Thursday morning, power and trees are still down in most towns

By Wednesday night, the National Weather Service was calling it “Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias” and declaring that it had moved into Canada and the U.S. government would no longer be reporting on its progress.
But here in the Tri-state region, Isaias was still very much present as thousands of homes and businesses remained without power, as roads remained closed due to downed wires and other debris and as work crews continued to cut up the trees and large branches that had fallen on roads and properties.
As of Thursday morning, there were no reports of lives lost as a direct result of the storm. There were some fire calls including one on Wednesday afternoon in North Canaan that involved serious injuries. Information on the outcome of that fire was not available Thursday morning.
Gas, ice and water
Of all the area towns, the two that were blessed with a modest amount of power loss were Salisbury and Millerton. Some businesses remained open in both towns — notably the gas stations. The Getty in Millerton was overflowing with cars at mid-day on Wednesday. The nearby Cumberland Farms had yellow sacks over all the gas tank nozzles, but cars were still parked in front of each of the gas tanks and every parking space in the lot was full.
The Patco station in Lakeville also had gas (and a large number of patrons, who seemed calm, polite and patient for the most part). Cars and pickup trucks were not only filling their tanks; many customers were also filling containers to take home, perhaps to use with generators and barbecue grills.
Ice and bottled water were in big demand all day Wednesday, at gas station convenience stores and grocery stores. By mid-day most stores had sold out. By the end of Wednesday, the Lakeville Patco had also shut its pumps down.
Most grocery stores were open, but with limitations. Stop & Shop in North Canaan had only emergency lights on; the freezers and refrigerated cases were all empty. Meat, dairy, frozen foods, ice cream were unavailable but shoppers came to the store looking for ice and other essentials. Sharon Farm Market was also open with restrictions. In Salisbury, LaBonne’s was up and fully stocked, with all the lights on. By mid-afternoon, the lines were long but not remarkably so. The store had already sold out of ice by that morning.
Nearby, Salisbury village businesses such as Provisions at The White Hart and Sweet William’s bakery and cafe were open. Relaxed patrons sat at outdoor tables sipping espresso drinks and eating pastries, perhaps enjoying the opportunity to feel normal in an abnormal week.
Salisbury’s good fortune
It’s not clear how Salisbury was spared so much of the damage that hit other area towns.
First Selectman Curtis Rand said Salisbury’s power outages were in the more wooded areas, around the Twin Lakes, Cooper Hill, Salmon Kill Road, and the area around the Great Falls (known as Amesville).
Rand said as far as he knew there were no injuries. A tree did fall on a moving car at Route 44 and Salmon Kill Road but the driver was unhurt.
He said the town crew has been busy clearing trees and debris off town roads. “We’ve reopened everything we can.”
Driving around Salisbury and Falls Village between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Senior Reporter Patrick L. Sullivan observed that town road crews had been through and had cleared trees from roadways. There was a tree on the utility wires on Brinton Hill Road in Salisbury, and a pile of downed limbs encroaching on one lane of state route 126 between Routes 7 and 63.
Smells like Christmas
Lime Rock Station Road, where Sunday’s tornado had taken down an estimated hundreds of evergreens, “it smelled like the workshop at Housatonic Valley Regional High School when the FFA students and alumni are making Christmas wreaths,” Sullivan said, echoing a sentiment others had expressed.
Lime Rock Station is in Falls Village. On Wednesday morning, Falls Village First Selectman Henry Todd, reached just as he was heading out to tour the damage at about 10 a.m., said he was unaware of any injuries or serious damage to homes at that moment.
Todd said the entire town, with the exceptions of Amy Road, Kellogg Road (one side), Main Street and Beebe Hill Road, was without power. Todd said his understanding was that Eversource would start working on Canaan Mountain Road, then Undermountain Road and so on.
