A few weeks ago we were saying goodbye to summer. School had started. Summer vacations had concluded. It was an in-between time to look back at a full season of outdoor events and activities. Now, fall is settling in. We have months of cold weather ahead and the signs are all around. Many birds that migrate south over winter have left. The low-flying barn swallows begin their migration when the temperature drops. The honking of Canada geese is a familiar fall sound in the Northwest Corner hills. The bright-colored goldfinch has left. Some of our townspeople also migrate south as snowbirds.

Students have settled into school, and for some midterms are already here. Fall sports are geared up for turf battles between schools. Many parents are in the throes of the soccer travel challenge. Some sports have begun to move indoors. 

Homeowners are debating when to bring in the outdoor furniture — if at all — and some have mowed the lawn for the last time. Others are busy with another seasonal ritual: raking leaves. Or not.

Inside, the furnace has fired up. Or not. Some hapless homeowners have to call for service because the furnace didn’t work on the first fall temperature test. 

Once the house warms up, it becomes a draw for all the mice seeking shelter and food for the winter ahead. These pointy-nosed invaders are highly successful with their annual migration into our historic, Colonial-era homes. Just another sign of the season. 

Every fall New England becomes a destination for leaf peepers, but this year the fall colors may be less pronounced, according to the experts. A major factor was the wet summer season. The National Weather Service reported that Litchfield County’s summer rainfall was double the normal amount. Rain dilutes the sugars in the leaves, affecting the hues.  Cold nights help trigger the  changeover, but many nights have only seen temps in the forties. We’re at the end of the third week in October, when the color change is typically in peak range, and professional photographers and leaf watchers are scrambling to capture and witness fall foliage in all its boldness and glory.

Black bears are stocking up for a long winter’s hibernation that typically starts around Thanksgiving. Now, they can be seen everywhere, of course. 

Another ubiquitous sign of the fall season can be found on front lawns and roadsides throughout the Northwest Corner: campaign placards. Tuesday, Nov. 7 is Election Day, and this election cycle will see contested races for selectman in Cornwall, Falls Village, Kent, North Canaan, and Salisbury. Throughout October, profiles on participating candidates are published in The Lakeville Journal in our ‘Meet the candidates’ series.  This week, read about candidates in North Canaan and Sharon on page A8 and A9.

Latest News

Amenia board honors employees for service

Long-term town employees were recognized at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, June 12. Honorees pictured with Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, were Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the Town Garage, center, for her 35 years of service to the town and Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent, for 20 years.

Leila Hawken

AMENIA — Acknowledging the many years of service accumulated by town employees, the Town Board paused to honor that service at its meeting on Thursday, June 12.

“Thank you for making a difference,” said Town Supervisor Leo Blackman in recognizing Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the town garage, for her 35 years of service.

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Historic marker dedicated at Amenia Union Cemetery

In anticipation of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2026, new historic markers are appearing at each of the local cemeteries where Revolutionary War veterans are buried. Unveiling the new marker at Amenia Union Cemetery on Saturday, June 21, were left to right, Town Historian Betsy Strauss, Jim Middlebrook representing the regional chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Gail Seymour, President of the Union Cemetery Association.

Photo by Leila Hawken

AMENIA — One by one, new historic markers are appearing at local cemeteries where Revolutionary War dead are buried. On Saturday, June 21, community members gathered to see a new marker unveiled at Amenia Union Cemetery on Leedsville Road.

A tent provided welcome shade for the attendees and refreshments as about 30 residents gathered for the unveiling and to share stories of local history with one another.

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Millerton Street Fair celebration June 28

Bee Bee the clown, face painters and a community wide scavenger hunt are among the activities planned for the Millerton Street Fair in Downtown Millerton on Saturday, June 28.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLERTON — The Millerton News, in partnership with the North East Community Center (NECC) and the Millerton Business Alliance, is hosting its first Street Fair on Saturday in a celebration of the town.

Rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, the fair will bring together local nonprofits and businesses, with live music, entertainment, kids’ activities, local eats, and family fun in Veterans Park, in front of the Millerton Inn, and beyond.

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Millbrook Historical Society announces summer Quaker lecture series

The Nine Partners Road Quaker Meetinghouse, built in 1780, will be the site of two summer lectures sponsored by the Millbrook Historical Society.

Photo by Leila Hawken

MILLBROOK — Long in the planning, the Millbrook Historical Society has announced that it is sponsoring two lectures in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Both lectures relating to Quaker history are to be held in the historic Quaker Meeting House on Nine Partners Road.

For the first talk, scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m., the historical society has invited Sarah Gronningsater, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk on “Quakers, Anti-slavery, and the American Revolution.” The topic will explore the role that New York’s Quakers, especially in the Hudson Valley, played in the rise of the anti-slavery movement that followed the American Revolution.

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