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The Turd
Cheryl Heller
Sep 09, 2026
Fox caught on the trail cam at the compost pile.
Provided
Our compost pile has always been a community gathering spot. It’s where messages are exchanged, meals shared, habits and idiosyncrasies of close neighbors observed and celebrated.
Every day, except when the snow is deep enough to fall into our boot tops, we trudge out to a spot at the edge of the woods behind our house to deposit peels, cores, outer leaves and trimmed ends remaining from our cooking. Every year, we turn it and spread the nutrient-rich soil it produces, feeding vegetable beds, bushes and trees.
We still have much to learn about gardening and caring for multi-acre native gardens with snacks and habitat for local wildlife. For example, composted surplus lettuce seeds produce small circular salads surrounding every tree and bush on the property. Fall-composted tomatillos produce so many volunteer plants around the yard we could open a salsa stand. That’s the flora.
On the fauna front, observing what becomes of our composted items is an ongoing source of fascination. Watermelon rinds are picked clean over several days, showing progressively smaller bite marks, with probably the chipmunks having to settle for whatever little hot pink flesh the bigger biters leave behind.
Eggshells are always worth pushing around during the night, on the off chance they are not completely empty.Lychees, though exotic, are delectable, and portable enough to take back to a den or nest. Grapes, it goes without saying. A past-its-sell-by-date block of firm tofu was snapped up without a crumb remaining. (Probably by the same individuals who dug up every soybean I planted before they could sprout.)
I have read the articles that advise against feeding wild animals. I know the delicate line we’re treading but don’t believe a few food scraps will fool our many resident bears into thinking they can count on us for a regular dinner or make them want to get closer to us in any way.
So it’s extremely rare that I put animal protein out to compost —less than once a year. But I had a few ounces left of line-caught, Alaskan slow-roasted salmon that we were not going to come back to, and I could not justify denying a less-fussy eater the enjoyment of it. Plus, I hate to waste food.
Out of consideration, I kept the salmon separate from the daily remains from our French press, assuming that, given a choice, only humans or an Asian palm civet would prefer to have their salmon served with coffee grounds. To that end, I deposited the salmon a few feet away from the big pile, elevated on its own tree stump. I must admit, it looked tempting. And it made me wonder if the cliché that we eat with our eyes first applies to other creatures as well.
More-than-human beings have very few options for communicating with people, since we are so dense and oblivious to their signals. Lacking opposable thumbs, pens and pencils are out of the question. When they want to comment negatively on something, they can’t ghost us (the preferred method of office colleagues, in my experience), since we wouldn’t notice, and wild animals pretty much always want nothing to do with us anyway. Their vocalizing is lost on us because we’re too insensitive to interpret what they’re saying. That leaves them with biting, which gets our attention but is impractical most of the time. And the turd, a unit of communication that seems to hold meaning in any language.
For example, our first dog, Truman, lived with us in the Back Bay area of Boston. Every day on the Charles River Esplanade he met other dogs of myriad sizes and breeds. The protocol was inviolate. Sniff butts, take turns peeing on a nearby tree, be friends. Following this protocol demonstrated goodwill and confirmation of shared values for peace and freedom among the pack. Democracy in action. One day, a generously-haired Pomeranian (or something) broke protocol. He sniffed butt and then pooped. Truman was incensed and revealed a side of his personality that was new to us. He growled and lunged at the offender. But more interestingly, he developed a hatred for bushy dogs that he continued to nurture for the rest of his life. Just seeing a bushy dog across the street set him off. One bad experience became a hard-to-shake belief about an entire population.
The morning after my slow-roasted salmon offering, there was nothing but a fish oil stain where the salmon had sat on the stump’s pale flesh. But in its place, carefully placed, was a turd.
I deduced that the response came from a member of the fox family that lives just up the hill. I have caught them on trail cameras. And, I know they would not likely be sharing turf with the coyotes who live down near the wetlands. Coyotes are about the only other locals from whom the deposit size would fit, as it were.
But what did it mean? “Thank you”? “Here is my review.” “Hey, from now on this is my stump?” “ I was so excited to find this I couldn’t control myself?”
I have no doubt the fox knew we were having a conversation. And that the fox’s understanding was much more nuanced than my own limited grasp of information. My best guess is that after I said, “Here’s some salmon,” he said, “I was here, this matters, this is mine.” I put out a piece of fish, he gave it meaning and place, communicating to his entire skulk about status, territory, health, relationships and opportunity.