Driving around the region on Wednesday, an impressive amount of fallen trees and branches had already been cleared and many roads had been opened. But there was much work still to do and even by Wednesday evening it was difficult to travel from one town to another, especially with Route 7 closed between the Covered Bridge in Cornwall and Housatonic Valley Regional High School (very close to Lime Rock Station Road) in Falls Village. Sections of Route 44 were also closed, notably a part of the road that runs through the center of North Canaan.
Good and bad news, Sharon
In Sharon, an enormous tree limb had fallen on the historic Green, across from Town Hall. That section of Route 41/44 through the center of town was closed off; drivers were using the narrow, one-way Upper Main Street as a two-way alternate route.
Sharon Valley Road was closed off on Wednesday afternoon. Nearby on Rout 343, Paley’s Farm Market was open for business after having been hit hard by Sunday’s tornado. The winds from that weather event had ripped the covers off the farm’s greenhouses and twisted the metal frames. Several large trees behind the market had fallen and were being cleared up on Wednesday.
Owner Sarah (Paley) Coon and her brother, former owner and farm founder Charlie Paley, were there on Wednesday and seemed still stunned by Sunday’s damage but grateful that it hadn’t been worse.
On Sunday, the destroyed greenhouses were empty, Coon said. If the tornado had come through earlier in the year, in March or April, “That would have been it for this year,” she said ruefully.
Absence of power workers
On Wednesday, driving around the region, the usual abundance of Eversource workers and trucks was absent. Two Frontier telecommunications repair vans were spotted. Only one power company worker was seen. Eversource said the damage from Isaias ranked among the worst the state had ever experienced.
Many Northwest Corner residents still remember the October snowstorm of 2011, which dumped about 2 feet of snow statewide and left hundreds of thousands of customers without power for between 5 and 11 days.
Eversource has not yet offered estimates on when customers will be back on line.
In an email on Wednesday, the company said, “This storm’s impact, in terms of Eversource customers affected in Connecticut, is one of the largest on record. As a result, we are asking customers to prepare for multiple days without power.”
The company said on Wednesday that it was doing assessments from the air of the extent of the damage.
One Eversource worker was on Route 7 in Falls Village on Thursday morning. He pulled around into the 50 Main St. station and took a moment to speak with The Lakeville Journal’s Janet Manko.
“We are all here who are always assigned to these towns,” he said, “but it’s a lot for one guy to do. And everyone cleaning up what is like a disaster area has to be careful. There can be wires that are dangerous and you can’t see where they are.”
He said the scope of the cleanup is the worst he’s seen, even worse than following Sandy and others from recent years.
Governor, AG take action
The power company had announced a rate increase last week. Attorney General William Tong and Gov. Ned Lamont immediately expressed anger with the rate hike, which was then suspended by the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA).
Some area power customers complained that,when they tried to call Eversource to report an outage, they were left on hold with a repeated message in which the power company expressed unhappiness with the decision to deny the rate hike.
Lamont declared a statewide state of emergency on Wednesday and then appealed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a presidential emergency declaration.
“Approval of an emergency declaration would allow the state to request direct federal assistance to supplement state and local efforts to save lives and protect public health and safety during this ongoing crisis,” according to an announcement from the governor’s office.
“The governor’s request also includes a potential 75 percent federal reimbursement of Category B state and local emergency protective measures.”
Lamont also announced an investigation into Eversource and its efforts to restore power to the state. A press release on Aug. 5 said, “The governor said that the companies’ response to the storm has been wholly inadequate and does not meet the obligations for the critical resources they are responsible for providing on behalf of Connecticut residents. He wants to know what specific steps the companies took in the lead up to Tropical Storm Isaias, which had been forecast to impact Connecticut several days prior to making landfall and remained relatively on the track that meteorologists had predicted.”
