![Seeing the forest and the trees in a multi-layered protest against DEEP actions](https://lakevillejournal.com/media-library/a-peaceful-protest-was-held-on-jan-13-against-the-cutting-of-pine-and-hardwood-trees-at-housatonic-meadow-state-park-in-sharon.jpg?id=48204492&width=980&quality=90)
A peaceful protest was held on Jan. 13 against the cutting of pine and hardwood trees at Housatonic Meadow State Park in Sharon.
Photo by Lans Christensen
SHARON — In the end, they were not able to overcome the might of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and its fleet of mighty rolling steel. The 66 pine trees that DEEP had determined were a safety hazard were cut down on Thursday, Jan. 13, at Housatonic Meadows State Park, just off Route 7 near Route 4 in Sharon.
As the powerful timber cutters did their work, about 30 protesters stood politely behind the barriers that had been set up to keep them away from the workmen. They held hand-lettered signs on old bits of cardboard, saying, “DEEP shame” and “Homewrecker.”
The fight over the fate of these pine trees (and several hardwood trees) has been going on since December, when a DEEP crew took down about 70 trees, including a stand of oak trees, at Housatonic Meadows State Park.
A number of area residents who take walks there noticed the limbs and tree stumps and immediately began an email campaign that included entreaties to state Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) and Sen. Craig Miner (R-30) to intervene; see story this page by Patrick L. Sullivan.
The state responded to the outcry by offering a meeting on Zoom on Jan. 6 in which DEEP Deputy Commissioner Mason Trumble tried to explain why the trees had been removed and why there were plans to remove another five dozen or more.
The youthful, bearded Trumble introduced himself as a former river guide, a hiker and a fly-fisherman. He promised the 90 viewers who had signed in to the Zoom that a full hour of the presentation had been set aside for public comment.
He and other DEEP staffers then explained in detail why the decision had been made to remove what adds up to about 100 trees from the state park, which is a popular site for day visitors and for campers.
The graphics from their presentation, showing the number of trees removed after the Jan. 6 meeting, can be seen on Page A6.
Who uses the park
After the meeting, Will Healey in the communications department for DEEP responded to questions from this newspaper about the park.
Healey noted that use of all outdoor recreational areas in Connecticut has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people seek a safe way to get out of the house.
That explains in part a large increase in daytime use of Housatonic Meadows State Park. Because of park closures that significantly throw off the numbers, 2020 statistics are not included.
• In 2019, there were 28,727 daytime-only visitors
• In 2021, between January and October there were 41,300 daytime-only visitors (statistics are not yet available for November and December)
There has been a decrease in overnight camping, in part because the campsites have been closed at times because of COVID concerns.
• In 2019, there were 3,250 campsites reserved
• In 2021, there were 2,899 campsites reserved
Housatonic Meadows, which became a state park in 1927, is on 452 acres right on the shores of the Housatonic River, with a 2-mile stretch of the river dedicated to fly-fishing. There are 61 campsites, a parking area and several picnic tables there.
Although no one has done a census of the number of trees in the park, Healey said it is estimated that there are more than a thousand trees in the day-use area of the park and another 1,000 trees in the camping section of the park.
A matter of interpretation: Trees
In this dispute over the fate of the trees, nearly every person involved has a different interpretation of what matters most.
One opinion is that of the DEEP staffers who made the initial decision to have the trees removed.
The state began a “hazard tree removal” project in 2018. Trees have a lifespan and eventually begin to fail and then fall. Even mighty oak trees eventually begin to age out. Adding to the stress on trees is the unpredictable weather and periods of drought and late frosts.
Also extremely damaging, according to the DEEP experts in their Jan. 6 Zoom presentation, is predation by invasive insects, which has been extensive in recent years.
Many ash trees died last year after they were attacked by the emerald ash borer; and many oaks were attacked by the caterpillar for what had been called the gypsy moth; that name is now being changed because it is considered derogatory to an ethnic group.