As I’ve been working on this essay, a good friend sent me links to several articles in today’s Financial Times, principally on why sustainability and concern for the environment have fallen out of fashion.
Every species is better than we are at reading the signs.
Cheryl Heller is a designer, educator and business strategist who pioneered the field of social design and founded the first social design MFA program at the School of Visual Arts. She lives in Norfolk.
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Every landscape tells a story
Lakeville Journal
Sep 09, 2026
Provided
On Sunday, Sept. 13 at 3:30 p.m. at the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon, 10 Upper Main St., author Annik LaFarge will explore the layers of history hidden within Frederic Church’s Olana. From Ice Age geology and Indigenous history to the Hudson River School and Church’s vision for his “greatest work of art,” LaFarge will trace the forces that shaped the celebrated Hudson Valley landscape. Using historic and contemporary photographs and maps, she will discuss her book, “Composing Olana,” and the artist, explorer and visionary behind Olana. Register at hotchkisslibraryofsharon.org
Lime Rock Historic Festival draws record field
Madi Long
Sep 09, 2026
Spectators watch as the Historic Trans-Am race takes place on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Madi Long
LIME ROCK — Lime Rock Park hosted its 44th annual Historic Festival over Labor Day weekend, drawing thousands of spectators and a record number of entries.
The festivities began Thursday, Sept. 3, with the annual parade and continued through Monday, Sept. 7, with a weekend of racing and celebrations honoring the track’s history.
Nearly 300 race cars were entered for three days of on- track activity. More than 190 cars competed in the Lime Rock Concours on Sunday, with additional vehicles displayed at the Gathering of the Marques. The oldest car in the concours was a 1903 White Sewing Machine Company Model C. Other rare vehicles included a 1994 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce Commemorative Edition.
Alfa Romeo, the Italian automaker known for its racing heritage, was the featured marque. Twenty-five Alfa Romeos were displayed at the park in what organizers described as the largest gathering of notable Alfa Romeo race cars ever assembled. On Monday, a field composed entirely of Alfa Romeos raced around the track.
Racing legends Skip Barber, Sam Posey and David Hobbs were at the track throughout the weekend. Barber raced at Lime Rock before founding the Skip Barber Racing School and later owning the track. Posey, an American racing driver and broadcaster who grew up in Sharon, designed several buildings at the park. Hobbs, a former British racing driver, competed in Formula One, NASCAR and endurance racing.
The festival also offered food trucks, vendors and activities for families. Attendees could even get a haircut from Skip Barber’s barber, a tradition that raises money for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a nonprofit serving children with serious illnesses and their families.
The festival honored actor and race car driver Paul Newman and Bruce MacInnes, a championship-winning driver and instructor at the Skip Barber Racing School. Both were inducted into the Legends of Lime Rock, joining others who helped shape the park’s history.
While the weekend celebrated Lime Rock Park’s past, it also looked toward its future. Families picnicked on Spectator Hill as children played and got close-up views of the historic cars.
CEO Dicky Riegel takes the “park” in Lime Rock Park seriously, emphasizing that the venue is more than a racetrack. It is also a place for families to create experiences and memories for years to come.
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Housatonic volleyball opens season with Torrington scrimmage
Riley Klein
Sep 08, 2026
The HVRHS varsity team celebrates a point.
Riley Klein
TORRINGTON — Housatonic Valley Regional High School’s girls volleyball team traveled to Torrington Monday, Aug. 31, for the first on-court competition of the season.
Torrington High School hosted HVRHS for an afternoon of scrimmages in Cornelius E. Donahue Gymnasium before the start of the regular season. First the junior varsity squads faced off for two sets, then the varsity teams played three sets.
The opening JV sets served as an introduction to the sport for some of the younger players. With the guidance of their coaches and the referees, both teams learned essential volleyball protocols including how to sub on and off the court, how to rotate after a side‑out and the correct positioning rules during serves.
Torrington’s passionate fans fueled momentum in long scoring runs and propelled the home team to 25-15, 25-11 wins in the two JV sets.
The varsity teams then took the court. Both squads featured a core of four seniors:Sydney Howe, Kenzsi Watson, Lydia Fleming and Kellie Esiermann for HVRHS, and Aaliyah Quintero, Jasmile Ruiz, Fiona Ramadani and Kailyn Castillo for Torrington.

