Today Magazine • June 2024

TODAY Covering the Heart of the Farmington Valley

HISTORY JUBILEE Historical Society Celebrates 50 Years

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A chipmunk t​ akes cover in​a downspout extension​in a Canton yard — chipmunks are ​in the squirrel family​— there are 25 species​, 24 in North America​ A praying mantis​dines on an insect on the Nepaug Reservoir trail — praying mantis​e s​ are carnivore​s and s ​ killed hunters — and a mantis​can rotate i​ts head​ 180 degrees

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Photos by Wendy Rosenberg

LEADING OFF

History Milestone

CONTENTS COVER STORY

4 — Historical Heritage From the town’s 1830 founding to the discovery of a globally significant Paleo-Indian site, the Avon Historical Society has chronicled the years VALLEY INTEL

9 — Pl​enty of Partnerships Working closely with many organizations, ​​the​Avon Historical Society​has offered abundant​programs HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS

11 — ​Fascinating Backstory In an exclusive interview, president Terri Wilson​ outlines the Historical Society’s origins and history

HISTORICAL SOCIETIES have played a key role for decades in the Farmington Valley and across Connecticut. ​This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Avon Historical Society​,​and in this edition we offer a retrospective on the society’s 50 momentous years. Here’s a brief chronological rundown of the Valley’s other four historical organizations: ​ The Simsbury Historical Society​, established in 1911​, is the oldest.

The Salmon Brook Historical Society o ​ f Granby​was founded in 1945​, and the​Farmington Historical Society​​began in 1954​. ​The Canton Historical Society​was formed after the Collins Company closed in 1966​, and the Canton Historical Museum​opened in 1970. Avon followed in 1974.

The​Farmington Historical Society​is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. ​Today Magazine has​requested information​​via a​Q&A​interview ​ and is awaiting a completed Q&A from FHS officials so the society can be featured in an upcoming edition — stay tuned ... BWD​

SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS

17 — Impressionist’s Paradise Catherine Elliott depicts nature’s breathtaking beauty via the lens of contemporary Impressionism QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“ We don’t see obstacles, we see opportunities — we overcome obstacles with marketing and visibility ” — AHS president Terri Wilson

BY THE NUMBERS

600​+ — AHS artifact collection

LETTERS

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COVER STORY KUDOS Our May cover story ponders the puzzle of Parkinson’s disease​and honors​local ​PD​hero​Rocco “Roc” Erardi​

— CLICK HERE for our coverage THANK YOU for the story focusing on my Dad, and thanks for helping raise awareness about Parkinson’s.

— Lauren Erardi • Cromwell • Avon native THANKS for inviting us to contribute to this issue of Today Magazine. The article came out great and highlighted this amazing family, and their journeys navigating Parkinson’s disease. I will share the magazine link with our teams here at UConn Health.

— Dr. Bernardo Rodrigues • UConn Health • Farmington YOUR ARTICLE is wonderful — you really captured the love of a family and the trials of living with PD. Thank you.

— Marlane Argianas • CT Coordinator • American Parkinson Disease Association Facebook Comments You couldn’t honor a more deserving person. Roc was a great leader, knowledgeable — I respect and really appreciate his stories. I miss him. People like Roc are books not yet written.

— Donna J Geffert • Canton’s Corner group admin

Today Magazine • Covering the Heart of the Farmington Valley Bruce William Deckert — Publisher + Editor-in-Chief 860-988-1910 — Bruce.Deckert@TodayPublishing.net www.TodayPublishing.net — Award-Winning Today Online — www.TodayPublishing.net/blog Follow Today Magazine CT on social media > Advertising — Contact the Publisher Editorial Associate — Kayla Tyson Contributing Photographer — Wendy Rosenberg Five Towns • One Aim — Exceptional Community Journalism ​Community ​News ​That ​Matters N ​ ationwide

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HISTORY JUBILEE

Avon Historical Society Celebrates 50th Birthday

By Nora O. Howard Special to Today Magazine

Nora Oakes Howard is Avon’s town historian —————————————————– THE AVON Historical Society was incorporated on January 2, 1974.

Eighteen years later, in 1992, the board of trustees was at a crossroads, raising questions such as: “Should we give our historical society assets back to the town? Is there enough public interest to keep going?”

The answer from the public, of course, was: “Yes, keep going.”

