Discover Kent 2012

Discover
Kent
ConneCtiCut
Published by Te Lakeville Journal Co., LLC www.tricornernews.com
Publishers of Te Millerton News, Te Lakeville Journal and Te Winsted Journal
All About Kent
Kent Memorial library, bulls bridge,
Sports, Motorcycle Madness,
Art at the ober Gallery, and more
October 2012
Page 2 Discover Kent 2012
SOUTH KENT
S C H O O L
COLUMBUS DAY
MONDAY, OCTOBER 8
th
OPEN
HOUSE
Arrival & Welcome, 9:00am
To RSVP or for more info contact
admissions@southkentschool.org or (860) 927-3539 x201
40 Bulls Bridge Road, South Kent, CT 06785
www.southkentschool.org
Discover Kent 2012 Page 3
The Lakeville Journal Company, LLC
PO Box 1688, 33 Bissell St., Lakeville, CT 06039
E-mail: editor@lakevillejournal.com
Phone: 860-435-9873 Fax: 860-435-4802
Web site: www.tricornernews.com
Janet Manko, Publisher
Cynthia Hochswender, Editor
Libby H. Hall, Advertising Representative
Elizabeth Castrodad, Advertising Coordinator
James Clark, Production Coordinator, Design
Sara Morales and Amanda Winans, Composing
Contributing writers: Tim Abbott, Darryl Ganglof f,
Asher Pavel, Marge Smith
Cover photo by Cynthia Hochswender
Photos contributed by Cynthia Hochswender, Asher Pavel
All written material in Discover Kent, Connecticut, is
copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the
express permission of the publisher and the writers.
2012, The Lakeville Journal Co., LLC
Contents October 2012
Kent Memorial Library ........................................ page 5
What is Bulls Bridge? .......................................... page 8
Sports in Kent ...................................................... page 10
Motorcycle Madness in the Village .................. page 12
The Ober Gallery ................................................ page 15
The Historical Landscape ................................... page 18
Saving the Aspetuck Watershed ........................ page 20
Kent Town Resources ......................................... page 22
Advertiser Index ................................................. page 22
Discover Kent
By Cynthia Hochswender
Even for residents of and frequent visitors to the
Northwest Corner, Kent remains a town to truly
discover. Compared to some of the smaller towns
(Falls Village, population 1,000), Kent is a big town
(population 3,000).
Other towns might seem larger (Salisbury, population
5,000) but there are actually more people in Kent thanks
to its three boarding schools. The schools also contribute
cultural activities (and classic New England athletics, see
story Page 10) to the already full calendar offered by area
art galleries (see a profle on the Ober Gallery, Page 13)
and the local library, which offers reading material as well
as guest speakers such as Meryl Streep and Colin Powell
(see story Page 5). But perhaps as much of a draw as The
New are the towns history (see stories Pages 8 and 18)
and its natural beauty (lets not forget that Kent was voted
the number one foliage town in New England in 2010).
Whether you hike, paddle or drive in (by car or on a mo-
torcycle, see Page 12), do come and Discover Kent.
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Continued on Page 6
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THE KENT
Specialty Care Center
Sure, there are books. But the Kent Memorial Library also of fers
activities for children, a summer-long book sale and a speakers series
that has featured notables such as Meryl Streep and Colin Powell.
Virtually every town in the Northwest Corner has one or two gath-
ering points. Often it is the local post offce where people meet to say
hello and exchange gossip. Sometimes its a coffee shop.
In Kent, one of the regular gath-
ering spots is the Kent Memorial
Library (KML), where people meet,
chat, discuss books, learn, explore
and are entertained.
Kent Memorial Librarys birth
was in about 1881, when the lo-
cal reading clubs 103 books were
placed for use by all Kent residents
in a single room at a house at 87
North Main St.
The Kent Free Library Associa-
tion was offcially incorporated on
July 8, 1915. Today it is known as
the Kent Library Association.
Construction of the library build-
ing began in 1922. The building
was completed and dedicated to the
veterans of World War I on Nov. 11,
1925 (which is why it is known as
Kent Memorial Library
Continued from Page 5
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the memorial library). The origi-
nal freplace and shelving are still
intact and in many ways the library
remains the same, though several
additions have been made over the
years.
