discover kent 2011

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Discover Kent 2011



Discover Kent 2011

The Lakeville Journal Company, LLC

PO Box 1688, 33 Bissell St., Lakeville, CT 06039E-mail: [email protected]: 860-435-9873 • Fax: 860-435-4802 Web site: www.tricornernews.com

Janet Manko, Publisher Cynthia Hochswender, Editor

Libby H. Hall, Advertising Representative James Clark, Production Coordinator, DesignSara Morales and Adriana W. Smith, Composing

Cover photo by Frank Garber

All written material in Discover Kent,Connecticut, is copyrighted and may not be

reproduced without the express permission of the publisher and the writers.

©2011, The Lakeville Journal Co., LLC

Contents — October 2011

Discover Kent ....................................................... page 3

Preserving the land, one garden at a time ......... page 5

The machines that built America ........................ page 7

Firefghters celebrate 100 years........................ page 11

Leapin’ Lizards, can those frogs jump! .............. page 13

Taking fresh steps on newfallen snow ...............page 16

A gallery as beautiful as its art .......................... page 18

Step into liquid, but do it with caution .............. page 19

Town resources .................................................. page 29

Advertiser index ................................................. page 22

Discover KentBy Cynthia Hochswender

Continued on Page 4

HOUSE

OF

BOOKS

KENT'S LITERARY LANDMARK

10 NORTH MAIN STREET KENT CT 06757

(860) 927-4104 FAX (860) 927-3978

EMAIL [email protected]

A GREAT SELECTION OF BOOKS FOR EVERYONE

~ PLUS ~

CARDS ~ STATIONERY ~ GIFTS ~ MUSIC

ARTISTS’ SUPPLIES ~ OFFICE SUPPLIES

MAPS ~ COPY–FAX–UPS SERVICE

Those o us who have lived in the Northwest

Corner or many years tend to orget that Kent is

a quaint rural town, just like the other fve towns

that join it in the Region One School District.

Once one has been here a while, Kent takes on a special luster, a greater sophistication.

It’s Kent that has the art galleries whose collections

rival some of the best galleries in nearby big cities suchas Boston and New York (for an example, read about the expanding collection at Billy Morrison’s exquisiteeponymous galllery on page 18).

It’s in Kent that one can nd delicious examples of

that newest urban fad: food grown at local farms, withlove and without chemicals. The Kent Land Trust is able

to see the forest and the trees as well as the smaller,

sprightlier branches of tomato plants and lettuce leaves.



Discover Kent 2011

Discover Kent …

Continued from Page 3

It’s worth the trip!

Ladies and gentlemen start your engines. Come to Kent and celebratewonderful music, delectable food and extraordinary spirits.

Join the music man of the corner, Dolph Traymon,for a night of Porter, Sondheim, Gershwin, Berlin and leisurley dining.

We are here for youLunch • Dinner • Special Occasions

Full service event planning

MAIN STREET (ROUTE 7) • KENT, CT • (860) 927-3509

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High Quality Combined With Low Prices

Chair Re-upholstery and Chair Caning Available

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Open Thursday through Sunday11:00 – 5:00

Additional hours by appointment

Rolling River Antiques

While other trusts might care only about the larger landscape, this onehas expended energy to oer Kent

residents not only an excellent CSA and armstand but also a community

garden where even proessionalscome to take advantage o soilenriched by the nearby HousatonicRiver — and to enjoy the company o their neighbors as they sow, weed

and harvest. To learn more about the garden (and how to get in on theun), turn to page 5.

In 21st century Litchfeld

County, much energy is devotedto preserving the land andkeeping it rom being overbuilt.

But or much o the 20th century, American energy and ingenuity was directed toward fnding waysto tame the land and to make it

more productive. Many o themen and women who shaped our

country in the last century thenretired to Kent; likewise, many remnants o the nation’s industrialpast can be ound enjoying a happy

retirement here under the care o the Connecticut Antique Machinery Association (learn more about it on

page 7). The modern machines that notown can live without, no matter how dedicated it is to a rural liestyle, are

the fre engines and ambulancesthat, here in the Northwest Corner,are purchased, operated andmaintained by all-volunteer squads.

To help pay or those machines,companies like the Kent Volunteer Fire Department (which turned 100

this year) hold undraisers such as

the annual fremen’s air. Some o the highlights o this old-ashionedsummer carnival can be ound on

pages 11 and 13 (where there is a eature story on the annual rog- jumping competition).

With art galleries, jumping rogs,an expansive protected landscapeand excellent arm-resh ood, what more could a visitor or resident

here hope to fnd? How about year-round, outdoor recreation activities? They abound here, and this issue

o Discover Kent oers tips on how to enjoy the Housatonic River (withcaution, page 19) and the expanseso resh snow that this winter is

expected to bring (with snowshoes,page 16).

