Granby Drummer | October 2022

Drummer

Slow Down, You Move Too Fast

Life is a Highway claims the once top hit by Rascal Flatts. But Granby roads are not highways. Whether you live on a “cut through” street or a cul-de-sac, speeding probably affects you. In most cases of residential street speeding, it’s our neighbors who are the worst offend ers. Speed on town roads is a concern that we all have.

About town

with EricA robErtson Town Manager

Recently, we have received an increased number of calls re garding speeding throughout town.

The police chief and I want to remind ev eryone that speed limits are carefully designated and are ap propriate for the specific road and we ask that you follow the speed as designated. What can Granby do to enforce speed limits? The Granby Police Department (GPD) has the primary responsibility of enforcement. Traffic control and en

forcement is conducted during routine patrol, during selective enforcement as signments and in response to complaints and concerns from citizens. When the police department receives a report of a potential speeding problem in a specific area or on a specific street, the first action is to collect data.

The GPD has two radar speed moni toring trailers. These devices not only display vehicles’ speed but also collect speed and traffic volume data that is very helpful in determining the nature and extent of any potential problem. The department also has two semi-permanent speed monitoring devices; these devices are mounted to sign posts in fixed loca tions Town wide, we are also directing officers to conduct more selective en forcement. They have done so in the last several months.

I don’t think speeding will ever not be a problem in most towns. However, Granby will continue to do what we can to mitigate it. Remember to watch your speed as you travel through our beauti ful town!

Absentee Ballots available

An important change in the wording and interpretation of the state statute has given all registered voters who are concerned about the pandemic, the option to obtain and fill out an absentee ballot application, vote absentee, and use the black Official Ballot Drop Box located in front of Town Hall for completed applications and ballots. Voters will need to get the revised absentee application form to be used specifically for Nov. 8. If you have access to a printer, the form is available online at portal.ct.gov/-/media/SOTS/ElectionServices/AB-Application/AB_Applica tion_20220912/ED-3-Rev-English-20220912.pdf

The application form is also available at Town Hall or can be mailed upon re quest. Absentee Ballots are handled through the Town Clerk’s office, and represent a complete ballot, identical to the ballots used by voters on Election Day, just on a different color paper as they are tallied separately. The Town Clerk must receive a completed original application with a wet signature, not a copy or fax. If you can come to the Town Hall, you can complete the process in person starting Oct. 7. Mail your completed ballot immediately, using both envelopes provided, signed, and dated. Any ballots received by the Town Clerk after Nov. 8 are not counted. Please note that the black ballot box is available for applications and ballots, and it is emptied every day by the Town Clerk. There is also a new security camera to ensure integrity of any votes cast in the black bin.

BOS seeks input on draft of the Strategic Plan

By First Selectman Mark Fiorentino

Over the past few months, the Board of Selectmen has worked on the draft of a strategic plan. The plan is based on pro posed goals and objectives provided by Granby’s appointed and elected boards and commissions, as well as input re ceived at several public work sessions. The draft plan is shown on page 7.

Please tell us what you think by email ing your thoughts and suggestions to: strategicplan@granby-ct.gov

All comments are welcome, but we are particularly interested in whether there are:

1. Any goals or objectives to be added?

2. Any that should be deleted?

3. Any that should be revised?

The deadline to submit comments is Nov. 1. After that, we will issue a final draft and begin to develop action plans for each goal and objective.

See Strategic Plan on p. 7

Music to his ears

Granby Assessor’s October 2022 Revaluation Update

By Susan Altieri, Assessor

Connecticut State Law requires that each municipality conduct a Revaluation of all properties every five years so that all properties can reflect current market value. Granby’s last Revaluation was completed in 2017. The Assessor’s Of

fice has been engaged in the process to complete the 2022 Revaluation over the last 18 months.

The following is a list of some proper ties that sold in the 2017 timeframe and then again in the 2022 timeframe. The last five years has been a time of increas ing property values.

Map/Blk/Lot Sale Date Sales Price Sale Date Sales Price % Change

E-41/21/162 April 2017 $392,500 July 2021 $444,000 +13% F-44/60/11 Nov 2016 $210,000 Mar 2022 $300,000 +43% A-20/1/44 Aug 2017 $357,500 Nov 2021 $435,000 +22%

G-53/78/26 Aug 2017 $528,000 Nov 2021 $625,000 +18% G-53/78/62 July 2017 $162,500 July 2021 $199,000 +22% G-41/58/177 Oct 2016 $154,000 Aug 2021 $210,000 +36% I-44/89/23 Nov 2016 $171,000 Feb 2022 $215,000 +26%

As the above sales data indicates, a change in value has occurred since the last Revaluation. The Assessor is in the final stages of reviewing and analyzing the data and has not completed the final valuations at this time. The office an ticipates mailing the new assessments in mid-November and each property owner will receive an individual notice of their new assessment.

All property owners will be given an opportunity to attend an individual informal hearing for the purpose of discussing any questions regarding the assessment process and valuation issues. The Assessor’s office will be providing additional information in the next several weeks as they near the completion of the Revaluation.

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photo by Rick Orluk

Alyssa Hall’s harp music enthralls Smoke, one of the equines at Angel Horses during the annual Open Farm Day Sept. 17. Photo by Shirley Murtha

GRANBY BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

Present: Mark Fiorentino, Frederick Moffa, Mark Neumann, Kelly Rome, Margaret Chapple, Town Manager Erica Robertson and Director of Public Works Kirk Severance.

Recognition of Sally King

First Selectman Mark Fiorentino recognized with appreciation Sally King for her many years of service to the Town of Granby, and read into the record a proclamation in her honor.

Representative Mark Anderson also recognized King with an official citation on behalf of the Connecticut General Assembly.

Public Session

Reinhard Maier (138 Day Street) inquired about the conveyance of sewer usage to the Town of Simsbury. Maier indicated that he does review work professionally and that after reviewing information on the water treatment plant in the Town of Simsbury he noted that the Town of Simsbury owns 60 percent, the Town of Avon owns 30 percent, and the Town of Granby owns 10 percent. However, Maier was concerned that he was not able to find an equity contract, that the plant was beginning to reach capacity and that a moratorium should be put into place until the Town Attorney and the Town Engineer have a chance to review the sewer capacity.

Robert Flanigan, Jr. (24 Woodcliff Drive) expressed concern of the sewer usage capacity. He also inquired about what he believed was

hazardous waste material on the side of Route 202/10, which is being covered with a tarp and he was concerned that the hazardous material wasn’t being secured properly.

Maureen Eberly (37 Silkey Road) spoke of concern about the goals and objectives of the strategic plan and asked clarifying questions about what the next steps would be.

Glenn Ballard (289 Granville Road) spoke about the affordable housing plan and the strategic plan and expressed concern over the current format of the strategic plan; he would like to see the information presented in a different format as he felt that the average Granby resident was not going to be able to read and connect the dots with the current format.

Ballard asked what was going on with the plan of the Conservation Commission and noted that they were overdue for an update. Ballard felt that the Town Manager and staff members should not be writing the strategic plan and that it was premature to hand this project off.

John Morrone (15 Maple Hill Drive) expressed concern that the $100,00 being spent on the commercial kitchen for people in need was too much. Morrone inquired if quotes had been collected. Morrone indicated that members of the Board of Selectmen are either being played or paid for these deals and that they are not doing a good job representing the people of Granby.

Robert James Flanigan, III (24 Woodcliff Drive) indicated that due to his career traveling

around the state speaking with numerous First Selectmen, from what he can see the Granby Board of Selectmen are just a bunch of “yes men” for the State of Connecticut. Flanigan further indicated that members of the Board of Selectmen didn’t really care and that they needed to step up and have some backbone to impose a moratorium or tell the State “No”. Flanigan noted that he did not want to see the Town of Granby become another town like Farmington and said that our town manager could not go to a single meeting without saying “Farmington.” IBAC recommendations for the use of ARPA Funds

Robertson explained that the Intra-Board Advisory Committee (IBAC) recommendations for the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds is the third of several action items to move funded projects forward. She noted that the board approved two technology projects in June that include the CAD/RMS system for the Police Department and the online permitting system for the Community Development Department. Robertson reminded members that in August they approved the HVAC projects at GMHS and Wells Road School. With those projects funded, Robertson is requesting advancing part of the town technology infrastructure and equipment upgrades (#2), part of the Communications Updates projects (#8), support to the Farmington Valley Health District (#9), and the AXON Fleet Cruiser cameras for the Police Department (#10). The board voted (5-0-0) to approve, for a total allocation of $330,775.

Budget Amendment for the Absentee Ballot Support Grant

Town Clerk Scott Nolan informed members that the Town of Granby would receive grant money from the Connecticut Secretary of State to support the November election. Nolan noted that the grant monies received will be used to support the absentee ballot process at the discretion of the Town Clerk and the Registrar of Voters and will be used to help aid in what is expected to be a large request for absentee ballots. He noted that the grant money was allocated in accordance with absentee ballot data collected in 2018 and in 2020. The Town of Granby received $4,297 of federal grant money to assist with absentee ballots.

Strategic Plan Review

Fiorentino reminded members of the Strategic Plan process and that the goals and objectives are still in the planning stage. Members of the boards and commissions, and the public will have another opportunity to weigh in on the strategic plan. He asked members of the public to submit feedback via the Town Website and explained that, before focusing on action steps, the draft needs to be finished. At this time, it was important to send a written copy of the proposed strategic plan to the boards and commissions to review and he suggested that the boards and commissions and members of the public have 30 days to review the current proposal.

Robertson went over the draft of the Strategic Plan Review. Fiorentino proposed a few slight changes to the outline and asked that corrections be made that include:

Under Enhanced opportunities to allow Granby to be a safe and livable community to all—changing “vision statement” to “mission statements”.

Delete the third bullet point, “Enhance collaboration between various evaluating services”.

Moffa noted that he would like to see the word “customers” changed to “citizens” throughout the strategic plan.

Town Managers Report

Robertson reported that the police department has been busy this summer working with the Board of Education on security and access control to prepare for the new school year. She further reported that the Granby Police Department has had two positive officer-involved incidents in town including the North Central Municipal Emergency Services Team (NCMEST) assisting with a domestic assault situation along with the successful use of naloxone to revive an overdosing motorist involved in an accident.

Robertson reported that the Granby Social Services Elderly and Disabled Renter’s Rebate closes at the end of September and currently the town expects to assist the same number of residents as last year. She also noted that the Granby Private Fuel Bank has a healthy balance and that she is confident the town will be able to ensure no one is cold.

Robertson reported the Public Works Department will be busy with many construction projects until the asphalt plants close for the season and town funding is expended. She noted that Loomis Street in its entirety and 2,300 feet of Quarry Road and three-quarters of Kelly Lane were overlayed in August.

Robertson reported that the Moosehorn Bridge replacement has changed from a oneyear to a two-year project and the inspection and construction contracts have been chosen. Wetlands permitting is underway on Donahue Road and will be going out for design later this year with replacement scheduled for 2023. The Simsbury Road Bridge is still on the schedule for replacement in 2024.

Robertson said that Donna Moody has retired from the position of Payroll Coordinator after 27 years with the town. Robertson thanked Moody for her many years of service and wished her well in retirement. Robertson said that Susan Magoon-Klein recently started in the Finance Department and has now taken on the payroll function.

First Selectman Report

Fiorentino reported that the board received a letter from the American Legion indicating that the Sgt. Ricky Emmons Memorial Bench was moved as it was getting too close to the ongoing construction on the Town Green.

Respectfully submitted, Scott Nolan, Town Clerk

BOS approves more items on ARPA funds list

By Shirley Murtha

Progress continues to be made in as signing projects to be funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). As reported previously, two technology proj ects—CAD/RMS system for the Police Department and an online permitting system for the Community Develop ment Department—were approved by the Board of Selectmen in June. HVAC projects at the high school and Wells Road School were approved in August. At its Sept. 6 meeting, the BOS approved four additional projects.

The first set of projects involves the core networking infrastructure of the Town’s technology platform, equipment that is more than a decade old and was purchased mostly used. The equipment is out of warranty and replacement parts are very difficult to obtain. Also, upgrades to the phone system and Wi-Fi cannot be completed without these upgrades.

Approved for purchase are switches and routers for the Parks and Recreation Of fice, Public Works garage, Senior Center, Library, Police Department and Town Hall; two new firewalls for the Town Hall and the Police Department; and an overhaul of the Wi-Fi network. The cost of these upgrades is $200,000.

The second project involves refreshing and updating the town webpage (granbyct.gov). The current website vendor, CivicPlus, will upgrade the design of the page and make improvements in its

usability and accessibility, making it user friendly for residents to navigate. It will include a new tool, CivicSend, which is used to distribute non-emergency communication to residents. The cost of updating is $44,300.

The Farmington Valley Health District requested ARPA funding from its ten member towns of $444,544; Granby’s share is $44,449. These funds will be used to obtain a Community Outreach Coordinator; to enhance or replace aging IT infrastructure—computers, laptops, remote access and software; provide staff training; obtain a communication consultant to increase outreach; and to purchase a cargo van for transporting supplies and materials needed to sup port mass vaccination clinics and other outreach activities.

The fourth project that was approved is the purchase of the Axon Fleet 3 incar video system to upgrade the Police Department’s video camera system that is old and may not link up correctly with the body camera system. Axon includes two cameras for each of the depart ment’s six marked police vehicles. It includes the hardware, software, online storage, licensing, and warranty. The cost of $42,026 includes the fee for the modems purchased from AT&T and will pay a portion of the annual charges going forward.

Residents who have comments and suggestions for the new webpage can email them to webpage@granby-ct.gov

What’s Up in Town Hall

Recent Actions

1. Celebrated Sally King for her nearly 30 years of service to Granby and its citizens.

2. Prepared a draft strategic plan.

3. Authorized use of ARPA funds for several projects, including: HVAC and cooling system improvements at Granby Memorial High School and Kearns School; upgrades to police cruiser cameras; upgrades to town technology infrastructure; and improvements to the town website.

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Upcoming Topics

1. Solicitation of comments on draft strategic plan (see article in this issue for details).

2. Receive an update on the Granby Wildflower Meadow.

3. Initiation of the charter revision process.

4. Solicitation of input on town website improvements.

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Long-time Drummer editor steps down, successor is sought

Citizens for a Better Granby (CBG) is looking for a new managing editor for the Drummer. CBG President Kathy Norris has announced that Rita Isaacson will be stepping down from her duties as manag ing editor at the end of 2022.

Isaacson has managed the Drummer for the past 16 years, streamlining work processes and guiding the volunteer staff in the creation and production of the monthly publication. From a print-only newspaper, it is now available online as well.

Under Isaacson’s guidance the Drummer has garnered numerous awards in the Connecticut Press Club’s annual

competition for writing, photography and design. Most recently, in 2021, the newspaper qualified to move from that competition to the national level, achieving an honorable mention from the National Federation of Press Women.

“We are enormously grateful for Rita’s dedicated service and commitment to the Drummer and are fortunate that she plans to stay involved as an active Drummer volunteer,” stated Norris.

To learn more about the job of man aging editor, please contact Norris at kk.norris@yahoo.com for details includ ing a job description.

Managing Editor

Citizens for a Better Granby, publisher of The Granby Drummer, is looking for a Managing Editor. This part-time paid position is responsible for putting together and producing each issue of the Drummer, which publishes monthly 10 times a year.

Ideal for someone with experience in publishing production who would also enjoy working collaboratively with our volunteer staff of copy editors, photo editors and others on our advertising, production and proofing staff.

For more information, email: Kathy Norris, Chair, CBG at kk.norris@yahoo.com

Drummer

Your award-winning hometown newspaper. Now in its 53rd year!

Corrections

The caption for Natalie Scanlon’s photo in the September issue errone ously stated the Granby tennis team was undefeated in the regular season. It was Natalie who was undefeated in the regular season.

The Aug. 1 Board of Selectmen Meet ing Highlights in the September issue inaccurately quoted Maureen Eberly regarding the Planning and Zoning Commission. What Eberly said was that she would like to see the Develop ment Commission have more than just advisory status.

The September issue erred with the date for the Salmon Brook Historical Society Flea Market. The correct date is Saturday, Oct. 15.

We apologize for any other omissions in the September edition due to prob lems with our email system.

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Formed in 1970, Citizens for a Better Granby is a community-based, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose goal is to inform and educate Granby residents on issues affecting the town of Granby. Its monthly newspaper, the Granby Drummer, provides an independent platform to encourage participation in the civic, social, economic and cultural life of Granby.

Contributions or gifts payable to the Granby Drummer are tax deductible, and may be mailed to the Drummer at P.O. Box 165, Granby, CT 06035. To make your contribution with a credit card, please email us at editor@granbydrummer.org

The Granby

Drumbeat

Letters to the Editor

Support for Early In-Person Voting

Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to permit the General Assembly to provide for early voting? That’s the question Connecticut voters will decide on Nov. 8. This ballot initiative addresses early in-person voting. The state’s cur rent absentee ballot rules will remain unchanged.

Currently, Connecticut is one of only four states that don’t allow any early in-person voting options (along with Ala bama, Mississippi and New Hampshire).