Like many other libraries in the
21st century, especially in rural
parts of the country, the Kent Me-
morial Library offers much more
than books.
Sarah Marshall and Ellen Paul,
co-directors of Childrens Services,
oversee the Childrens Room, built
in 1994, which houses a large collec-
tion of books for young readers.
Additionally there are a number
of computers available to children
for research and educational games.
Marshall and Paul also offer
programs for youngsters, from tod-
dlers through teenagers. One of the
popular Childrens Room events is
Movie-and-Dinner night. Children
can bring their parents and a picnic
dinner to the library, where they eat
and watch a family flm together.
The Movies-and-Jeopardy events are
also popular.
When the public library in a town
with a population of about 3,000
needs two directors for its childrens
room, that tells you that this is a
busy and popular destination.
Because the library is a nonproft
organization, it must engage in fund-
raising to meet its budget. While the
town of Kent subsidizes the library,
that money contributes only a small
part of total operating costs.
While there are a number of dif-
ferent fundraisers throughout the
year, two of the most popular are the
annual book sale and the car raffe.
The book sale is held outdoors
from spring through fall in the
former frehouses driveway, which
is next to the library. Tables are left
out all week, piled with books and
covered by secure tarps that protect
them from rain.
The sale has gained a reputation
as the place for book bargains and
has an extensive selection of hard-
backs and paperbacks, fction and
nonfction. Shoppers come from all
over Connecticut and from Massa-
chusetts and New York state. Even
some of the motorcyclists who roar
through town can be seen browsing
the tables.
The librarys summer-long car
raffe has become an institution in
the Northwest Corner. Each year
the library raffes an antique or
vintage automobile. Tickets are $20
each, and many families purchase
multiple tickets.
This year, the raffe car is a 2001
Chevrolet Corvette C5 that has a top
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speed of 200 mph.
The drawing for the car raffe
is held on the same Sunday as the
annual Kent Pumpkin Run (in 2012,
that date is Oct. 28).
Another extremely popular
fundraiser is the librarys featured
speaker series. These talks draw
such a large crowd that the venue
often has to be switched to the gym/
auditorium at Kent Center School.
Featured speakers in recent years
have included actress Meryl Streep,
former Secretary of State Colin Pow-
ell, radio host and author Garrison
Keillor, opera great Marilyn Horne
and retired Supreme Court Justice
Sandra Day OConnor.
Library hours are Monday
through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The
library is open on Sundays for spe-
cial events only. For more informa-
tion, call 860-927-3761 or go to www.
kentmemoriallibrary.org.
The Kent Memorial Library of fers everything from Movie-and-Dinner
night for families to talks with notables such as Meryl Streep, above.
What is Bulls Bridge?
For Kent residents, the words Bulls Bridge evoke many images. For
some, it means the literal bridge. For others, it refers to the hydro-
power plant on the Housatonic River, and the dam just a stones
throw from the bridge.
Outdoor enthusiasts think of
Bulls Bridge as a particularly tasty
spot for paddling on the river (espe-
cially in spring, when the water is
high and fast).
As its name implies, Bulls Bridge
was built by someone named Bull
actually, two people named Bull: the
brothers Isaac and Jacob Bull. They
ran an ironworks in Kent (at what
we now call Bulls Bridge) from
1760 and constructed at least fve
different bridges in their day.
The 109-foot bridge that now
straddles the riverbanks was built in
1842. Engineering enthusiasts will
(maybe) be interested to know that
it is a covered timber truss bridge
and that it is an example of the lat-
tice truss patented by Ithiel Town in
1820 (although at some later date a
type of truss known as queen-post
was added to parts of the structure).
This bridge was, according to a
history found online at www.past-
inc.org, at one time part of a major
highway that transported vehicles
(and people, of course) between
Hartford, Conn., and Newburgh,
N.Y.
It hovers high above the rocky
gorge. The original bridge was
lower but had to be raised in the
early 1900s, when the hydroplant
was built. Various other changes
have been made over the years to al-
low the bridge to support the weight
of modern cars.
Nonetheless, Bulls Bridge has
been on the National Register of
Historic Places since 1972.
A history of the area was pub-
lished in 1897, written by Francis
Atwater. In his detailed account of
life before the turn of the century in
this scenic section of town, he de-
clares that, The chief attraction at
Bulls Bridge is the falls. They begin
a few rods above the bridge, tum-
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Home/
Auto
Life &
Hea|th
Business
Insurance
Emp|oyee
Benefits
Quality You Can Count On
Quality You Can Count On

Did your current agent see your home before providing your policy?
