) of Millerton, her beloved grandson, Wm. MacDaniel, Jr.; two special nieces, Shannon and Rebecca and a special nephew Sean Hosier. In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her brother, Bradley C. Hosier, Jr. and her dear friend Ruth Fullerton of Millerton.
Visitation was private. A celebration of Ronnie’s life will be held in the future. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546. To send an online condolence to the family or to plant a tree in Ronnie’s memory, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com