Early in-person voting time periods range from 3-46 days, and 23 states allow inperson votes to be cast on weekends.

Early in-person voting allows more citizens to participate in our democracy. When polls are only open for 14 hours, once every two to four years, a large number of people are excluded from tak ing part in this most important action. If you’re scheduled to work, need to travel, if you get sick, if you can’t find child or elder care, if you face transportation troubles or other logistical hurdles dur ing this 14-hour window, you lose your right to choose your representatives due to situations beyond your control.

Early in-person voting can increase voter turnout while reducing long lines during peak voting times in the morning and evenings on election day. Finally, when voting is restricted to one day, there often isn’t time for a Registrar and voter to correct a registration problem before the polls close, which denies that voter of his/her vote. Early in-person voting al lows time for any registration issues to be discovered and fixed, allowing everyone who’s entitled to a ballot to have his or her vote count.

A healthy democracy provides an elec tion system that is free, fair and accessible to all eligible citizens. Using the same safeguards as in-person voting on election day, early in-person voting requires voters to verify their identity and is conducted with the oversight of the town’s Registrar of Voters. It simply allows greater par ticipation in our democracy, and that’s something we should all support.

Laura Matheos

Support for Anderson

Today’s times require residents of Con necticut to face a myriad of personal and social issues. In a very short time in office, Mark Anderson came to our assistance

CORRECTIONS

Please tell us if you find an error in this issue of the Drummer . We’ll attempt to correct it in the following issue. Leave a mes sage at 860-653-9222 or send an email to: editor@granbydrummer.org

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Send your news articles and ideas, photos and letters to: editor@granbydrummer.org. Please include your name, phone and email address. Deadlines for the next issue are printed on the back page in this issue or visit our website: granbydrummer.com

editorials, commentary & letters to the editor

Unsigned editorials are the consensus opinion of the editorial staff and publisher. Commentary pieces express the opinion of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of the Drummer.

and introduced seven Senate Bills and 25 House Bills that would have a posi tive and direct impact on our daily lives and futures. Some of those presented in the Senate include: an act concerning the threshold for the imposition of the state income tax on farms; the cost of vehicle registration; and an act establishing a non refundable personal income tax credit for the purchase of a gun safe.

In the House some of the proposed Bills include: an act concerning the unemploy ment trust fund; a personal income tax deduction for premiums paid for longterm care and ABLE accounts; an act reducing the filing fee for annual reports filed by small businesses; an act exempt ing personal protective equipment and COVID-19 rapid tests from the sales and use taxes; an act concerning the qualify ing income thresholds for certain personal income tax deductions for married indi vidual filing jointly; an act concerning emergency intervention by a police of ficer when a person is incapacitated by a drug or due to a medical emergency; the inclusion of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders studies in public school curricu lum; and an act concerning the transfer of assault weapons and large capacity magazines.

His efforts in the legislature touch our daily lives by voting for laws that ensure a positive impact on our quality of life.

Mark Anderson exemplifies a highly qualified legislator who listens to his con stituents from the towns he serves as well as his fellow legislators by voting in support of several pieces of legislation that directly concern Granby residents: an act requiring a study of the obstacles to merging or consolidating municipal fire districts and fire departments; an act mitigating adverse tax consequences re sulting from employees working remotely during COVID-19 and concerning the removal of liens on the property of public assistance beneficiaries and three-tiered grants in lieu of taxes; immunization requirements; quality of life for residents in Assisted Living facilities; creating an act concerning a workforce development pipeline for persons with disabilities; the creation of a task force to consider student loan indebtedness; and an act concerning social equity and the health, safety, and education of children are but a few. His list of accomplishments is long!

Today, more than ever we need a representative who already knows the legislative process, possesses the intelli gence to draw upon his life-long personal

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and professional experiences, and who realizes the importance of providing timely responses to residents’ questions and concerns. At this juncture in my life, time is of the essence! Mark Anderson for Representative of the 62 District has earned my vote.

Maureen Eberly

I am writing to express my support for Mark Anderson. One of the most valuable traits that Mark possesses is his ability to ALWAYS respond to his constituents. I have contacted Mark several times, initially by email, and he has always responded within 24 hours. He even encouraged me to call him and gave me his phone number so that we could have a more in-depth conversation. Since then, we have had quite a few conversations! He asks great questions, actively listens, and wants to learn more about YOUR per sonal situation. He also offers to get back to you with solutions and ideas and guess what… he actually will get back to you!

Mark is down to earth and approachable. He cares about our community and the people in it. I have run into him through out Granby at local BOE meetings and most recently, at Open Farm Day. Please join me in voting for Mark Anderson.

Heather Guglielmone

Support for Anderson cont’d

We are writing to voice our support for

Letters cont’d. on p. 5

Town of Granby Meeting Calendar

Check Town of Granby website or call Town Manager’s office to verify date, time, location, and get information on how to participate on Zoom, if needed.

Board of Selectmen, 7 p.m., Town Hall, Mondays, October 3 and 17

Board of Finance, 7:30 p.m., Police Dept. Community Room, Monday, October 24

Board of Education, 7 p.m., Town Hall, Wednesdays, October 5 and 19

Planning & Zoning, 7 p.m., Town Hall, Tuesdays, October 11 and 25

Inland Wetlands and Water, 7 p.m., Town Hall, Wednesday, October 12

Development Commission, 7 p.m., Town Hall, none scheduled

GRANBY FOOD BANK

We currently need

Pancake mix/syrup

Coffee/tea Jello, pudding mixes

Cake mixes/frostings

Canned chicken Chunky soups

Laundry detergent

Dishwashing liquid Dry cat food bags

The Granby Drummer

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CBG Board

Kathy Norris, President David Tolli, Vice President Roger Hayes, Treasurer Becky Mikus, Secretary Jennifer Bell, Flo Bischoff, Carol Bressor, Karen Cleary, Sam Mikus, Lew Noble Staff

Rita Isaacson, Managing Editor

Chris Levandowski, Copy Editor Amanda Lindberg, Special Pages Andrea Leshinskie, Photo Editor Dave Tolli, Photo Editor Kathy Agresta, Carol Bressor, Carolyn Carter, Karen Cleary, Nancy Dudenhofer, Patricia Kovaleski, Eileen Longhi, Lew Noble, Donna Schedinger, Faith Tyldsley reporterS & ContriButorS

Jennifer Benson, AnneMarie Cox, Rob Flanigan, Mark Fiorentino, Bernadette Gentry, Mike Guarco, Jay Harder, Jim Lofink, Amy McCue, Shirley Murtha Kristin Rice, Lisa Salazar, Pam Sherrer, Karen Stanhope, Brooke Star, Faith Tyldsley, Kristine Vincent, John Violette, Laura Wolfe, Merle Yoder, Sandy Yost advertiSinG team

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LETTERS

POLICY

Donations can be dropped off at the VNA office on Salmon Brook Street

The Drummer welcomes letters. Letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the CBG Board and the Drummer. The length of letters will be held to 500 words and less. To be published, letters must be signed and include an address and phone number. This information will not be given to anyone other than the necessary editorial staff. Letters from readers who do not reside in Granby will have the town of residence noted with the letter. The Drummer reserves the right to edit and shorten letters, and to run them in any electronic form. Letters become the property of the Drummer. Email your letters to: editor@granbydrummer.org

the re-election of Mark Anderson for State Representative in the 62nd House District. Two years ago, we endorsed his candidacy for State Representative and Mark has more than lived up to our expectations.

Mark has years of experience work ing in a large organization—the U.S. Army—with many of the same challenges that one finds in government service. In addition, Mark brings compassion and conservative values as he exercises his legislative responsibilities and interacts with his constituents.

Whether delivering the Memorial Day speech in Granby, visiting with citizens displaced by a fire in New Hartford, or supporting children’s mental health leg islation, we can count on Mark to do right by the citizens of Granby, New Hartford, Barkhamsted and Hartland.

A vote for Mark this November will ensure that we have a proven leader representing us as our state faces the challenges of inflation and the economic uncertainties brought on by events beyond our control.

Rich and Mary Zlotnick

Support for Becker

When I vote this November to send a representative for our 62nd District— Granby, New Hartford, Hartland, and Barkhamsted—to Hartford, I am really looking forward to voting for Kim Becker. I hope you will consider doing so, too, regardless of your traditional political affiliation. Here’s why.

• We have been represented by Repub licans in Hartford for as long as I can remember, and the result is that we have had no real voice for small towns, like Granby, in the major decisions.

• Our current representative has proven time and again, through his votes, that he is there to promote his ideology, not

the values of the people he represents. A prime example was that he was the only legislator in the Connecticut House or Senate to vote against legislation that provides equal treatment under the law to children born to same-sex couples (Con necticut Parentage Act).

• Kim Becker has been an active con tributor to our community (the list is too long for this letter but is available on her website: kimbeckerforct.com/about-kim) in ways that directly tie to the things that matter most to me and most of the people I know in Granby: quality education, pro tection for agriculture and open space, and relieving the property tax burden. As to our property taxes and our ability to fund education, what happens in Hartford, in the State House, matters immensely; Kim understands this and will be a positive voice as a part of the majority.

I could wax eloquently on what a bright, energetic, competent, and refreshing representative Kim will be for us all, but others have already done so in many other endorsement letters. That matters to me, of course. But I am a pragmatist and here’s the reality about having a State Representative who can really represent us: we need someone who will be “in the room where it happens.” That means we need a Democrat; that means we need Kim Becker.

Jenny Emery

I write in emphatic support of Kim Becker and her candidacy to be our next State Representative. As her spouse of al most 25 years, I cannot claim impartiality. However, I can offer a unique perspective on what makes Kim the right choice for our community. It comes down to engage ment and impact.

The breadth of Kim’s engagement is im pressive. You can find that on her campaign

Opinion

Mass transit for the win

By Michelle Louise Bicking

Next to flight travel, travel by train is one of the safest and most reliable means of mass transportation. Electric trains in particular emit no pollution, have less accidents than vehicular traffic and are generally quieter than diesel/diesel hybrid counterparts. Trains also take up less space—a boon to population-dense areas with little to no acreage to spare.

Trains offer significant economic, en ergy, environmental, public health and safety and national security benefits on state, municipal and local levels. For com muters, trains can be a lifesaver. Travel by rail offers an efficient means to avoid traffic-related delays, decrease commut ing time between destinations, and lower the monthly gas bill at the pump. For families, rail access in walking or biking distance can also facilitate access to es sential services such as healthcare; social and recreational opportunities such as mu seums, outdoor parks and aquariums; and serve as another alternative to spending much-needed time with loved ones across the state.

For long haul truckers, interstate rail ways present an opportunity for shorter trucks between train stops, leading to more reasonable workday schedules for drivers. Trains are also more aerodynami cally sound than trucks and cars and move freight at a rate of 1.9 to 5.5 times faster, depending on the train model. Pulling more trucks off the road decreases pave ment upkeep from heavy rubber truck wheels, reduces road, air and noise pol lution and decreases truck maintenance costs from routine wear and tear.

For Connecticut towns and cities, espe cially the former manufacturing hubs of our state, access to mass transit systems can build the local tax base, increase access to transportation-related jobs, increase access to employment and educa tion in the state as well as in neighboring states.

Mass transit works for everyone—our youth and our elders, our struggling families and financially sound ones. In addition to replacing all diesel hybrid locomotives with completely electric freight trains, we should repurpose our existing freight lines for passenger and commuter travel. Current rail options are the CSX Line, Providence and Worcester Line, Connecticut Southern Line, the Branford Steam Railroad, Central New England Railroad, Naugatuck Railroad, New England Central Railroad and the Housatonic Railroad. Possible rail line opportunities that target intrastate travel specifically are:

Greenwich to Canaan Line: Rail stops would include Danbury, New Milford, Falls Village, Norfolk and Sharon.

Greenwich to Milford Spur (formerly the Merritt Parkway): Rail stops would

include Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport and Stratford.

New Milford to Norwich Spur: Rail stops would include Woodbury, Waterbury, Middlebury and Colchester.

Salisbury to Putnam Line: Rail stops would include stops in Canaan or New Canaan, Windsor Locks, Somers, Stan ford and Woodstock. This line could potentially extend to points west through New York and points northeast through Rhode Island, with connecting options to Post University.

Enfield to New London Line: Rail stops would include Windsor Locks, Hartford, Berlin, Middletown, New Haven, Old Saybrook and Stonington. Area colleges that would benefit would be Post Uni versity, University of New Haven and Southern Connecticut State University. This line could potentially extend to points north through Massachusetts and points northeast through Rhode Island.

Somers to New London Line: Rail stops would include Mansfield, Windham, Scot land and Sprague, with connection options to University of Connecticut, Mansfield Campus.

Woodstock to New London Line: Rail stops include Killingly, Brooklyn, Lis bon, Norwich, Preston and Ledyard, with connecting options to the United States Coast Guard Academy and Connecticut Community College.

Middletown to Old Saybrook Spur: Rail stops include Haddam, East Haddam and Lyme, with connecting options to Quinni piac University and Wesleyan University.

As a state, Connecticut could lead the nation in prioritizing the reduction of fossil fuels usage, including diesel fuel, via promotion of mass transit. Electric ity, solar thermal generation, wind, or water turbines are the future of energy generation in Connecticut and the world.

Investing in mass transit in Connecticut will have a profound social impact within and outside of our borders. Now is the time to initiate interstate pacts with our New England and Mid-Atlantic neighbors to lead the entire country in exploring the benefits of a robust rail line to our rider ship base. We could divert federal, state and private sector funds to rail system infrastructure installation and improve ments. Instead of building submarines and other weapons of war, we can be waging the peace on the home front by soliciting for train system designs from regional authorities such as Electric Boat, Sikor sky and Pratt and Whitney. We can also promote manufacturing of train parts right here in Connecticut, for our own use and potentially for the entire country. Mass transit for the win.

Editor’s Note: Michelle Louise Bick ing, LCSW MPA CD (DONA), is the 2022 Green Party Candidate for Governor. Con tact her at bicking.michelle@gmail.com

website. What sets her apart is the depth of her engagement. She strives to under stand. She seeks to unite. She expands frontiers. She does this in her marriage to an unaffiliated, conservative-leaning, and practicing (CCD-teaching and pro-life) Catholic. More importantly, she has done this at every door she’s knocked on across the district. Through listening and caring, she’s defining a path based on the issues we face together in rural Connecticut, not what is “blue” or “red.”

To me, the best example of Kim’s com mitment to making an impact was with Valley Pre-School. During her year as Board Chair, she noted that the documen tation of processes and procedures was falling short of State expectations, an exis tential issue for the school. As our last child left VPS and her term ended, the work with the State was not done. Instead of handing the issue to the next chair, Kim stayed on the board in a newly defined Compliance Officer role. She transformed the rela tionship with State regulators, researched and documented the procedures to stay in compliance, and handed off a safer, more resilient program to the next decade of VPS staff and students.

An elder statesman of the Granby com munity, commenting on the return of the Gran-Bee and Kim’s ongoing tenure as Board Chair of the Granby Education Foundation, summed it up best: “I’m pleased to see what we’ve built is in such good hands.”

We have opportunity to upgrade our community’s representation in Hartford with her impactful advocacy. Please join me in supporting Kim on Nov. 8.

Chris Becker

I am writing to express my support for Kim Becker’s candidacy to represent the 62nd District in the Connecticut House of Representatives. As a Republican—and a fairly conservative one at that—some might be surprised to hear that I’m support ing the Democratic nominee to represent my district. They shouldn’t be. My sup port is not a rebuke of my party. Nor is it

meant to be part of a larger conversation on the issues we face at the national level. Rather, my support for Kim’s candidacy is recognition of her extraordinary dedication to our community and her proven history as a pragmatic leader.

Whether it is working selflessly to end isolation among seniors, strengthening our schools through her work with the Granby Education Foundation, or her many other volunteer efforts, I have seen firsthand how hard Kim works to improve our community. Through her work, she has a well-deserved reputation for listening to community concerns and finding solu tions. That kind of pragmatic leadership is what we need in Hartford, and that is why I support her to represent Connecticut’s 62nd District.

Rich Smith

We encourage people to vote for Kim Becker in the District 62 State Representa tive race. We have known Kim for several years and consider her earnest and sincere in her dealings with people. She would strive to represent all people in the district, regardless of race, religion or sexual orien tation. She has been honest and forthright in her positions and has no need to rely on fear mongering or innuendo to further her positions on state issues. Please join us in voting for Kim.

Jack and Peggy Lareau

Support for Kissel

I am writing to support Senator John Kis sel in the election on Nov. 8. He has worked across the aisle to help make Connecticut more affordable and safer for all of us. He led many rallies to help get the state gas tax suspended. He was a co-sponsor of “Jennifer’s Law” to increase protective orders and enhance state laws regarding domestic violence. He has always sup ported our police officers and corrections officers. He co-sponsored bipartisan leg islation to strengthen laws regarding drug abuse, prevention and treatment.

I wrote to him with concerns regarding the influx of Fentanyl being smuggled from our open southern border and how it is taking the lives of our young people... there were over 100,000 deaths last year

in the US and we have unfortunately seen it increasing in our state. He responded immediately to my letter. He listens and responds to us to work for all of us.