For 50 years, we have trusted the Avon Historical Society to preserve our town’s rich history. It fulfills its mission to identify, collect, preserve, utilize, publish, display and promote the history and heritage of Avon.

Achieving this mission has depended on the talents of hundreds of volunteers and professionals.

This article celebrates how some of these individuals have contributed to the success of this beloved organization.

George Leger — the first of 16 historical society presidents — led the society through the 1976 bicentennial festivities and the 99-year lease of the 1865 Pine Grove Schoolhouse from the town of Avon. The Pine Grove District

COVER STORY HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Mary Harrop and Sharon Genovese spearheaded fun and fundraisers: fruit sales, antique shows, vintage clothing sales, the cow chip raffle, the pasta festa during Avon’s 175th birthday, and today’s TableScapes event at the North House. Stephanie Pratt ran miniature shows.

Marge Wills sewed a flag-themed quilt for a fundraising raffle. Kathleen MacDonald made the Avon history quilt still on display in the town selectman’s chambers.

Schoolhouse No. 3 was leased by the society from the town, moved from Country Club Road in West Avon to 8 East Main Street (Route 44) and opened as the Living Museum in 1982.

Gladys August was a moving force in this effort. Many artifacts on view were loaned by Gladys and her husband Robert. Their family recently donated these precious items for permanent placement in the society’s collection.

“Avon, Connecticut: An Historical Story” — written in 1988 by MaryFrances L. MacKie and a legion of local researchers — continues to be the go-to book on Avon’s history.

Marvelous artifacts are at the Avon Historical Society headquarters 4

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The Marian Hunter History Room at the Avon Free Public Library was dedicated in 1989. It was the bold vision of library director Virginia Vocelli and a joint project with the historical society. Today, Tina Panik — the library’s reference and adult services manager — and her mother Heddy Panik process and maintain the collections of the history room with professionalism and dedication, under the guidance of library director Glenn Grube. In addition to volunteering at the library, Heddy is on the society’s board of trustees.

In 1996 society board member Bill Stokesbury oversaw the 30-year lease of the Derrin House to the society.

In 2011 the Governor’s Horse Guard barn was added to that lease. A few

Courtesy Photo​s Avon Historical Society

years later, Yankee Magazine honored Sally Garvin and Olive Russell and Anthony O’Neill for their history work.

Len Tolisano was among the board members recognized by the town of Avon for work on the Derrin House and service to the community. Leslie Mancini worked on gardens at the Derrin House and Living Museum.

Tracy Atkinson — a former executive director of the Wadsworth Atheneum — created a database of the society’s 600-plus artifact collection.

Liz Neff photographed Connecticut barns for a project sponsored by the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, now known as Preservation Connecticut.

Janet Conner worked on

special projects, especially in the public schools. Norm Sondheimer supervised the historical banner project on poles along Route 10 and pop-up banners around Avon.

Ethan Guo is directing the newly launched Avon Talks podcast program.

Marvelous artifacts are at the Avon Historical Society headquarters and in the Marian Hunter History Room.

These include a 1794 restored Avon wedding dress from the Wilcox family, diaries, 18th century letters, late 1800s and early 1900s glass-plate negatives of Avon scenes, Clinton Hadsell’s restored violin (circa 1890) and ephemera from the Anthony O’Neill and Carl Candels families.

Among the society’s many services to the public are the annual William

Former students of the 1865 Pine Grove Schoolhouse, and later the nursery school, celebrate the building’s 150th birthday in 2015 —​Jeanette St. Peter is holding ribbon-cutting​scissors — a lifetime Avon resident, she attended the one​-room ​schoolhouse from 1933-1941​— Jeanette graduated from Farmington High School as valedictorian an​d from Hartford Hospital School of Nursing with honors​— ​she died in April 2023​at 95 years old​ ON THE COVER Reenactors Howard Wright as Abraham Lincoln and Michael Crutcher as Frederick Douglass​​​at a Race in America event​at Avon Congregational Church​

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​ he Brian D. Jones T Paleo-Indian Site​was discovered in 2019 in Avon ——————————————————— Dating to about 10,000 B.C. — before the Egyptian pyramids were built — it is the oldest known human-occupation site 6 JUNE 2024 – www.TodayPublishing.net – TODAY MAGAZINE in southern New England

Yandow Scholarship, through Avon’s Dollars for Scholars, awarded to a student planning to study history in college.