The news release said Lamont is asking PURA to:
• Consider whether the utilities were adequately prepared and have the resources they need to respond to significant weather events;
• Evaluate their response and whether it met regulatory and statutory requirements;
• Determine whether resources that were invested into their outage response system was prudent in light of the recent system failures; and
• Determine whether civil penalties should be applied
COVID-19 continues
Meanwhile, the governor’s office continued to offer updates on the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths, which are still rising. On Wednesday, the report said there are 1,543 confirmed cases in Litchfield County, up from 1,537 on Tuesday and 1,535 on Monday. The number of COVID-19 deaths has remained steady for several weeks at 117 in Litchfield County; and at present there is only one person reported hospitalized because of the coronavirus.
Outage update
Eversource’s outage listing was not accurate at some points during the storm and in its immediate aftermath. As of Thursday morning, it seemed to be working again. At 10:30 a.m., the impact on Northwest Corner towns was reported as:
• Canaan (Falls Village), 74.07% customers affected (971 out of 1,311)
• Cornwall, 99.09% customers affected (1,200 out of 1,211)
• Kent, 90.04% customers affected (1,944 out of 2,159)
• North Canaan, 84.84% customers affected (1,248 out of 1,471)
• Salisbury, 40.45% customers affected (1,217 out of 3,009)
• Sharon, 82.48% customers affected (1,789 out of 2,169)
The list of towns and impacts can be found at https://outagemap.eversource.com. If you are able to access the internet from a computer, you can see the town-by-town listing by clicking Connecticut under Customer Outages in the menu to the left of the map. If you are on a mobile device, touch Menu, then Customer Outages, and finally Connecticut.
Some towns are offering charging stations. In Sharon, for example, charging for mobile devices was available on Wednesday at the firehouse.
Travel league baseball came to Torrington Thursday, June 26, when the Berkshire Bears Select Team played the Connecticut Moose 18U squad. The Moose won 6-4 in a back-and-forth game. Two players on the Bears play varsity ball at Housatonic Valley Regional High School: shortstop Anthony Foley and first baseman Wes Allyn. Foley went 1-for-3 at bat with an RBI in the game at Fuessenich Park.
Anthony Foley, rising senior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, went 1-for-3 at bat for the Bears June 26.Photo by Riley Klein
Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.
Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.
A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).
Pearson first encountered the world of alternative publications — magazines filled with experimental writing, artworks in the form of a book, and samizdat literature — as a young writer living in Berlin just before The Wall came down in 1989. Later, in New York City, she spent a great deal of time with artists “who were always making and assembling, whose continuous art-making made the thin membrane between art and life even more porous,” she explained.
Pearson traces the idea of publishing to a 2001 exhibition of artist-poet Joe Brainard. That show led to “The Nancy Book,” Siglio’s debut title in 2008, and she’s never looked back. The book contains over fifty full-page reproductions of Brainard’s dazzlingly accomplished and witty drawings of the cartoon strip character, Nancy. It includes essays and contributions by Robert Creeley, Ann Lauterbach, Frank O’Hara, Ron Padgett, and other poets of great renown, all thrilled to celebrate and remember Brainard (sometimes called “a poet’s artist”) who died of AIDS in 1994. Pearson said, ‘My first project with Brainard was such a good experience, I kept going. “
Since then, Pearson, the sole proprietor of Siglio, has designed, edited, and published over 40 books and other printed editions. Her books are characterized by unexpected juxtapositions of texts and images and collage-like assemblages, as well as for carefully designed and gorgeously printed volumes. Her list includes many “rediscoveries” of unpublished manuscripts and little-known publications. At the same time, she has commissioned new work from an impressive array of artists and writers such as Christian Marclay, Sophie Calle and Cecilia Vicinua among others.
Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.Richard Kraft
Though most Siglio books feature work by artists and writers from the 1960s to today, one standout— “Tantra Song” (2011) — showcases vibrant 17th-century Indian tantric paintings collected by poet-ethnographer Franck André Jammes, their modernist feel echoing Hilma af Klint or Brice Marden. Siglio also frequently draws on the spirit of the Fluxus movement, reissuing works by figures like John Cage and Ray Johnson with editions that honor their playful, ephemeral, and poetic origins.