Guessing coverage limits will not provide you
with the coverage and security you need.
Homes, like people, are unique, that is why
we visit every home before providing a quote.
If you want an insurance advisor and not just
an insurance agent, please give us a call.
Sherry L. Cre/ghtan Ky/e A. Brady
Offices in New Milford & Kent
111 Danbury Road, New Milford, CT 06776
860.354.4464
10 South Main, Kent, CT 06757
860.927.4683
Jeffrey B. K//berg R/chard F. Herr/ngtan

bling many feet down a ledge that
extends from bank to bank. Boiling
and dangerous are the torrents and
swifter in their course than is the ar-
rows fight. From the frst falls the
river gradually descends for many
rods over a slanting surface of rock,
at places jutting upwards suffciently
to cause other and lesser falls.
The shores in the vicinity of the
falls are wooded, picturesque and
winding, appropriately bounding the
dashing waters. The place is named
after Jacob Bull, who over a hundred
and twenty-fve years ago was given
permission to erect a grist mill and
iron works at this point. Mr. Bull
came from Dover, N.Y.
He notes with prescience that
the falls here and in nearby Falls
Village are the two best spots in the
region for creating electric power. A
quarter century later, both sites had
hydropower plants.
After the relatively dry summer of 2012, the gorge at Bulls Bridge
looked more like the surface of an inhospitable planet than the raging
river that it was last summer (for photos, view Discover Kent 2011
at http://www.tricornernews.com/content/discover-kent-2011). The
gaping holes in the rocks should serve as a warning to anyone who
underestimates the potential for fatal mishaps in what looks like a gentle
waterfall: Each of those holes creates miniature eddies and whirlpools
that can and have pulled unwary swimmers down and held them captive.
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Sports offerings in Kent
By Darryl Gangloff
Is there any greater rush than cheering for your hometown
football team under the lights on a cool autumn evening? How
about feeling the crack of a bat vibrate through the crowd on a
home run, or jumping to your feet in the bleachers as that perfect
3-pointer swishes through the basket?
These are the gifts that Kent
bestows on sports fans. Three
independent schools call the town
home, and they all feature an
impressive roster of athletes play-
ing every sport you can imagine.
Students ranging from freshmen
to seniors hone their skills in all of
the staple sports, with each school
also offering some unique pro-
grams.
Kent School arguably has the
most varied athletic opportunities
for both athletes and spectators.
Between swimming and diving,
crew, squash, golf, ice hockey and
equestrian riding, residents of and
visitors to the Northwest Corner
have the opportunity to watch com-
petitions that arent easily found in
other areas.
Both South Kent School and
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Kent School let crew fans watch
teams of rowers maneuver through
the mist on majestic waterways,
a perk of living in (or passing
through) the New England region.
South Kent also has notable bas-
ketball and hockey teams, along
with a full offering of other sports.
The Marvelwood School has
a hidden gem mixed among its
athletic offerings: coed varsity
ultimate Frisbee. Not every sport
needs a ball or puck to be taken
seriously.
Of course, older athletes arent
the only ones who thirst for the
thrill of competition. Young stu-
dents at Kent Center School, the
towns public elementary school,
can get an early start playing all of
the major sports, from soccer to
basketball.
Interested in catching a game?
Get schedules and more informa-
tion at the following websites:
Kent Center School: www.
kentcenterschool.org
Kent School: www.kent-
school.edu
Marvelwood School: www.
marvelwood.org
South Kent School: www.
southkentschool.org
Motorcycle Madness in the village
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Kent residents dont exactly
swell with pride when out-
of-towners remind them that
their village is a mecca for
motorcycles. Its a love-hate
kind of thing.
Certainly, its a fact that cant be
disputed. There they are, on any
given Sunday and often on other
days as well, especially when the
sun is hot and the air is clear, or
when the trees are in their full vivid
autumn glory.
They parade through town, the
Harleys making their throaty roar,
the Japanese cycles emitting a more
discreet buzz/whine.
Then they park along the curbs,
where they usually outnumber the
cars. And the riders dismount and
Motorcycles descend weekly on the village, and line the streets like a
performance art display of rolling steel.
