Satre Hill shines in Jumpfest 2024

Youth jumpers rested before launching from the 20-meter hill on Saturday morning.
Riley Klein
Youth jumpers rested before launching from the 20-meter hill on Saturday morning.
Salisbury Winter Sports Association’s (SWSA) 98th annual Jumpfest was a resounding success.
The three-day winter tradition went off without a hitch.
Friday’s opening night under the lights began with high expectation in the air as cars slowly filled the parking field next to Indian Cave Road. Car headlights guided everyone to a ticket booth, but from there on the way to Satre Hill was a footlighted walk through the dark.
Muffled voices could be overheard talking excitedly about what was to come, and parents kept track of children who wanted to run ahead.
The scene at Jumpfest was like a stage-lit happening. There were EMS trucks at the ready flanked by food and beverage setups. Twin bonfires lighted the scene and provided warmth. A booming voice over the loudspeaker keep everybody on schedule as the evening events unfolded, beginning with Target jumping at 7 p.m. for a couple of dozen contenders.
“On the hill,” was the cry from the observation post near the bottom of the jump, signaling that a jumper was on the way down.
Cowbells added to the mix and even triggered some happy revelers to yell out “More cowbell,” in a reference to the “Saturday Night Live” comedy sketch with Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken.
The Target Jump, viewed as a warm-up run to the main event on Sunday, was won by Cooper Dodds of Lebanon, New Hampshire, who hit the paint at 65 meters. Dodds won $500 in prize money donated by the Churchill family.
After some time assembling their getups and sledding rigs, several teams competed in the Human Dog Sled Race, a 200-yard round-trip course that typically results in some wipeouts at the turn.
Hooting and hollering and bent-over laughing punctuated the sidelines as onlookers watched, hoisting a brewski or hot toddy for their favorite team.
By 10 p.m., the voice on the loudspeaker called it a night and thanked the hundreds who came on opening night.
Saturday’s full menu of events was met with blue skies and crisp winter air. Youth jumping began on the 20-meter hill with contestants ranging in age from 5 to 17.
More cowbell rattling filled the air as each jumper prepared for launch. Cheers and applause erupted as the young athletes soared.
The cook shack crew and Low-N-Slow food truck served up fresh meals to attendees and hungry athletes as the first round of competition wrapped up.
Jumpers climbed the 30-meter tower next for the final Jumpfest from that particular launch. A capital campaign to replace the wood jump with a steel tower is underway and a new K30 ramp will be built in the coming year.
The Salisbury Invitational followed for an afternoon of high-flying competition on the Big Hill. Crowds grew larger for the premiere contest of the day and surrounded the landing zone beneath the 65-meter jump.
Pallet-fueled bonfires kept spectators warm as the sun slipped beneath the tree line and shade set in at Satre Hill. Beer, wine and hot toddies helped fight the cold, too.
Once the jumping was complete, Saturday’s festivities ended with the Snow Ball at the Grove in Lakeville.
Sunday afternoon was sunny and pleasant without much wind. Spectators who opted for muck boots were vindicated, as the ground by the various food and merchandise stands was thoroughly muddy.
Joe Geraghty and Vanessa O’Connor were doing good business selling SWSA merchandise. Geraghty said he would consider it a successful day if he came in with five bins of goods and left with one, and was on track for that result.
Anna Pattison at the cook shack confirmed what a reporter suspected — the SWSA bratwurst, with or without fried onions or sauerkraut, was the big seller.
A pickup truck on loan from the town crew stood ready to take ski jumpers back up the hill. One by one, an endless series of youngsters, sleek in their jumping clothing, piled in the pickup bed with their skis until it seemed impossible to get any more in.
But it wasn’t. “Somebody carry this kid in their lap,” said a man, hoisting a diminutive skier up and in.
Before the trial jumps began, the call went out on the loudspeaker for measurers. Mat Kiefer stood facing a circle of volunteers, advising those new to the experience to buddy up with veterans.
Outside the immediate Satre Hill area, the parking lot was completely jammed and people were parking wherever they could, including Railroad Street.
Jumpfest 2024 was well attended with roughly 600 guests on Friday, 1,400 guests on Saturday, and 1,350 guests on Sunday. Additionally, an estimated 1,000 children under age 12 took part in the weekend fun at Satre Hill.
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