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Winners

Tastes of the Valley Co-chair Laura Moorehead , left,  and TLGV Executive Director Lois Bruinooge, right, present Carolyn and Allen Granberg of Bella’s Bistro with the award for Best Cuisine at the 2015 Tastes of the Valley.  Courtesy photo.

 

 

The winners of the recent The Last Green Valley’s 10th Annual Tastes of the Valley feast and fund-raiser include: 

— For the third year in a row, participants voted for Bella’s Bistro from Putnam,  as the “Best Cuisine of the 2015 Tastes of the Valley,” for its Black Currant Braised Short Ribs with Slow Cooked Collard Greens and Leeks, topped with Black Currant and Apple Red Cabbage Relish.  Bella’s created its dish using products from 18th-Century Purity Farm, Buell’s Orchard, Lapsley Orchard, Maple Lane Farm, New Boston Beef, Palazzi Orchard, Unbound Glory, and Wayne’s Organic Garden.  

— The “Best Beverage” competition resulted in a two-way tie between Black Pond Brews of Danielson, and Sharpe Hill Vineyard from Pomfret, both taking top honors for the second year in a row.  Black Pond Brews’ offerings included Tears of Amber and Steampunk Coffee Stout brewed with coffee from Steampunk Café on Main Street in Danielson.  Sharpe Hill’s offerings included Ballet of Angels, Angelica Rosé, Fleur Rouge, and Red Seraph.

Taking part were: 85 Main, Baldwin Brook Farm, Ben’s Beans, Bentley Brewing, Blackmer Farm, Blue Slope Farm, Cafémantic, Chase Road Growers, Couët Farm & Fromagerie, Creamery Brook Bison, Devon Point Farm, Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm, G Seven Catering, Good Bug Gardens, Hart’s Greenhouse & Florist, Grill 37, Heirloom Food Company, Hosmer Mountain Soda, Marty’s of Dudley, Meadow Stone Farm, Oliver Wight Tavern at Old Sturbridge Village, Publick House Historic Inn, Raspberry Knoll Farm, Renee’s Working Girl Catering Service, Soleil & Suns Bakery, Taylor Brooke Winery, The Farmer’s Cow, The Inn at Woodstock Hill, The Mansion at Bald Hill, The Vanilla Bean Café, Turtle Ledge Farm, We-Li-Kit Farm, Westford Hill Distillers, Willimantic Brewing Company and Woodstock Farms.

TLGV raised more than $25,000 to support its programs, in large part due to its generous sponsors:  Platinum Level - Fiberoptics Technology Inc., Rebecca Harvey, Millennium Power, Savings Institute Bank & Trust, and UNFI Helping Hands; Gold Level - Charter Oak Federal Credit Union, Keith & Elaine Knowlton, and Putnam Bank; Silver Level - Southbridge Savings Bank, The Mansion at Bald Hill, and Titan Energy; Bronze Level - MaryLou Davis, Farm Credit East, Donna & Bruce Kosa, and Village Electric.

 

 

Then

This is the front door of Putnam High School in May, 2014. Putnam Town Crier file photos.

 

& Now

This is the entrance now.

 

 

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Arborists Help Out

Arborists from Bartlett Tree Experts, including Julian Reese, arborist representative (above) donated almost six hours of work at the Palmer Arboretum. Linda Lemmon photos.

 

 

By Linda Lemmon

Town Crier Editor

WOODSTOCK ---  The Palmer Arboretum received another volunteer "birthday" gift last weekend when arborists from Bartlett Tree Experts donated nearly six hours of work.

Julian Reese, arborist representative, had been to the arboretum a few years before and was impressed with the work that's been done since his last visit.

"One of the biggest changes I've seen is how opened up the arboretum is and exposed trees are now showcased a little more," he said. He added that the spread of chips to maintain beds is also a good thing. Volunteers have accomplished much --- much of it in this, the Palmer's 100th year.

Bill Brower, head of the arboretum's board, said on a visit to Massachusetts, he had seen Bartlett Tree Experts doing tree work and decided to ask if the company might be willing to help out at the arboretum. And company officials said yes.

Reese, who is a graduate of Woodstock Academy, was in a white oak, removing branches so the trees planted under it would stop leaning, looking for the sunlight the oak was now blocking. 

Another Bartlett arborist was in an American Hemlock which has been hit with Hemlock Scale and aphids. Dead branches were removed. The "leaning" Linden near the Milnor spring section of the arboretum, had branches removed from the top, to keep it from becoming too top heavy and then falling.

Reese was very impressed with all the work done in the spring area. Volunteer members of the arboretum board have made the arboretum blossom from overgrown to a gem. Matthew Sheldon transformed, with some help, an overgrown spring area. He eradicated multiflora roses, euonymus and bittersweet. He built paths and bridges and turned a catalpa tree lost in a storm into chairs, benches and tables. He requested that the spring be named for James W. Milnor, a Woodstock educator and naturalist. 

Brower said "We are so grateful for the work that Bartlett Tree Experts has done." 

The property, just behind Palmer Hall on Rt. 169, was donated by Minnie Palmer Dean in 1915.  Originally it was 5 acres and it was designed to be a walkway to Roseland, but the walkway was never done. The arboretum is currently just under 2 acres.