Avoid danger while enjoying the river and falls

A group of teens from Westchester County, N.Y., traveled to Falls Village to leap from the cliffs above the Great Falls. Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
AMESVILLE — When the water level on the Housatonic River is low between the Great Falls and the First Light power station in Falls Village, I like to fish this angling no-man’s land. It’s mostly small-mouth bass and panfish, but sometimes there’s a pike, or a brown trout with a poor sense of direction, or a giant carp on the other end of the line. You just never know.
But I do know one thing: The falls area is extremely dangerous.
Walking around on slick rock formations in sneakers or rubber soled boots is like tap-dancing with roller skates on a bed of ball bearings dipped in snot.
Doing so with your friends, your dog, your gas grill, your bag of food and your cooler of refreshing beverages while staring at your hand computer in order to post photos on Instagram is just plain reckless.
Over the last couple of weeks I have noticed increased use of the falls area. This is not in itself a bad thing.
But when it is accompanied by copious amounts of trash, I get annoyed.
When people are using surfcasting rods and 60 pound mono (suitable for sharks) to catch 8 ounce panfish — and leaving great wads of line on the rocks for wildlife to choke on and get tangled in — I get incensed.
And when I see people dancing around on the falls, taking selfies and stumbling because they are wearing basketball sneakers on slick rocks, I get alarmed.
Because if they fall, it’s going to take a little while to get help.
In the last two weeks, I have been asked by out-of-towners about hiking the falls.
The first question came from a woman with a dog, in a car with New York plates. I articulated my concerns to her, briefly and undramatically, and suggested she take the pooch for a ramble on the forest trail that runs along the Falls Village side of the river. She agreed.
Two young women, clearly in good shape, from a car with Connecticut plates, asked about hiking in to eat their lunch. I told them how to get safely to the big pool at the top of the falls and cautioned against going too far from the bank in their sneakers. They followed my advice.
But while they relaxed on the bank, and I gingerly made my way to my fishing spot, no less than three separate groups of people were up on top of the falls, with the ubiquitous camera phones. One of them backed up, backed up, backed up. I put my rod down and took off my sling pack, thinking I might have to take action.
The individual stumbled, then regained footing and only then turned around and saw the problem.
A third group, at the bottom of the falls, asked if there was a trail and without stopping to listen to my reply, started trying to get up the steeply angled and slippery rocks. They had two dogs and picnic supplies. They were wearing sneakers. They finally worked out how to get past the immediate obstacle and proceeded. I don’t know how they made out.
I’m not trying to be a killjoy here. I’m as anxious to get out of the house after this lockdown — which, incidentally, hasn’t been officially lifted yet — as anyone.
But people need to know that the Great Falls is not a casual stroll.
The Lakeville Journal’s Hunter Lyle spotted a group of young people jumping off the falls last week.
If you’re wondering why I view this with concern, take a look at the big pool at the top of the falls. Notice the large jagged rocks and tree limbs, and ask yourself, do I want to jump into that from a height?
People get badly injured at the falls. People drown at the falls, here and in Kent, at an average rate of one every two years, but sometimes more often.
Why? Because they underestimate the danger.
It is not a well-maintained park with lifeguards and rangers ready to assist.
It is not the backdrop for a terrific selfie.
It is not the site for a casual jaunt.
It is a wild, unpredictable and dangerous place.
I wear felt-soled wading boots with studs in them for extra traction. I carry a wading stick — essentially a third leg. I carry a basic first aid kit. And I know the area.
The young men who piled out of a car with New Jersey plates and charged down the trail the other day had none of that going for them. They had sneakers and a 12-pack of beer.
I don’t like the odds.
Finally, consider that cell phone coverage is, at best, spotty in our neck of the woods. And our first responders are mostly volunteers.
If someone gets hurt, it will take some time to get help.
There are better, safer alternatives for getting some fresh air. Maybe they are not as dramatic as the Great Falls.
But after the events of the last three months, do you really want more drama?
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
Christine Gevert, Crescendo’s artistic director, is delighted to announce the start of this musical organization’s 22nd year of operation. The group’s first concert of the season will feature Latin American early chamber music, performed Oct. 18 and 19, on indigenous Andean instruments as well as the virginal, flute, viola and percussion. Gevert will perform at the keyboard, joined by Chilean musicians Gonzalo Cortes and Carlos Boltes on wind and stringed instruments.
This concert, the first in a series of nine, will be held on Oct. 18 at Saint James Place in Great Barrington, and Oct. 19 at Trinity Church in Lakeville.
For those unfamiliar with Crescendo, the award-winning organization was founded in 2003 and brings lesser-known works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods — along with contemporary fusion pieces — to new life. Its performances often blend classical composition with nontraditional instrumentation for a refreshing new take on an established body of work.
Gevert, who is German, Chilean and American, is a conductor, keyboardist and musical scholar. As the multi-national, multi-lingual (German, Spanish and English) creative director, she is a veritable whirlwind of talent, professionalism and inspiration who conceives of new musical treats for her audiences. She also hires and nourishes local talent, sources internationally known vocal and instrumental professionals, and provides her audiences with well-researched program notes for each concert, packaged in lush, full-color programs that resemble illuminated manuscripts.
“It is the excitement about and dedication to the music, along with the prerequisite vocal and instrumental talent, that characterizes a Crescendo member,” said Gevert. “I don’t care about things like how old or young you are or where you’re from — it’s all about bringing these performers together to provide unforgettable musical experiences for its audiences.”
“Traditional audiences for classical music performances tend to skew older,” Gevert continued. “For that reason, I’ve embarked on an effort to reach younger listeners, and have done things like taken a Crescendo choral group to perform at Housatonic Regional High School. I’ve also launched an effort to recruit and train young singers in Baroque singing techniques so they can perform with our existing choral group.”
The upcoming 2025-26 season includes, among other performances, a solo recital and benefit concert on Nov. 22 by the international Baroque opera star and countertenor Nicholas Tamagna. The curated program will include works by Handel, Vivaldi, and Monteverdi.
Two dazzling Christmas concerts follow: on Dec. 6 and 7, Crescendo presents J.S. Bach’s “Sweet Comfort” cantata and Mass in G minor, featuring the full chorus and soloists with a period instrument orchestra. On Dec. 21, the annual Holiday Concert will be presented: “A Tapestry of Traditions: Unraveling the History of Christmas Carols,” with the entire Crescendo vocal ensemble and Gevert on organ.
For the full schedule, concerts details and ticket information, visit: www.crescendomusic.org