O course the delights eaturedin this special publication oer

only a small taste o all that Kent,and the whole Northwest Corner o Litchfeld County, have to oer. To keep up with all the area has

to oer, check in with the riendly town and state ofcials (whosephone numbers are listed on page

22) and o course check in with TheLakeville Journal at newsstands andonline at www.tricornernews.com.



Discover Kent 2011

Growing a rural landscapeBy Jennifer L. Kronholm and Gillian Aftel

the community garden, the trust

sponsors Megan Haney’s Marble Valley Farm, on the banks o theHousatonic River, with its superior

CSA and armstand. And or those who would rather have someone else do the growingand the cooking, the trust hostsan annual picnic on Memorial

Day. In addition to live music anda barbecue meal, there are talksand workshops on sound land

management and conservationprograms.

The work doesn’t end when theground disappears under allen

leaves and snow, o course. Inautumn, volunteers spread out across the felds and orests and

try to stop some o the aggressive

in nicely with the mission o theland trust, which is, in its simplest orm, to protect open space, arms

and orests. By doing that, thetrust accomplishes a greater goal,by helping to maintain the ruralcharacter that adds so much to the

town’s appeal. The trust fnds many creative

ways to protect the landscapeand to engage the community totake part in those eorts. Thecommunity garden is one way.

For those who aren’t eager to

get their own hands in the dirt at

The idea or the garden cameout o the Land Trust’s 2009planning session.

“Over the winter o 2009, wesurveyed Kent residents to see what the interest was,” said ConnieManes, Land Trust executive

director. “Were we out o our minds? Was anyone going to come

garden in a community garden? What we ound was that there were lots o dierent groups inKent attracted to the idea o a community garden.”

The community garden fts

One tends to think of land trusts as paying attention to large

tracts of lands, to expanses, to views. But if it’s true that every

walk begins with a single step, then it makes perfect sense that the

Kent Land Trust has devoted energy and attention to creating a

community garden.

Continued on Page 6



Discover Kent 2011

photo submitted

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Kent Land Trust...


invasive plants that are threateningproperties that the trust owns andcares or.

Trust members also work withstudents at the private high schools

in town on projects such as wildliehabitat restoration and research,

including banding migratory birdsor long-term study.

From that list (which only

scratches the surace o what thetrust does) it’s clear that openspace and conservation have a lot o dierent aces. And the

arm ace is an important one. A community garden might seemlike, well, very small potatoes. But

once people begin to understandhow much tastier it is to eat homegrown ood, and once they begin to understand that the

ood that’s grown is only as goodas the soil it’s grown in, then it becomes easier to talk about larger conservation questions.

Roseanne and Peter Thom o New York City and Kent are recent converts to community gardening.

“Digging in this ground waslike a total dream,” said Roseanne Thom. “The soil is deep and richhere because it’s river bottom soil.”

Last year, in 2010, the Thomsharvested 150 pounds o heirloomtomatoes rom their plot. They said working the garden has also

oered them the opportunity tomeet new people and become moreinvolved in the community.

Jane Kates, Michael Ward and

Janet Downes, gardening on behal o St. Andrew’s Episcopal Churchin Kent, have used their plots to

give back to the community. The owers they grow grace the

church’s altar and the vegetablesgo to the Kent Food Bank, which

serves more than 60 local amilies. This year, they expanded rom

two to our plots and opted to try

raised beds outlined with blacklocust wood. Ward explained that

black locust is nature’s pressure-treated wood and fts with thecollective eort to keep the gardenchemical ree.

Matt Palumbo o Kent describedhis second year o gardening as “a labor o love and a chance to play with Mother Nature. Every year is

a learning experience.”Proessional garden

photographer, writer and gardencoach (and Lakeville Journal

garden columnist) Karen Bussolinigardened in the community gardenor the frst time this year. She

opted to grow hearty wintergreens, which she will be able to harvest until Christmas.

“I came here because there’s

water, it’s at and there isprotection against the deer,”Bussolini said. “Plus, it’s such good

company.”

This summer, a volunteer erected a shed to house larger,communal tools, which Manes saidis a huge step toward making the

garden easier to use. There’s room or new gardeners

and possibly more plots. Some o the current gardeners have asked

to have a registration in the all sothey can reserve their same plots,and Manes said there will likely be

another registration in the spring.

The Kent Land Trust,an accredited conservation

organization, has helped to protect

more than 2,500 acres. For more

information or to join the trust,

come to the annual meeting Dec.