Trees often fall in the woods, and that is just part of the natural cycle. But when trees fall in a place that humans use, and which is managed by the state, steps are taken to remove potentially hazardous trees.
The DEEP staff said in their Zoom presentation that trees have fallen at several state parks in the area; there have been fatalities and there are now lawsuits pending against the state for negligence.
At Housatonic Meadows, a tree fell across the parking lot in 2021.
No one was hurt.
But DEEP foresters then went in to the park and examined the trees there to determine which might conceivably fail and present a hazard to humans using the park. About 150 trees were selected and removed, in the December culling and a subsequent culling on Jan. 13.
A matter of interpretation: Moratorium
One topic that has been disputed is whether DEEP promised during the Jan. 6 hearing to stop cutting trees.
Several of the protesters included in a long email list discussing the tree removal were certain that the state had said it would stop cutting trees for the moment.
Most of the people on the email stream confirmed instead that DEEP Deputy Commissioner Trumble had apologized for not communicating to the public the plan for the tree cutting, and had promised to be better at communicating in the future. But he did not promise a moratorium on tree cutting.
By Jan. 7, the email group took note that the parking lot at Housatonic Meadows had been plowed, and this was seen as evidence that a tree cutting was imminent.
Several members of the group suggested that they meet at the park and have a peaceful protest in an attempt to stop the cutting. All potential participants were warned that they might end up being arrested.
The protest came together on Thursday, Jan. 13. About 30 people turned out with signs protesting the cutting. No state police troopers were there, but the workmen were protected by temporary barriers and the presence of Environmental Conservation police.
A matter of interpretation: Wildlife
Before the Jan. 13 protest, the pro-tree life group began to realize that the tree cutting would continue as planned; they sought solutions that might delay or stop the cutting.
Several people suggested that there might be an animal on the federal endangered list that could be spotted at the campsite, and that the site could be declared a habitat that should not be disturbed. Suggested animals included the slimy northern salamander, the Eastern cottontail rabbit, and the bald eagles that live in several spots along the river.
Funds were collected for possible legal action demanding that the state perform a survey of endangered species in the area. An attorney was consulted but said he would not take on the case.
While there is no question that this stretch of the river has eagles (including several that came out on the day of the protest), their presence was not enough to stop the cutting.
A matter of interpretation: Trees II
As for tree health, there was disagreement even among members of the protest group on what conditions should spark an intervention.
The DEEP staffers in their Jan. 6 Zoom talk were very clear about why they considered the marked trees as a hazard. They talked about general aging, and about the damage caused by the emerald ash borer and the caterpillar for what was formerly known as the gypsy moth.
There was a huge infestation of the caterpillars last summer; new egg masses are already in evidence that show this year’s infestation will be even worse, with as many as 100 caterpillars hatching from each egg mass. Trees can recover from one year of infestation, the DEEP staff said, but each year of attack weakens them.
While some of the protesters acknowledged the damage caused to area trees by the emerald ash borer and the caterpillars, others insisted that no one should assume a tree is going to die until its death is imminent. No tree should be cut down before its time; it would be preferable to go through and do a thorough pruning of the endangered trees and see if they can pull through. Taking two sides in this debate were two local arborists, one a resident of Sharon and the other a resident and longtime town tree warden from Cornwall.
In the debate over whether the trees should be removed, one well-known and respected environmentalist in the region said that, in his opinion, foresters should not be allowed to decide on the fate of trees because they make their decisions based on the sale of trees to loggers.
He said that only arborists should be allowed to decide which trees are healthy.
A matter of interpretation: Humans
The same environmentalist who had said foresters primarily care about logging the trees and selling the timber had also suggested that the state simply move the picnic tables away from the trees if the main concern was the safety of humans using the park.
When that question was presented to Will Healey in the DEEP Communications Office, he responded that, “The picnic tables are only one of the potential targets in the area of the undermined trees that were removed at the top of the slope.
