Salisbury grappled with a changing landscape in 2024

Salisbury grappled with a changing landscape in 2024

Students sought native species during the Bio Blitz.

Patrick L. Sullivan

SALISBURY — It was a busy year in Salisbury on various land-use fronts.

The Salisbury Association closed on a new preserve of 48 acres on Route 112.

The Hecht Preserve has high ecological value with core forest, rugged slopes and bedrock exposures. A pure, cold-water stream traverses the property, draining to the Salmon Kill and providing habitat for native fish.

The Salisbury Housing Committee’s application for the 20-unit Dresser Woods affordable housing development was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission after a lengthy public hearing over several nights. P&Z also approved an affordable housing plan from the Salisbury Housing Trust for two homes on Undermountain Road, also after a lengthy public hearing over several nights.

And the SHC opened 10 new units of housing at Sarum Village with moderate fanfare, including a visit by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.

Late last month, Aradev LLC withdrew its application to redevelop and expand the Wake Robin Inn after a lengthy public hearing over several nights revealed significant opposition from neighbors. The commission was leaning toward turning the application down before the developer pulled it back.

The Salisbury Winter Sports Association added a rebuilt 30 meter jump and synthetic landing material that allows for year-round ski jump training. SWSA’s application before the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission to build a snowmaking pond beneath the ski jumps was withdrawn from consideration in December. SWSA’s Ken Barker said the organization needed time to restructure the plans in response to new information from the commission and letters from the public.

There were several anniversaries of note in 2024: Trinity Episcopal Church in Lime Rock celebrated its 150th year, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury its 200th year, the Rotary Club of Salisbury hit the 75 year mark, and Stacey Dodge marked her 25th year overseeing the town Grove.

The Salisbury Association kept the town informed and enlivened with exhibits on biodiversity, the Corner Food Pantry and the Holley Knife Company.

The Scoville Memorial Library sponsored numerous events, often taking advantage of the grounds for the purpose. Visitors searched for native species in the nearby Wachocastinook Brook during the Bio Blitz, or got an up close and personal look at the local wildlife. Inside the library, children learned how to become Oompa Loompas, and adults learned how to research the history of their homes.

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Club baseball at Fuessenich Park

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 

 
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

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).

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Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

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.

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