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wander into the coffee shops and
cafes that line Main Street. They
order a beverage and maybe a
snack. They hold court. They watch
their cycles from their seats at the
outdoor cafes.
When interviewed, the cyclists
are confdent that Kent merchants
are delighted to see them arrive.
They believe they offer a boost to
local business.
Two years ago, the state did
noise testing on the streets here,
one biker commented on a recent
Sunday. So all the bikers stayed
away and the business owners were
up in arms about it. They lost a lot
of revenue.
When interviewed, the
merchants arent quite so sure that
the bikers give their business that
big boost.
They dont really buy anything,
was the general consensus. We
get more business from the private
schools and the tourists.
They take up all the curb space,
was another comment. Older
people wont come in and shop if
they cant park at the curb near the
store they want to visit.
But in the end, it doesnt actually
matter whether the business
owners embrace the bikers. They
come because they want to. And
they fnd delight in the charms of
this rural, New England town.
Its so classic, one biker said
admiringly on a recent visit. Its
Main Street U.S.A.
I just biked 7,000 miles across
the country, another said. And
this is the most beautiful place Ive
seen.
We ride all over the state, said
one biker from Danbury. But this
Continued on Page 14
Not all businesses here are sure
they like the bikers. But Kent
Cof fee and Chocolate makes
them feel welcome with special
items such as these motorcycle
chocolates Lela Jackson displays.
Motorcycles
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is the only place we stop.
Its not just the destination; its
also the ride. The roads are well-
maintained here. They are hilly.
They are scenic.They are curvy.
Thats one of the draws. You
never know whats going to be
around the corner, a biker said.
Thats the danger, too. Accidents
do happen, and about one a year is
fatal in this area. Helmets are not
required in Connecticut which
is another draw for bikers from
across state lines. Although they
acknowledge that helmets can
protect them, many bikers say they
prefer to ride naked, so to speak.
Helmets block their peripheral
vision, they say, and they limit
the feeling of unfettered freedom
that they get from being on a
motorcycle.
Its not riding without a helmet
that endangers them, they add.
Its the cars. Especially cars driven
by people who are talking on cell
phones.
Also a danger for cyclists: the
deer and turkeys that so often dart
out into the road, surprising riders
into sudden skids.
Even if they dont wear
helmets, the general consensus
is that their greater protective
weapon is the thunderous throb of
their exhaust pipes.
Loud pipes save lives is a
slogan that all the bikers repeat like
a mantra.
A lot of times cars dont see
you, one biker said. But they
hear you.
Of course there is also an
element of ego in the loud pipes.
Its a testosterone thing, one biker
boasted. The louder your pipes
We customize the sound,
another said. You can go online
and fnd out how to do it.
The bikers might take pride in
their pipes. But for Kent residents
and merchants, its the pipes that
are possibly the most objectionable
part of the two-wheeled convoys.
Theyre so loud that we have
to close our doors, even when
the weather outside is nice, one
business owner said.
But whether or not the
businesses have gripes or concerns
about the motorcycle onslaught,
this is still New England and
everyone is courteous. The bikers
feel welcome here.
Some, such as the popular Kent
Coffee and Chocolate Shop, have
even embraced the bikers. The
proof? Its in the display case, where
dark and milk chocolate motorcyles
are priced at $21.95 a pound.
Nonconformist art and more at the Ober Gallery
But nonconformity has defned
much of his life, and it created the
framework and the early vision for
his art collection.
Ober spent much of his
childhood at embassies in the
Soviet Union. His fathers postings
took the family to India and
Greece as well, but something
about Communist Russia
where to be a nonconformist was
to take ones life in ones hands
defned the adult he would
become. He doesnt have the
Nonconformist isnt really the word that leaps to mind when
you meet Rob Ober. Owner of the eponymous Ober Gallery in
the center of town, he is the son of a diplomat and has been a
teacher of history at the rather traditional Kent School for most
of his adult life. His hair is short and neat. His shirts button
down at the collar.
outward signs of what modern
Americans consider to be the
marks of a rebel, the long hair and
the quirky clothes and the edgy
lifestyle. He doesnt live in a loft.
He has a wife and two children.
His gallery is tidy, small and
orderly. But within the confnes of
all that neatness, he does what he
wants.