“Those trees also threatened the parking lot, as evidenced by the tree that fell into the parking lot in 2021.
“Also, simply removing the picnic tables would not stop the public from congregating along the top of the slope to enjoy that area with a view of the river.”
It can’t be determined ahead of time how people would respond if the picnic tables were moved or removed. However, an ongoing challenge for residents of area towns in recent years has been unsafe use of the Housatonic River. There have been several drownings in recent years in the river, especially near the fast-moving but apparently placid waterfalls in Kent and Falls Village/Salisbury.
Several people have also queried the decision by DEEP foresters to cut down the trees. Who will get the windfall from the treefall, they have asked.
Healey responded that, “Hazard tree removals are a cost to the state and taxpayers, not a revenue source.
“The contractor was awarded the work based on their lowest bid response to DEEP’s detailed scope of work. Initially all logs and branches resulting from the tree removal/pruning effort were to be chipped. We have since changed the scope of work to include hauling those logs that are suitable for lumber to our DEEP Sawmill. The resulting lumber from these logs hauled to the Sawmill will be used for picnic table stock or other state park uses. The contractor is not selling or using the chips or logs for their own gain.”
If anyone would like to watch the recording of the Jan. 6 meeting or read the transcript, they can be found online at https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/State-Parks/Parks/Housatonic-Meadows-State-Park/.
Graphics Courtesy CT DEEP
Graphics Courtesy CT DEEP
Addison Aylward-Vreeland couldn't contain her reaction as the judges named her the first place dancer.
SALISBURY — Earlier this month, a rising talent cemented her place in the firmament of competitive dance when Addison Aylward-Vreeland placed first at the national level of the Beyond The Stars Dance Competition.
Aylward-Vreeland, a rising fourth grader at Salisbury Central school, secured top marks among a field of twenty-four regional winners in the solo jazz dance category.
Her routine, “Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch,” was her first solo performance at the national competition level since she began dancing at age three. It took her and her coach, Maile Pikul of Cherilyn’s School of Dance in Pleasant Valley, New York, nearly seven months of diligent work to perfect.
“Solos have to be two minutes or less,” said Aylward-Vreeland, who is already working on her solo routine for the 2025 season, “but I have so many ideas I can’t fit them all in.”
Those ideas range from song choices to costumes and choreography — all selected to be perfectly complementary and to express the sounds, rhythms, and syncopations of jazz music. It’s a tall order made by an exacting discipline, but Aylward-Vreeland does it all while staying “cool as a cucumber.”
“She’s so excited to try new things,” said the dancer’s mother, Larissa Vreeland, “and every year she challenges herself a bit more.”
Aylward-Vreeland isn’t content only to take home the biggest prizes in her preferred jazz style, but also practices tap, hip-hop, ballet, and large group dance at her team’s studio in Pleasant Valley. Her teammates, “the Pearls,” are a tightly-knit group that Aylward-Vreeland has been performing with at the competition level since 2021.
Addison Aylward-Vreeland with her trophy from the national Beyond The Stars Dance Competition and her mom, Larissa Vreeland.Sava Marinkovic
Asked to name her dance heroes, Aylward-Vreeland answered, “my friends Lorelei and K.K. They do cool moves and they teach them to me.”
On Tuesday, July 9, at the Kalahari Convention Center in Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania, it came time for Aylward-Vreeland to show off those cool moves on Beyond the Stars’ national stage.
Three judges, a live audience of five hundred, and numerous far-flung livestream viewers had eyes on Aylward-Vreeland as she took the stage, tracked by spotlights so bright that she was “blinded” to the crowd of onlookers. None of it was enough to faze, however.
“I asked her to let me hold her butterflies,” said Vreeland, to which her daughter replied, “I don’t have any!”