Siglio also excels at photo-narratives rooted in highly specific, often eccentric concepts. “Memory” (2020), by avant-garde writer Bernadette Mayer, reproduces her journal and daily rolls of 35mm film from a month in the Berkshires in 1971, capturing the texture of each day. “Call and Response” (2022), created during COVID lockdown by composer and visual artist Christian Marclay, pairs his photographs of London’s quieted streets with musical scores composed in reply by his friend Bruce Beresford—each image in dialogue with sound.
Siglio books are sold through it’s website (sigliopress.com), as well as museum or specialty bookshops. (The Lenox Bookstore represents a number of Siglio books; the newly opened Lakeville Books & Stationery has copies of “Tantra Song.”) In all cases, Pearson strives to make “two or three degrees of connection” with each book buyer, including a “special gift” — often a piece of printed ephemera — with each purchase.
Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.
After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).
For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit lakevillejournal.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.
Covered Bridge Electric Bike
Instagram @coveredbridgeebike
West Cornwall:
421 Sharon Goshen Turnpike
West Cornwall, Connecticut 06796
(860) 248-3010
Closed Tuesday, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all other days
Kent:
25 N Main Street
Kent, Connecticut 06757
(860) 248-3010
Open Wednesday to Sunday,
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
North Canaan:
1 Railroad Street
North Canaan, Connecticut 06018
(860) 248-3010
Open Wednesday to Sunday,
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
With three locations in the Northwest Corner, this outfit offers a speedier way to zoom on two wheels through the hills with electric-powered offerings for sale or rent. Rentals are available for two hour trips, half days or full days, with several sizes and models in both throttle and pedal assist e-bikes of various styles. Route maps and e-bike trainings are on offer for renters, and guided tours are available on select weekdays. Visit the website, call or email at info@coveredbridgebike.com for pricing and more information.
Each location has its own suggested routes of varying difficulty. Ethan at the Kent location says, “The first place we send people is Macedonia Brook,” the shady and bucolic state park just northwest of downtown. For a more involved ride, Ethan also recommended the quiet country roads that wind through the picturesque hill valleys to the east of town, especially off of Kent Hollow Road and toward Lake Waramaug.
Spencer, who works at the newest location in North Canaan, said that a dual-state two hour ride that takes cyclists into Massachusetts in Ashley Falls, then down into Taconic on Barnum Street and back to North Canaan via Twin Lakes Road and Cooper Hill Road, is his favorite. At the company’s West Cornwall location next to the its namesake bridge, Spencer said a classic ride is up River Road all the way to Falls Village, where riders may visit Great Falls or find some refreshment at the soon-to-open Off the Trail Café. For a longer journey, Spencer suggested continuing up Housatonic River Road north from Falls Village, where it turns into dirt and passes through gorgeous riverside farm country.
The Music Cellar
Instagram @the_music_cellar
14 Main Street
Millerton, New York 12546
(860) 806-1442
Scheduling is available via call or text 24/7
The Music Cellar is an all-instrument music school for aspiring instrumentalists, but it also rents beach cruiser bikes during the warmer months. “They’re perfect for the rail trail,” says owner and music instructor Johnny, referring to the currently 26-mile (and expanding) bike and footpath that passes just outside the storefront. “You don’t have to worry about hitting little bumps or potholes or curbs or whatever – they’re good all-purpose bikes,” he said.
Unique among area bike rentals, the Cellar offers rates starting at $20 for those looking for a shorter ride up to $50 for the day and Johnny said that he’s happy to accommodate sliding scale pricing for locals might have trouble affording the full rate. “It does help keep the lights on, though,” he said, “so if you’re renting bikes, you’re helping kids learn music!”
