
Torrington Transfer Station’s entrance.
Jennifer Almquist
Torrington Transfer Station’s entrance.
Municipal contracts with the state for refuse hauling expire in mid 2027. Before then, Northwest Corner towns must find a solution for municipal solid waste.
The Northwest Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG), a coalition of 21 town governments in the region, has for several years been weighing waste options. The prevailing plan as of February 2025 is to identify a central hub and create a regional waste authority to manage the operation.
To achieve this, NHCOG submitted an offer to purchase the existing Torrington Transfer Station, which has been operating since 1988, from the state agency Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority Dissolution Authority (MIRA-DA).
Currently the Torrington facility processes 25,000 tons per year of waste, recyclables, bulky items, and has a capacity to expand that to 60,000 tons. The 4.7-acre Torrington Transfer Station on Vista Drive is operated by a third-party contractor, Enviro Express Inc. in Bridgeport.
The Torrington site has an unused rail spur that could be used for waste hauling. The projected total cost of operation of the Torrington Transfer Station for Fiscal Year 2026 is $4,736,907 according to the dissolution authority.
Since the Hartford plant closed in July of 2022, MIRA-DA operates just two transfer stations in the state: one in Essex and one in Torrington.
Waste received at the Torrington Transfer Station is consolidated onto transfer trailers then delivered to the Keystone sanitary landfill in Pennsylvania. Recycling is consolidated onto transfer trailers and delivered to privately operated processing facilities in Willimantic or Berlin, where it is sorted, baled, and sold to be made into new consumer products.
Of the 21 towns in the Northwest Corner, 11 still maintain a contract with MIRA-DA. The remainder of the towns have hired private haulers, such as USA Waste and Recycling.
NHCOG members have been operating on the understanding that they have until June 30, 2027, to secure new contracts. It was recently learned that the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) is the successor agency to MIRA-DA effective July 1, 2025. Town representatives were surprised to learn that DAS is not required to honor existing town contracts. The actual contractual expiration date is unclear, which has caused confusion they hope to resolve.
Winchester Mayor and Administrator of the Barkhamsted Transfer Station Todd Arcelaschi said “Forming a regional waste authority is much more complicated than just the NHCOG simply forming one. Once one is formed, it would then be up to all the towns to take steps to join the RWA, it isn’t automatic.” He went on, ”The Torrington Transfer Station has four or five tractor trailers that ship the municipal waste to Pennsylvania, and the Recycling to Automated in Berlin.The NHCOG would likely be operating the same way, hiring a company to run the transfer station. That company would be responsible for the trucking, so the COG would not have to purchase trucks.”
The dissolution authority had agreed to keep the tipping fee — a fee paid by those who dispose of waste in a landfill, based on the weight of the disposed waste — at $131 per ton until 2027.Connecticut residents produce 3.5 million tons of municipal solid waste annually, yet the state only has capacity for 2.7 million tons.
Members of the NHCOG spoke at the Jan. 15, 2025, meeting of MIRA-DA in Hartford, who made their minutes public online.
Curtis Rand, Salisbury First Selectman, described the good work done by Sharon and Salisbury in the areas of recycling and composting. He stated that he thought the town had until June 2027 and was stunned when he learned that the contract could end as early as mid 2025. He asked for the dissolution authority’s help in maintaining the Torrington Transfer Station as a public option for the towns.
“It is in the public interest to try to keep some public option for our trash disposal in the Northwest Hills, especially for small towns that generally do not have a lot of staff.”
— Gordon Ridgway, Cornwall First Selectman
Cornwall First Selectman Gordon Ridgway stated his belief that “it is in the public interest to try to keep some public option for our trash disposal in the Northwest Hills, especially for small towns that generally do not have a lot of staff.” He echoed Rand’s comments that the towns thought they had two years to work out a solution. He asked for some time and cooperation to work out an equitable solution that ideally is in the public interest.
New Hartford First Selectman Dan Jerram, chairman of NHCOG, noted that “all 21 towns in our council voted in favor of pursuing the Torrington Transfer Station to maintain it as a public option because they thought it was important for the long-term future.”
Goshen First Selectman Todd Carusillo stated, “the towns have been working on transitioning the transfer station to the towns for the last few months, after learning the time frame had been shortened from 2027 to 2025. I am concerned about the potential for one company coming in and creating a monopoly by buying all the transfer stations in the region. This would result in the towns losing control over solid waste tip fees.”
David Barger, first selectman of Falls Village, added, “Transitioning the Torrington Transfer Station to the towns is keeping in line with Governor Lamont’s plan to regionalize services across the state.”
Winsted/Winchester is among the NHCOG towns that has opted to sign with a private hauler rather than wait for a public solution.