And what he wants to do is
collect (and sell, although he fnds
it somewhat diffcult to part with
his favorites) the canvases, prints,
sculptures and photographs from
artists who also do what they
want.
The collection started to
take shape in the 1990s, when
he was in his 20s and teaching
tennis. He was the head pro at
Sharon Country Club for many
years, spending his summers
there and his winters working
at the Kent School, the alma
mater of both his father and
his two sisters (his father, Bob
Ober Jr., had retired from the
foreign service and was the
schools director of development
from 1987 to 1998). He became
interested in the works of the
Russian Nonconformists, artists
who chose to make what they
Continued on Page 16
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wanted rather than following
the government guidelines that
insisted that all art must promote
the ideals of communism and the
Soviet Union.
I stumbled across them, he
said, and then started collecting
their work obsessively.
Even if the works were not
overtly critical of the government,
they didnt follow the rules and
were therefore considered outlaw
art. Much of it was beautiful,
inspiring, edgy, unusual. Foreign
diplomats began to smuggle it out
of the country.
Ober, too, felt a kinship with
these works, which reminded
him of his childhood, although
they are anything but sweet and
nostalgic. In fact one of the things
he likes best about them is their
dark edginess.
Ober Gallery
Although the works were still
relatively well-priced at the time,
he found he couldnt afford them
on a teachers salary; the tennis
lessons helped immensely and
he recalls that he would often
plan his work schedule around
whatever piece of art he was
hoping to buy. This one will take
150 lessons. That one will take
350.
His fairly large collection lived
in his apartment in Kent. And
then the Soviet Union crumbled,
and, he said, in 2002 or 2003, the
Russian art market exploded.
It was the aftermath of the fall
of communism, and expatriate
Russians, especially those who
had moved to London, began to
buy the works up because, Ober
said, they wanted to fll their
homes with Russian art.
As it turned out, Ober had an
apartment full of Russian art.
He opened his
gallery in 2006
and sells work
from as early
as the 1920s
and 1930s to
works by the
newest talents
now emerging
in the country.
To help him
get access
to those new
artists, he has
even created
a sort of
fellowship for
Russian artists;
each year he
selects one to
come and live
and work in
New York City
for a month.
That artist then
has a show
at the Ober
Gallery.
Ober takes pride in knowing
that his gallery is more than just
a satellite of a New York gallery,
and that he isnt just a promoter of
regional art. However, as noted,
Ober doesnt like to be pigeon-
holed, and so he also sells work by
New York and regional artists.
But it has to be work that
meets my standards, he said.
His favorite new regional fnd is
Harry Orlyck, a painter out of
Salem, N.Y. His small canvases
create scenes that are familiar
to anyone who has visited or
lives in rural America. But, Ober
observed, he isnt just painting
his neighborhood and what he
sees around him. Orlyk, he feels,
brings an unusual attention to
the paint and how it falls on the
canvas, creating images that are
more than just barns and felds.
The New York connection
comes through painter Katherine
Bradford, who had a show at the
gallery a few years ago and
sold a fairly remarkable 14 pieces.
She has since connected some of
her Brooklyn artist friends with
Ober and Bradford herself has
gone on to success in the New
York art market.
You sometimes feel like you
wish you could travel back in
time and fnd your favorite artists
before theyd been discovered,
before the prices became high,
Ober said. He feels that hes
able to offer his clients the work
of these emerging Brooklyn
artists at affordable prices, giving
them a boost while also allowing
collectors to get in early.
But of course what he likes
best about these New York talents
is that they are nonconformists
themselves, choosing to paint
because they love to paint, even
though the art establishment has,
he said, decided that painting is
Community of chie.ement Cu/ture of Performance Momentum for Life
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KENT SCHOOL
dead, pass.
I like people who chase their
own vision, he said, and who
arent heavily infuenced by whats
going on around them.
Although his website very
clearly warns artists not to send
submissions, Ober is actually not
averse to having artists stop by
and show him what theyre doing.
He also welcomes visitors who
arent necessarily in the mood to
buy but who are simply interested
in learning about what hes got.
Im a teacher, he said. I like
to explain the work. Come by, at
least youll learn something.
The Ober Gallery at 14 Old
Barn Road, in the gallery area just
off Route 7, is open Friday and
Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and
Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. To learn
more, go to www.obergallery.com
or call 860-927-5030.