Johnny said that with the Harlem Valley Rail Trail at his front doorstep, he usually sends riders for a journey on the reclaimed abandoned railbed. The path currently stretches from Wassaic to the hinterlands of Hillsdale, with another 20 miles to Chatham planned to be built in the next five years pending funding. Johnny said riders can choose to head north for sweeping valley vistas below the Taconic mountains, or, “for a more shady ride, you could go south – also equally scenic, lots of wildlife. You can go all the way to Wassaic Station and jump on a train to New York.”
Bash Bish Bicycle & Tour Co.
Instagram @bashbishbicycles
247 NY-344
Copake Falls, New York 12517
(518) 329-4962
Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Located a dozen or so miles up the rail trail is the “ye olde bike shop of the Hudson Valley,” as described by its owner Sam. The shop is just two years from its 30th birthday, and appropriately exudes small-town charm without skimping on modern equipment and service. “It’s the best little bike store in the Hudson Valley,” said Northeast resident Dan Sternberg, who was clad in a cycling kit outside the store on a sunny Friday afternoon in June.
The shop is situated steps from the rail trail, just below the deep, clear and refreshing water of Ore Pit Pond in Taconic State Park, a short jaunt from the old Copake Iron Works site and a mere half mile from the parking lot for one of the Taconic’s region’s treasures and the store’s namesake – Bash Bish Falls. Sam offers day tours to highlight the richness of the region – not only in its natural resources but also the pastoral, cultivated splendor of the farm roads that cut through the hills to the west of Route 22.
Sam says he plans to start running multi-day tours, drawing on experience he had guiding extending bike excursions while operating a lodge in Colorado. Also upcoming is a pop-up shop in Millerton for the summer, which he anticipates opening shortly once the permitting is in order.
In addition to tours, the shop offers sales, repairs and rentals, starting at $35 for a two-hour hybrid bike session ($15 for kids) and $45 for two hours on an e-bike. Visit the website for full pricing details on four hour, full day, multi-day, and weekly rates. Bookings can be made online or via phone.
Sam says he likes to direct guests towards the scattered gems of restaurants, bars and shops that pepper the rail trail corridor and into the hills and dales beyond. The Copake General Store, dishing coffee and café fare alongside locally-produced provisions is just down the road, while market and cultural center Random Harvest and beloved seafood peddler Zinnia’s Dinette sit a close ride away in Craryville. For a summer afternoon tipple, Roe Jan Brewing Company is up the rail trail in Hillsdale, and the creek-side beer garden atmosphere of the Lantern Inn is a somewhat stouter 25 miles down the path in the other direction.
Berkshire Bike & Board
Instagram @berkshirebikeandboard
29 State Road
Great Barrington, Massachusetts 01230
(413) 528-5555
Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday closing at 5 p.m.
and Sunday at 4 p.m.
With Berkshire locations in Great Barrington and Pittsfield, and two other satellites in Hudson, New York and Bloomfield, Connecticut, Berkshire Bike & Board offers the gamut of cycling needs – a wide variety of gear, expert sales assistance, service and repairs, and of course, rentals.
All four locations carry an e-bike, which costs $69.99 for a single-day rate or a discounted price of 49.99 for longer rentals. The Great Barrington store also offers a non-electrified gravel bike for a single day rate of $99.99 or $79.99 for multiple days. All bookings for rentals are made online on the company’s website.
Great Barrington employee Wyatt described the gravel bike as “a little more aggressive” than a standard hybrid, and “able to handle packed dirt, a little bit of loose gravel, back roads, but not be super slow like a mountain bike” on pavement.
He said both the e-bikes and gravel bikes are well suited to handle one of his favorite routes, the Alford Loop. An approximately 20 mile ride, cyclists take Alford Road northwest out of Great Barrington, and then upon reaching Alford, may choose to take East Road to West Road or vice versa for a scenic and easy circle through the Berkshire forest and fields. In Wyatt’s words: “Great loop, super quiet, not a lot of cars.”