3 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Kent

Town Hall; or call Manes at 860-

488-9185 or email connie.manes@

kentlandtrust.org.



Discover Kent 2011

photo by Janet Manko

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One place in Kent is different: The Connecticut AntiqueMachinery Association (or CAMA,as many people call it), located on

Route 7 just north of Kent. CAMA is notable for what is there now,not for what was there in the past.The machines

Adjacent to the historic Kent iron furnace, the museum’snumerous sheds house a collection

of machines and other artifacts

that shed light on the way America was built.

The Industrial Hall is hometo a number of large stationary

CAMA: Shedding light on the way America was builtBy Richard Paddock

The Northwest Corner has many historic sites: houses, factories,

furnaces, mines and others. Most of them are notable because of

what happened there, who lived there or what was made there.

Continued on Page 8



Discover Kent 2011

Foreign Cargo

and The Gallery Upstairs Distinctive Clothing, Unusual

Jewelry, Lovely Old Textiles, HandMade Pots, Baskets, Teak and

Stone Carvings, African, Asian,

and Pacific Island Art, Antiques. “Best Eclectic Store in New England”

Yankee Magazine 2009 Editors Choice

ForeignCargoGallery.com 17 North Main, Kent

860.927.3900

steam engines, the kind that usedto power mills all over America.Some o the collection comesrom nearby towns, where the

engines were used into the 20thcentury. Others come rom arther away. But they all once powered

machine tools that made the goodsour ancestors used to improvetheir lives.

In addition, CAMA’s collections

include not only steam-poweredengines, but gasoline- and diesel-powered ones as well.

One o the earliest gasolineengines was the so called “hit and

miss,” which only fres when thespeed o the engine alls below a

preset minimum. These enginesproduce a series o sharp bangsollowed by an interval o coasting, where they sound like they are

CAMA ...

Continued from Page 7 panting rom exertion.

These engines are no longer used, so their unique sound is not

one you can hear other than at places such as CAMA.

While the collection o stationary mill engines is

impressive enough, CAMA alsohas a collection o machines that move around under their own

power. There is a narrow gauge

locomotive that once ran in Hawaii— a steam traction engine that

could be driven to a work site andthen used to power machines or jobs such as sawing wood.

As one might expect, CAMA

also has a good collection o armmachines, including steam andgasoline tractors and other sel-

powered arm equipment.Stored in the Diebold

Agricultural Hall, this collection

Photo by Kara WilbecK

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uk w wd s 1904innn gsn ngn 27 nnu Spng Pw-up.



Discover Kent 2011

Litchfeld County’s largest

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Harney teasSoco Creamery ice cream

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CAMA ...


limestone (technically marble),

pegmatite and eldspar, all o which have industrial uses.

One can nd samples o many o these minerals arrayed inside the

mining museum, along with thetools the miners used to extract them.

One portion o the exhibit reproduces the conditions insidea mine to help modern visitorsimagine what it was like to work

in the dim light o 19th-century tunnels.

Adjacent to the mining museumis an exhibit that is literally about

building blocks: the brick exhibit.

The humble brick has been usedsince Colonial times to build

durable structures, rom homesto municipal buildings to actoriesand bridges.

While most o the good material

or bricks was in the Connecticut river valley, there were many other locations that had clay suitable or

bricks. The collection at CAMA

includes special bricks in a variety o shapes, sizes and colors. Many

carry the names o their makers,making or a lively display o bricks that orm the foor o theexhibit.Sleeping beauties

During most o the year, themachines at CAMA sit quietly on

display. Twice a year, however, many

o them come to lie in a grandspectacle o spinning fywheels,

whistles, hisses and bangs.

The annual spring and allestivals eature a “power up” and“power down” that are a real treat

or anyone who enjoys thingsmechanical.

In addition to the permanent

collection, exhibitors bring in anamazing variety o clever machinesincluding shingle mills, water pumps and even table ans that are

powered by anything rom steamto Stirling engines (these enginesrun on hot air) and, yes, electricity.

The exact composition o theexhibits changes rom year to yearso the estival never ails to bringnew delights.

Some exhibitors oer itemsor sale too, so you might nd anold tool that will solve a modernproblem. I you are curious about

the machines o the past or just like to look at clever mechanismsCAMA is a place to put on your

list.

The CAMA festival and “power down” for fall 2011 were Sept. 23

to 25. To see coverage of the event,

go to www.tricornernews.com. To

learn more, go online to www.

ctamachinery.com.



Discover Kent 2011

photos by Asher pAvel

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Kent Firemen’s Fair...


big draw or bargain shoppers,

who could be seen leaving with

shopping bags stued with new/

old treasures.

