Terry Cowgill

Feeling Freedman’s Pain

Just got a call from a source who wishes to remain anonymous. She thanked me from the bottom of my heart for the story I did in today’s print edition on the reduction in programs for senior citizens at The Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village (part of the campus is pictured at left).

These seniors have been looking to have a forum to express their displeasure for a few weeks at least — ever since I began getting calls from elderly campers and their supporters lobbying me for a story.

I feel bad for them, especially since some of them are about 90 and have been coming to the camp for 20 years or more. Fairly or unfairly, I think it’s safe to say they feel betrayed by the camp. They think the new director does not like the elderly and is trying to push them out altogether.

One woman who is a Holocaust survivor had some especially tough words for the director and suggested he was not fit for the job. Just about everyone I interviewed was convinced Isabella Freedman was casting the seniors off in favor of the other more expensive programs offered there (Elderhostels, environmental stewardship, spiritual retreats), which are far more profitable.

For all I know, that could be true and, if so, it would be a shame. But, as my look at the camp’s tax returns revealed, Isabella Friedman ran an operating deficit in 2006 of almost 7 percent. That’s not sustainable by any reckoning, unless the camp’s board of directors want to open their wallets even wider every year.

The simple fact is that sometimes organizations need to refocus and do what’s required in order to become or remain solvent. We just did something similar here at the LJ. As I write this, the pressman and his assistant, along with various collators and mechanical helpers, are putting in their last day of work printing our paper in the press room.

Printing our papers off-site in Fairfield County will mean the loss of more than a dozen jobs locally. It was a painful decision for our board of directors to make, but it had to be done or we risked having our vintage 1973-era press fall apart without the means to replace it and with no way of getting our product out.

It’s tragic for the LJ employees who will lose their jobs and for those seniors who grew to love Isabella Freedman and cannot afford to come back. As the saying goes, but for the grace of God, go I …

The Greater Micropolitan Area

If you hang your hat in Connecticut’s Northwest Corner, you probably like living here. I lived in the Corner 22 out of the last 24 years, so I’d say it’s high on my list of desirable places.

But I’ll bet you didn’t know we live in the most desirable small cluster of towns in the U.S. Or so says this study — a bizjournals analysis of 140 “micropolitan” areas. From what I can tell, I agree wholeheartedly with the conclusion of this study and others like it: that many (if not most) Americans would rather live in small towns where they feel like they count for something rather than a large city or a faceless suburb.

The most remarkable aspect of the study (at least as published on msnbc.com) is that the area is simply called Torrington, Conn. Even more surprisingly, Torrington is one of 10 “dreamtowns” identified in the study. Its residents “enjoy high income levels and a strong educational system that would be the envy of most suburbs.” Say what? Which suburbs?

That description of Torrington (and I have defended that dear city before against bogus restaurant reviewers) is at odds with what even people who live there tell me. Take a good luck at the place. Most Torringtonians live modestly. A lot live at or below the poverty line. According to the 2000 Census, the median income for a household in the city was $41,841. The per capita income is about half that. 7.4% of the population was below the poverty line. People who live there tell me the schools have multiple challenges.

So I think it’s safe to say the people who put together the study and/or wrote the bizjournal article on msnbc.com never visited Torrington. Did they even bother to look at the census data? Rather, they must be referring to the surrounding towns, which are smaller and more like the ones described as “dreamtowns.” That would be … us.

So what do you think? Do we live in dreamland? Or do we face the same challenges as most any place else? This isn’t paradise but it’s pretty damned nice. I’ll take Lakeville or Norfolk any day over Harrisburg or White Plains.

P.S. I lived in the 5th most desirable micropolitan area (Lebanon, N.H.). That’s not bad either.

What A Week

Thanks to everyone who wished me well this week in my and my family’s (and my community’s) fight against one of the nastiest and most contagious flu-type viruses to hit this area in many years. Without going into stomach-churning details, I can tell you that it hits very hard but in most cases it passes quickly. Enough said …

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I’ve gotten some reax to a story I wrote for this week’s print edition on a group that has surfaced in opposition to Noble Horizons‘ plans to expand northward with a cluster of cottages for the elderly (similar to those pictured above on Noble’s main campus).

