Windsor Star Gazing & Beer Tasting

The Milky Way over a local roof line (photo by Tim Connolly)
 

Thanks to our dark skies, Windsor is a favored spot for star gazing. And it's been said we like our beer, too! So don't miss this special event: Saturday, August 8, 8:30-11:00PM at Notchview, Route 9, Windsor. RSVP recommended. Arunah Hill Natural Science Center will set up their telescopes and Kelly’s Package Store of Dalton will bring a sampling of fine beer. You can register online at westregion@ttor.org or call 413.532.1631 x 10. Trustees Members: $15. Nonmembers: $25. Gazing without tasting: free. If skies are cloudy, star talk and beer tasting will take place in Notchview's cozy Visitor's Center. Click here to learn more about dark sky places.

Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour

The pottery of Windsor's own Connie Talbot displayed at her home this past weekend as part of the 9th annual Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour. The Hilltown 6 is a group of nationally recognized potters based in the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts. Each summer on the last weekend of July, they open their studios for a coordinated tour, showing a sampling of their pottery in the fascinating rural settings where they're made, and sharing more about their work. If you'd like to see more of Connie's pottery, call her at #413-684-3852 to make an appointment.

Weeding a Bridge, Growing Ideas

The old Ball Bridge before and after the masked man with the weed-whacker cleared this summer's crop of stubborn weeds. Last year, after close to two decade's worth of saplings and weeds were removed (by the same masked man), it got many of us thinking about how to celebrate this cool bit of Windsor's past. Obviously weeds grow faster than ideas, but for now we can go back to thinking! Built in 1894 by C.H. Ball at his mill in East Windsor (near the intersection of Old Route 9 and Worthington Rd), the bridge has been sitting behind Windsor's Historical House since the early 1990's when it was moved from its original location crossing Holiday Brook on Holiday Cottage Road in Dalton. Stop by sometime and check it out!

New Farmers' Market in Windsor

Windsor's own Sean and Dean Lonergan of Berkshire Highlands Farm on a steamy July afternoon. Missing from the photo are Liam Lonergan and Michelle Koelle, who grow a wide-selection of greens, herbs and edible flowers in their commercial hydroponic greenhouse on East Windsor Road. Their stand will be set up outside Sangar's General Store every Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm. Read more about the Windsor Farmer's Market in the Current Issue (July 2015) of Windsor Now & Then.

Ed Kohn Memorial Bench

Here's Val Kohn on a cool, early July afternoon giving the bench its annual scrubbing. Installed in 2002, this concrete and tile mosaic bench is dedicated to Val's late husband, Ed Kohn, beloved teacher, musician, and valued member of the Windsor community. Val designed the bench and laid the mosaic, which includes lyrics from the song, Windsor Now and Then, composed and written by Ed. Ray Kerns formed and poured the concrete. Stop by the park sometime and have a seat!

A Visit from Paul Mark

Our State Representative, Paul Mark, posing with residents after a lively, Q&A-style session at the Windsor Town Offices this past weekend. Questions ran the gamut from the pipeline issue to community engagement. "Windsor has always been pretty quiet," he said. "It's good to hear what people are thinking." Representative Mark encourages residents to reach out to him by phone (413-464-5635), direct email (Paul.Mark@MAhouse.gov), or stopping in during his Dalton Office Hours at the Dalton Town Hall on Tuesdays from 9am-4pm.

Welcome

We're excited to finally have a website! Now you can read Windsor Now & Then hot off the press (or browse through a past issue), learn more aboutFriends of Windsor, join our growing list of donors, and discover new ways to engage with this community. We plan to post interim news briefs, other timely tidbits, and whatever else strikes our fancy; and we're in the process of building a page about Friends of Windsor's history. So be sure to check back regularly! We'd love to hear what you think! And if you haven't done so already, consider making a contribution. Your support makes all the difference!