Rob Ober, at his Ober Gallery in Kent, specializes in Russian
Nonconformist art, such as this print.
History: The changing agricultural landscape
By Marge Smith, Kent Historical Society Executive Director
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(behind Terstons) 860.927.2059
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small, some large, but all feeding
a growing population of city
dwellers who could not keep the
necessary cow or two in their back
yards. The arrival of the railroad
and subsequent development of
refrigeration techniques made
it possible to transport great
quantities of milk farther and
farther away from its source.
Initially, creameries were built,
usually near the railroad depots,
to collect and process the milk.
There was a Borden Creamery
by the present South Kent Post
Offce, the foundation of which
may still be seen. Eventually,
modern technology permitted
the raw milk to be hauled directly
from the farm in 10 gallon cans to
the milk platforms near the train
A century ago, the town of Kent had a completely dif ferent
appearance. The hills were bare of trees, and crisscrossed with
miles and miles of stone walls and barbed wire fences.
Where we now have tidy
subdivisions with fancy houses
and manicured grounds, there
were once cows, hundreds
of them. Maybe thousands of
them. There were also pigs and
chickens, goats and sheep.
The farmhouses and barns
were surrounded by felds of corn,
hay, rye, wheat and tobacco!
Yes, tobacco. Tobacco was an
important crop in the northwest
hills.
We usually think of the
Connecticut River Valley when we
think of tobacco, the fat fertile
valley lands covered with acres
and acres of tobacco tents and
long, low barns. But tobacco was
also grown here on our hills as a
successful cash crop at the turn of
the last century.
However, it is a labor-intensive
crop and, after World War I,
suffcient help was hard to fnd,
with the result that the tobacco
industry died out in our area.
Another cash crop quickly
moved in to take over the void
left by the demise of the tobacco
market. Got Milk? We sure did
in Kent. Dairy farms, already
common in Kent, quickly spread
throughout the town, some
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The age of the dairy farm in
Kent ended two years ago, when
Dave Arno closed his operation on
the 200-acre farm that hed leased
since the 1960s from the Vagts
family.
Farming isnt a static industry.
Its seen many changes across
the nation and this state, as it has
become increasingly diffcult for
New England farmers to compete
with the larger concerns out in
the fatter, less rocky soils of the
Midwest and the West.
New methods of taking food
from the soil of the Northwest
Corner are being tested out now.
The end of the dairies here
doesnt mean the end of farming,
just as the end of the tobacco
industry here didnt mean the end
of farming a century ago. This
history of that earlier agricultural
era in Kent comes from the Kent
Historical Society. The website
also offers a reminiscence from
Kent native Susi Casey Williams of
the dairy farms in operation here
in the 1970s; to see it, go to www.
kenthistoricalsociety.org.
Cynthia Hochswender
tracks where they were placed on
the daily milk train. Refrigerated
trucks then replaced the trains,
making the transportation of raw
milk even more lucrative. High
butterfat content brought the
highest price, and our felds were
dotted with herds of Guernseys,
Jerseys and Holsteins, each breed
known by its local keepers to be
the highest butterfat producer!
The end of the dairy era in Kent
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Saving land across a special watershed
By Tim Abbott
Its 25-square-mile watershed
includes two signifcant tributaries
Merryall and Denman Brooks
and is considered some of
the cleanest water in the state.
Trout Unlimited ranks the West
Aspetuck as one of the most intact
watersheds for eastern brook
trout conservation in the entire
Highlands region, which includes
portions of Connecticut, New York,
New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The reason the water is so pure
has a great deal to do with the
way that surrounding lands have
The west branch of the Aspetuck River is a very special place.
Rising in South and North Spectacle Lakes in Kent, it fows
through Beaman Pond, down through Kent Hollow and on
through New Milford to the Housatonic River.
been cared for and conserved.
People who live in the watershed
appreciate the beauty of their
surroundings, and a considerable
amount of land protection work has
taken place across the watershed.
Kent Land Trust, Weantinoge
Heritage Land Trust and the state
of Connecticut have numerous
conservation holdings here and
are actively working to protect
other signifcant properties in the
watershed.
At its annual fundraiser on Sept.
