
A detail of a whorl of hydrilla pulled from the shallow waters at O’Hara’s Landing Marina in fall of 2024.
Photo by Debra A. Aleksinas
A detail of a whorl of hydrilla pulled from the shallow waters at O’Hara’s Landing Marina in fall of 2024.
SALISBURY — The Twin Lakes Association is taking an earlier and more aggressive approach to fighting the spread of invasive hydrilla in East Twin Lake by dosing the whole northeast bay, from May through October, with low-level herbicide treatments instead of spot treatments.
The goal, said Russ Conklin, the TLA’s vice president of lake management, is to sustain herbicide concentration over the 2025 growing season.
That plan of attack will continue over a period of 60 to 90 days beginning May 21, Conklin explained during the association’s April 30 membership meeting via Zoom which drew 60 attendees.
TLA officials were encouraged by the chance to stop the spread and hopefully destroy the thick mats of the unyielding invasive plant hydrilla verticillata, referred to as the Connecticut River variant, after two years of chasing new growth around the lake’s north bay.
Dense patches were first discovered in the summer of 2023 in shallow waters around O’Hara’s Landing Marina and the nearby state boat launch and the plant has since migrated further into East Twin, following a pattern of boat traffic.
Past treatment efforts were hampered by delayed permits from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to treat the hydrilla with herbicides in an area where a rare plant had been identified.
This year, the TLA was granted an exception by DEEP, said Conklin, as any protected plant species in the path of hydrilla would likely not survive anyway.
“It is not dead now, but it is going to be if we don’t do something about the hydrilla.”
“This is a big year for us,” Conklin said. “Hydrilla is a real threat to the lake, and we did treat it this past year, but the permits only applied to the plant, so we spot treated it … and were always chasing it.”
The course of action this year, he said, is to treat the entire northeast bay with the herbicide Sonar in both liquid and crystal form at a very low levels so that the herbicide’s contact time with hydrilla will be extended for a longer period over 60 to 90 days.
“We know from past experience that it is much easier to kill the plant when it’s small,” Conklin explained. The goal, he said, is to attack the stringy, green weed before August when it crowns and splits into numerous growing points that are capable of growing at the rate of an inch a day.
During the hour-long meeting, discussion also focused on a pilot program for enhanced cyanobacteria monitoring at Twin Lakes to be headed by TLA director Jessica Swartz, a resident of West Twin Lake and biotech executive with Pfizer.
“It’s very visibly challenging to identify cyanobacteria blooms,” Swartz explained, as it can easily be confused with pollen on the surface of the water, dead vegetation or different types of algae.
Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are natural, important phytoplankton in lake ecosystems. Dense blooms, which release toxins, occur when there is an abundance of sunlight, elevated phosphorus levels and warm temperatures.
Given the current escalation in overly-nutrient rich waterbodies and rising temperatures due to global climate change, the frequency of cyanobacteria blooms is increasing, said Swartz, and Twin Lakes has occasionally experienced localized blooms.
As a result, the association will be implementing a pilot testing program with greater frequency and at more locations than currently conducted by the TLA’s limnologist, George Knoecklein. The goal of the pilot program is to work out the process of collecting reliable data over time that helps inform whether cyanobacteria blooms are occurring, where they are most frequently found, and assess the level of risk.
Sample test kits have been ordered for five or six testing sites across East and West Twin, including at the private Salisbury School.
TLA president Grant Bogle invited Swartz to give an update at the association’s upcoming June 14 membership meeting at Camp Isola Bella.
Despite rising lake management costs projected at $500,000 this year, Bogle reported that the TLA is in strong shape financially heading into the 2025 season, as it received another $75,000 grant from DEEP and $25,000 from the Bates Foundation to support the Watershed Study.
Also, the town of Salisbury has earmarked $75,000 for Twin Lakes this season, said Bogle, and the TLA membership has “responded generously” contributing more than $300,000 since August 2024 when the group started its 2025 fundraising campaign.
Bogle also encouraged members to attend the May 12 public meeting of the Salisbury Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission, which is expected to address proposed changes to the Upland Review Area encompassing the town’s lakes.
State, local and federal officials responded to a "hazmat incident" at the Becton Dickinson and Company facility in the afternoon Thursday, May 15, Norfolk Public Information Officer Jon Barbagalo said.