Warren resident and University

o Connecticut timber teamcoach Shannon Strong (along

with her husband, Harvey

Gereg, and ormer UConn team

member and alumnus Mike

Paladino o Madison, Conn.) gave

demonstrations o woodsawing

and ax throwing.

Their demonstration is called

Lumber Jack and Jill. Standing

about 15 eet rom a target, Gereg

swung an ax through the air that,time and again, hit the bull’s-

eye. Strong and her team also

prepared a lumberjack obstacle

course or youngsters.

Members o the fre company

are known or their love o ood

and cooking. Their culinary

eor ts this year did not let the

community down.

Aside rom the usual oerings

o hamburgers, hot dogs and all

that goes with them, the ches

also served barbecued chicken

and roasted and smoked bee

(prepared by longtime fre

company volunteer Bill Tobin and

his crew). The aromas rom the

ood prep area drew people rom

all over the airground.

The air and other undraisers

help the fre company volunteers

to keep their machines

maintained and up to date;to pay or the many hours o

training that are required or all

emergency services volunteers;

to help pay or freproo turnout

saety gear and dress uniorms

or the many parades held

throughout the Tri-state area all

summer long; and more.

Other popular moneyraisers

include the company’s annual Ice

Watch competition, a contest to see

who can guess when the ice will

break on the Housatonic River; a

gol tournament; and a Firemen’s

Ball. For dates o upcoming events

and to learn more, go online to

www.kentfre.org.



Discover Kent 2011

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Those frogs can really jump!By Mary O’Neill

But this particular fair has oneannual offering that puts it, well,ahead of others by leaps and

bounds. That event would be thefrog jumping championship.

Large bullfrogs, long-leaping

lizard frogs, green frogs and toadsare eligible for entry in this white-knuckle contest but generally thereare two categories: bullfrogs and

regular frogs.

Mostly it’s children (boys andgirls) who bring their long leapersto compete, but adult frog-jumping

fans can watch and cheer for their

Every summer, the Kent Volunteer Fire Department holds a

Firemen’s Fair with games, rides and all the other un events that

you might hope or expect to fnd at a summer carnival in the country.

Continued on Page 14photo by Asher pAvel



Discover Kent 2011

Here We Grow Again !!!

Come see our expanded inventory of yarns & accessories.

Nicky Epstein ReturnsSaturday, November 12, 2011 - 10 a.m. to4 p.m. @ Fife n’ Drum Restaurant. Learnabout embellishments, knitting holiday

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After class dinner party with Nicky is opento everyone.

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avorite amphibian. Ribbets—sorry, ribbons — are awarded to all

participants. The longest jump on record

here is 98.5 inches, set by Big Al,

whose jump was interrupted as hericocheted o one o the judge’schests.

According to Pat Redmond,co-organizer o the event with

Roger Whitmore, the rog-jumpingcontest has been part o theFiremen’s Fair or about 15 years.

At its high point there were upwardo 58 participants. In recent years,the number has hovered in the

mid-20s. This is a BYOF event but i youdon’t have one, don’t be deterred.Redmond has several spares

on hand ready to hop to it at a moment’s notice.

Frogs ...

Continued from Page 13 Winners are determined

by combining the scores o two consecutive jumps and by recording the cumulative distance,as indicated by a quarter laid

down on the spot where the rogultimately lands.

In addition to overall best distance Redmond oten devises

other categories to ensure that everyone is a winner.

“This is about kids laughing

and having un. I’d make themall rst-place winners i I could,”emphasizes Redmond.Frogs, toads, bulls

In Redmond’s experience, toadsare lazy jumpers and do not are

well in the competition. While thebullrog oten wins due to its size

(as long as 14 inches), it is theleopard rog that is the superior jumper. Some tree rog entrants

are little more than an inch long.

Containing these rogs is just

as much part o the job as judgingthem. Redmond recounts one year when several petite contestantsmade a tasty pre-jump meal or an

overgrown bullrog. In this case,part o his role becomes wildlie

educator, explaining the circleo lie to distraught and beret

owners.Taking the leap

To ully appreciate the sport

o rog jumping one must refect on its origins and developments. Where did the tradition o rog jumping begin?

Perhaps there were rudimentarydrawings by cavekids in prehistoric

dwellings that documented theearliest rog jumps. Or maybe later

in ancient Rome with kidiators inthe Coliseum competing their rogsbeore a bloodthirsty crowd.

Could it have been the



Discover Kent 2011

serendipitous byproduct o a hot,lazy day at the local swimminghole with a posse o bored localchildren?