With great excitement, for the past four years, the society has sponsored the Unearthing History online Zoom lecture series, shedding light on the 2019 discovery along the Farmington River of thousands of Paleo-Indian artifacts.

The site is now known as the Brian D. Jones Paleo-Indian Site. Artifacts found buried there were radiocarbondated to 12,500 years ago, making the site the oldest known humanoccupation site in southern New England.

The thousands of artifacts and discoveries include strawberry seeds, a bead, a hearth, spear points and mastodon blood on a stone. We are indebted to many entities for preserving and studying this site, including Rotha Contracting, the Federal Highway Administration, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the CT Historic Preservation Office, the town of Avon,

Avon Historical Society PRESIDENTS ————————————— George J. Leger — 1974-77 James E. Hagen — 1977-78 Penny Woodford — 1978-80 Lee Cizek — 1980-83 Mary Harrop — 1983-84 Lana Tickner — 1984-85 Dorothy Ann Goodyear — 1985-86 Pat Rankin — 1986-1987 Gordon Clark Ramsey — 1988-93 Mary Harrop — 1993-94 Les Brown — 1994-96 Peg Carnduff — 1996-2000 Bill Stokesbury — 2000-04 Ruth Woodford — 2004-06 Ed Borkoski — 2006-08 Terri Wilson — 2008-present the Mashantucket (Western) Pequot Tribal Nation, the Mohegan Tribe, the Office of State Archaeology, and Storrs-based Archaeological and Historical Services.

The Unearthing History series is jointly sponsored by the historical

society, the Avon Library and the Avon Senior Center.

The society is a member of Preservation Connecticut, the Farmington Valley CT Heritage Network and the Avon-Canton Chamber of Commerce.

And here this must conclude, having left out so much. The society’s website has a summary of milestones of the past 50 years.

The new Avon History Museum is coming soon — the soft opening is anticipated in late 2024, and the official grand opening is slated for the summer of 2025. The museum will be located in Schoolhouse No. 3 at 8 East Main Street (Route 44) — look for an upcoming feature story in Today Magazine.

Is there enough public interest to keep the Avon Historical Society going?

That old 1992 question faintly lingers.

Are you interested in Avon’s history? Are you a member of the Avon Historical Society yet? Membership is open to all. Might you attend a program or tune in for a Zoom presentation? Volunteer to be a greeter

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at Pine Grove Schoolhouse or the Avon History Museum? Help set up for an event or a social? Create a tabletop at TableScapes? The opportunities — and fun — are endless. + www.avonhistoricalsociety.org

​This 200-year-old schoolhouse​ is being transformed into the new​Avon History Museum​

Avon Historical Society • P.O. Box 448 • Avon CT 06001 • 860-678-7621 • email – info@avonhistoricalsociety.org • Facebook – @avonhistoricalsociety Nora Howard began her tenure as Avon’s appointed and volunteer town historian in 2005 — she is also the historian of the Avon Congregational Church She was the executive director of the Avon Historical Society from 2000 to 2005 — she first volunteered in 1974 by conducting oral history interviews Howard has written three books — a photographic history titled “Avon” and “Catch’d on Fire: the Journals of Rufus Hawley” and (with co-authors Jeannie Parker and Marjorie Bender) “A Tale of Two Meetinghouses & Their Communities: 1746-2019”

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50 YEARS of PARTNERSHIPS BOOK TALKS • DISPLAYS EVENTS • PROJECTS • WEBINARS

The society​featured this booth at Celebrate Avon 2017

Avon-Canton Chamber of Commerce — formerly Avon Chamber of Commerce Avon Congregational Church Avon Free Public Library Avon Junior Women’s Club Avon Lions Club Avon Old Farms School Avon Police Department Avon Public Schools Avon Public Works Department Avon Senior Center Avon Volunteer Fire Department Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of Avon Farmington Valley Islamic Center First Company Governor’s Horse Guard Garden Club of Avon

50 YEARS of AWARDS • GRANTS • SUPPORT ———————————————————————————————— Americana Corner — Preserving America grant American Eagle Financial Credit Union Avon-Canton Rotary Club Avon Education Foundation

Prince Thomas of Savoy: Italian Club

CT Water

West Avon Congregational Church

Cyr Construction Daughters of American Revolution: Abigail Phelps Chapter, Simsbury Farmington Savings Bank Foundation Farmington River Watershed Association