9 at the home of authors Frank
Delaney and Diane Meier, Kent
Land Trust President Bill Arnold
shared the latest news about the
effort to acquire the 253-acre
Camp Francis property from the
Girl Scouts of Connecticut for $1.5
million.
The Kent Land Trust
successfully negotiated a purchase
and sale agreement with the Girl
Scouts and is now actively seeking
a combination of state, federal and
private funding to complete its
protection.
The camp is beloved by Kent
Hollow residents for its stunning
views of the clear waters of
Beaman Pond, cascading roadside
ravine of the West Aspetuck
tributary and wooded wilds. There
are interior wetlands, extensive
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nature trails and even a small
area of prime agricultural soil.
It also connects a large system
of protected land including state
forest and land trust conserved
land, providing an important
opportunity for preserving a
regional greenway corridor.
Just upstream at North Spec-
tacle Lake, Weantinoge Heritage
Land Trust is working with local
partners to permanently protect a
15-acre waterfront preserve at the
headwaters of the West Aspetuck
Watershed. The soon-to-be West
Aspetuck Headwaters Preserve
boasts hemlock forest, critical
wetlands and habitat for diverse
wildlife, including wading birds,
turtles and fox.
The preserve is included in
the state of Connecticuts Natural
Diversity Database as a potential
location of endangered, threatened
and special concern species.
North Spectacle Lake itself is
known for its excellent bass fsh-
ing.
Thanks to interim bridge fnanc-
ing, the land trust is now working
with partners to raise the remain-
ing funds needed to purchase the
property and place it under perma-
nent conservation protection.
Both of these organizations are
part of the Litchfeld Hills Green-
print Collaborative, a partnership
of 23 land trusts and conservation
groups in northwest Connecticut
sponsored by the Housatonic Val-
ley Association.
Landscape-scale conservation
partnerships are a growing trend
in the land trust community and
within their donor networks. Water-
sheds and wildlife corridors that go
beyond the boundaries of a single
community are seen as ideal places
for conservation groups with similar
interests but different geographies
to work together to save more land
and attract more funding than they
can do on their own.
In addition to writing the
Natures Notebook column for The
Lakeville Journal, Tim Abbott is
program director of Housatonic
Valley Associations Litchfeld
Hills Greenprint. His blog is at
greensleeves.typepad.com.
Just upstream at
North Spectacle Lake,
Weantinoge Heritage Land
Trust is working with local
partners to permanently
protect a 15-acre
waterfront preserve.
Kent Town Resources
www.townofkentct.org | Kent Hollow - South Kent - Macedonia
Advertiser Index
Bain Real Estate .................................................... 20
Bulls Bridge Body Shop ................................ 21
Country Clothes ................................................... 10
CT Pinch Hitters .......................................................3
Earth Lore Gems & Minerals ................. 18
Edward Jones - Lou Abella, Financial
Advisor ........................................................................... 16
Essentials Day Spa ............................................. 21
Foreign Cargo .............................................................4
Karen Bussolini - Garden Coach .......... 14
GMPH & Sons LLC ...............................................4
House Of Books .................................................... 13
J.J. Grogans .............................................................. 14
Kent Coffee & Chocolate Co. ......................4
Kent Farm Market .............................................. 12
Kent School ............................................................... 17
Kent Wine & Spirit ............................................. 13
Koblenz & Co. .............................................................3
Lakeville Journal Co. LLC ...............................8
Lenz Electric ............................................................. 15
Metta Rehnberg Delmore ........................... 10
Nicholas Tobin & Associates
Insurance .........................................................................9
NM Watson & Company Wild Bird
Supply..................................................................................4
Raynard & Peirce Inc. ..................................... 18
Rolling River Antiques ........................................6
South Kent School ..................................................2
Sharon Hospital ..................................................... 23
Sundog Shoe & Leather ................................ 19
Terston ........................................................................... 19
The Gift Horse ........................................................ 12
The Kent Specialty Care Center ...............5
The Marvelwood School .............................. 11
Union Savings Bank ..............................................7
Upcountry Services .......................................... 24
Kent Center School ..........................860-927-3537
Northwestern Connecticut Community
College, Winsted ....................................860-738-6300
Oliver Wolcott Technical School, Torrington
............................................................................860-496-5300
University of Connecticut, Torrington Campus
............................................................................860-626-6800
Private SchoolS
Kent School.............................................860-927-6000
Marvelwood School .........................860-927-0047
South Kent School ............................860-927-3539
religiouS organizationS
First Congregational Church ...860-927-3335
Sacred Heart Church (Catholic)
............................................................................860-927-3003
St. Andrews Church (Episcopal)
............................................................................860-927-3486
Temple Sholom, New Milford
............................................................................860-354-0273
other Key ServiceS
Kent Chamber of Commerce ...860-927-1463
Kent Childrens Center (day care)
............................................................................860-927-4168
Kent Community House .............860-927-1826
Kent Community Nursery School
............................................................................860-927-1294
Kent Memorial Library .................860-927-3761
elected officerS
Some positions may change
after the Nov. 6 election.