Mark Twain gives us the earliest recorded history o the event inhis 1865 sketch, “The Celebrated

Jumping Frog o CalaverasCounty.” In this piece, which jumped Twain into the nationalspotlight, it is inveterate gamblers who used rog jumping as a way to assuage their addiction. In thisstory, Jim Smiley trains a rog by the name o Dan’l Webster to jumparther than any other rog. Hebets a stranger who, unbeknownst to Smiley, lls Dan’l with buckshot,

thus rendering him incapable o fight.Laying money on a frog

Other questions then arise about the rogs themselves and their owners.

Do these rogs train all year? Are there concerns about steroidsand other perormance-enhancingdrugs, and is the sport in danger o becoming overwhelmed by corporate sponsorships?

Are there rog-jump moms who

cart kids rom contest to contest at the expense o a lie o their own? Is rog-jumping a sport that will enhance a child’s chance o getting into the college o his or her choice?

Stu and nonsense one might say. It’s just a harmless hobby.

Or is it? The largest andmost celebrated rog-jumpingcompetition in the country actually

did begin in Calaveras County in1928 in the town o Angels Camp— a mining town that became thesetting or Twain’s work.

Each year in May, the CalaverasCounty Fair hosts the Jumping

Frog Jubilee. The air generatesabout $25.5 million in relatedrevenues and the Jubilee hasgrown so that now more than 4,000rogs are vying each year or thetop prize o about $5,000.

This is an abridged version o anarticle that frst ran in The Lakeville

Journal in 2007.

Visit our friendly businesses at the

beautiful Kent Green Shopping Center.Everything you really need is here.

Davis IGA

Kent True Value Hardware and Just Ask! Rentals

Raynard & Peirce Insurance

Dan Roberti for Congress

Kent Kitchen Works

Kent Fabrics

Village CleanersSeti Gallery

Union Savings Bank

Cramer & Anderson Law Ofces

United States Post Ofce

Kent Green Laundromat

Smoked Restaurant & BBQ

Kent Hair Studio

Tibco Software

America’s Greatest Brands

Triton Commercial Real EstateHousatonic Enterprises

Shanghai Chinese Restaurant

Kent Farmers’ Market

Kent Green has a fantastic turn-key restaurant opportunity available for theexperienced restaurateurs. Well priced retail and ofce space available in all sizes.

Contact John Casey at 860-927-3781 or [email protected].

The longest jump onrecord here is 98.5inches, set by BigAl, whose jump was

interrupted as hericocheted off one of the judge’s chests.



Discover Kent 2011

Step onto the snowBy Anne Franco McAndrew

Up until the 1970s, snowshoes

were made o wood and rawhidelacing, making maneuverability challenging. Snowshoeing wasn’t

really a recreational activity; it was a means o negotiating thechallenges o too much snow.People used them as a tool or

survival and work. The original snowshoe design was actually based on a bear’spaw, hence the reerral to bear-

paw design.Gradual design changes began

to surace in the mid 1990s and

snowshoe companies introducedlightweight products made withaluminum instead o wood. The

whole snowshoe scene changed.

Traction, weight and

maneuverability are the threeeatures to look or whenbuying snowshoes. Check out

the underneath section o a snowshoe; look or tractioneatures under the ball o the oot

and the heel.Good traction will help you

maintain your balance andprevent slipping while traversing.

Traction was always an issue

with traditional snowshoes; users would have to straddle walk tokeep rom slipping. Straddle

walking was exhausting, and it put excess pressure on hips and thelower extremities.

Snowshoes are no longer clumsy and heavy. Most companies use aluminum or therames and a synthetic material

Believe it or not, once the outdoor wild gets buried beneath a

blanket o snow, it isn’t a signal to orget about playing outside

and grab a seat in ront o the fre. Winter is the perect time

to go or a hike — and i there’s snow on the ground, why not make it a snowshoe hike?

or the decking. Decking provides

otation potential that traditionalsnowshoes were lacking. Thesynthetic eature prevents snow

rom sticking, while maintaining a paw-like design to keep you aoat.

Ease o use makessnowshoeing a sport or

everyone. There is no learningcurve; snowshoeing is walking. The bindings on the snowshoes

make putting them on and taking

them o easy and, while in use,the binding oers a securesystem. You won’t all out o it.

With a secured binding, sidehillcontrol is at a maximum level and

you can take confdent strides.Establish a rhythm to your

hike and help out your balance in

uneven terrain by using hikingpoles. A great aid while ascendingor descending, pulling a sled or

just hiking the ats, poles canbe a simple design or a complex,telescoping design.