Carol Hulbert

Here are a few reasons why I am vot ing for Senator John Kissel in November. This year he voted in favor of legisla tion that supports those with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families /caregivers. He co-sponsored “Jennifer’s law”, which expands state law regarding domestic violence to include non-violent acts like financial and psycho logical abuse. He co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to enhance children’s mental health care. He is the ranking Republican on the judiciary, criminal justice and cor rections systems.

Larry Laureno East Granby

I have known John Kissel for many years and his friendship has been invaluable to me. As a State Representative he has also been supportive of my issues and he has always responded to my calls and emails when I needed to express my concerns for issues important to me. He will do the same for you. I recommend voting for John Kissel as he will always be a voice for you as a citizen.

Robert Moss

My husband, Bill, and I have known Sen. John Kissel over ten years and during that time we have been fortunate to admire his integrity and dedication to represent his con stituents in the 7th Senatorial District to the very best of his ability with truth and trans parency, which is so sorely needed in this age of incompetent and corrupt politicians. He has proven that he has true compassion for the elderly and veterans based on his

time and effort in the legislature to cham pion the need to provide financial support and critical, rational solutions to the chal lenges that they face. You can trust John to keep his word in both personal and public activities. A vote for John will provide a re turn on investment for individuals, families and our future generations.

Susan Patricelli Regan

I am writing this letter in support of State Senator John A. Kissel. John has served the 7th Senatorial District for the last 29+ years. He has served with the upmost of integrity, and with compassion for his constituents. John supported a $1.2 billion tax relief package for Connecticut working and middle-class families. This would have offered an income tax cut, a sales tax cut, and it would have eliminated taxes that drive up the prices of food.

Senator Kissel has also sponsored legis lation to strengthen the Connecticut laws that affect opioid abuse prevention and treatment. The bill, which will implement a peer navigator program to assist those in re covery, is now law. John also cosponsored legislation to help children and families by growing the behavioral health workforce, expanding treatment facilities, and increas ing insurance coverage for mental health services. That bill is now law

Senator Kissel is also a strong supporter and advocate for our correctional officers and our policeman. He opposed a police accountability bill that made our com munities less safe. John is the Ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee that oversees the state’s judiciary, criminal justice, and corrections system. John is dedicated to his community and serving his constituents. Please join me in November by voting for State Senator John A. Kissel.

Cindy Kissel

Granby’s financial reporting recognized

The Government Finance Officers As sociation of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the Town of Granby for its annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021. The report has been judged to meet the high standards of the program. Granby’s Director of Finance, Kimi Cheng, shared.

“This is the 16th consecutive year the GFOA has awarded this certificate to the Town of Granby. This prestigious honor represents the highest award in govern ment financial reporting and validates the leadership’s commitment to go beyond the minimum requirements to prepare Annual Comprehensive Financial Re ports in the spirit of transparency and full disclosure.”

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BOS seeks YOUR input on draft of the Strategic Plan

Please tell us what you think by emailing your thoughts and suggestions to: strategicplan@granby-ct.gov

All comments are welcome, but we are particularly interested in whether there are:

Any goals or objectives that should be added? Any that should be deleted? Any that should be revised? The deadline to submit comments is Nov. 1.

After that, we will issue a final draft and begin to develop action plans for each goal and objective.

VISION STATEMENT

Granby will be a Town that provides excellent public services while balancing our traditions and heritage with the evolving needs of the community.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Town of Granby is dedicated to providing equitable and quality ser vices in a responsive and cost-effective manner through careful planning, collaborative community partnerships and professional management.

GOAL STATEMENTS

1. Promote sustainable growth in the grand list through pro grams and processes designed to encourage business retention, expansion and attraction while maintaining the character of the community and minimizing the burden on the residential tax base.

• Continue the improvement and enhancement of Granby Center.

• Review the economic development potential in areas where public infrastructure exists.

• Complete a sewer capacity study.

• Consider a town center study.

2. Operate with financial stability to meet both near- and longterm needs of the Town.

• Encourage collaboration between the BOE and the Town of Granby for short- and long-term capital planning.

• Review financial policies to ensure that Granby maintains a stable mill rate and its impact on residents and businesses.

3. Effectively manage and function as stewards of Town infrastructure, facilities and properties.

• Examine all lease and license agreements in Granby.

• Develop an inventory list of Town owned properties.

• Evaluate the use and/or potential disposal options for town property.

4. Enhance opportunities to allow Granby to be a safe and livable community for all.

• Implement the Affordable Housing Plan.

• Review the mission statements for the Commission on Aging and the Youth Service Board.

• Review elements of a safe streets program.

• Maximize available resources for mental health services.

5. Promote the long-term sustainability of agriculture and agrotourism.

• Evaluate the potential passage of a right to farm ordinance.

• Permanent preservation of Holcomb Farm.

6. Ensure that the providers of Senior, Social, Library and Recreation services have sufficient resources and facilities to accomplish their missions.

• Evaluate space needs to enhance user experiences and program ing demands.

7. Evaluate conservation and sustainability measures that support the ability to meet Granby’s mission.

• Pursue Sustainable CT certification.

8. Promote assorted communication opportunities to ensure that the community is well informed about their Town.

• Review and refresh the Town webpage.

• Establish a stronger social media presence.

• Submit news when appropriate to local publications.

9. Recognize, maximize and coordinate the contributions of Granby nonprofit and volunteer organizations.

• Seek out opportunities to collaborate and partner collectively.

The deadline to submit comments is Nov. 1.

Whether buying or selling, I greatly appreciate your referrals and the opportunity to be of service.

GRANBY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

Superintendent’s Announcements

There still is a national shortage of bus drivers and Granby, not unique to this situation, has had to make changes to some of our bus runs. CREC is also doing everything they can to recruit bus drivers and are now providing a $7,500 sign-on bonus for certified drivers and a $3,000 sign-on bonus for non-certified drivers.

At Wells Road a significant change was made to how buses and parents drop off and pick up students. This process was difficult in the past and the change makes it more manageable.

Assistant Superintendent’s Report

Jennifer Parsons said the district welcomed 20 new teachers and by hiring early, Granby found a great crew. An orientation for new teachers introduced them to the district goals; they took a bus tour of the town and received an introduction to the TEAM program.

Student Representative Reports

Thrall welcomed back Senior Tess Bajek and introduced Chase Alexander as the new BOE Student Representative. Thrall asked how the construction was going with students being in the building. Tess stated she has gotten used to it, but it seems very strange going to the community gym for lunch; for chorus it is not too different, but students are looking forward to getting a room soon.

Enrollment Consultant Report

Peter Prowda, enrollment consultant, presented a report on current and future enrollment projections, especially kindergarten. He said there is a basic model used by anyone doing enrollment projections in the state and showed a chart explaining how data is used to make his projections. He also identified other factors in projecting kindergarten including births, infant deaths, students moving in or out

of town, homeschooling, and students attending non-public/magnet schools. He suggested questions be added to kindergarten registration forms. Thrall inquired if the kindergarten class is projected to grow next year and Prowda stated he doubted that would happen going from kindergarten to Grade 1; he would project Grade 1 to be about 105 next year.

Summer School Report

Katie Busbey, director of summer school, and Jennifer Miller, director of extended school year (ESY) summer school, provided a report on this year’s programming. The ESY program is designed to provide continued education for students with Individual Education Plans. Busbey said the Credit Recovery Program helps students to complete or regain credit toward graduation requirements. Enrichment was brought back this year and there was a different topic each week: STEAM, Science and Strings, Art, PE Games. A total of 76 students participated in the enrichment activities. Busbey said intervention was offered by invitation only. It was a two-week program for Grades 1 and 2 and then another two weeks for Grades 3, 4 and 5. A total of 58 students attended.

Bethany Grupp, family engagement specialist, reported on programming offered to Open Choice students and stated 16 students attended the Salmon Brook Park Camp. A total of 13 students participated in this programming.

Superintendent’s Annual Goals

Grossman presented his goals for the 2022-23 school year and said that his goals specifically align to the Moving Forward Together Strategic Plan: 2021-2025.

First Reading of Revised Policy

6142.101 - Student Nutrition and Physical Activity (Student Wellness)

The Curriculum/Policy/Technology/ Communication Subcommittee recommended the revised Policy 6142.101, for a first reading. Parsons stated this policy covers everything from nutrition to physical activity to mental health and nutrition. Thrall asked that if there is any feedback to please let Parsons or Peling know. This policy will come to the board for a second reading and approval at the next meeting.

Curriculum/Policy/Technology/Communication

Peling reported that this subcommittee discussed and finalized the professional development plan for the year; worked on attendance policies, coding and parent communication; adopted a new data platform and updated the summer curriculum (Wellness and World Language); 14 policies will be updated based on legislative action and will be brought to the Board at future meetings.

Respectfully submitted, Donna Nolan, Board Secretary

Twain House presentation

Michael Campbell, director of the Mark Twain House, presented Back Scene World of the Mark Twain House to the 35 ladies who attended the Women’s Breakfast at the Senior Center on Sept. 7. Photo by Joan Ducharme

TOOTH TALK

by Michael Ungerleider D.M.D

A. As a patient, you may not see, feel, or even know about the underlying issues present in your mouth. But, there are at least 10 different problems that could be lurking in your mouth and jawbone. These could affect your entire body over time, and they could cause serious problems for you now or years down the road. Ultimately, they might compromise your immune system and spread infection and inflammation to the rest of your body.

1. Broken or decayed teeth and Broken fillings:These allow bacteria to seep into microscopic crevices and break down the tooth surfaces, as well as infect the gum and bone tissues. Deeper infection could cause the nerve of the tooth to die, creating an abscess, pain, and swelling.

2. Poor or ill-fitting dentistry: Sometimes a filling, crown, bridge, implant, or partial denture is not made to fit ideally in the mouth or it may become ill-fitting over time. Poorly fitting dental work could cause bite problems damaging the actual tooth, the bone around the tooth root, or the jaw joint and muscles. In addition, bad dental work can irritate the gums and other soft tissues of the mouth, causing pain, bleeding, and swelling.

3. Deposits under the gum, including cement: Generally, these could be calcified remnants of bacteria attached to the roots of teeth. You might think of them as barnacles attaching to the bottom of a boat that sits in the water. These rough areas are called calculus or tartar . These are irritants to the surrounding gum and bone and can encourage further progression of infection until they are removed. Sometimes, cement under the gum tissues creates acute inflammation, infection, bleeding, and pain. If not removed quickly, it will cause bone damage and could result in the loss of the tooth or implant.

4. Infections inside the tooth (necrotic tooth): The nerve that lives inside the canal of a tooth is positioned like the carbon in the center of a pencil. It contains blood vessels and nourishing fluids. If it dies or becomes infected, its infection would push out of the tooth at the base of the root (like the carbon point at the writing tip of a pencil). The infection could spread into the surrounding bone causing pain and swelling before moving to other parts of the body.

5. Hopelessly compromised teeth If a tooth becomes damaged in such a way that it can’t be repaired, it should be removed. If left unattended, further infection or damage will occur.

This month we listed five of the ten problems frequently found in the mouth that you may not even know about. Every cell in our body communicates with every other cell. Our mouth is not an island unto itself. A healthy body depends on a healthy mouth, and a healthy mouth depends on a healthy body. If you haven’t been to a dentist for a comprehensive exam within the past year, we encourage you to contact the Granby Dental Center today.

The doctors and staff of the Granby Dental Center invite you to see all of the new and exciting advances in modern dentistry at our office. Conebeam CT technology allows us to view your head and neck in 3 Dimensions, allowing for more accurate diagnosis and early detection of problems and Computer guided implant placement. At the Granby Dental Center, we even offer CEREC, an amazing technology that allows us to fabricate porcelain crowns in just one visit! This revolutionary CAD CAM unit allows us to preserve more natural tooth structure and restore the tooth to 100% of its original strength!

At the Granby Dental Center, we offer “Smile Vision,” which allows us to take a photograph of your current smile and then alter the photo on the computer to show you what you could look like with whiter, straighter teeth! Are you curious? Come in and ask us about SMILE VISION!

If you have a question you would like answered, or would like a tour of our modern office to view our sterilization procedures and to meet our friendly, caring staff, please contact us, or visit our website: www.granbydentalcenter.com

Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook. com/GranbyDentalCenter/ Scan the QR code below to find out more:

Michael A. Ungerleider, DMD Vipasha Desai, DDS 41 Hartford Avenue, Granby 860-653-3220

Visit our website at: www.granbydentalcenter.com

Q: Nothing bothers me. Why should I go to the dentist?

Present: Kristina Gilton, Monica Logan, Donna Nolan, David Peling, Whitney Sanzo, Sarah Thrall, Rosemarie Weber, Student Representatives Chase Alexander and Tess Bajek, and Dr. Jordan Grossman.

Focus on Education

Strategic planning, goal setting underway

I thank the community for support ing the opening of schools on August 30. I have visited all the schools several times and it is good to see students and staff back in the buildings, engaged and settling into routines. I am impressed with how staff works with students to develop their individual academic per formance, social and emotional skills. Students are improving their math and English/language arts skills, participating in science labs, using their imaginations to solve complex problems, and much more. It is clear that our students and staff have started the year very focused on improving every day.

At its first meeting in September, the Granby Board of Education was presented with the Superintendent’s 2022-23 Goals that are aligned with the Granby Public Schools Moving Forward Together Strategic Plan 2021-25. Our Vision of a Graduate, which is another foundation of the Board of Education’s strategic plan, sets forth the 21st Century skills we believe the student population should embody and exemplify by their graduation from high school. These documents can be viewed at granbyschools.org

The high school building project that includes several new facilities—a kitch en, cafeteria, band room, choir room and woodshop—is nearing completion. It is our hope all of these areas will be com pleted by the second week of November. Once the areas are completed, we will

notify the community and invite citizens to tour these new sections.

Due to a national shortage of bus driv ers, our transportation contractor, CREC, is recruiting qualified candidates to join its team as bus drivers. CREC is offer ing a $7,500 sign-on bonus for licensed school bus drivers and $3,000 sign-on bonus for drivers without a school bus endorsement. If you are interested in becoming a bus driver, or know some one who is interested in becoming a bus driver, please contact Penny Manion, CREC Transportation, p.m.anion@crec. org, or 860-509-3783.

We are continuing to review exist ing bus routes and collaborating with other transportation providers and school districts to make the best use of the re sources available. CREC and our drivers continue to do an amazing job.

A Superintendent Community Conver sation will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 25, from 6 to 7 p.m. via Zoom. Please contact Linda Powell at powelll@granbyschools. org if you would like to register for this conversation.

I invite you to look on Granby Public Schools’ website at granbyschools.org for events that you and your family may like to attend.

I appreciate the community’s support of our work to make Granby Public Schools one of the best districts in the state. Please contact me if you have any ques tions or concerns at 860-844-5260 and follow me on Twitter @GranbySuper.

Young Journalists

Riley Lansing and Elizabeth (Lizzy) Sondrini, age 9, wrote and published an end-ofsummer daily newspaper for their neighbors on Susan Lane. The girls found that putting out a newspaper is not as easy as it looks. They especially liked their final product and delivering it. Now that school is back in session, Lizzy (on right) and Riley are planning a weekend edition. The neighbors are looking forward to reading it! Submitted photo

High school to perform Daughters of the Appalachians

Granby Memorial High School Per forming Arts will present an original work, Daughters of the Appalachians, on Nov. 11, 12 and 13.

The show, written by Linda Goodman, is a collection of stories based on her childhood. Goodman, a Virginia Appa lachian Mountain native of Melungeon descent, learned the art of storytelling from her father, a former coal miner and master yarn spinner. Her works are

Drumrolls

Kyle Desjardins, of North Granby, graduated summa cum laude with a BS in the College of Applied Mathematics from Wentworth Institute of Technol ogy. He has accepted a fulltime job at PROMETRIKA, LLC as a statistical programmer.

known for their Southern Appalachian flavor, and stories from her award-win ning CDs, Jessie and Other Stories and Bobby Pins, have been aired on several NPR programs.

GMHS Performing Arts is excited about this upcoming production and is honored to perform an original work by a former Connecticut resident. Per formances will be Friday, Nov. 11 and Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 13 at 2 p.m.

Julia Benson, originally of Granby, was awarded a master’s degree in con ference in terpretation in French and Spanish from Middlebury Institute of International Studies in May.

Jordan E. Grossman, Ed.D

Special Programs

The Secret Life of Owls by Horizon Wings: Wednesday, Oct. 5, 1–2:30 p.m. Horizon Wings was formed in 2001 by Mary-Beth Kaeser as a 501c3 non-profit Wildlife Rehabilitation Center specializing in Birds of Prey located in Ashford. Owls have always been surrounded by an air of mystery, probably because most are nocturnal and not easily spotted in the wild. This is your chance to be only a few feet away from a Northern saw-whet owl, an Eastern screech owl, a barred owl, a barn owl and a great-horned owl. Discover the extraordinary features of owls, such as exceptional eyesight, hearing, and ability to fly silently. Cost: $5.