HVRHS opened the first varsity set with an 8-3 lead behind a serving run from Howe. Torrington answered when Quintero took over as the server, pushing ahead 15-11. The set tightened at 15, then swung back and forth through seven ties and six lead changes before Torrington edged out a 26-24 win.
Torrington’s football team filed into the stands after concluding an afternoon practice, providing a boost to the crowd.
With the noise behind them, Torrington raced out to a 12-2 lead. Watson steadied HVRHS with a strong serving stretch, but Torrington maintained control and closed out the set 25-11.
The final set was shortened to 15 points, but it still produced a handful of sharp, extended rallies. HVRHS kept pace early, yet Torrington remained consistent and closed out the match with a 15-8 win.
HVRHS was scheduled to start the regular season with a three-stop road stretch in Waterbury Sept. 8, Woodbury Sept. 15 and Terryville Sept. 18. The team’s home opener has been scheduled for Monday, Sept. 21, at 5:15 p.m. against Lakeview High School.
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First Friday music series features Connecticut premiere
Patrick L. Sullivan
Sep 08, 2026
Vocalist Alison Gish Jenkins, who sings in the low contralto range, and pianist Melody Fader performed Samuel Barber’s “Hermit Songs” (1953) and Samuel Butler’s “Stabat Mater” (2025) at the Congregational Church of Salisbury on Friday, Sept. 4.
The performance was part of the church’s First Friday Music series, which presents 30-minute concerts at noon on the first Friday of each month.
The church’s music director, David Baranowski, said it was only the second time Butler’s piece had been performed.
“And it’s the Connecticut premiere,” Jenkins added.
Jenkins, who lives in West Hurley, New York, has performed at the church before. It was Fader’s first visit to Salisbury from her home in Brooklyn.
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Sharon to mark 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks
Christian Murray
Sep 08, 2026
SHARON — Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks killed nearly 3,000 people, the Sharon Fire Department will bring the community together to remember the victims, first responders, and families whose lives were forever changed that day.
The department will hold a community remembrance Friday, Sept. 11, at the Sharon firehouse, 36 West Main St. An open house will begin at 4 p.m. with a firetruck display and activities for children.
The memorial program will begin at 5 p.m. Fire Chief Brian Moore will welcome those attending, followed by a prayer from the Rev. Dr. Anna Crews Camphouse of Sharon United Methodist Church and a recitation of the Fireman’s Prayer.
Former Fire Chief Tom Bartram will lead a two-minute silence. Remarks will be offered by former Fire Chief Todd Anderson and Brian Ross, the veteran investigative journalist who worked at ABC News and is on the LJMN board, which oversees The Lakeville Journal.
Residents have been invited to submit written remembrances of Sept. 11. The Sharon Historical Society will preserve the accounts, creating a local record of how the community remembers the attacks and their immediate aftermath.
The event will be held rain or shine and is open to all.
The Sharon observance is among ceremonies planned across Connecticut to mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93.
Of the 2,977 people killed in the attacks, 161 lived in or had ties to Connecticut, according to Gov. Ned Lamont’s office. Their names are engraved on the state’s 9/11 memorial at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport.
At least 14 victims had connections to the greater Litchfield County area, according to a 2006 Connecticut Insider retrospective. The publication used a broad regional definition that included current and former residents, part-time residents, graduates of local schools, and people whose families lived in the area.
Among them was James Gadiel, 23, a Kent native and graduate of Kent Center School and Housatonic Valley Regional High School. Gadiel worked for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower.
A memorial outside Kent Town Hall honors Gadiel and the other victims of the attacks. The town will hold a commemorative service at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 11 at Town Hall, 41 Kent Green Blvd., according to the town’s official calendar.
Christoffer M. Carstanjen, who grew up in Sharon, was also killed. A 1981 graduate of Sharon Center School and a 1985 graduate of Housatonic Valley Regional High School, Carstanjen was working as a computer specialist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst at the time of his death. He was a passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 175, which was hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center’s South Tower.
Susan Getzendanner, 58, a vice president at Fiduciary Trust Co., was a part-time Salisbury resident who spent time at a cottage on Mount Riga. She was killed in the World Trade Center.
Two graduates of The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, David M. Berray, 39, and Todd Pitman, 30, also died at the World Trade Center.
Other victims identified by Connecticut Insider had ties to Goshen, Litchfield, Winsted, and Woodbury.
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