First Selectman
Bruce Adams ..............................................860-927-4627
Representative in Congress (5th district)
Chris Murphy ............................................202-225-4476
Representatives in
Connecticut General Assembly
Sen. Andrew Roraback (30th district)
............................................................................800-842-1421
Rep. Richard Smith (108th district)
............................................................................800-842-1423
United States Senators
Richard Blumenthal ...... Hartford: 860-258-6940
............................................. Washington: 202-224-2823
Joseph I. Lieberman ..............................800-225-5605
Governor
Dannel Malloy ..........................................860-566-4840
Key town ServiceS
Animal Control ....................................860-927-4783
Assessor (Mon. & Wed., 9-noon, 1-4)
............................................................................860-927-3160
Building Department (Mon.-Fri., 12-3)
............................................................................860-927-4556
First Selectman (Mon.-Fri., 9-noon, 1-4)
............................................................................860-927-4627
Fire Marshal (Tues. & Thurs., 3-4)
............................................................................860-927-4556
Inland Wetlands (Mon.-Fri., 9-4 )
............................................................................860-927-4625
Land Use (Mon.-Fri., 9-4 ) ............860-927-4625
Park & Recreation (Mon.-Fri., 9:30-noon,
1-2:30)
............................................................................860-927-1003
Planning and Zoning (Mon. -Fri., 9-4 )
............................................................................860-927-4625
Probate Court (Tues., 9-12) .........860-927-3729
Probate Judge Diane Blick .............860-927-3729
Public Works (Mon.-Fri., 7:30-3:30)
............................................................................860-927-3941
Registrar of Voters (Mon., 1-4) ..860-927-1953
Sewage Treatment .............................860-927-4075
Social Services/Municipal Agent
(Mon., Tues. & Thurs. 9-4) ..............860-927-1586
Tax Collector (Mon., Tues., Wed.
& Fri., 9-noon & 1-4) ..........................860-927-3629
Town Clerk (Mon.-Thurs., 9-4, Fri., 9-12)
............................................................................860-927-3433
Transfer Station (Sat. & Sun., 8-3:30)
............................................................................860-927-4627
Treasurer (Tues. & Wed., 1-4, Fri., 9-4)
............................................................................860-927-4627
Public Safety
and emergency ServiceS
Kent Volunteer Fire Department and
Ambulance
For emergencies ....................................................................911
Other calls Fire .....................................860-927-3151
Other calls Ambulance......................860-927-3080
State police Troop L, Litchfeld
For emergencies ....................................................................911
Other calls ....................................................800-953-9949
Public SchoolS and
collegeS
Explorations Charter School, Winsted
............................................................................860-738-9070
Housatonic Valley Regional High School,
Falls Village .................................................860-824-5123
Buy Locally, Live Locally
Locally owned business such as those
seen in the pages of this directory
give character to our region and
offer an alternative 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!
Excavators
Backhoes
Bulldozers
Dumptrucks
Power Rake
Foundations Dug
Water & Electric Lines Dug
Drainage Installed
Land Clearing
Grading
Ponds Dug
Driveways/Roads Repaired/Installed
Lawn Installation
Lawn Repair
Paver, Bluestone Terraces
Retaining Walls
UniLock, Versa-Lok, Cambridge Pavers
Decorative Ponds, Waterfalls
Tree and Shrub Planting
Fencing
Lawn Care
Spring Cleanup
Fall Cleanup
Edging, Mulching
Lawn Fertilization
Lawn Pest, Disease Control
Weed Control
Weekly, Maintenance Programs
Snowplowing, Salting, Sanding
Brush Clearing
Field Mowing
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