Paul Harrington, town manager of Winchester, explained, “While we’re making progress in developing regional waste solutions, we must ensure that any long-term arrangement is both financially sustainable and operationally efficient. Waste collection is an essential weekly service that must continue uninterrupted, but it needs to be delivered in the most cost-effective manner possible, especially given the constraints of municipal budgets.”
Jennifer Heaton Jones, executive director of the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority, a solid waste/recycling authority in Western Connecticut, weighed in, “It is hard to form a regional waste authority. The Northwest Hills geographically are difficult transportation wise; your resources are very different than other parts of the state. So, to create a regional authority to leverage contracts is very different than other regions in Connecticut.”
Heaton-Jones added, “We as a state need to really reconsider how we look at the MSW. We could reduce the amount of waste that we are producing and going to out-of-state landfills. We can consider how we are taking food waste out of the waste stream. Through programs, through better education.”
Food waste represents 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 58% of methane emissions from landfills come from food waste.
In summation, Rand said, “You know, I think there is a hope that we can get the Torrington Transfer Station and work together at least for the next couple of years to fulfill our contract with MIRA till July 2027. There’s a common theme: we would like to preserve some public type of entity to manage our garbage, and that’s pretty simple. We also need to be aware of the amount of waste we are creating, and we need to find ways to make less of it. That’s just a very simple statement.Whether it’s buying less, producing less, recycling more, composting; we’ve got to get this volume of garbage down.”
All recent deliberations by MIRA-DA and by NHCOG have been done in executive session. Selectman Rand predicts definitive results in the next few weeks as to the status of the Torrington Tranfer Station and the formation of a regional waste authority.
The shuttered former waste-to-energy plant in Hartford was responsible for processing approximately one-third of the state’s solid waste by burning it to generate electricity.
While playing outside in the early post-pandemic days, Berkshire Busk! founder Eugene Carr had an epiphany: why not expand the idea of performing on the street (aka busking)into a full-fledged festival in Great Barrington?
As an entrepreneur and cellist, Carr envisioned a well-organized jamboree featuring regional talent, including musicians, acrobats, storytellers, fire-eaters, and more. He formed a team, connected with local businesses and the town of Great Barrington, and launched Berkshire Busk! in 2021. Since then, Berkshire Busk! has grown into a summer staple for Great Barrington.
In the summer of 2024, over 25,000 people experienced Berkshire Busk!. The festival is free to the public, provides a big boost to local businesses, and spectators can tip performers.
Busking takes place all over the world, either organized by individual performers or via busking festivals. Artists like The Roots, Tracy Chapman, Phoebe Bridgers, and Old Crow Medicine Show have all cut their teeth performing on the street.
General Manager Carli Scolforo is a Berkshire native with a love of music and writing. She can often be seen roaming the streets of Great Barrington, making sure everything’s in order, and serves as the festival’s face on social media.
“This year is the fifth anniversary of Berkshire Busk!, and it’s been an amazing summer,” said Scolforo. “We were able to welcome back a lot of our favorite performers, and bring in some new experiences as well. After getting rained out last year, we were able to host our first outdoor movie night in partnership with The Triplex Cinema and the Boondocks Film Society.”
Scolforo added, “This summer, we also introduced our first Open Mic Night, hosted by local recording artist and music producer Jackson Whalan. We were really pleased with the turnout of talent. The sheer amount of talent that’s hidden within an hour or so drive of Great Barrington always astounds us.”
Local businesses sponsor various busking spots, like the Berkshire Money Management Stage in the parking lot between the Triplex Cinema and Mama Lo’s BBQ. Typically, buskers bring their own amplification, while there are few spots — such as Berkshire Mountain Distillery in Sheffield — provide power.
Berkshire Busk! will end its season with a fireworks display on its last night on Saturday, Aug. 30.
Berkshire Busk! is endorsed by the Select Board of the Town of Great Barrington and is entirely supported by sponsorship fees from companies and organizations, as well as philanthropic donations from granting organizations, individuals and the Town of Great Barrington.
It operates under a fiscal sponsorship agreement with the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires and participates in Mass Cultural Council’s Card to Culture program — in collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Public Health’s WIC Nutrition Program, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and hundreds of organizations — by making cultural programming accessible to those for whom cost is a participation barrier.
For more information, visit: berkshirebusk.com
What if the dog onstage was played by a person? That’s the delightful twist in A.R. Gurney’s “Sylvia,” opening at the Sharon Playhouse on Aug. 29. In this clever and heartfelt comedy, the title character — a stray pup who disrupts the lives of a married couple — is portrayed not in costume but by an actor who brings insight, charm, and chaos to the role.