Avon Free Public Library

Farmington Valley American Muslim Center

Avon Junior Women’s Club

Farmington Valley Quilt Guild

Avon Land Trust

Garden Club of Avon

Avon Lions Club

Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

Avon Old Farms School: community service

Institute for American Indian Studies: Washington, CT

Avon Police Department

M&T Bank Charitable Foundation

Avon Public Schools Avon Public Works Department

National Park Service: Save America’s Treasures grant

Avon Senior Center

The North House

Avon — Town

Northwest Community Bank Foundation

Big Y

Patch news: Avon

Boy Scouts, Eagle Scouts and Girl Scouts of Avon

SNET Community Connections Program

CT Historical Commission

Today Magazine + Today Publishing

CT Historic Preservation Office

TurleyCT Publications: Valley Life + Valley Press

CT Humanities CT League of History Organizations: aka CT League of Museums

West Avon Congregational Church

CT Trust for Historic Preservation: now Preservation Connecticut

Yankee Magazine: Community Connections Program

William Yandow Estate

​The BodyTalk​clothing boutique​of Avon designed this table for the 2024 TableScapes​event at the North House​

Town historian Nora Howard and Avon Historical Society president Terri Wilson won an SPJ award for a Today Magazine story about Avon’s town center — CLICK HERE 9 TODAY MAGAZINE – www.TodayPublishing.net – JUNE 2024

ABOVE — The Avon Historical Society​’s Cow Chip Raffle fundraiser​in 2011​ ​RIGHT — The historical society’s booth at Avon Day 2012​— at left is longtime society board member Mary Harrop — she served two stints as president in 1983-84 and 1993-94

The Avon Historical Society … was started by a group of folks in 1974 in preparation for the country’s Bicentennial We offer complete cremation services at

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Avon Historical Society Observes 50th Birthday

————————————————————— Avon Historical Society president Terri Wilson has answered this Q&A — a Simsbury High graduate and longtime Avon resident, she began her tenure as president in 2008 ——————————————–———–––—— Year Established — 1974 Mission — To identify, collect, preserve, utilize, publish, display and promote the history and heritage of Avon • About Us — We work to deliver transparent, fair and inclusive processes and experiences, free from discrimination of any form. We seek to build a culture of inclusion within our members, volunteers, visitor experiences, organization events and our community.

HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS AVON HISTORICAL SOCIETY ———————————————————— P.O. Box 448 – Avon CT 06001 860-678-7621 – leave message info@avonhistoricalsociety.org www.avonhistoricalsociety.org Facebook – @avonhistoricalsociety

NOTEWORTHY NONPROFITS Most well-known aspect of your town’s history?

That Avon was part of the town of Farmington before establishing itself in 1830 as its own entity.

Worst chapter in your town’s history?

Least-known aspect of your town’s history?

Three tragic episodes in Avon’s history stand out:

The least-known aspect is that there is a very rich history in Avon going back almost 400 years and more with the indigenous population who lived here for thousands of years.

• Almost 10% of the male population of Avon (93 men) joined the Union army when the Civil War began in 1861, some not surviving the ordeal.

• The 1905 explosion at the Climax Fuse

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ANCIENT TOOLS — Artifacts discovered at the BDJ Paleo-Indian Site include — upper left: spear point pre-forms — upper right: side scrapers— lower left: end scrapers — lower right: spear point fragments factory — 13 died, scores were injured.

• The 2005 accident at the bottom of Avon Mountain on Route 44 — the chain reaction of a dump truck running into a bus and cars resulted in five deaths and many injuries.

While there have been other tragic incidents, these stand out for most of the historical society board members who were interviewed for this survey.

Best chapter in your town’s history?

There are many, but the 2019 discovery of the Brian D. Jones Paleo-Indian Site along the Farmington River in Avon is the most outstanding in recent years. This is the oldest known human occupation site in southern New England — dated to 12,500 years ago or about 10,000 BC. Humans worked their tools along the river in what is now Avon for over 6000 years. We are very proud to have this site recognized on the State Register of Historic Places.