DIY Decoupage Pumpkin: Thursday, Oct. 6, 1–3 p.m. Spruce up your mantle or table decor with this fun artificial pumpkin project. Participants will be guided in creating a set of matching pumpkins that vary in size, shape and personal taste. Instructed by local artist Katherine Tolve. Cost: $15.

Magic and Mind Show : Thursday, Oct. 20, 2–4 p.m. Presented by Jim Sisti, mystery performer, who will amaze the audience with his brand of comedy magic and mentalism. He has performed for numerous Fortune 500 companies and celebrities, and performs at Mohegan Sun. Register by Oct. 13. Cost: $8.

Special Events

Italian Dinner: Wednesday, Oct. 26, 5–6:30 p.m. Join us for homemade lasagna, salad, garlic bread and dessert with entertainment by Jack Sings Dino. Learn about Collette Travel and Granby Senior Center’s partnership to bring you Italian Vistas traveling in 2023. Register by Oct. 19. Cost: $10.

Lifetime Learning Academy

Let’s Get Technical: Tuesdays, Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25, 1–2 p.m. Presented by Gail Altschwager. Oct. 4, Basic Functions: What’s an operating system and why you need to know which operating system your devices use, calling, texting, voice mail, managing contacts, E-mail, and being security savvy online. Oct. 11, Finding

Stuff: What search engines are, how to use them and how to learn how to use your device. Oct. 18, Pictures: Taking, storing and sending them. Oct. 25, Apps: What are apps, passwords, how to find apps, how to install apps, how to use apps and how to delete them. Free.

The Messiah of the Old Testament : Wednesdays, Oct. 5–Nov. 16, 10–11:30 a.m.

Review and discuss messianic passages in the

Old Testament from Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Isaiah, other prophets and more. Instructor, Skip Mission. Free.

Trips

Lyman Orchards: Monday, Oct. 3, 9:30 a.m. –3 p.m. Lyman Orchards is the perfect trip for fall apple and pumpkin picking. Then it’s on to the Apple Barrel Farm Market. The enticing aroma of fresh baked products fills the market all day long with fresh pies, apple cider donuts, muffins, cookies, breads, pastries, and many other desserts made in the Farm Kitchen Bakery. Lunch will be on your own at the deli. Cost: $5.

Road Trip to Great Barrington: Wednesday, Oct. 12, 9:15 a.m. –4 p.m. Great Barrington’s Main Street offers great shopping and restaurants. You will have time to explore and have lunch. Next stop is Freunds Farm Market, which offers a bakery, prepared meals, gourmet preserves, pickles, gifts, seasonal produce, pumpkins, and flowers. Cost: $10.

Cathedral of the Pines : Wednesday, Oct. 19, 8:30 a.m. –6:30 p.m. At Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge, N.H., stand among the tall pines overlooking the valley. Listen to the wind whisper through the branches in this place of beauty, inspiration and peace. On your guided tour, explore the sanctuary, sacred spaces, monuments and burial grounds built as a memorial to those fallen in service. Lunch will be at the nearby Woodbound Inn with its rustic and cozy atmosphere. The innkeepers will welcome you to a lovely lunch of either stuffed chicken or baked haddock, salad, vegetables, potato, dessert and beverage. Covered bridges (or “Kissing Bridges”) are practically a trademark of New England life. Grab your camera and explore several bridges. Cost: $104.

Dine and Drive at The Tavern: Friday, Oct. 21, 10:45 a.m.–2:30 p.m. The Tavern Restaurant, in Westfield, is located in a former post office built in 1910. The building was decommissioned as a post office in 1974 and sat vacant for nearly 30 years before it was purchased and renovated into a restaurant in 2004. With its granite foundation and limestone block walls the building served as a former civil defense shelter during the Cold War. The structure might be what brings you in but the quality of food and service will surely bring you back. The menu offers something for everyone with a full assortment of dinner and lunch entrees plus a large variety of sandwich and salad offerings. Cost: $5.

Olde Mystic Village : Monday, Oct. 24, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. There are quaint shops featuring jewelry, specialty foods, eyeglasses, general store, gardening, kitchen, Irish gifts,

Please visit granby-ct.gov/senior-services or check your Center Life Newslet ter for a complete listing of health services, support groups, clubs and ongoing activities.

If you are a Granby Senior Center member, please register for programs through SchedulesPlus.com/granby If you are not a member of the Granby Senior Center or you do not have access to a computer, please call 860-844-5352

Scandinavian gifts, chocolates, Christmas decor, teas, toys and more. Lunch on your own at one of the several restaurants onsite. Cost: $10.

Ongoing Programs

CRT Hot Lunch: Every Tuesday and Thursday, 12–1 p.m. Community Café offers seniors 60+ a healthy, low-cost lunch and the opportunity to join with others. Monthly menus are available at the Senior Center. All participants are required to complete a one-time informational survey. A donation of $3 per meal is suggested to help cover costs, however no one is denied a meal if unable to pay. Reservations are accepted until noon on Friday for the following week by calling 860-844-5350.

Ask the Attorney: First Wednesday of the month, 10 a.m. –12 p.m. by appointment. Specializing in Elder Law. Please call to set up an appointment for a free half-hour consultation.

History Revisited : Every Tuesday,10 a.m. –12 p.m. Jerry Perkins, former professor and history instructor has a unique way of bringing history to life. Join this informative and fun view of events from Pre-Columbian times to the present. Class attendees will have the opportunity to request specific subjects to review. Limited to six attendees. Masks and social distancing required.

Cribbage: Every Friday,1–3:30 p.m. and every Tuesday, 6 p.m. Free.

Set Back: Every Tuesday, 1–3:30 p.m. Free.

Music Jam: Every Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. –1 p.m. Bring your instrument and join in. Music from the 60s-80s. Free

Stamping: Thursday, Oct. 20, 9:30–11 a.m. Make beautiful cards for all occasions. All materials provided. Cost: $5.

Makers Club: Mondays at 10 a.m. Bring your latest project to work on and enjoy some great conversation. Free.

Camera Club: First Monday of the month at 7 p.m. For photography enthusiasts. Each month

a different topic of interest is discussed. Annual membership is $10.

Crafting for the Center: Second Thursday every month, 10 a.m. –12 p.m. Join the Center’s program coordinator, Jennifer, to create centerpieces, decor and more for our themed events throughout the year. Take pride in your work, share your creation with your friends and take it home after the event. Free.

Center Council: Fourth Monday every month, 1–2 p.m. Do you have ideas or feedback you want to share? Is there something you would like to see added to the calendar? This upbeat group will be led by program coordinator Jennifer Kielbasa—all are welcome to attend. Free.

Women’s Breakfast : Wednesday, Oct. 5, 8:30–10 a.m. Major Melinda Rizer Gould, the guest speaker, presents Former Life of a Retired Female Helicopter Pilot. Cost: $5.

Men’s Breakfast: Friday, Oct. 14, 8:30–10 a.m. See Center Life Newsletter for current program schedule. Cost: $3.

Health and Wellness

Hearing Screenings : Second Tuesday of the month, 9–11 a.m. Hearing Care Centers will be onsite conducting hearing screenings that include hearing aid cleaning and evaluation. Free.

Pedicare Footcare: Third Monday and Fourth Friday each month, 8:30 a.m. –2:30 p.m. by appointment only. Cost $35, not covered by insurance.

Blood Pressure/Blood Sugar Clinic: Every Thursday, 11 a.m. –12:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Courtesy of the FV VNA. Free.

Healthy Minds: By appointment only. A death of a loved one, failing health or strained family relationships can be daunting to face alone. Working with a Marriage and Family Therapist

Senior Center cont’d. on p. 11

P & Z MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

Present: Mark Lockwood, Jonathan Boardman, Christine Chinni, Eric Lukingbeal, Eric Myers, Brennan Sheahan, and Matthew Peters. Alternate Paula Johnson (not seated). Also present, Director of Community Development Abigail Kenyon and Land Use Coordinator Renee Deltenre.

Elect Vice-Chair

The commission voted (7-0-0) to elect Eric Myers as Vice Chairman.

Public Hearing

Application seeking a Special Permit under Zoning Regulations Section 8.28 for a residential landscape business and Section 8.1.3.4 for a garage in excess of 1,000 square feet for property located at 86 Granville Road, R2A Zone. File Z-14-22

Opened public hearing and immediately continued it to Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. No discussion occurred.

Receive applications and schedule public hearings

Application seeking a Special Permit under Zoning Regulations Section 8.1.3.4 for a garage over 1,000 square feet for property located at 2 Appletree Lane, R2A Zone. File Z-15-22. Scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.

Joint meeting with Board of Selectmen

Lockwood said the Board of Selectmen would like to have a joint meeting in order to discuss the Affordable Housing Plan and Strategic Plan

Senior Center cont’d. from p.10

may help you move forward. To schedule a confidential appointment, call 860-844-5350

Matter of Balance: Wednesdays, Oct. 5–Nov. 23, 2–3:30 p.m. Provided by FV Health District. This award-winning program is designed to manage falls and increase activity levels. Free.

Exercise Programs

Chi Gong via Zoom: Wednesdays, Oct. 12–Nov. 30, 9–9:45 a.m. The practice of Chi Gong helps us to feel grounded, nurtured and relaxed so that our body’s energy can be naturally directed to help our organs function optimally, create flexibility in the muscles, suppleness in the joints and bring balance to our emotions.

Instructor, Mary Ellen Mullins. Cost for 8 weeks: $54 residents; $63 non-residents.

Gentle Movement for Strength and Balance: Mondays, Oct. 3–Nov. 28 (no Oct. 10), 11:15 a.m. This class will gently increase your strength, help your ability to balance, and provide stretching to maintain and increase mobility. Instructor, Paula Pirog. Cost for 8 weeks: $48 residents; $56 non-residents.

Chair Yoga : Tuesdays, Oct 4–Nov. 29,

goals specific to the town center. The meeting would be held for discussion purposes to determine what steps, if any, the commission wants to take. The meeting will occur on Sept. 19. It was emphasized that the meeting will not be a public hearing.

Staff report and correspondence

Kenyon provided an update regarding a recent Development Commission meeting in which potential changes to the T1 Zone were discussed. The substantial changes include the removal of a road from Floydville Road to Canton Road, modifications to buffer and landscaping requirements, and revisions to architectural standards. No major changes were discussed regarding uses. The Development Commission hopes to finalize a report before the end of October for consideration by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Kenyon spoke of upcoming zoning regulation amendments that are minor in nature and include the correction of inaccurate references, clarification regarding setback requirements for sheds, and updates to bonding requirements to comply with state statutes. Myers also noted discrepancies found between the zoning regulations and the zoning map which will be addressed.

Kenyon also provided an update regarding the Station 280 development which submitted its bonds and began site work. Harness Way is progressing with the second house under construction.

Respectfully submitted, Renee Deltenre, Land Use Coordinator

2:30–3:30 p.m. Enhanced breathing, seated and standing classic Yoga poses, plus balance training and core strengthening. Guided meditation finishes the class in a calm and relaxing manner. Instructor, Paula Pirog. Cost for 9 weeks: $48 residents; $56 non-residents.

Tai Chi/Qi Gong: Thursdays, Oct. 13–Nov. 17, 9-10 a.m. Continuing the forms learned in previous sessions, this class will move on to learn Forms 9–12 of the Yang style Tai Chi. The first half of class will consist of Qi Gong warmups. Experience in first eight forms required to participate. Instructor, Maryellen Mullins. Cost for 6 weeks: $48 residents; $56 non-residents.

Yoga: Tuesdays, Oct. 4–Nov. 29, 4–5 p.m. Strength building sequences, standing and on the mat. Includes balance and Pilates floor work.

Instructor, Paula Pirog. Cost for 9 weeks: $48 residents; $56 non-residents.

Line Dancing with Mary Root: Thursdays, Sept. 8–Oct. 27, 1:30–2:30 p.m. A line dance is a choregraphed dance in which a group of people dance along to a repeating sequence of steps while arranged in one or more lines or rows. No experience needed, learn as you go. Instructor, Mary Root. Cost for 8 weeks: $48 residents; $56 non-residents.

News from the Registrars

Allow for Early Voting Amendment

The Connecticut Allow for Early Voting Amendment is on the Nov. 8 ballot as a leg islatively referred constitutional amendment.

A “yes” vote supports amending the state constitution to authorize the state legislature to provide by law for in-person early voting before an election.

A “no” vote opposes amending the state constitution, thereby maintaining that early voting is not authorized in the state.

Candidate List on November Ballot

A long list of candidates who will be run ning for office on Nov. 8 is available on the town website now. Sample ballots will be placed on the town and state website as soon as they are available.

Registration Deadlines Approaching

There is still a seven-day Voter Registra tion Deadline, whether by mail, online or in person. The Registrars will hold two special opportunities to register to vote: Saturday, Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesday, Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Seventeen-yearolds who will be 18 by Nov. 8 can register to vote. You must be a US citizen to register to vote. It is easy to confirm or change your voter registration online 24/7. The Town of Granby’s website has links available to connect you to the SOTS’s Online Voter Registration system for either option.

To check your voter status: dir.ct.gov/sots/ LookUp.aspx

To register or make a change: voterregistra tion.ct.gov/OLVR/welcome.do

One Polling Site for the Election

For the Gubernatorial Election on Tuesday, Nov. 8, the polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. All Granby residents will vote in the Community Gym at Granby Memorial High School. Traffic is anticipated to be moderate to heavy. Drivers should enter using the high school’s entrance off North Granby Road (Rte 189), next to Public Works, and leave from Salmon Brook Street (Rte 10/202), next to the middle school. All Granby schools will be closed on Election Day. The Registrars strongly recommend voting between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to avoid the early and later heavy crowds.

November Poll Workers Needed Pollworker training will be done in Oc tober, and poll workers are needed. Please

send an e-mail to the registrars at vr.granby ct@gmail.com to participate or for more information. Volunteer poll workers must be at least 16 years old and can choose to volunteer for a few hours. Polling place set up is done at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7 and workers are needed on Tuesday, Nov. 8 from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Most poll volunteers serve either 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 12:30 p.m. to closing around 9 p.m. Part of the training may be done online using the Secretary of State’s online program. The Registrar’s of fice is compiling an e-mail list for those who would like to be notified when and where training will be held.

Students looking to obtain credit for ser vice hours, mentoring, internships or job shadow day, may consider volunteering at the Registrar’s office. Drop by the office at Town Hall on Wednesdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. or email us at registrarofvoters@ granby-ct.gov to obtain more information or an application.

Calendar Review

Tuesday, Oct. 4: 10 a.m. Official Revision and Correction of Preliminary Voter List at the Registrar of Voters office.

Friday, Oct. 7: Absentee Ballots become available from the Town Clerk.

Saturday, October 22: Special Voter Reg istration Session 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in ROV office.

Wednesday, Oct. 26: 1 p.m. Public testing and sealing of the optical scanners.

Tuesday, Nov. 1: Postmark deadline for mailed voter registration applications, in person and for the new Online Voter Reg istrations.

Tuesday, Nov. 1: Special Voter Registra tion Day 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in ROV office. Last Day to Register In Person.

Monday, Nov. 7: Special Voter Registra tion for brand new residents (within the last two weeks), in the military service, or just turned 18 years old.

Tuesday, Nov. 8: Election Day polls open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Questions? Please contact the Registrars, Laura Wolfe and Paul Willis, by phone at 860-844-5322 or email at registrarofvoters@ granby-ct.gov

Out of Town

Empty Bowls returns to East Granby

Join Expressions Pottery Workshop, the Women’s Club of East Granby and Friend to Friend for the 22nd Annual Empty Bowls fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 15, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the East Granby Community/Senior Center.

All proceeds benefit the Friend to Friend Food Pantry that provides food to pre-qual ified East Granby residents and families in need.

This year we’re returning to a full inperson event and we’re so excited to see old friends and make some new ones! Purchase tickets online at friendtofriendeg.com

On Oct. 15 select a beautiful handpotted bowl of your choice and receive

complimentary offsite coupons from participating restaurants/shops for a fea tured bowl of soup and a featured dessert confection (valid through 12/31/2022).

Peruse the fall-themed refreshment table, choose your goodies, then relax and enjoy the beautiful music of Bill Murphy & friends while catching up with neighbors. Later, head over to Expressions Pottery Workshop for a chance to enter in a raffle, find perfect holiday gifts and choose your complimentary pumpkin from Peter L. Brown. Join us for this fun, fall tradition full of goodies—all for a great cause. Ques tions? Contact Sandy at 860-392-8362 or friendtofriendeg@gmail.com

Jack-o’-lanterns at Old New-Gate Prison

Throughout October, the mine at Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine will be illuminated by 300 professionally carved pumpkins. From 1773 to 1827 the abandoned mine, often referred to as the “dungeon,” was used to house incarcerated men in total darkness. “This autumn, we are bringing ‘Light into the Dungeon’ to celebrate the season, while also acknowledging New-Gate’s dark past,” said Morgan Bengel, mu seum curator.