It was meant to be the capstone performance of a meticulously-crafted routine that had already won Aylward-Vreeland a regional title and first place in four of five seasonal competitions — and the young dancer delivered.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” said Aylward-Vreeland, recalling how she waited on stage as the judges ranked the performances in ascending order. But as more placements were called without Aylward-Vreeland hearing her name, she began to get excited. “I started to see it coming,” she said, beaming from behind her array of trophies, “it felt really good to win.”
Following the solo competition, “the local support has been overwhelming,” said Larissa Vreeland, citing Addison’s incredible teammates, coaches, and supporters as reasons for her success.
For her upcoming endeavor, Aylward-Vreeland will have this support a bit closer at hand. Her team will be competing together in hip-hop, large group, and jazz dance at the World Dance Championship in Secaucus, New Jersey on July 24, 28 and 29. For the fans who wish to follow the Pearls’ next steps, twists and jumps, a livestream of the event will be available at www.worlddancechampionship.com/live-stream.
Riley Moriarty
Of thousands who attempt to walk the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, only one in four make it.
The AT, completed in 1937, runs over roughly 2,200 miles, from Springer Mountain in Georgia’s Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest to Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park of Maine.
While a thru hike often begins as a solitary pursuit, hikers weave into one another’s lives on the journey. Hikers Liam Hickes, James Outlaw, Jackson O’Brasky, and Riley Moriarty – Hero, Outlaw, Rabbi, and White Claw as they are known on the trail – were strangers back in March but have now traveled together for months.
Great Falls, Falls Village.Provided
Before the trail, Moriarty – originally from Columbia, South Carolina – worked as a carpenter and lived in a yurt in Asheville, North Carolina. He went on a weekend long camping trip with friends and dreamed of a longer excursion in the woods.
Outlaw too craved adventure. Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, he had hiked sections of the AT with his dad and always wanted to do the full trek. While working at a food truck in Boone, North Carolina, he decided to commit to the challenge.
Hickes is also from Atlanta and had no idea the AT started in Georgia until reading author Andy M. Davidson’s book “When Sunday Smiled.” Inspired by the story of a retired Navy officer, he began to plan his own journey. Following service in the Marine Corps, he got on the trail as early as possible, hoping to be surrounded by fellow hikers.
O’Brasky spent much of his life among crowds in the cities of Hartford and New York City and sought the wilderness as an escape. A painter by trade, he applied for the Elizabeth Greenshields Grant with a proposal to hike the AT. After losing his job, O’Brasky received the grant and embarked on this six-month quest.
Liam Hickes.Provided
Life on the trail can be monotonous. “People romanticize thru hiking, but it’s important to remember that it’s just walking,” said Outlaw. A night of burgers, beer, and civilization is sure to lift spirits and remedy the backcountry blues.
But mostly the hikers enjoy settling into the steady rhythm of a slower, quieter existence: taking siestas on hot days, letting thoughts wander, and gradually moving forward. “I get bored very easily, and I really have not been bored often out here,” said O’Brasky.
Throughout the journey, these individuals have confronted wildlife, weather, and rugged terrain: praying not to flip while rafting down the Shenandoah River, laughing in delirium through a North Carolina snowstorm, befriending wild ponies, and soaking up stories of strange characters they meet.
Jackson O'BraskyProvided
When the trail tests their resilience, they manage to sustain a gentle hum of optimism. A moment of sunshine can erase all recollection of the storm that soaked their belongings.
With everything they need in their packs – tents, sleeping bags, three days’ worth of food – they are not tied to societal expectations or any physical place. Each roams freely and independently, deciding when to push and when to rest, but they camp together almost every night. Comradery makes the undertaking less daunting and memories more meaningful. “Being around others who want the same thing I want enhances everything,” said Hickes.
James Outlaw.Provided
Chipping away at this objective bestows a rewarding sense of accomplishment. “It’s always a big deal,” said Moriarty, “30 miles was a big deal. 100 miles was a big deal. I was really impressed with myself. Now it’s 1500, but it’s the same kind of feeling.”