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——————————————————–—————— Editor’s Note — Informative webinars about this internationally significant archaeological dig are available on-demand in the Today Online Calendar • CLICK HERE — for the Today Calendar and search for Unearthing History to find five webinars each year from 2021, 2022 and 2023 — three webinars in the 2024 Unearthing History series are also available on-demand — two more are scheduled for September and October

Farmington Canal was built, and in 1830 permission was granted to incorporate as the town of Avon. By 1950 the population passed 5,000 and a new charter was created. The modern era saw rapid growth and development.

Today Avon’s population is almost 20,000 with 14,454 acres and 6,970 households. Its history is rich with a proud multicultural heritage — learn more: www.avonhistoricalsociety.org Most fulfilling aspect of your work?

Your town’s history in 100 words or less:

Bringing history to light through research, preservation and collaboration with everyone in the Farmington Valley.

Nod • Northington • Avon — When Farmington CT was established in 1645, Stephen Hart traveled north to the “land att Nod.” Nod welcomed new residents until 1750, when it broke off from Farmington to become “Northington.” By 1828 the

Time and talent come to mind. There is so much to learn and share, but volunteers have busy lives — there is only so much the Avon Historical Society can accomplish. This is

———————————————–——————

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Your main obstacle, and how you overcome it?

why we don’t see obstacles, we see opportunities. We overcome obstacles with marketing and visibility throughout the community.

Most rewarding accomplishment?

Retaining our local history through research, writing, conservation, preservation and continual public events that educate about Avon’s rich history and heritage.

Goals for the next 1-5 years: • Open the Avon History Museum in 2024.

• Upgrade all of our properties to be visitor-worthy sites.

• Continue to collaborate with other groups in Avon with shared missions.

• Increase membership and donations to continue our mission for the next 50 years.

• Assist the town of Avon with commemorations of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 and Avon’s Bicentennial in 2030.

Volunteers — There are approximately 30 volunteers doing something every day, or just a few times a year, for the Avon Historical Society.

All of them have talent and time to share and it’s very much appreciated.

Anecdote that shows how you accomplish your mission:

When someone calls or emails asking for help with research, has a complaint, or simply needs to know something about Avon, we are happy to respond and be of assistance.

Interesting stats + numbers:

GRANBY TODAY We have 300-500 visitors annually among our 1865 Pine Grove Schoolhouse (open Sundays in the summer), exhibits in the library (yearround) and well over 800 viewers of our Unearthing History webinar series.

We are pleased that so many are taking so much time to learn about the history of Avon, CT. Besides donations, how is your work funded?

The Avon Historical Society actively writes grants to private and public foundations and companies that have a community-based mission.

How closely do you work with other agencies/nonprofits?

Avon Land Trust, Farmington River Watershed Association, Garden Club of Avon and Institute for American Indian Studies (Washington, CT) — and we are members of the Avon-Canton Chamber of Commerce. We are always open to working with other nonprofits with shared missions.

What do you appreciate most about the Farmington Valley?

The collaborative spirit among nonprofit organizations in the Valley is valuable because, being a small state, we are able to work together on similar issues and concerns. It makes sense to be part of something bigger because more can be accomplished. We do that well in this Valley.

What constructive change would you like to see in the Valley?

The towns in the Valley desperately need a welcome wagon-type organization of volunteers who meet with new residents to share with them the wonderful opportunities, clubs, organizations and activities that take place in each town.

This kind of personal marketing to new residents, in person, is vital for a strong community — what a way to find new volunteers, make new friends, share the richness of each town’s clubs and organizations, provide info on

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The Avon Historical Society partners on various projects with the town of Avon, Avon schools, Avon Free Public Library, Avon Senior Center,

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​ EFT — ​The barn of the First Company L Governor’s Horse Guard​underwent a renovation i​n 2014​

members of the board of trustees, also elected annually.

ABOVE —​In 2016​a fire damaged the Derrin House​​on West Avon Road​— the ​land ​the ​ house sits on was once occupied by Native Americans, ​based on artifacts discovered during a​state archeologist dig in 199​5

The Avon Historical Society is 50 years old this year. It was started by a group of folks in 1974 in preparation for the country’s Bicentennial. The 250th anniversary (Semiquincentennial) of the Declaration of Independence is in 2026. Is our country any better now than it was in 1976?

town services … all with a simple visit in person at someone’s new residence — imagine that.

Number of employees — O Editor’s Note — The Avon Historical Society is run entirely by volunteers Board members + officers: There are four officers elected annually — president, vice president, secretary and treasurer — and there are seven

Further comment:

Back then we were coming out of the Vietnam War, women’s liberation and civil rights were hot issues, challenging the status quo was the norm — has much changed? Are the grievances against Britain in 1776 any different than the world we live in today?