Visitors can purchase advanced tick ets to descend into the mine from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31 for self-guided explo ration of the decorated tunnels. Tickets are limited and can be purchased at

Granville Harvest Fair

The Granville Harvest Fair will, once again, be held over Columbus Day week end, Oct. 9, 10 and 11. The fair is held in the center of Granville, at the intersection of Routes 57 and 189.

Fair hours will be: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. and Monday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Christmas Cottage Craft Fair

The 39th Annual Christmas Cot tage Craft Fair will be held at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 224 Lovely St. in Avon. The event runs Thursday, Nov. 3 and Friday, Nov. 4, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Come see a full showcase of beauti ful crafts and fine arts for sale by over 30 local juried artisans. Free admission. Cash or check only, no credit or debit cards.

Holly Boutique Craft Fair and Luncheon

The 28th Annual Holly Bou tique Craft Fair and Luncheon will be held at the North Canton Community United Methodist Church Hall, Route 179 and 3 Case Street in North Canton. The fair runs Thursday, Oct. 13 and Friday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 15, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Come s ee a w onderful s elec tion of quality crafts made for you by more than 30 local juried artisans, just in time for holiday gift giving. Free ad mission. Cash or check only, no credit or debit cards.

Lunch and refreshments will be avail able Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

tinyurl.com/LightDungeonTickets

The mine consists of a 100-yard loop with uneven footing and some low tunnels (4 feet high). Strollers, wheel chairs, walkers and similar devices are not permitted in the mine; closed toed shoes are strongly recom mended. At 52 degrees, the mine is consistently cold and wet, giving visitors a truly authentic experi ence.

Tickets also include admission to the above ground prison yard, which contains ruins, cells, and special exhibits. Prior to or following their mine experi ence, visitors will be able to explore all that Old New-Gate has to offer.

Suffield Players present Rumors

A couple arrives for a fancy dinner party only to find the host shot and the hostess missing. Will the first guests be able to keep the later arrivals from find ing out the truth when they don’t know what the truth is themselves?

Rumors, by Neil Simon, will be pre sented by the Suffield Players at historic Mapleton Hall Oct. 16 through 22. Di rected by Becca Coolong with the talents of Jim Hyland, Jen Rawlings, Silk John son, Amanda Marschall, Rick O’Neil, Lisa Parker, Larry Chiz, Krystle Bernier, Dough Nielson and Kate LaPlantney.

For tickets visit suffieldplayers.org or call 800-289-6148. $20 per person. ($15 opening night.)

Covid-19 precautions will be in effect: audience members are required to wear face masks while inside Mapleton Hall.

Second Hand in the First Town

Windsor Historical Society’s popular Second Hand in the First Town tag sale fundraiser is returning this fall on the grounds of the Historical Society Mu seum, at 96 Palisado Ave., Rte 159 on Thursday, Oct. 6 and will run through Sunday, Oct. 9. This huge community event has something for everyone!

Volunteers needed! It takes a village— and you can be a part of it. Volunteers are needed every day through Oct. 10. To volunteer email windsorhistorical.tag sale@gmail.com, or call 860-688-3813.

Trolley Museum Events

The Connecticut Trolley Museum is located at 58 North Road (Rte. 140) in East Windsor. For more information on any of the events, please call 860-6276540 or visit ct-trolley.org

Rails to the Darkside

As the fall chill fills the air, on the darkest of nights, mournful cries of the abandoned dead are heard on the tracks at the Connecticut Trolley Museum. Come for a scare if you dare...the next trolley ride is an express to the Darkside! Dur ing this haunted experience, ride vintage trolleys into the dark woods for a fear that you will never forget. Listen to the tale of yesteryear, as you learn of a hastily moved cemetery whose bodies were left behind...their angry souls seeking their revenge. Will you survive? The event will be held on Friday and Saturday nights starting Sept. 30. This experience is rated PG-13 and may be too intense for the squeamish. Hours are 7–9:30 p.m. (gates open at 6:15 p.m. for ticket sales). Admission is $25 per person and recommended for ages 16+. Tickets must be purchased at ct-trolley.org

Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin Patch is a family fun-filled adventure riding on a trolley car out to the pumpkin patch field where each child can pick out a free sugar-sized pumpkin. When you return to the museum campus you can decorate the pumpkins, play in

the corn box, enjoy the outside harvest play area, and the museum exhibits and displays.

Admission includes the Fire Truck Museum that is located on the Trolley Museum campus. The event will be held on Saturdays and Sundays start ing Sept. 24, and on Monday, Oct. 10.

Visit ct-trolley.org for hours of operation and to purchase tickets. Admission is $14 for adults, $13 for seniors, $13 for youth (ages 12-17), $12 for children (ages 2-11) and under 2 is free. Museum members receive half off admission. All activities are included in admission.

Street Art Meets Street Railcars

The East Windsor Arts and Culture Com mittee partnered with RiseUP for Arts and the Connecticut Trolley Museum to create an Instagram-worthy mural in front of the Trolley Museum. The mural was com pleted over the summer and the official dedication will be held on Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. during the Pumpkin Patch event.

Lovers of art, lovers of East Windsor and lovers of trolleys are invited to see the art, learn about the historic trolly featured in the mural, grab a picture with the art, and meet the incredible artist, Heather Heri ndeen, also known as Lights and Darks.

The mural was funded thanks to dona tions from 31 individuals and businesses in East Windsor and beyond including Belvedere Polish Delicatessen and Mi chael Luzzi.

Heather Herindeen is shown with the mural she created in front of the Trolley Museum. To read more about her art, visit lightsanddarks. com/about-heather Submitted photo

The Pope-Farmington Mastodon

The Farmington Valley CT Heritage Network (farmingtonvalleyctheritage. org/) is pleased to present a lecture with Nicholas F. Bellantoni, Ph.D., Emeritus Connecticut State Archaeologist. Bel lantoni will be at the Stanley-Whitman House, 37 High Street, Farmington, on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. to talk about the sensational discovery in Farmington in the summer of 1913, and to share exciting recent findings about the mastodon fossil. Admission is $5 per person, payable in advance or at the door.

The summer of 1913 was hot and dry. To divert water from a nearby moun tain swamp to the Hill-Stead Farm in Farmington, workers excavated a chan nel down to the farm’s tilled fields. In the process, they encountered what they thought were thick tree roots, and were about to axe through them when a super

visor realized that the obstacle was bone.

Geologists at Yale University were contacted, and it was soon revealed that the workers had discovered the fossil re mains of a two-thirds complete mastodon dated to the state’s post-glacial past. To add to the story, a new archaeological site dating to over 12,000 years ago presents some exciting new scientific information.

Dr. Bellantoni will discuss the findings and recent radiocarbon dating of the mastodon fossil.

Proceeds from the program benefit The Farmington Valley CT Heritage Network whose mission is to enhance apprecia tion of the rich history of Connecticut’s Farmington Valley by promoting col laboration and communication among heritage groups and raising cultural awareness through programming and tours.

First Congregational Church & South Congregational Church OCTOBER EVENTS

Pumpkin Patch — Every Day, Noon-6 pm, South Campus

Granby Food Bank Collection — Saturday, October 1, 9:30-11 am, North Campus

Storytelling Group — Tuesday, October 4, 1:30 pm, South Campus Foodshare — Tuesday, October 4 & 18, 1:30-2 pm, South Campus

AA Meetings — Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7 pm, Sundays 7:30 pm, South Campus

Al Anon — Sundays 7:30 pm, South Campus

Waste Not Want Not Community Meal — Wednesdays, 3-5 pm, South Campus Open Cupboard Pantry — Fridays, 3-4 pm, North Campus

North Campus 219 North Granby Road 860 653-4537 www.firstchurchgranby.org

South Campus 242 Salmon Brook Street 860 653-7289 www.southchurchgranby.org

In Town Focus

SBHS News

Salmon Brook Historical Society is located at 208 Salmon Brook Street Research Library (Preservation Barn) is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon or by appointment by calling 860-653-9713. Research fee $25 per hour.

Museum Store (Enders House) is open on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Items for sale can be viewed at salmonbrookh istoricalsociety.com and includes books, maps, mugs, notecards, jigsaw puzzles and many more Granby items.

Fall Flea Market is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Society’s grounds, rain or shine. Donations to the society’s booth are wel come on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon at the Preservation Barn. Parking and admission are free. The food booth will be selling donuts, coffee, bottled water, soda and hot dogs. Vendor spaces (20x20-foot) are available for $30 if received by Oct. 8, $40 if received later. Please contact Dave at 860-6533965 for further vendor information.

Women’s Breakfast

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, Major Melinda Rizer Gould, USMC, Retired, will give a presentation, Former Life of a Retired Helicopter Pilot, to the Granby Women’s Breakfast Group at the Senior Center.

Breakfast starts at 8:30 a.m. and the talk will begin at 9 a.m. Cost $5. Please re serve your spot in advance by calling the Senior Center or registering online at the Granby Senior Center website.

Camera Club

The Granby Camera Club is excited to have Wendy van Wilie as its guest presenter on Monday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m at the Senior Center. The program will be Photographing People, both formally and informally. Member and guests may bring a portrait photograph, informal or formal, for critiquing if they wish. These can be on a stick or printed. The Scavenger Hunt words for this month are Photographing People, Farm, and Favorite.

Flu Clinics

The Farmington Valley VNA will hold Public Flu Clinics at the Granby Senior Center on Wednesday, Oct. 12 and Saturday, Oct. 15. Please call the VNA at 860-651-3539 between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to register for a clinic. Visit farmingtonvalleyvna.org/ for a complete schedule of flu clinics and to access required forms. Bring the com pleted forms as well as your insurance card to your appointment.

Suicide Prevention Training

Did you know that suicide is one of the leading causes of death in teens? However, men in their 70s are the most likely age and gender group to commit suicide. Suicide effects all age groups, races and religions. Please join us in the community room at the Senior Center on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. for a suicide prevention program

Friends, family, teachers, coaches and co-workers are often the ones to see the first signs of suicide risk in someone. Get the training to identify these signs. An hour of your time could save a life.

Civic Club Tea Party

The Granby Civic Club will continue to celebrate its 109th year with a Tea Party on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. at the Senior Center. Please bring along your favorite teacup and a story to go with it. Refreshments will be provided. Contact Ginny@lostacres.com if you want ad ditional information. All are welcome.

Lions’ Birdseed Sale

The Granby Lions will conduct its 27th Annual Birdseed Sale this fall. Orders must be placed by Saturday, Oct. 29 , for pick-up of seed on Saturday, Nov. 5, 8 a.m. until noon at Pierce Builders, 522 Salmon Brook Street. Order forms have been mailed to existing customers. Questions and requests for an order form can be directed to Lion John at 860-6533086. The order form is also available on the Granby Lions Club website, e-clubhouse.org/sites/granby_ct/

The Drummer welcomes an nouncements of upcoming events sponsored by Granby organizations. Announcements may not exceed 120 words.

Coffee House

A Coffee House will be held at Pilgrim Covenant Church, 605 Salmon Brook Street, on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. This event is free, and refreshments will be served. The night will feature local musical talent. This Coffee House is intended to offer entertainment in a relaxing atmosphere as an outreach from Pilgrim Covenant Church with hopes of lifting spirits and building a greater sense of community. Call 860-653-3800 or email onevoicelifted@gmail.com if you have any questions.

@by e-mail: editor@granbydrummer.org

Volunteer opportunity Writers needed

Do you like to write?

The Drummer is looking for a few writers to cover stories about Granby and its residents. Email us at editor@granbydrummer.org or leave a message at 860-653-9222.

Drummer

— COMING JANUARY 1ST, 2023 —

On Sunday, September 18th, First Congregational Church and South Congregational Church voted overwhelmingly to proceed with the process of becoming one United Church of Christ (UCC) Congregation in Granby. That included adopting our new Constitution and our new name.

Effective on January 1st, 2023 we will officially become Granby Congregational Church, UCC.

We’re extremely excited and can’t wait to grow and fully engage in our many community ministries and initiatives. Our future as one congregation will bring energy and a positive spirit to our community and to the world beyond. We’re confident that we will offer something for everyone. And like First Church and South Church, Granby Congregational Church will be an open and affirming church—welcoming to all!

Please consider visiting us sometime soon to learn more about us. We’d love to see you.

SUNDAY WORSHIP FOR OCTOBER Join us for in-person Sunday Worship Services at the South Campus at 10 a.m. Services are also live-streamed and recorded for later viewing.

First Congregational Church & South Congregational Church of Granby Connecticut

North Campus

219 North Granby Road 860 653-4537 www.firstchurchgranby.org

South Campus 242 Salmon Brook Street 860 653-7289 www.southchurchgranby.org

Your

Browse & Borrow

Adults

Crafters Café: Kumihimo Necklace: Thursday, Oct. 6, 6–7:30 p.m. at the Main Branch. Kumihimo is an ancient Japanese art that has been adapted for modern crafters. Make a colorful 16-inch satin cord necklace on Kumihimo looms. It’s a lovely piece to keep or give to others. Registration required. Sponsored by Friends of Granby Public Library.

History of the U.S. Life Saving Service : Thursday, Oct. 12, 6:30–7:30 p.m. at the Main Branch. In 1879 the federal government established an organization to address the loss of the life of crew and passengers on grounded and wrecked ships. Lifesaving stations were built and manned on all the U.S. coastlines including those of the Great Lakes. Find out about the daily duties of “surfmen” along the New England coast, the tools they used and their lifesaving accomplishments. Registration required. Sponsored by Friends of Cossitt Library and Salmon Brook Historical Society.

Seed Saving: Thursday, Oct. 20, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Cossitt Branch. Seed saving is a great way to preserve some of your harvest for next year. Join UConn extension master gardener Donna Kaffenberger as she discusses the many aspects of basic seed-saving, including information on harvesting and appropriate ways to store seeds from fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs. Sponsored by F. H. Cossitt Library and Granby Agricultural Commission.

Iwo Jima Traveling World War II Museum: Saturday, Oct. 22, 11 a.m. –2 p.m. in the Main Branch parking lot. Visit an extraordinary museum on wheels honoring American soldiers from the World War II era. Tour the extensive display of pictures, uniforms, and actual sand from Normandy Beach. The museum also serves as a tribute to local men and women who served in all branches of the military throughout the world. No registration required. Sponsored by Friends of Granby Public Library, Shannon Shattuck American Legion Post 182 and the Salmon Brook Historical Society.

Conservation Conversation : Food Waste Solutions: Monday, Oct. 24, 6:30–7:30 p.m. at the Main Branch. The public is welcome to a presentation and discussion regarding food waste and its environmental, economic and social impact. Special guests from Blue Earth Compost and Granby’s Conservation Commission will join the conversation. This program is part of a continuing series of Conservation Conversations sponsored by Granby Public Library and Granby Conservation Commission. Registration requested.

Stagecoaches, Railroads and Airlines : Thursday, Oct. 27, 6:30–7:30 p.m. at the Main Branch. America has always been on the move. Join us to hear some of the most interesting stories behind the creation of the country’s mass transit systems. Historian John Cilio covers the passenger miles in a journey of wheels, tracks and wings. Sponsored by Friends of Granby Public Library and Salmon Brook Historical Society.

Time for Chess : Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Main Branch. Do you enjoy the game of chess? Players of all skill levels are encouraged to register online for friendly matches held weekly on Thursday mornings. Drop-ins are welcome.

Book Discussions

Books for these discussions are available at the library, online and through curbside pickup. Register online or call the library to reserve your seat.

Something About The Author Book Club: Monday, Oct. 3, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. at the Main Branch. The group will discuss The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary who became an American hero by Timothy Egan. Published in 2016, this biography that reads like an adventure novel details the life and times of Thomas Francis Meagher. As a dashing young orator during the Great Famine, Meagher led a failed uprising against British Rule and was banished to a Tasmanian prison. He escaped and made his way to New York to lead the newly formed Irish Brigade, which fought many fierce

GRANBY PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM

granby-ct.gov/library 860-844-5275

GranbyLibrary@granby-ct.gov

Library Hours, Main Branch

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Tuesday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Library Hours, Cossitt Branch

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 3 – 8 p.m.

Registration is required for many of the library’s programs. To register, follow the links on the library’s website or call the library. To learn more about upcoming pro grams, sign up for the library’s monthly eNewsletter on the website or by telephone.

battles in the Civil War. Leading the discussion is John Rusnock. Want to prepare for the Nov. 7 meeting? The author will be Chris Bohjalin.

Page Turners Book Club: Wednesday, Oct. 19, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Main Branch. The group will discuss The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. Published in 2020, this award-winning novel blends horror with social commentary (perfect for fans of Jordan Peele) and reminds us that we can never escape the culture and traditions of our people—particularly when they want revenge. Four men from the Blackfeet Nation who made a single terrible decision in their youth now find themselves and their families in a desperate struggle for their lives, haunted by a violent and vengeful entity they thought they left behind. Leading the discussion is Beth Morrill.

SciFi/Fantasy Book Club: Wednesday, Oct. 26, 6 – 7 p.m. at the Main Branch. The group will discuss The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. In this 2009 contemporary thriller/horror, an airplane lands at JFK airport filled with row after row of corpses. As the Center for Disease Control races to find out how the passengers died, the reader learns the truth: an uncontrolled vampire virus has infected the few survivors, who now have a new goal: to feed and spread the virus across the city. Leading the discussion is Doug Soucier.