As they approach Katahdin, minds wander to life post-trail. Hickes plans to start school in Louisiana with friends, while O’Brasky is unsure whether he will stay in New York City. Moriarty is considering joining the Coast Guard (though first he must figure out exactly what they do) and Outlaw is looking forward to a potential move to Colorado.
While they will put down their packs — at least temporarily — these men will carry willingness to be uncomfortable and determination to persevere wherever they go.
The clambake returns to SWSA's Satre Hill July 27 to support the Jane Lloyd Fund.
The 17th Annual Traditional New England Clambake, sponsored by NBT Bank and benefiting the Jane Lloyd Fund, is set for Saturday, July 27, transforming the Salisbury Winter Sports Association’s Satre Hill into a cornucopia of mouthwatering food, live music, and community spirit.
The Jane Lloyd Fund, now in its 19th year, is administered by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and helps families battling cancer with day-to-day living expenses. Tanya Tedder, who serves on the fund’s small advisory board, was instrumental in the forming of the organization. After Jane Lloyd passed away in 2005 after an eight-year battle with cancer, the family asked Tedder to help start the foundation. “I was struggling myself with some loss,” said Tedder. “You know, you get in that spot, and you don’t know what to do with yourself. Someone once said to me, ‘Grief is just love with no place to go.’ I was absolutely thrilled to be asked and thrilled to jump into a mission that was so meaningful for the community.”
Disbursements from the fund are made upon the written recommendation of a social service agent, town social worker, hospice care provider, visiting nurse, counselor, or pastor. These funds must be used for day-to-day expenses such as mortgage, rent, insurance, utilities, heating oil, car payments, and transportation to and from doctor appointments or cancer treatment appointments. “We’ve never turned anyone away,” said Tedder. “We have had to ask people to wait a little bit, but we have never said no, which in 19 years is amazing.”
Behind the scenes of the clambake, a team of 75 dedicated volunteers help make the event happen. Even getting the seafood from Fitchburg, Mass., to Salisbury is a journey all its own. “We meet up at the Mass Pike and do the switch,” Tedder explained. “We clean the clams and bag them...all with volunteers from the community.” Because of the generous sponsors and volunteers, all the money raised is donated. “Like the lady who does the flowers for the event,” said Tedder. “She decorates the tables and the tents, and she goes to Salisbury Garden Center, and they say, ‘Take what you need and bring it back when you’re done.’ It’s wonderful that everyone knows what we do and why we’re doing what we’re doing — it’s for such a good cause and there’s such a big need.”
The clambake meal tickets are your golden key to this feast, but fear not if seafood isn’t your thing. There will be a variety of options, including hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, clam chowder, and vegetarian options. And let’s not forget the dessert table of community-contributed delights, and an ice cream experience that promises to satisfy any sweet tooth. There will also be live music at The Music Circle with Eliot Osborn and Friends of The Joint Chiefs.
The actual clambake is quite the spectacle. Said Tedder, “The guys build a kiln out of wood with river rocks in the middle. They light it on fire until the rocks get really, really hot. Then they pull away the wood, cover the hot rocks with seaweed, and put bags of corn, clams, potatoes, and lobsters on top. It’s covered with large wet tarps and steams for about 40 minutes. After that, we have four teams of servers who serve 350 people.”
Tedder shared that her favorite part of the event is getting up to thank everyone. “It’s nerve-wracking, but it comes from my heart,” she said. “The most meaningful thing is that I get to read notes from people that have written in to say thank you and what it’s meant to them. It’s heart-wrenching in such a positive way because they say things like, ‘I wasn’t going to live and the Jane Lloyd Fund gave me hope, it gave me a reason to live.’ It’s incredible how deeply we touch someone’s life.”
For more information and tickets, go to www.thejanelloydfund.org