These are questions that all Americans should be considering and acting upon

if our democracy is to continue the way our founding fathers envisioned for this country.

Historical societies are local, mostly volunteer organizations that have a mission to make sure history stays relevant for the present.

This can only be achieved if citizens care to learn about the past to make the future a better place. The Avon Historical Society invites residents to join and take part in ensuring the story of the people and places of this region is told accurately. + A cover story in Today Magazine explores an internationally significant archaeological​dig in Avon that is now known as the Brian D. Jones Paleo-Indian Site​— CLICK HERE

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TODAY MAGAZINE – www.TodayPublishing.net – JUNE 2024

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ADVERTISER Hall of Fame – TODAY Magazine • These advertising sponsors have seen the value of investing in Today Magazine’s award-winning journalism as we cover the heart of the Farmington Valley and aim to record the Valley’s underreported upside • • If you have paid for a recurring advertisement with Today Magazine but don’t see your business or organization listed, send an email so you can be added to our Advertiser Hall of Fame — advertise@TodayPublishing.net • Anthology Senior Living — 860-546-8037 — Simsbury www.anthologyseniorliving.com > Location ——————————————————————————————— Avon Health Center — 860-673-2521 — Avon www.avonhealthcenter.com ——————————————————————————————— Avon Historical Society — 860-678-7621 — Avon www.avonhistoricalsociety.org ——————————————————————————————— A Teen Edge — 860-593-2822 www.ateenedge.com ——————————————————————————————— Board and Brush — 860-392-8567 — Simsbury www.boardandbrush.com/simsbury ——————————————————————————————— Canton Barn LLC — 860-693-0601 — Canton www.cantonbarn.com ——————————————————————————————— Canton Food Bank — 860-693-5811 — Canton www.townofcantonct.org ——————————————————————————————— Carmon Funeral Homes — 860-673-8610 www.carmonfuneralhome.com ——————————————————————————————— Carol Cole Real Estate — 860-212-0687 — Canton www.carolcolerealestate.com ——————————————————————————————— Cherry Brook Health Care Center — 860-693-7777 — Canton www.cherrybrookhcc.com ——————————————————————————————— Christensen Insurance — 860-651-8236 — Simsbury www.insuranceagentswhocare.com ——————————————————————————————— Christopher Bryant Co. — 860-243-3500 — Bloomfield www.thechristopherbryantcompany.com ——————————————————————————————— Collinsville Bank — 860-693-6935 — Canton www.collinsvillebank.com ——————————————————————————————— Connecticut Dance Academy — 860-707-4198 — Canton www.ctdanceacademy.com ——————————————————————————————— Connecticut Headshots — 860-263-9277 — Avon www.connecticutheadshots.com ——————————————————————————————— Dynamic Auto Works — 860-693-6359 — Canton www.facebook.com/DynamicAutoCanton ——————————————————————————————— Erica Maglieri: Realtor — 860-324-6842 bhhsneproperties.com/real-estate-agent/757/erica-maglieri ——————————————————————————————— Floors Reincarnated — 860-651-1900 — Simsbury Facebook > Floors Reincarnated 22