Either way, using a polereduces atigue and absorbs the

stress that is otherwise placedon your lower extremities. Smart

guys like Moses always used a sta or long treks, so we should

too.Other than the snowshoes

themselves, all you need or thesport are snowboots or waterproo

shoes and warm socks. You willundoubtedly work up a sweat, sodress in layers in case you need to

strip down a bit. With winter approaching (and

a lot o snow is expected this year), the un is just beginning.

Many shops (including ours)oer snowshoe rentals, so takeadvantage o our great outdoors.

And remember, because there

are no leaves on the trees, winter hiking oers great views not normally seen. And the best part

o all? No bugs!

Anne Franco McAndrew co-owns

Backcountry Outftters in Kent with Dave Fairty. Backcountry

Outftters oers snowshoe rentals

and is a distributor o Atlas

Snowshoes. Call or rates, 860-927-

3377 or [email protected].

Buy Locally, Live Locally Locally owned business such as those seen in the pages

of this directory give character to our region and offer analternative to the chain stores that now seem to control

so much of the American landscape. Please support these

business, and the people who work at them. They drive the

area economy and improve the quality of life for all in the

Tri-state region.

Support your area business!



Discover Kent 2011



Discover Kent 2011

A gallery that’s a work of artBy Leon Graham

Then in 2006 he moved intoa spacious, soaring, light-lledspace designed by the Bridgeport

Design Group that combined a white Manhattan gallery aesthetic with the warmth o a country wood

exterior and magnicent expanseo wood foor.

Magically, everything looksgood in the Morrison: large and

small paintings, sculpture o every size. And now, in a mostly closed-o area he calls MorrisonEditions, Billy is showing graphics

rom well-known artists that areavailable at aordable prices.

Morrison has rom the

beginning showed nationally known artists, many with ties tothe Northwest Corner, as well asemerging artists, again with local

connections. Most noticeable is

Kent’s Peter Woytuck, widely recognized as perhaps the world’sleading sculptor o animals. His

lie-size bulls and cows, jungle cats,ravens, and —wondrous to behold— enormous elephants are all

cast in bronze in oundries in Asia.Currently, many o the pieces aredisplayed along Broadway in New York City in an outdoor exhibition

coordinated by Morrison.Morrison himsel is a delightul

throwback — i someone still young can be called a throwback

— to hippiedom. Always clad intorn jeans with shirttail out, andsporting a bandana around his

head (long hair fowing), he ishospitable and helpul. Seriouscollectors can enjoy his personalattention in private rooms, but even

casual visitors get the smiling,

When William Morrison — Billy to anyone who has met him

even once — opened his eponymous art gallery in 1999, he

brought a New York City sensibility and eye to Kent, already a

center o art exhibitions in Litchfeld County.

riendly Morrison welcome.For those ortunate to be in the

area, a Morrison opening night

should not be missed: wine, oodand people ll the gallery, the artist — i living, o course — is there to

mingle, and Morrison and his sta answer questions and call attention

to special pieces. And winter never intereres.

The Morrison is open all year andsomehow, even in the dead days o

February and March, the gallery is warm, light and inviting.

The Morrison Gallery is at 8

Old Barn Road in Kent. Hours are

Wednesday through Saturday, 10:30

a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to

4 p.m. Call 860-927-4501 or visit

www.morrisongallery.com.

Photos by billy Morrison



Discover Kent 2011

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KENT GREEN

Water safety important in all conditionsBy Cynthia Hochswender

And that’s just on a normal year. This summer has beenextraordinary, or course, with

the huge inux o water into theriver caused by the heavy rains o Tropical Storm Irene in September ollowed by the rains associated

with Tropical Storm Lee.One kayaker, up in the area rom

Long Island, died Sept. 3 when hiscanoe tipped on the Housatonic, at the Covered Bridge in Cornwall.

There have been several other drownings in the river in the past

The Housatonic River ambles gently along or 149 miles through

two states. For the most part, its surace is fat, quiet, subdued.

But in some spots, the water begins to churn, swirl and eddy.

Submerged trees and rocks create hidden hazards or anyone

oolish or courageous enough to try and swim among them.

couple years. They usually involve visitors rom out o town who

underestimate the power o the water, which looks so beguiling ona hot, steamy day.

The ast water that fows around

the rocks below the alls seems tobe particulary enticing. The spray fies into the air. The churning and

splashing creates a literal sirens’ call— one that reminds us that the si-rens used their voices to lure sailorstoward them, so their boats would

crash on the rocks near shore.

Rick Vizzari is an avidoutdoorsman, and a swimming

coach at Cream Hill Lakein Cornwall and o Masters

Swimming and triathlon classes inLakeville. A resident o Kent, he is

a kayaker, runner, swimmer andcyclist, and is not unduly araid o nature and the elements.