Teens and Tweens

Monday Funday: Owl Art: Monday, Oct. 10, 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the Main Branch. For grades 6-12. Hoot, hoot! Learn how to fold book pages to create a “hootastic” owl! Registration is requested.

All-Ages

Pumpkin Carving on the Lawn: Saturday, Oct. 15 (rain date Oct. 22), 1 – 2 p.m. at the Main Branch. For adults, teens and families. Get outside and make some art with pumpkins and gourds! Celebrate the harvest season by carving, painting and decorating these seasonal vegetables. Children must be ages 12+ to carve without a guardian. Sponsored by Stop and Shop and Friends of Granby Public Library.

Children Story Times

Baby Rhyme Time: Tuesdays, Oct. 4, 11 and 18, 10:30 – 11 a.m. at the Main Branch. Babies and toddlers up to age 2, with their caregivers, are invited to join us for an interactive lap-sit program featuring a story, nursery rhymes, songs, and baby sign language. Registration requested.

Mother Goose on the Loose: Wednesdays, Oct 5,12 and 19, 10:30 – 11 a.m. at the Main Branch. Children 18 months to 4 years, with their caregivers, are invited to join an interactive program featuring nursery rhymes,

stories and music activities that promote language development, visual literacy, social and emotional skills. No registration needed.

Bedtime Stories with Miss Heather : Tuesdays, Oct 4, 11, 18 and 25, 6 – 6:30 p.m. at the Cossitt Branch. Children age 4–7 years join Miss Heather for stories, songs, and a craft activity. Pajamas encouraged. Registration requested.

Special Events

Mini Movers: Fridays, Oct. 7, 21 and 28, 10:30 – 11 a.m. at the Main Branch. A fun interactive music program for children aged 14 months to 4 years featuring songs, dancing, scarves and shaker egg activities. Registration requested.

Halloween Who-Dunit: Saturday, Oct. 15, 10:30–11:30 a.m. at the Main Branch. Budding detectives in grades 3–5 are invited to help solve a mystery in the library. Use your investigation skills, follow the clues and work with friends to figure out who committed the crime.

Thursday Makers: Thursdays, Oct. 6, 13 and 27, 4 –5 p.m. at the Cossitt Branch. For grades K–5. Join us for fun, engaging hands-on learning activities. Each week will feature a different theme and type of S.T.E.M. activity. Registration requested. Sponsored by Friends of Granby Public Library.

Preschool Halloween Parade: Wednesday, Oct. 26, 10:30 - 11 a.m. at the Main Branch. Children age 2–5 years, with a caregiver, are invited to listen to some (not-too-scary) Halloween stories, sing songs and take part in our costume parade around the library. Everyone gets a goodie bag to take home with Halloween stickers and small prizes. Registration requested. Sponsored by Friends of Granby Public Library.

Dia de la Muertos / Day of the Dead: Wednesday, Nov. 2, 4 – 5 p.m. at the Main Branch. For ages 8-12. Join us in celebrating the Mexican Day of the Dead with a special craft activity. Registration requested. Sponsored by Friends of Granby Public Library.

East Granby Public Library Events

Please register for events at egpl.org Wednesday movies, at 1 p.m.

Oct. 5: Where the Crawdads Sing

Oct. 12: Wedding Season

Oct. 19: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Oct. 26: Love in the Villa Encanto Time! Saturday, Oct. 8, 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. Join Wonderland Works Company and Encanto’s Mirabel for stories, songs and photos!

Living with Connecticut’s Wildlife: Tuesday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m. Caster Wild life Conservationist Paul Colburn will present on how to live with and enjoy our wild neighbors. Species covered include black bears, the Eastern coyote, bobcats, fisher, raccoons, skunk, Virginia opossum, red and gray fox, woodchuck, white-tailed deer, birds, bats, venomous and non-venomous reptiles and amphib ians.

Youth Conservation Corps comes through again

Friends of Granby Wildflower Meadow announce seed sale

On Sept. 11, members of the Granby Land Trust’s Youth Conservation Corps labored for several hours on the GLT’s Dismal Brook Wildlife Preserve. Eighteen high schoolers and four parents turned out to help clear debris from the spillway at Creamer Pond to improve water flow, clean out the gutters along the sides of the trail to improve drainage and reduce erosion and assist with other trail mainte nance activities.

The students got good and dirty, earned community service hours required by Granby Memorial High School for gradu ation, enjoyed donuts and left with the

satisfaction of a job well done. The GLT is so grateful to them for donating their time and energy to this cause.

The GLT’s Youth Conservation Corps is a team of high-school-age volunteers who assist the GLT by participating in periodic property cleanups. Do you know a high schooler who would be interested in joining the Youth Conservation Corps? Have them reach out to us at info@gran bylandtrust.org providing their name, age and an email address they check regularly, and we will contact them when we plan our next YCC event.

Driving down Route 10/202 south of town center takes you past the new Granby Wildflower Meadow (GWM) across from Maple View Farm. You will see a section filled with little flags which indicate where plant plugs were placed by community effort in June. Our Board of Directors has been maintaining this section by watering and weeding these new wildflowers to give them the best opportunity to flourish.

After the first killing frost this fall, the meadow will be over-seeded with more than 20 species of wildflowers native to the area. This will happen again in 2023 and likely 2024. It will take three to four years before the meadow is truly estab lished. The scientists on the GWM Board of Directors, Jenica Allen and Zachary Donais, took great care in selecting plant species that will create a colorful, hos pitable and self-sustaining smorgasbord for beleaguered pollinators. They rely on such sustenance to survive, and we rely on their survival to survive ourselves.

The GWM is part of the Pollinator Pathway, providing steppingstones of native wildflower meadows and gar dens up and down the East Coast. The Friends of Granby Wildflower Meadow invite and encourage you to create one of these stepping stones by planting na tive seeds and plants on your property, whether residential or business. To that end, and to raise funds for 35-40 pounds of seed needed for 2023, we are selling

a modified blend of the meadow’s seed mix, which removed “bully” plants that spread more aggressively. These seeds were custom created by Vermont Wildflower Farm for Friends of Granby Wildflower Meadow. Seeds can be pur chased through our website in packets for areas of 100 square feet or in bulk for areas up to 6,200 square feet. Members receive a discount.

Please visit granbywildflowers.org for more information about the meadow and to purchase seeds. We invite you to be come a member, which gives you voting rights at the annual meeting, eligibility to run for office, and discounts on seeds and future items we might sell. We would be very appreciative of any tax-deductible donations you make to help us with this large endeavor. For more information about the Pollinator Pathway, please visit pollinator-pathway.org

About ResoluteFIT: Based on Rob Olson’s training as a Navy SEAL and now with over 9 years of CrossFit Coaching experience, ResoluteFIT offers Coach-led, small-size fitness classes and personal training. Coaching and Education are extremely important, along with healthy eating and lifestyle. His goal is to empower members to live their best lives from being happy and healthy. Learn more at weareresolutefit.com

ResoluteFIT’s Rob Olson: “I found the right match with our business mission and Northwest Community Bank. Dan has been a responsive ally in our success –listening, understanding and assisting us with our move to Granby in 2021.

“For our ongoing operating needs, I know I can count on Andy and the bank’s team in Simsbury and Granby. And I actually enjoy visiting the branch!

“In short, my bank gets it. We have an easy working relationship and share core values about people and being a real community.”

nwcommunitybank.com

Andrew St. Onge, Granby & Simsbury | 860-394-2310

Dan Sullivan, Avon | 860-677-2809

Collinsville Bank –A Division of Northwest Community Bank collinsvillebank.com

Litchfield Bancorp –A Division of Northwest Community Bank litchfieldbancorp.com

“ResoluteFIT believes in strong, supportive relationships. And so does our bank.”

–Rob Olson, Founder and CEO of ResoluteFIT, Granby

L to r, Northwest Community Bank Commercial Lender, SVP Dan Sullivan; ResoluteFIT CEO Rob Olson; Northwest Community Bank Simsbury & Granby Branch Manager, AVP Andrew St. Onge.

Granby Land Trust Youth Conservation Corps on Sept 11. All photos by Rick Orluk

The Wildflower Meadow table at Open Farm Day, Sept. 17. Photo by Shirley Murtha

State Senator John A. Kissel

Leading With Confidence Toward a Better Connecticut

Working to Make Connecticut More Affordable for our Families

State Senator John A. Kissel is pushing to make Connecticut a more affordable place to live. This year, John opposed tax hikes and voted “no” on legislation which would have increased our cost of living. He led protaxpayer rallies in the 7th District opposing tolls and higher gas taxes. John voted in favor of $1.2 billion in tax relief for working- and middleclass families including a reduction to the income tax, sales tax, and more.

Call John anytime at 860-745-0668.

Paid for By Committee to Re-Elect Senator John A. Kissel, Scott Kaupin, Treasurer. Approved by John A. Kissel

Re-Elect JOHN A. Our State Senator

Granby Artists Open Studios Tour ~ October 15 and 16

On Oct. 15 and 16, Granby Artists Open Studios Tour invites visitors to artists’ studios to meet the artists, watch demon strations and find art and gifts. The tour map that shows all different locations is inserted in this Granby Drummer is sue. Visitors can also read more detailed information and download a map from granbyartists.org

Without its generous supporters and donors this event wouldn’t be possible.

The following exhibiting artists are participating the 2022 tour:

Bill McGonagle will perform wood turning demos in his studio/shop from 1 to 2 p.m. on both days. He will have a selection of finished items for you to admire and ask questions about as well.

Mark Gottlieb will demonstrate glass blowing 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both tour days. Gallery will be open and street level show tents up as well.

Susan Canavan will show her crepe paper flowers at Lost Acres Vineyard. She will have a variety of paper flowers, foliage and mushrooms for sale. She will also be making flowers throughout the weekend showing how she constructs these paper sculptures.

Rita Law-McConaughy is participat ing in the tour for the first time. She will be painting throughout the day. Her newest work reflects her focus on a single mo ment in time. Her creations are often based on a photograph she has taken. She delves deeper into the image as she paints it through color choice and energy of brush strokes. Her works are mostly acrylic, although she also works in watercolor, mixed media and egg tempera.

Douglas N. Williams’s artistic process is constantly evolving. Plein air painting helps him to sharpen observations of values and colors. From his psychology background, he has an interest in visual perception. Over the years, he has taken several workshops and classes, including studying with David Lussier, Stapleton Kearns, Hollis Dunlop, Tom Lynch and William Simpson. He strives for a “painterly” quality that pushes toward abstraction. He builds texture in the paint ings by applying paint with brushes and palette knives.

Annukka Ritalahti will display new lampworked glass, jewelry and stained glass.

Avis Cherichetti and Linda Yurasevecz will both display their pottery art at Avis’s studio, Honey Hill Pottery.

Alex Anisimov will be in his gallery at 2 Park Place. Check out his new art work! Alex will gladly answer questions about art, artists, philosophy of life and creative process.

Sally Sargent-Markey has watercolor paintings, handmade soft animals, fimo jewelry and small decorative items.

Carolyn Dittes, also participating in the tour for the first time, displays her unique style of pottery that combines beauty and practicality.

Laura Eden is excited to display her rendition Once in A Blue moon at Open Studio. This image was created for a new wine label for Lost Acres Vineyard for a vintage specialty wine. Giclee prints will be available at both locations

George Mattingly is drawn to the natural world, the focus of his paintings to date. “New way of life—learn and paint, paint and learn—reveals that there is still

much more ground to cover.” He will show a collection of new oil paintings, some of them created in Cape Cod this past summer.

OctOber 2022 The Granby Drummer Page 17 Make sure to visit our All Members Show at Lost Acres Vineyard, Oct. 7–23.

Mark

✓

law,

liberty,

government.

CONNECTICUT MORE

Cut

✓ KEEP

on living expenses

NEIGHBORHOODS SAFE

the

seekers and

of

a business to boost the economy,

Support law enforcement

reforms that

public safety,

Second Amendment

✓ REIN IN STATE GOVERNMENT

Respect parental authority, favor local control over education and housing, and transform a state government that is too big, too expensive, and too intrusive

Paid for by Mark4CT, Robert Moss, Treasurer. Approved by Mark Anderson.

Alex Anisimov with one of his paintings.

Bill McGonagle making shavings.

Susan Canavan and her paper flowers.

Linda Yurasevecz and Avis Cherichetti display their pottery.

Submitted photos

Granby 4-H Sign-up Night

Granby 4-H sign-up night is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 5 at the Holcomb Farm Workshop. This open house from 7 to 8 p.m. will introduce the youth-officer team, leaders and project groups avail able for the 2022-23 program year.

There are eight monthly meetings per year, November to June, on the first Monday of the month. Meetings start at 7 p.m. and are run by 4-H officers. Smaller groups that members sign up for are led by volunteers willing to share their knowledge or talent. Some of these may be monthly while others are seasonal. This is where hands-on learning takes place. New project groups include fishing, maple-syrup making and photography.

The Hartford County 4-H Fair in Au gust is the highlight of the year, with members submitting record books and displaying projects.

Parent and community volunteers are needed to provide the Club members with a continued variety of projects. Past groups have included painting, home steading, sewing, cooking and animal showmanship. Please consider what you have to offer. All are encouraged to share their knowledge with the 4-H youth.

For questions about sign-up night or volunteering, please contact granbyct4h@gmail.com

Sign up for GRR art exhibit tour

By Cathy Watso

Granby Racial Reconciliation (GRR) is facilitating a docent-led tour of the New Britain Museum of American Art’s 30 Americans on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. Discounted tickets are $10 for admission/tour, including an exhibition-themed fashion show at 3 p.m. Visit nbmaa.org/exhibitions/30americans for more details and go to GRR’s website, Granbyrr.com to register for this tour.

Participants in last month’s trip to the Norman Rockwell Museum’s Imprinted: Illustrating Race highly recommended the exhibit and came away with a deeper understanding of how these portrayals of Black people had shaped personal and communal histories.

Visit nrm.org/2022/04/imprintedillustrating-race/ for more details. Both exhibitions are open through Oct. 30. GRR will offer a facilitated discussion in November based on the exhibitions.

Watch GRR’s website and the Novem ber Granby Drummer for details.

Granby Land Trust celebrates 50 years

By Todd Vibert

In the last two years, many nonprofit organizations in town have celebrated an niversary milestones. In 2020, the Cossitt Library celebrated its 130th anniversary, the Salmon Brook Historical Society cel ebrated its 75th, and the Granby Drummer celebrated its 50th. This year, the Granby Land Trust celebrates its 50th anniversary, for which we congratulate them.

The Granby Land Trust is a nonprofit that seeks to protect Granby’s natural her itage through the conservation of natural spaces, wildlife habitats, and agricultural land. This is achieved through land ac quisition, land stewardship, partnerships with other organizations and advocacy for environmentalism and conservation.

In light of this milestone, I spoke to Dave Russell, one of the original found ers of the Granby Land Trust and who was active in many other civic organiza tions. He has a passion and love for this town, shown through his service.

When asked how the Granby Land Trust has been so successful for all these years, Russell said that Granby residents and their care for the land and the environment has been the driving force. Through donations from residents, the Granby Land Trust has been able to acquire and preserve land. In return, townspeople benefit from being able to enjoy the untouched nature, clean streams and pond, hiking trails, and open fields for farmland. As its mission state ment reads, “The Granby Land Trust was created to promote the preservation of natural resources, environmental educa tion and to protect land in perpetuity for the benefit of the general public.”

Russell also gave credit to many people within the organization for its success but noted that Bill Pease and Put Brown dedi cated themselves to creating the charter and by-laws to create a Board of Direc tors in 1972. From there, the Granby Land Trust acquired two properties that demonstrated its growth: the donation

of the Stanley Dimock property in West Granby and the Mary Edwards Mountain Property in North Granby.

By 1986, the GLT had acquired 282 acres of land. Today, that number has grown significantly. GLT currently owns 2,113 acres of land and holds conserva tion easements on an additional 794 acres. Those acres include hiking and walking trails open to the public, farm land that is leased to local farmers and wildlife preserves.

Congratulations to the Granby Last Trust for its 50th year! With fall upon us, visit granbylandtrust.org to find a trail to hike or an upcoming event to attend.

To find out more about the history of the Granby Land Trust, or more about Granby history, join the Salmon Brook Historical Society by calling 860-6539713, or by visiting salmonbrookhistoricalsociety.com

Oct. 27 - Nov. 27

Lost Acres Vineyard Art Gallery North Granby, CT

Join us for our Opening Reception

ursday, October 27, 5 - 8 PM

New England is a region of immense beauty and extraordinary natural diversity. is 15th annual juried art show will feature artwork inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds those of us who are lucky enough to live in New England.

A portion of art sales will bene t the Granby Land Trust.