JUNE 2024 – www.TodayPublishing.net – TODAY MAGAZINE

——————————————————————————————— Fresh Start Pallet Products — 860-266-5726 — Hartford www.freshstartpalletproducts.org ——————————————————————————————— Granby-Simsbury Chamber of Commerce — 860-651-7307 www.simsburycoc.org ——————————————————————————————— Green Door Restaurant — 860-693-9762 — Canton www.41bridgestreet.com ——————————————————————————————— Habitat for Humanity — 860-541-2208 — Hartford www.hfhncc.org ——————————————————————————————— Harris Home Improvement — 860-817-7191 — Granby www.harrishomeimprovement.net ——————————————————————————————— Hartford Symphony Orchestra — 860-246-8742 — Hartford www.hartfordsymphony.org ——————————————————————————————— HealthMarkets Insurance — 860-307-1128 — Torrington www.healthmarkets.com — Mel Brickman ——————————————————————————————— Hulme & Sweeney Pianos — 860-408-4895 — Simsbury www.hulmesweeneypianoservice.com ——————————————————————————————— Karedigs.com — 860-379-4340 — Barkhamsted www.karedigs.com ——————————————————————————————— Kerian Home Health Care — 860-851-6267 — Simsbury www.keriancares.com ——————————————————————————————— Kevin Witkos: State Senator ——————————————————————————————— Landscape Solutions — 860-329-2014 — New Hartford www.landscapesolutionsct.com ——————————————————————————————— Leslee Hill for State Representative ——————————————————————————————— Lifetime Family Dentistry — 860-605-2075 — Collinsville www.lifetimefamilydentistryct.com ——————————————————————————————— Linda Kessler: Realtor — 860-836-6172 — Avon www.coldwellbankerhomes.com > Agents ——————————————————————————————— Liza Sivek Marketing — 203-278-5492 www.lizasivekmarketing.com ——————————————————————————————— Maglieri Construction — 860-242-0298 — Bloomfield www.maglieri-construction.com ——————————————————————————————— Magna Physical Therapy — 860-679-0430 — Avon www.magnapt.com ———————————————————————————————

Maher’s Paint & Wallpaper — 860-678-1200 — Avon + Simsbury www.maherspaintandwallpaper.com ——————————————————————————————— Make It GF — 860-693-1300 — Canton www.makeitgf.com ——————————————————————————————— Mandel Vilar Press — 806-790-4731 — Simsbury www.mvpublishers.org ——————————————————————————————— Massage Envy — 860-693-8000 — Canton www.massageenvy.com > Locations ——————————————————————————————— The Master’s School — 860-651-9361 — West Simsbury www.masterschool.org ——————————————————————————————— McLean — 860-658-3786 — Simsbury www.mcleancare.org ——————————————————————————————— Nails of Envy — formerly Canton + Avon ——————————————————————————————— Northwest Community Bank — 860-379-7561 www.nwcommunitybank.com ——————————————————————————————— Odalys Bekanich: Realtor — 860-965-3652 — Avon www.coldwellbankerhomes.com > Agents ——————————————————————————————— Peggy’s Personalized Promos — 860-379-7775 New Hartford — www.peggys.biz ——————————————————————————————— Planning Partners LLC — 860-693-9916 — Canton www.planningpartner.com ——————————————————————————————— Raimie Weber Jewelry — 860-409-3400 — Avon www.rweberjewelry.com ——————————————————————————————— Randy Brolo: Book Author www.lulu.com > Spirit of Delilah ——————————————————————————————— Ravenswood Natural Health — 860-264-1587 — Simsbury www.ravenswoodnaturalhealth.com ——————————————————————————————— Red Bison General Contractor — 860-810-8581 — Hartford

——————————————————————————————— UConn Health — 860-658-8750 www.health.uconn.edu ——————————————————————————————— Up Top Barbershop — 860-658-4499 — Simsbury www.booksy.com > Up Top Barbershop ——————————————————————————————— Vincent Funeral Homes — 860-693-0251 www.vincentfuneralhome.com ——————————————————————————————— Vincent Tully: Realtor — 860-214-3030 www.coldwellbankerhomes.com > Agent ——————————————————————————————— Welden Hardware — 860-658-4078 — Simsbury www.weldenhardware.com ——————————————————————————————— William Raveis — 860-693-2987 — Avon www.raveis.com/agentfind.asp?smart=1 ——————————————————————————————— The Village for Families & Children — 860-236-4511 — Hartford www.thevillage.org/second-chance-shops ——————————————————————————————— virtualens Designs — 860-348-6902 — Simsbury www.virtualens.art ———————————————————————————————

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——————————————————————————————— Richman Business Brokerage — 860-408-9177 — Simsbury www.richmanbusiness.com — formerly The Deal Team ——————————————————————————————— Stone Man Masonry — 860-693-4637 — Canton www.facebook.com/StoneManMasonryCT ——————————————————————————————— Suburban Sanitation Service — 860-673-3078 — Canton www.subsanserv.com ——————————————————————————————— Tom Kutz Photography — 860-693-6254 — Canton www.tomkutzphoto.com ——————————————————————————————— Trading Post — 860-693-4679 — Canton www.tradingpostmusic.com ——————————————————————————————— Transition Fitness Center — 860-398-1449 — Canton www.transition-fitness-center.business.site TODAY MAGAZINE – www.TodayPublishing.net – JUNE 2024

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