But he certainly approachesthem with caution, and he advisesothers to do so as well.

Drownings are airly rare in

the United States, he said, citingstatistics rom the Centers or Disease Control. They occur about

3,400 times a year; one in fveinvolves a child under the age o 14.

“Men are our times more likely

Continued on Page 20



Discover Kent 2011

Water ...


to drown,” he noted. “And most drownings that involve someone

over the age o 15 occur innatural settings where there is nosupervision.”

Vizzari met with this reporter recently at the waterall at BullsBridge, to share some saety tipsand explain why this seemingly

placid river can be so deadly. The water levels are low in the

river right now, he pointed out.Nonetheless, the water is still

racing down at a pretty ast clipthrough the rocks and below thealls, and through the spillway that

runs along the hillside a ew dozeneet away.In a sense, the water is most

dangerous when it seems the

saest. People oten make themistake o looking at the narrow

width o the river, Vizzari said,and thinking that they can’t get

into too much trouble because theshore is so near.

“That’s the illusion o thisriver,” he said. “Anyone can swim

20 yards, right? But add in the

currents and the rocks and treebranches that can catch your eet

and it becomes lethal.” And it’s not as shallow as it

seems.“Look at it now,” he said. “It

seems like you could walk right across the river, but it’s probably 8eet deep over there in the middle.”

Sometimes the currents are

visible; bubbles o water oat

along at dierent speeds and it’sclear that one stretch o water

is aster than another. Kayakersoten steer toward these aster chutes, Vizzari said. The ast sections can be, perplexingly,

right beside the slower sections.But the whirlpools and eddies

are oten invisible — until youstep or all into one o them. There are several spots along theshore, Vizzari said, where you

think you’re stepping into a calm

and shallow pool but the water is swirling so powerully it has

created holes in the rocks below.“Kayakers know that when you

look down at a river, it’s never asshallow or as sae as it looks rom

shore,” he said.Novice visitors to the river

also might not realize that therocks are slippery; and that they

can drop sharply and suddenly,

causing bathers to lose their ooting.

“The number one reason why people drown, technically, is that they’re stepping rom hot air into very cold water,” he said. “It

makes them panic; and panic isthe reason people drown.”

Head injuries are a particular danger in the Housatonic, he

warned. This is, ironically,because the water is not especially

deep — and the riverbed is rocky.“That’s why kayakers always

wear helmets,” he said.For now, there aren’t any

signs around the river and the

alls warning tourists that theHousatonic is not to be tried with.Besides which, as Vizzari points

out, “People always fnd a way toget in, even i you put up a ence.”

O course there are many supervised spots or the public to

swim in the Northwest Corner.But most require a town resident sticker.

The Housatonic is not “owned”

by any one town or any state. Technically, the water at BullsBridge (and at the Great Falls

in Salisbury and Falls Village)is under the jurisdiction o the

Photo by Cynthia hoChswender



Discover Kent 2011

power company First Light (andformerly owned by Connecticut Light and Power). In a poster near

the entrance to the falls, the power company invites recreational usersto enjoy the Housatonic in many ways. Swimming is not included

on the list.For anyone who feels an urgent

need to swim in the river in spite

of the potential hazards, Vizzarishared a few simple tips: Swim inthe calmer sections of the river above the dams and waterfalls, not

in the rapids below. Always swim with a buddy. Don’t swim in water that you are not familiar with.

“I hate to see people feel that the water is so threatening,”he said. “These drownings just reinforce that feeling. Water is

so great. Swimming is so great.Everyone should enjoy it. Just exercise some caution.”

The same safety precautions

apply to swimming and wadingat Kent Falls, of course. With thehigh temperatures this summer,

the falls were a particularly attractive destination. Sometimesthe state shuts off access to thefalls because attendance there

had reached full capacity. Visitorsshould not try to breach the closedgates or climb the falls at night.

This article frst appeared in The

Lakeville Journal in 2010.Photo by Cynthia hoChswender

Tastings KnowledgeDelivery

860.927.3033

§



Discover Kent 2011

K ey T own ServiceS Animal Control ...........................................................860-927-4783 Assessor (Mon. & Wed., 9:30-noon, 1-4) .................860-927-3160Building Department (Tues.-Thurs., 3-4) ................860-927-4556First Selectman (Mon.-Fri., 9-noon, 1-4) ..................860-927-4627Fire Marshal (Wed. & Fri., 3-4) ................................860-927-4556Inland Wetlands (Mon. & Thurs., 2:30-4:30,