The BD facility in North Canaan is on lockdown May 15 due to a "hazmat incident," according to emergency responders on scene.
Norfolk Public Information Officer Jon Barbagalo said BD "received a suspicious package this morning" and "numerous state and local authorities" responded, including the FBI and CT DEEP.
About 300 people are going through a decontamination process after a hazardous material exposure at BD.Photo by Riley Klein
BD released a statement saying "We are working closely with law enforcement and emergency personnel to thoroughly investigate the situation, and we are following their protocols. Out of an abundance of caution, we have suspended operations until further notice."
"At this time, two individuals have been transported to a nearby hospital as a precaution," a release from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said. "Approximately 300 to 350 personnel at the facility are undergoing a decontamination process as a precautionary measure. DEEP has deployed a contractor to the site to manage the decontamination operation, including shower trailers and the safe collection for clothing for those exiting the facility."
Employees inside were reportedly instructed to remove clothing and shower for decontamination protocol.
This a developing story, check back later for more updates.
A statement received at 4:40 p.m. from Connecticut State Police stated, "The scene and the investigation is still active, and there is no active threat to the public at this time."
Anna Amachowski and Steve Wilcox of Canaan enjoyed the sunset and some grilled chicken from the top of Tory Hill outside Sharon on Thursday, May 1. They were welcoming in the warm breezes of spring with some fishing and some ridgeline views at the end of a warm evening.
Amachowski and Wilcox's dog, Chuy, enjoyed a soft spot of cool grass and the view over the ridge.Photo by Nathan Miller
Please join us for a Celebration of Life to honor Michael R. Tesoro M.D. (May 20, 1941-—Dec. 25, 2024) whose vibrant spirit touched so many. We will gather on May 17 at 11:30 a.,m. at Trinity Lime Rock to remember Michael’s life with love and laughter.
A light fare reception to immediately follow at the church’s Walker Hall.
Trinity Lime Rock, 484 Lime Rock Rd., Lakeville. In lieu of flowers please direct donations to: Malta House of Care, Inc.,136 Farmington Avenue,Hartford, CT 06105 www.maltahouseofcare.org
SHARON — Keith Raven Johnson, a long-time resident of Sharon, died on April 26, 2025, a month after his 90th birthday, at Geer Rehabilitation and Long -Term Care facility in Canaan.
He was born on March 21, 1935, in Ithaca, New York, the son of John Raven Johnson and Hope Anderson Johnson.
Keith was a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and Cornell University where he was editor-in-chief of the Cornell Daily Sun and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
After serving his active duty in the New York National Guard, he joined the New York Herald Tribune as a reporter in 1957. Four years later he moved to Time magazine where he served as a writer and editor in New York and as a correspondent based in Los Angeles, Washington, Paris and London, with temporary assignments in Africa, Germany, and Vietnam. He was executive editor of Money magazine and later of Discover magazine. He retired as a member of the board of editors of Fortune magazine in 1993.
Before his retirement, Keith served on the vestry at St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City where he was also chair of the Choir School. He later became a member of the Lime Rock Episcopal Church.
After retirement, Keith served on the executive committee of the Lakeville Journal where he also contributed a column called “Cars” reflecting a life-long interest in performance automobiles. He also served as a trustee and treasurer of the Hotchkiss Library in Sharon and was on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut. He was a member of the Cornell University Council and at one time chaired the Advisory Council of the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell.
Keith is survived by his brother, Leonard Johnson, and his wife, Patricia, his son, Stephen Main, his niece, Paige Johnson Roth, his nephew, Keith Raven Johnson II, and his niece, Heide Novado Johnson. He was predeceased by his parents and his nephew, Eric Anderson Johnson.
Donations may be made in Keith’s memory to ACLU of Connecticut, 765 Asylum Avenue, Hartford CT 06015, or Keith Johnson ’52 and Leonard Johnson ’56 Scholarship Fund, Phillips Exeter Academy, 20 Main Street, Exeter NH 03833.
A celebration of Keith’s life will be held on Saturday, July 12 at 11 am at the Lime Rock Episcopal Church, followed by a reception in the parish hall.