When I was on the air this morning with Marshall & Mike (and Mark?), Marshall was convinced that the opposition to Noble’s plans by Citizens For Undermountain Road was rooted firmly in a NIMBY mentality. [to listen to the podcast of that interview, click here and then click on the link at right with my name on it]

I won’t use that term because, this early in the process, it’s a bit too judgmental for my liking. But I do think it’s safe to say that Citizens For Undermountain Road would not be taking this action (including the lawsuit) if Noble had wanted to put the cottages off a comparably scenic road on the other side of town.

Continue reading What A Week…

Making A Splash In FV

Yes, I can confirm the new Falls Village municipal pool is finally open. Took a few photos there yesterday. That looks like Tyler Dean who was obviously head-over-heels in love with the place.

It is indeed a lovely spot — perched high on a knoll above the transfer station. Fortunately, the station is nowhere to be seen. Canaan Mountain, however, rises rather dramatically behind the pool house. And there is a charming fountain in the shallow end.

Beautiful as it is, however, I do have a word of caution. Bring lots of sunscreen. There are no shade trees yet and the only place to get out of the sun and still see the action is the pool house foyer, which gets crowded quickly with chairs for the pale-faced.

To the right is a close up of Tyler in the air. As you can see, his eyes are closed in concentration. In super close-up, it looks like his nose is a little flattened, as if he were struggling against G-forces.

Maybe that’s what happens when you attempt such a maneuver: the combination of spinning and gravity makes you feel like you’re trying to set a speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

P.S. Update on the post below on women’s bathing suits: thanks to a reader for steering me to a recent photo of 63-year-old Dame Helen Mirren, who still looks smashing in a bikini and appears to suffer no wedgie. I wonder if the real Queen ever looked that good at any age …

Undaunted Crooners

I attended the first part of Project Troubador’s Grove Festival in Lakeville on Saturday and took some photos.

Organizer Eliot Osborn (on guitar at left) and the Joint Chiefs started off but were interrupted twice by downpours that sent concert-goers scurrying for cover.

I left after the second soaking but it looks like things cleared up in time to finish the program with the likes of the New World CEIli Band.

Anyone out there stay after the rain? I recall the event was canceled in 2006 because of the previous day’s rains and the threat of the same on the day of the festival. A wise call by Osborn, as holding the concert then would have resulted in a mud bath. This year’s adverse weather was a comparatively tepid affair.

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Word on the street is Region One Assistant Superintendent Tom Gaisford is handing in his resignation and taking advantage of early retirement. I’ll no doubt learn more about it at today’s special Board of Education meeting.

The big question for me is whether the board will replace him. Will they find a new assistant superintendent or take advantage of Gaisford’s departure and opt to go without a #2 in the face of declining enrollments regionwide? Stay tuned …

Wet One

I wouldn’t say tonight’s commencement exercises at Housatonic Valley Regional High School were a complete disaster. To be fair, considering the near-chaos that precipitated the event, I’d say it went off pretty smoothly.

When I arrived about 20 minutes early, the rain had already started, but the dais and the endless chairs were already set up in front of the main building for the usual outdoor ceremony. There were about 75 umbrellas visible and some of them were already planted on the seats with their owners waiting for the event to begin.

I went inside near the superintendent’s office in an attempt to avoid getting wet and to try to find out what was going on. The band had retreated to the hallway outside the principal’s office, their instruments dripping with Mother Nature’s moisture.

The scene was one of confusion tinged with some bemusement that the wrong decision had been made in a day whose weather forecast vacillated between horror and delight. As I milled about the halls, I finally saw Principal Gretchen Foster, wearing that look principals get when they’ve been dealt a bad hand, striding toward the front doors and announcing under her breath that, “We’re coming into the auditorium!” This was at 6:33 p.m., about three minutes after starting time.