Stepping into Sylvia’s paws is Jen Cody, who is returning to the Sharon Playhouse in a starring role for her third year in a row, ready to bring this spirited dog to life. She’s joined by Jonathan Walker as Greg, the middle-aged man smitten with his new four-legged friend, and Jennifer Van Dyck as Kate, his wife, whose patience and identity are tested by Sylvia’s sudden presence in their home.
Directed by Colin Hanlon, this production balances elements of comedy and emotional depth. Gurney’s script may be filled with laughs but at its core, “Sylvia” explores loyalty, companionship, and how love sometimes arrives in unexpected forms. The play premiered Off-Broadway in 1995 and has since become an audience favorite for its wit, warmth, and originality.
Rounding out the cast is Sienna Brann, taking on a trio of roles that highlight the play’s comic versatility. The design team includes Christopher and Justin Swader (scenic), Kathleen DeAngelis (costumes), Bobbie Zlotnik (wigs), Wheeler Moon (lighting), and Graham Stone (sound), ensuring the story is grounded in a fully realized world, albeit one occasionally seen from a dog’s point of view.
Performances run through Sept. 7 at the Sharon Playhouse. For tickets and more information, visit sharonplayhouse.org.
Paul Chaleff’s exhibit at Mad Rose Gallery in Millerton.
The unofficial end of summer is here, and while some of us may mourn the shortening days and cooler nights, the culturally-inclined denizens of the Litchfield Hills, Berkshires and Taconics have plenty to look forward to.
During Labor Day weekend, visit one of the offerings below, and maybe even take home a watercolor, rug, or locally-crafted wooden bowl to ready your home for the indoor season ahead.
Kick off the weekend with libations and bites from legendary New York City importer Rosenthal Wine Merchant at Mad Rose Gallery (5916 North Elm Ave., Millerton). The evening will mark the end of Paul Chaleff’s ceramics exhibition, which closes at the end of the weekend. Ashley Gilbertson and Franco Pagetti’s photography exhibition “Fragments in Time,” which has been extended through Sept. 21, will also be on display.RSVP by emailing info@madrosegallery.com.
Head to the Cornwall Library (30 Pine St., Cornwall) for its seventh annual weekend-long Art Sale, and peruse an endless supply of prints, posters, watercolors, photos, paintings and more, with price tags ranging from a very reasonable $20 to much greater sums.
The Library has announced that this year’s selection will “run the gamut from the antique to the contemporary, from the jazzy and colorful to the classic black and white, from realistic to abstract.” Thanks to generous donors, the sale will feature works from notable artists such as Amedeo Modigliani, Enrique Chagoya, Marc Simont, Leonard Baskin, Ruth Gannett, Robert Andrew Parker, Nicole Eisenman, R. H. Quaytman, and others, as well as a special exhibition of vintage photos, paintings and posters from late artist Duncan Hannah.
For more information and hours, visit cornwalllibrary.org/labor-day-art-sale/.
Visit the Barn at the Pine Plains location of beloved antiques and décor purveyor Hammertown (3201 NY-199, Pine Plains) and find the coffee table of your vintage dreams this weekend. Up to 75% off home goods and furniture of all kinds will be available.
This year’s iteration of the biannual tent sale features a “Makers Market” with local artisans, craftspeople and food vendors.
Visit https://shop.hammertown.com/blogs/journal/hammertown-labor-day-tent-sale for additional details and hours.
The Berkshire Woodworkers Guild, a coalition of local woodworkers that supports the local industry and its craftspeople, is hosting its 25th Fine Woodwork Show at the Berkshire Botanical Garden (5 West Stockbridge Rd., Stockbridge) this weekend. Attendees will have the chance to watch 32 masters from around the Tri-Corner region demonstrate their trades, from woodturning and Chinese joinery to boat building and French polishing.
The event will also announce the allocation of $32,000 from its scholarship fund to support 9 aspiring woodworkers, and host a silent auction of guild member-crafted pieces to support next year’s fund. Works from the artisans will also be available for viewing and sale.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts’ Hot Plate Brewing will provide frothy, local ales for swilling, while SoCo Creamery of Great Barrington will be pedaling its handcrafted ice cream for sweeter options for the whole family. Great Cape Baking Co., from Dover Plains will offer a full breakfast and lunch menu, including donuts, while Pleasant & Main from Housatonic will be providing the caffeine and crepes.Further details can be found at berkshirewoodworkers.org.
Artists across Cornwall will fling open their studio and gallery doors to welcome Labor Day culture ramblers on Saturday afternoon. An eclectic lineup of ten participating artists will show their work, ranging from pottery to sculpture paths, allowing participants a chance to enjoy the fresh late-summer weather as they meander through Cornwall’s green valleys from studio to studio.For a list of the artists, a map, and directions to each studio, visit ornwallct.org/event/cornwall-open-studio-2025/.