Lost Acres Vineyard Art Gallery

80 Lost Acres Road • North Granby, CT

Hours: Fri. & Sat. 12 PM - 6 PM, Sun. 12 PM - 5 PM

www.LostAcresVineyard.com

www.GranbyLandTrust.org

Supported by Fiducient Advisors, LLC & ALIRT Insurance Research, LLC

e Granby Land Trust in partnership with the Granby Artists Association presents Celebrating New England’s Natural Beauty

A 4-H member with her hen, submitted photo

Serendipity

A new pastor for Pilgrim Covenant Church

By Karen Stanhope

What could cause a person to leave retirement and return to work? “I had no plans to come out of retirement,” marvels Pastor Matt Marzluft, the new Senior Pastor of Pilgrim Covenant Church (PCC) in Granby. “But I felt a genuine call from God.”

Pastor Matt grew up in the Catholic faith and had a personal relationship with God from a young age. He felt a desire to read and study scripture and followed a path to ministry. His accepted his first position 13 years ago at a Presbyterian church on the Pacific Coast Highway in California. While in California, Pastor Matt recalls a friend, Robert Demers, who had returned from a trip and told him about a quaint church named Pilgrim Covenant Church that had been a help to him. Demers had suggested that Pastor Matt visit PCC if he ever found himself in New England.

Pastor Matt was ordained as an Evan gelical Covenant pastor in 2014, his credentials transferring from the Pres byterian Church (USA). In 2016, a new position as the Senior Pastor at a church in Springfield, Mass. brought Pastor Matt and his wife to New England. “I asked my wife, Laura, if she was up for an ad venture, and she agreed.” They accepted the position, where they remained until he retired.

Post-retirement, Pastor Matt still ac cepted guest preacher invitations. When he was approached to be a guest preacher at PCC, he recalled the words of his friend Robert Demers.

Upon accepting the serendipitous invitation, he discovered PCC to be a 120-year-old quintessentially New Eng land Evangelical Covenant church with Swedish roots on the border between Granby and Southwick, Mass. Pastor Matt became a frequent guest preacher at PCC, where he fell in love with the little white church and its congregation.

“It is fun to preach at PCC…the church is so attentive. On my first visit I sensed a relational openness and positive attitude that I found infectious.

“I enjoy a relational church that’s a

little smaller so I get to know everyone, and they can know their pastor. It’s like a magnet―like attracts like. I felt their car ing and their love of prayer. It attracted me to them. It’s a small church with a big heart.” The congregation returns his af fection wholeheartedly, as evidenced by the number of members that attended the congregational meeting to unanimously vote Matt in as their Senior Pastor.

“Pastor Matt meets us where we are,” said Deneika Janski, a member of PCC. “He accepts us as we are, and he doesn’t try to be anyone but himself.”

Pastor Matt has a strong vision for PCC. “The church should have such an impact in the community that, should it close, the community will feel its loss. It’s on us to better serve and care for our community. PCC has a wonderful facility and great people. I love our position as a church on the state line, and it’s great to represent a number of communities and look for opportunities to serve a wider area―whatever the various needs may be. I want to look for organic opportuni ties with real growth potential for our church to be part of the community. We should serve the entire community―not be an enclave, turned inward.

“I want to see our growing youth pro gram thrive. Our youth director, Casey Janser, is a talented, musically oriented young man with a heart for God and youth. Being a biblically-oriented church with a strong center in Jesus Christ, we want to be present to all ages and experi ences. I would also like to build up the music program. We just hosted a Gospel Singing Contest, and I’d like to see that continue every year.”

“Pastor Matt recognizes our traditions, pieces of how we’ve always done things, and puts his spin on it to reinvigorate the church. He reaches out to everyone―all age groups―so all feel included and welcome,” affirms Janski. “He makes the Bible come alive in his sermons, giving us something to think about and apply to our lives going forward.”

Pastor Matt hopes that others will be touched by PCC’s openness and positiv ity. “We are meeting new people all the time, whether it’s through our youth min

Salmon Brook Historical Society opens Wilcox House

By Mark Williams

For the past two years the Salmon Brook Historical Society has been restor ing the Captain Sadoce Wilcox House and Lyman Wilcox Barn in West Granby. The old dwelling house, built in 1800, is an important part of the West Granby National Register Historic District, and is ideal for helping visitors to imagine what life was like for farmers and artisans of the early 19th century. The historical society opened the house and barn to the public for a fall preview on Sept. 17 and will open them again on Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. before the cold weather sets in.

When the Granby Land Trust, and then the historical society, acquired these amazing resources from sixth-generation owner Steven Wilcox Hastings in 2019, they were filled with family heirlooms, some dating to before the house was built. Both structures were, and continue

istry, in worship, or at one of our other ministries or outreach events. If you were to visit, you’d feel a warm welcome and be encouraged by the Spirit of Christ.”

If you are curious and wish to meet Pastor Matt and PCC, consider attend ing a service (10:30 a.m. every Sunday) or enjoy a relaxing musical evening out

to be, in need of much repair. Fortunately, the property had been a summer resi dence for generations four through six of the Wilcox family since 1908. Thus, most of the two buildings were unchanged from their original state.

After careful analysis of original paint colors, fireplace construction and furni ture use as detailed in Captain Wilcox’s 1833 probate inventory, the first floor of the house could be restored and dis played to closely appear as it did when the family’s first generation lived and worked in it.

For Sadoce, his wife Roxie, and their 11 children, life was filled with hard work. This work spanned a great variety of tasks beyond farming, including Sa doce’s blacksmith business, cider brandy distilling and woolen cloth production. The cloth was woven on an 18th-century loom, which is now on display in the north parlor.

at the PCC coffee house scheduled for 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 at the little white church with the tall steeple at 605 Salmon Brook Street in Granby. If you have a community need and wish to see how PCC might help, reach out via email to onevoicelifted@gmail.com

Things may be cooling down, but your mortgage opportunities are heating up! Work with loan officer Eric McPheat to have a seasoned professional on your side who will ensure you’re getting the best deal possible.

With Eric McPheat, you get a local loan officer who has years of experience helping Granby borrowers get the home financing they deserve.

Wilcox House, submitted photo

Remembering the Cossitt Fair

For many years, the first Sunday in October was a big day in Granby—the day of the Cossitt Library Fair. Staffed by dedicated volunteers, it started at noon—due to the Blue Laws— and many people stopped by after church or while out for a Sunday drive. One side of the library lawn was filled with tables of books, and a table with homemade baked goods—Halloween decorated cupcakes, coffee cakes, iced cookies, cakes, and Bobby Sullivan’s baked beans. There was a fishpond where children used a string and a hook to fish for prizes, a chance table with gift baskets, and a penny candy table where my daughter Joanne and I sold penny candy. Seth Holcomb would give us a coffee can with change to get us started.

I remember all the many children who thoughtfully chose their purchases—adding up the totals then placing them in little paper bags. They all seemed thrilled with their purchases. We had a variety of candy—Tootsie Rolls, fire balls, Mary Janes, bubble gum, lollipops, etc. I enjoyed talking with the children. We had one adult customer every year—Mr. Nichols who always bought two dollars’ worth of candy to eat when he watched his football games.

Downstairs in the library’s children’s room, movies were shown for the children.

I remember, too, the dear librarians who were always there but have passed on: Lila Innes, Margaret Vastoff and Bobbie Sullivan.

On the other side of the library lawn, volunteers served homemade corn chowder, hot dogs, cold drinks and popcorn. In the parking lot was the famous tag sale with lots of treasures, from toys to dishes, linens, artwork, jewelry, etc. The morning started off cool, but by afternoon it was warm with the October sun.

There was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment—by 3 p.m., a big success! I felt a little sad, though, because soon after the beauty of the fall leaves, the days would turn colder. Then the long Granby winter would set in. But, oh what a glorious day it had been!

—Bernadette R. Gentry

Gaelic vs. Garlic comedy night

The Granby UNICO Club will present a night of comedy on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Manitook Lake Hall, 70 Lakeside Drive. Gaelic vs. Garlic pits Irish and Italian humor in an interactive stand-up format.

Tickets are $35, available from UNICO members or by contacting Trish Savino, 860-416-8941 or Rob Gangi, 860-3074936. There will be a cash bar and some snacks for purchase—personal snacks are allowed.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show will run from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Granby UNICO charities including its scholarship fund and Secret Santa project that assists needy families in the community.

UNICO is the nation’s largest ItalianAmerican service organization and the Granby chapter is celebrating its 20th an niversary.

2022 Trendy Talk 2

By Jennifer Benson

This narrative is unlike the usual Drum mer article which imparts information and meaning. Using amalgams of words and of expressions in current use, the narrative is meant to amuse. Let’s dive into it and get into the weeds.

He was a hot mess. They went through a rough patch and she pushed him under the bus. She blew up her phone telling her village. He had thought she had his back but she turned out to be a Debbie Downer. Friends told him she was play ing him, suggested he give it a beat and walk it back since that’s the way she rolls. And just like that, he went in a different direction. And that relationship was in the books.

Full disclosure: That moment when I had the crash, I experienced mindfulness like never before. I was chill and had a positive energy even though I would have liked a do-over. I’d been all in to go clamping, but now, my passenger said, “good luck with that; it isn’t happening”. Really? That’s harsh.

We were looking to eat at one of those locally sourced, farm to table places that were trending. But it’s not that binary: There in front of us was a bottle of chain store ketchup, complete with inorganic toxins. Seriously? I don’t love it. But the meal was dope and the vibe was chill and well played. We gave them a shout out because they had totally nailed it.

We were meeting up with our go to peeps who were all influencers on social media. They were the drivers of a wellplayed hack that went viral. We were there for team building that would inform our next steps and grow the business. We went all in and pushed a new perimeter. I was tracking with their POV when they went down a rabbit hole. They were over thinking it and it went sideways. They were scrubbing their granular database and I was rocking a migraine. Is that how you’re going to play this? The takeaway? This is sketchy and I’m so over it. I’m going to play corn hole.

Social Services

The focus of the Social Services Department is to coordinate existing federal, state, regional and local services, to increase community awareness of these ser vices and to develop new programs to meet the needs of Granby residents. For more information about any of the following programs, contact Director Sandy Yost at 860-844-5351. Office hours are weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Granby Local Assistance Program

Granby residents facing financial hardship may access funds once in a 12-month period. The gross household income cannot exceed 60 percent of State Median Income unless extenuating circumstances can be documented.

Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP)

During the winter months, help is avail able to households to help pay for heating fuel in the form of oil, gas, or electric heat. Benefits are available to households with incomes up to 60 percent of the state median income. Processing will be delayed if necessary paperwork is miss ing. Call the office at 860-844-5351 to see if your household qualifies. SNAP recipients and SSI beneficiaries are cat egorically eligible. Liquid asset test has been eliminated.

Eversource Assistance Programs

Winter protection for income eligible households prevents shutoff between Nov. 1, 2022, and May 1, 2023. NuStart Program offers forgiveness of overdue balances as on time, monthly budget payments are made. Matching Payment Program offers monthly payments as low as $50 for qualified customers. Call Eversource at 800-286-2828 or visit Eversource.com/BillHelp

Campership/Scholarship Program

Qualified applicants may request finan cial assistance for youth participation in sports programs and Granby Parks and Recreation summer camp sessions. Call 860-844-5351 for an income eligibility screening.

Holiday Sponsorship Program

Collected monetary donations supply holiday meals to Granby families in need. Holiday Wish Lists for qualifying children up to age 16 are fulfilled through the program. Call our Holiday Elf at 860844-5350 to request a list to fulfill this holiday season.

Mental Health

988—Suicide Prevention Hotline : The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and con fidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

Granby Youth Services Bureau : Available to Granby youth and their families, free of charge, counseling is provided by professional marriage and family therapists and professional counselors to residents in need. Service is short term focused to help stabilize crisis situations and encourage positive behavior changes. Call 860-844-5355 for a confidential intake.

Durable Medical Equipment

Loaner Closet

Medical equipment, such as wheel chairs, walkers, commodes, canes, and more are accepted as donation and made available to those in need of them. To do nate or to request an item, call the Senior Center at 860-844-5350.

Food Resources

Granby Food Pantry: Located at 248 Salmon Brook Street. Pantry hours are Tuesday 10:30 a.m.–Noon and Thursday 2–3:30 p.m. Before using the Granby Food Pantry, you must qualify with the Town of Granby Social Services Depart ment. An appointment is necessary. Call 860-844-5350 to schedule.

Waste Not Want Not Community Kitchen: Free meal is available as drive up to pick up service every Wednesday, 3 – 6 p.m. at South Congregational Church, 242 Salmon Brook St. The meal is free; an offering is always welcome.

Mobile FoodShare : Every other Tuesday, 1:30 – 2 p.m. Call for dates. Please park behind South Congregational Church and Visiting Nurses Building only. Please remember to bring your own bags. For more locations or weather permitted cancellations, visit ctfoodbank. org/get-help/connecticut-food-banksmobile-pantry-schedule/

Life Church Hope 4 Life Food Pan try: Located at 23 Griffin Road. The food pantry is open on Wednesdays, 2 – 4 p.m. to members of Life Church as well as anyone who is in need. No qualification necessary. Due to COVID safety concerns, we have a drive through service. Volunteer staff will place boxes of food in the trunk of your car. Each box weighs approximately 50 pounds. For more information, please call the church office at 860-653-3308.

SNAP : Connecticut Foodbank will continue to facilitate SNAP applica tions by phone. For help with SNAP call 860-856-4357. This process will take approximately 30 minutes and the Foodbank will mail you a packet to sign and return.

Granby Public Library’s mini pan try : Located within the Municipal Complex at 15 North Granby Road. Nonperishable items may be picked up at the library during its regular hours.

Bill Griswold, teacher and friend will be missed

By Chris Levandowski

William Herbert Griswold, of East Windsor, passed away on Sept. 7, at the age of 94. Born in Hartford in 1928, he attended Windsor Locks High School, where he played basketball and was vice president of his graduating class in 1946. He attended Hillyer College, joined the Connecticut Air National Guard and then attended the University of Hartford where he earned a bachelor’s degree in math and later, a master’s degree in business education. He moved to Granby with his wife, Joan, and took a teaching job at the newly established Granby Memorial High School where he would teach for over 30 years.

While he preferred to be called Griz, he was known to Granby students as Mr. Griswold, and he never lost touch with them. Many senior classes benefit ted from his guidance as their adviser. He was invited to more high school reunions than can be counted, and he attended most of them sharing memo ries and laughter. The first graduating classes from GMHS, 1958–1961, hold joint reunions as the First Four and Griz celebrated all their milestone graduation anniversaries. They will miss him.

Many recall the experiences they shared with their new puppy in Bill

Bill Griswold. Submitted photo Griswold’s Dog Training Classes. His love of dogs and teaching them began in high school and led to a 40-year-long avocation using American Kennel Club training standards.

He and his second wife of 38 years, Alice, exchanged their home for fulltime RV living in 1988, and traveled extensively for years, visiting 49 states— Hawaii being the only one missed. Griz was 93 when they shared their last onthe-road adventure.

Griz loved teaching, he loved sharing laughter, he loved dogs, he loved travel, he loved his family. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Aquarion Water Company seeks rate increase

Aquarion Water Company filed an application with the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) for new water rates that are expected to become effective in March 2023.

The average impact to customers in the region would be a 27.8 percent increase, using an inclining rate structure for single-family, residential customers. This tiered approach would result in smaller increases for efficient/ average use customers whereas inefficient/ high use customers would see a larger increase.

Aquarion has also proposed the expansion of its customer assistance program, offering a 15 percent bill discount for eligible, low-income customers.

Further, Aquarion is seeking approval of a three-year rate plan. Increases for the second

and third years are estimated at 6.0 percent and 3.7 percent, in addition to the 27.8 percent increase. These proposed rate increases will be subject to review and approval by PURA in separate proceedings.

For more information regarding Aquarion’s current and proposed rates, please contact Aquarion at 800-732-9678.

Customers may provide written comments on this proposal to PURA at Ten Franklin Square, New Britain, CT 06051, or by sending an e-mail to PURA.ExecutiveSecretary@ct.gov Please refer to Docket Number 22-07-01 in any correspondence.

Virtual public hearings are scheduled on Oct. 6 and 25. Contact PURA at 800-382-4586 for link information.

SPOTLIGHT ON GRANBY ARTISTS

Insight into the creative process

Stuart Browning

Medium: Drawings and paintings

Member of Granby Artists since: 2018

What inspired you to become an art ist?

What inspires your art?

I grew up surrounded by art. My father was a commercial artist and my mother also painted. I have always sketched with pencil or pen and ink. I took one course in college and thereafter maintained a sketch book. I find interesting scenery and old buildings put me in the mood to take a break and do some sketching.

When vacationing, I usually find time to escape and indulge. It is a way to inti mately know your subject in a way that taking a picture cannot match. What made you chose your primary medium?

While I worked full time, I traveled a lot and the portability of pencil and pen and ink made them my medium of choice. However, since retiring I have come to enjoy watercolors and pastels and to a limited extent oil painting.

Recreating the color, shadows and highlights that I see presents a challenge I really enjoy.

Does Granby have an influence on your art?

I particularly enjoy drawing and painting old barns. Granby and the sur rounding towns have a plentiful supply of some very old and interesting structures, many of which I have drawn or painted over the years.

Tell us about a satisfying art accomplishment you have had.