So inside they went. Scott Fellows announced very firmly that only two representatives from each graduate’s family would be admitted because of the sudden and unexpected premium on space. But the show went on — and remarkably well, at that.

If you’d like to view Andrew Sadowski’s salutatorian address, click here. For some hideous reason, Youtube (or perhaps iMovie) insists on cropping the top and bottom of the video frame during processing, so you don’t see all of Andrew’s head. But it’s worth a listen anyway.  Andrew’s mother, former Region One Board member Jane Sadowski, sat behind me and was in stiches the whole time.

I’ll have more in next week’s print edition. Meanwhile, blogging will be light for the next few days, as I will be vacationing on the Cape. Cheers …

Bridge to Nowhere

The old iron bridge linking Amesville and Falls Village was closed suddenly this afternoon by state officials. Click here or on the graphic at left to read the news story I just posted on our website.

The feeling in the newsroom was that this story was too important and timely to leave until our next print edition comes out June 19.

Of course, if this is a route you generally use to get to downtown Falls Village, you’ll have to find an alternate. Dugway Road to 112 to Rt 7 looks like your best bet.

Wow!

I am just now getting around to posting an update on the whopper of a storm that hit the Northwest Corner last night. I write this from the offices of The Millerton News because it’s the only place I can find that has both Internet access and power.

Last night between 9 and 10 p.m. a powerful front rolled into our area. There wasn’t a whole lot of rain but the combination of wind and lightning was a sight and sound to behold. We lost power at about 10 and as I write this at 2:45 p.m.Wednesday, CL&P tells us we might get it back late tomorrow.

When I awoke at 6 this a.m. and still had no power, I drove straight to the McDonald’s in Millerton hoping it would be open. Thankfully, it was. But on the way I saw dozens of trees and limbs down over power lines, along with several utility poles snapped like toothpicks.

We are going to try to put together both the LJ and The Millerton News tomorrow for Friday distribution. But it’s possible we won’t be able to, in which case we will start as soon as we get power back at our Bissel Street plant.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for someplace to eat, Millerton has plenty of power. I suspect the restaurants will be doing a great business. When I took my kids to lunch today at Mickey Dee’s, I’d say 75% of the cars in the parking lot had CT plates.

Got any storm stories to share? Feel free to leave a comment here and unburden yourself.

P.S. To follow the power situation, click here to see CL&P’s stats on the number of people who are still in the dark.

Feeling the Pain

I’m working on a story for next week’s print edition about fuel prices and am looking for some people willing to be quoted about the impact gasoline prices have had on their lives.

Anyone out there have a long commute? Or is there anyone else out there heavily dependent on their vehicles for business and have had to reduce spending in other areas in order to fill that tank?

I’m looking mostly for stories about the impact (or lack of impact) rising fuel prices have had on your lives and what steps you have taken to offset any hardship. I, for one, have started cycling to work when the weather is good, as it is today

Do you drive to Massachusetts, for example, where prices are lower than either Connecticut or New York? How do you view the prospect of $5 gasoline? Is there a larger lesson to be learned from this recent round of skyrocketing fuel prices?

Kindly respond to this post to submit a comment for the print edition article. Thanks.

What A Country!

With apologies to Howard Zinn, I love America, especially on Memorial Day with all those flags and good feelings. I was in North Canaan this morning for the parade down Main Street and the observances at the Doughboy Monument. I still get misty-eyed when I hear taps being played to a respectful audience. See the video footage above.

As he has been for several years, Selectman Tom Gailes, himself a veteran, was the master of ceremonies. He introduced his son, Master Sgt. Wade Gailes, who has been in the Army for 18 years. Wade’s own son is in Iraq. The theme for the day, which everyone seemed to agree on, was “let’s bring them home safely as soon as we can.”

To all those who served their country and died for it — not only soldiers, but police, emergency responders and members of the intelligence and diplomatic communites — you once again have my deepest gratitude.