Tues. & Wed., 12:30-4:30., Fri., 9-4 ) ................860-927-4625Land Use (Mon. & Thurs., 2:30-4:30,

Tues. & Wed., 12:30-4:30., Fri., 9-4 ) ................860-927-4625Municipal Agent (Tues. & Thurs. 9-4) .....................860-927-1586Park & Recreation (Mon.-Fri., 9:30-noon, 1-2:30)

..............................................................................860-927-1003Planning and Zoning (Mon. & Thurs., 2:30-4:30,

Tues. & Wed., 12:30-4:30., Fri., 9-4 ) ................860-927-4625Probate Court (Tues., 9-1) ........................................860-927-3729Probate Judge

Diane Blick .........................................................860-927-3729

Public Works (Mon.-Fri., 7:30-3:30) .........................860-927-3941Registrar o Voters (Mon., 1-4) .................................860-927-1953Sewage Treatment .....................................................860-927-4075Social Services

(Tues. & Thurs. 9-4) ..........................................860-927-1586 Tax Collector (Mon., Tues., Wed. & Fri., 9:30-noon & 1-4)

..............................................................................860-927-3629 Town Clerk (Mon. - Fri., 9-4) ....................................860-927-3433 Transer Station (Sat. & Sun., 8-3:30) ......................860-927-4627 Treasurer (Tues. & Wed., 1-4, Fri., 9-noon, 1-4)

..............................................................................860-927-4627 Tree Warden

Bruce Bennett ....................................................860-927-3480

Public S afeTy and emergency ServiceSKent Volunteer Fire Depar tment and Ambulance

For emergencies ................................................................911Other calls – Fire .................................................860-927-3151Other calls – Ambulance ....................................860-927-3080

State police Troop L, LitchfeldFor emergencies ................................................................911Other calls ...........................................................800-953-9949

Public SchoolS and collegeSExplorations Charter School

Winsted ...............................................................860-738-9070Housatonic Valley Regional High School

Falls Village ........................................................860-824-5123Kent Center School ....................................................860-927-3537

Northwestern Connecticut Community CollegeWinsted ...............................................................860-738-6300Oliver Wolcott Technical School

Torrington ...........................................................860-496-5300University o Connecticut

Torrington Campus............................................860-626-6800

PrivaTe SchoolSKent School.................................................................860-927-6000Marvelwood School ...................................................860-927-0047South Kent School .....................................................860-927-3539

r eligiouS organizaTionS

First Congregational Church ....................................860-927-3335Sacred Hear t Church (Catholic) ..............................860-927-3003St. Andrew’s Church (Episcopal) .............................860-927-3486

Temple Sholom, New Milord ..................................860-354-0273

o Ther K ey ServiceSKent Chamber o Commerce ....................................860-927-1463Kent Children’s Center (day care) ...........................860-927-4168Kent Community House ............................................860-927-1826Kent Community Nursery School ............................860-927-1294Kent Memorial Library .............................................860-927-3761

elecTed officerS

First SelectmanBruce Adams ......................................................860-927-4627

Representative in Congress (5th District)Chris Murphy .....................................................202-225-4476

Representatives in Connecticut General Assembly:

Sen. Andrew Roraback(30th District) .....................................................800-842-1421Rep. Richard Smith(67th District) .....................................................800-842-1423

United States SenatorsRichard Blumenthal ................................. Hartord: 860-258-6940

.......................................................Washington: 202-224-2823 Joseph I. Lieberman...................................................800-225-5605Governor

Dannel Malloy ....................................................860-566-4840

Kent Town Resources

www.townofkentct.org | Kent Hollow - South Kent - Macedonia

Advertiser Index Backcountry Outftters/Annie Bananie Ice Cream .......10Bain Real Estate .................................................................13Black Sheep Yarns .............................................................14Crystal Castle .......................................................................5Curves .................................................................................19Fie'n Drum ..........................................................................4Foreign Cargo Gallery ........................................................8House o Books ....................................................................3Kent Co ee & Chocolate Company .................................23Kent Farmers' Market .......................................................19Kent Green .........................................................................15Kent Wine & Spirit .............................................................21Koblenz & Co. ......................................................................8LaVoie Color & Design ......................................................11Litchfeld Hills Sothebys International Realty ................23

Marvelwood School .............................................................9Metta Rhenberg Delmore Esq. LLC ..................................3Raynard & Peirce, Inc..........................................................7Rolling River Antiques .........................................................4Sharon Hospital ..................................................................24South Kent School .............................................................17Sundog Shoe & Leather ......................................................7

Terston ................................................................................14 The Kent Specialty Care Center .........................................2 The Lakeville Journal Co., LLC ........................................23



Discover Kent 2011

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