Getting Acquainted

Hi,

Welcome to my new blog, Accentuate the Positive, which is one of several new blogs being written by staff members of The Litchfield County Times and the Housatonic Publishing Group. We're blogging to add context, depth and value to the content we publish online daily at http://www.countytimes.com/, http://www.housatonictimes.com/ and http://www.passport-mag.com/.

As we continue to transition into a fully integrated digital media publishing cluster through the vision of Journal Register Company CEO John Paton, my goal is to use the technology we're harnessing to highlight the wonderful aspects of the region we call home, some subtle, some dramatic, and the joys of living here.

Just this morning (Oct. 29), for example, I was driving my son to school and even amid the rush to arrive on time, I had to pause to look at a haunting landscape scene along Route 132, east of Bethlehem center; a flock of black crows that had descended upon a farm field of pumpkins left behind. Though prone sometimes to bare-knuckle politics and troubling land-use proposals, this town that still won't formally adopt zoning can be just gorgeous. It feels like a place out of time, and the landscape of crows and pumpkins was reminiscent, at least in mood, of the 1890 Van Gogh painting "Wheat Field With Crows."

Stay tuned as I endeavor to get out of the office more and offer multiple points of entry into enjoying the riches of Litchfield County, the Berkshires and the Greater Millbrook area of New  York state---the territory covered by our national award-winning glossy magazine Passport.

Join me in the journey, which, I hope, will soon involve posting blog entries live from the road, with links, photos and more in a quest to maximize our coverage of the area.

Until next time---and please offer feedback and requests for what you'd like to see covered.