After retiring, I took some art classes and joined the Granby Artists Associa tion where I enjoyed meeting other artists and participating in related activities. A highlight of my artistic activity was to participate in a plein air paint at Lost Acres Orchard. There I sketched, then painted a watercolor of the main barn and surrounding scenery. I enjoyed talking with everyone who visited my table at the event. The best part was yet

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to come: when I entered my painting in the Granby Land Trust show following the event, I was thrilled to find out that I had won a prize for my entry. My piece sold and the most satisfying part of the story is knowing that someone else has my painting hung on a wall and is enjoy ing it as much as I did.

My art absorbs me just like settling down with a good book. I am transported into my painting and experience the scene in my mind as if I was there again. It does not always come out like I want, but oc casionally I will stand back and surprise myself. Success is when I like what I see and I am not conscious of the time spent.

Barbara Schmitt

Medium: chainsaw carving

Facebook: ChainsawBarb

Instagram: @ChainsawBarb

Member of Granby Artists since: 2016

The question of what inspired me to become an artist makes me realize that I was never not one. As a kid I studied photography and dance. I loved any ex cuse to be creative. I decided to change careers from working as a geologist to returning to school to pursue a degree as a landscape architect, which is a practical balance of art and science.

During my studies, I found that my special skill is visualizing and designing

Granby Artists cont’d. on p. 23

Mark Brady Kitchens DESIGN & REMODELING

By appt. 490 Salmon Brook St., Granby, CTwww.markbradykitchens.com

Stu Browning at work in his studio. Submitted photos

Browning’s Fripp Island Shrimper, watercolor and ink

Barbara Schmitt and one of her bears. Submitted photo

in 3D. After receiving my degree and working at a firm, I found small joys in the small amounts of creativity afforded in an office setting, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t until I picked up a chainsaw, put some music in my earbuds and attacked a pine log did everything come together.

My boyfriend Jesse owns a tree ser vice business, and he encouraged me. He supplied the wood, the saw, and the safety knowhow. After my mom said she wanted, “One of those chainsaw carved bears,” I told her, “I can do that!” So, I gave it a shot, and my mom got a great Christmas present.

I’ve done many projects but one of the pieces I’m most connected to, and will never sell, is my yoga woman that I call

“Inhale.” She was the third piece I com pleted, and she’s made from butternut and white walnut, collected locally. As a finished piece it inspires me to stop and breathe and feel connected. But during the process of creating her I had many moments of being in a flow state: being completely immersed in the process. It made me realize that, without a doubt, I was doing the perfectly right thing for myself. Since then, I can be in that attentive state for nearly any carving project. I simply love working with wood and seeing the grains and bringing forth beautiful shapes; it just feels amazing and brings me joy.

I am most inspired by patterns in nature and finding the inner spirit of the animals

that I carve. My latest big project was a bear carved on-site at Farmington Valley Plumbing on Route 20 by the airport. And last year at Open Studios people may remember a wolf in progress. The wolf is very special to me because I had reached a new level of fur texture technique that motivated me to keep pushing to improve. That’s also why I joined the Granby Artists: to be inspired by the other amazing artists, to enhance my skills, and to be encouraged to share my work.

I think it’s important for everyone to find what special skills you have and to find ways of using those skills to bring you joy. You’ll know it when you try it.

Jason Raney

Dr. Matthew Lepowsky

Schmitt’s Inhale Submitted photos

Schmitt’s carving of a wolf.

Granby Artists cont’d. from p. 22

Open Farm Day

Pony rides at Maple View Farm are always a popular event.

John Coward explains the use of his farm’s tobacco leaves, hung to dry in the big barns.

Andrew Hurczyn teaches some visitors about CBD products at Addison Farm.

John O’Brien shows visitors to O’Brien Nursery beautiful autumn crocus.

Bill Bentley tells some visitors about a logging project at Wilhelm Farm.

Granby Horse Council members greet guests at Angel Horses.

A wagon ride heads out at Lost Acres Orchard.

September 17, 2022 photos by Shirley Murtha

Art Show to support Granby Land Trust ~ October 27 to November

After a two-year hiatus, the annual Granby Land Trust Juried Art Show is back. This will be the 15th art show held in partnership with the Granby Artists Association, and sponsors are excited to gather once again with the community to celebrate New England’s natural beauty.

This year’s show—Celebrating New England’s Natural Beauty—will open on Thursday, Oct. 27, from 5 to 8 p.m., with a reception that is open to all at the Art Gallery at Lost Acres Vineyard, 80 Lost Acres Road in North Granby. All art is available for purchase, with a portion of sales benefiting the Granby Land Trust.

Opening night typically draws as many as 150 people, making this a festive night out on the town. All are welcome to join us for complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine (one complimentary glass per person), while you socialize with friends, meet the artists, enjoy the show and hope fully add an original piece of artwork to your collection. Nearly $5,000 in awards will be presented to artists at the opening as well.

The show will run through Sunday, Nov. 27, with art for sale throughout.

Gallery hours are Fridays and Saturdays from 12 to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 5 p.m. We hope everyone can find time to enjoy this beautiful and diverse collection of fine art in one of Granby’s most beautiful settings.

This year, submissions will be juried by Natalie DeQuarto, assistant curator at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury. The Granby Land Trust show is highly selective and only the best art is chosen.

The Land Trust is grateful to all its award underwriters and particularly to its event sponsors: Mark Wetzel of Fiduc ient Investment Advisors, LLC and Ted Cormier of ALIRT Insurance Research, LLC for their ongoing, loyal support of the show.

To date, the Land Trust has protected nearly 3,000 acres of open space, forests, wildlife habitat, agricultural land, water buffers, ecologically sensitive areas and scenic vistas in Granby. GLT President Rick Orluk says, “We hope that this show reminds people of the beauty of the natural world and inspires them to help us protect it.”

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Rick Daskam’s painting, Trailing yew laundry line #12, won the Don and Marty Wilmot Award in the most recent show, in 2019. Submitted photos

Summer’s Last Triumph (view of the GLT’s Mary Edwards Mountain Property pond) by Laura Eden was an Award Winner in the original GLT Art Show in 2006.

John Walker’s Fresh Snowfall won the William Stewart Award given by Dave and Judy Russell in the 10th Annual GLT Art Show in 2015.

Hundreds of visitors experience the joy of Holcomb Farm

Enjoy Local Produce This Winter

Our Winter CSA sold out in record time this year. Few farms offer local produce all winter long, making this a highly sought-after product. Through even the darkest months of winter, we offer orange and rainbow carrots, red and golden beets, potatoes, celeriac, kohlrabi, black radishes, watermelon radishes, daikon radishes, sweet potatoes, onions, winter squash, cabbage, kale, collards, spinach, arugula, lettuce mix, baby kale and much more—all grown locally and without chemical pesticides.

By Jenny Emery

It’s October in Granby, and that means our agricultural roots are in their glory. (See what I did there?) It’s not just a nice history lesson, however. Agriculture is alive and well in Granby, and the Friends of Holcomb Farm take this opportunity to thank the Agricultural Commission for all it does to keep this way of life—and way of making a living—alive and well in our special town. As this month’s update from Holcomb Farm is written, we are basking in the glow of a fabulous Open Farm Day. As is surely profiled throughout this month’s Drummer, 13 of our farms welcomed hundreds of visitors in, showcasing everything from apples to agroforestry, and from horses to hostas.

At Holcomb Farm, children picked flowers and raspberries, and a group of about 20 hikers enjoyed a guided hike of the ever-developing Tree Trail and learned about what is growing there. Thank you, Eric Lukingbeal, for leading that hike. Chef Chris Prosperi of Metro

Bis restaurant in Simsbury, who uses our produce in his menus all year long, once again volunteered to demonstrate how to turn our produce into delicious dishes, cooking up a delightful and refreshing gazpacho, accompanied by a summer vegetable hash that took its inspiration from a classic French ratatouille.

The Open Farm Day visitors were ecstatic about Holcomb Farm’s diverse offering of vegetables. Some were so impressed that they joined the Winter CSA, causing it to sell out. (But fear not, read on for opportunities to purchase Holcomb Farm produce this winter.)

There will be other opportunities to purchase Holcomb Farm produce this winter. We will host Winter Veggie Sales in our Farm Store on Nov. 4 and 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Nov. 18, 19, 21 and 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. We also will participate in the Lost Acres

Vineyard Thanksgiving Market on Nov. 21 from 1 to 7 p.m. And we will hold a Holiday Gift Bag sale in December. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and sign up to receive our emails, to be among the first to know about all that’s going on at the farm.

Ongoing Stewardship of this Magnificent Farm

Developing and maintaining the views at Holcomb Farm—especially the views from the land east of Simsbury Road, looking back over the Farm toward Broad Hill—is a never-ending task for the Friends, led by our Stewardship committee and many volunteers. Our annual field mowing of the east side fields—following on the heels of the re moval of the hazardous ash trees profiled in last month’s Drummer—requires an investment and is just one example of how we put our members’ and donors’ contributions to work for Granby. As in past years, Ted D’Onofrio, owner of TR Landworks in East Hartland, trucked in his large tractor and triple-wide brush hog. He mowed and mowed. This de lighted crows and hawks, as well as a resident coyote, that Ted named Benny, who followed Ted as he mowed to snatch up the field rodents, just as wildlife have done for years after farmers cut hay. With the dry summer and his usual care,

Ted did not risk bogging down anywhere. He was able to cut close to the hedgerows and slalom around the planted trees of the Holcomb Tree Trail. The invasive multiflora rose, autumn olive, bittersweet and their comrades fell before the blade, along with a dense population of canary grass, which dominates many open areas.

Ted understands our needs, as he does considerable habitat restoration and field maintenance work for state environmen tal agencies, refuges, including McLean Game Refuge, and land trusts throughout the northeast. We are lucky to have him mow every year.

Another Stewardship activity is the maintenance of our 10+ miles of trails. It has been a year since the 100-year flood from Hurricane Irene took out the pedes trian bridge connecting the farm fields to the western woodlands. The Friends, along with the Town, are still working

Stewardship cont’d. on p. 27

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The Holcomb Farm Store was prepped and ready for the Open Farm Day visitors.

Photo by Susan Canavan

Metro Bis Chef Chris Prosperi uses Holcomb Farm produce in his menus, and shared his expertise with our visitors on Open Farm Day. Photo by Susan Canavan

Just look at the color of these habaneros! They’re “heatless,” as the sign says. Fear not, heat lovers, we sell fiery ones, too.

Photo by Susan Canavan

In Memory Of…

Ash, Philip Dana, 64, husband of the late Otheia (Gardner) Ash, August 2 Rumohr, Richard Frederick, 78, husband of Elizabeth Nero Rumohr, Ph.D., August 6

Gegetskas, Audrey Joyce, 81, wife of Richard Gegetskas, August 23 Fitzsimmons, Marc Robert, 63, son of the late Eric and Bobbie Fitzsimmons, August 23

Jacius, Doreen Jennifer, 48, August 28

Higgins, Dorothy J., 90, wife of the late Charles M. Higgins, September 2 Saltus, Gary David, 57, September 3

Griswold, William Herbert (“Grizzy”), 95, husband of Alice (Westerberg) Griswold and former husband of Joan (Cascio) Griswold, September 7 Marsan, Patrick F., 90, husband of Alice (Trcka) Marsan, September 12

CTVV to feature Harry Arora

CTVV interview with Christine Rebstock

Susan Regan, host of CT Valley Views , recently had a candid and informative inter views with transgender guest Christine Rebstock. The show is for parents, families and youth struggling with the chal lenges posed by t he agenda of educational institutions regarding gender dysphoria and sexual orientation. Many parents fear losing authority and control of their children’s educational curriculum and sexual identity introduction.

Rebstock is a brave and candid person who was born as a male but at 52 found the courage to come out; she said “it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.” She is a conservative who has suffered rebuke by Democratic Con necticut notables due to her “right side” political stance. She wants to share her personal journey and inform the public of concerns regarding this trend with

current generations starting as young as kindergarten age.

Be sure to view this informative CTVV segment and share the link with your friends, family and colleagues. Check your local PATV airing schedule and all programs at CTvalleyviews.com

More Open Farm Day photos from Shirley Murtha

to determine how best to respond. The problem is that the Salmon Brook is alive and well, which means it rises and falls regularly, and moves; in this case, gener ally west from the higher ground, toward the east and the floodplains that we farm.

An intrepid group of volunteers, in cluding people who engineered and built bridges for a living—gratefully referred to as our “Bridge Club”—are still explor ing options. In the meantime, the old bridge needs to get removed from the

stream, and this requires hours of labor to extract the wooden planking from the I-beams. The next step will involve large machinery to extract the steel. As the plans for a new bridge come together, we will share more on this challenging and exciting project.

Stewardship cont’d. from p. 26

Ted D’Onofrio of TR Landscaping maintains and enjoys the views at Holcomb Farm. Photo by Susan Canavan

This is what is left of the old footbridge over Salmon Brook, as it awaits removal to its final resting place.

Photo by Eric Lukingbeal

Harry Arora, Republican candidate for State Treasurer, was interviewed by Gary Byron on WDRC’s morning show Talk of Connecticut on Aug. 26 and will be joining Susan Regan as a guest on her show CT Valley Views. Submitted photo

From left, Susan Regan and Christine Rebstock. Submitted photo

A visitor to the Granby Grange delights in the balloon “alien” created there for her.

Relaxing residents at the Hayes farm.

Waypoints

By Mark Fiorentino

Dorman’s Banana

“So what??!!” Dave beat me to it. “YOU CAN’T BRING A BANANA ON A BOAT. It’s a fundamental rule of fishing: they bring historically bad luck.”

“Hmmph, nevermph heardmph of that mph,” Dorman claimed as he finished eating our doom and threw the peel overboard.

The dawn broke, filling the sky with burnt orange hues and our hearts with hope and anticipation. We’d done ev erything right and it was shaping up to be an epic day.

We were up and out of our houses in time to be on the water, in our starting spot, at first light. We were armed with great intelligence. Reports indicated that fishermen were “limiting out” on stripers in an hour’s time. We were prepared to use the same techniques with the same lures, in the same locations. Weather reports called for near perfect conditions.

What could possibly go wrong?

And then I saw it, out of the corner of my eye. All the air left my chest, replaced by heavy, icy dread.

There was some back and forth then between Dave and Dorman. It included, I think, Dave asking Dorman, whose tales of fishing with his dad and uncle span decades, how he could not have heard of the banana curse. I may have also heard Dave explain that the curse dates to the 1700s when ships carrying bananas would regularly disappear, leaving only floating yellow fruit as an indication of their fate.

But I can’t say for sure because I was lost in my own thoughts, debating whether I should just demand that we re turn to the dock. If that sounds dramatic, I ask you: Do you chant “Bloody Mary” three times in front of a dimly lit mirror? Do you step on all the sidewalk cracks?

I suspect not. There are some things you just don’t want to risk, no matter how remote the prospect of disaster.

Like bringing a banana on a boat.

Dave appeared to be positioning us for our first trolling run. I studied his face carefully. There was disappointment and disgust in his eyes, but no panic. Dor man was tying on his uncle’s heirloom umbrella rig, his eyes filled with nothing but oblivion.

There was no chance we were going back to the dock. So, I checked the straps on my life jacket, and said, with as much optimism as I could muster: “Let’s get it over with.”

For the next two hours, we trolled an area that was, in the last few days, the hottest spot in the Long Island Sound. We did not get a single bite. Dorman lost his uncle’s rig, and two jigs. I lost two jigs and Dave one. These were big, expensive striper jigs. We estimated their total cost to be around $80, not to mention the sentimental value of the umbrella rig, which was irreplaceable.

Now out about $125 in lost jigs, I sug gested again that we throw in the towel.

“No,” Dorman said. And then this gem: “You can’t go faster if you’re not going fast.”

Because there is no sensible response to this kind of logic, we moved to a third spot. This time, we focused on what Dave called our basic skill set: using strips of squid to fish for porgy and sea bass. In normal, nonbanana-cursed conditions, we could fill a cooler in no time. At the very least, we could battle a few sea robins.

Three more hours passed. We caught maybe four fish between us. Their com bined length could not have exceeded two feet. And no sea robins.

Let me repeat that. We fished for three hours with strips of squid and did not catch a single sea robin.

“Believe now?” I asked Dorman.

“No. Bad fishing days happen.”

As we were heading in, we saw two boats surrounded by baitfish exploding on the surface. Fishermen in both boats were casting into the blitz and catching stripers and bluefish. We cautiously ap proached, but just as our boat got into position, and before we could make a single cast, the fish disappeared.

HEALTH NOTES

Moments later, the action started again, perhaps several hundred yards from us. A boat approached from the other direction, set up, and immediately began to catch fish. We carefully moved into position… and watched the fish disappear again.

I looked carefully at Dorman. Recogni tion seemed to be creeping into his eyes.

“Let’s go in,” he said.

Ten minutes closer to the dock, fish began to break immediately in front of us. Dave shut the motor down and we drifted into the melee. Big stripers were crashing into bait fish all around the boat.

I cast. Dave cast. Dorman cast.

And the fish stayed up!

We cast again. And again. And again. The action lasted maybe five minutes. With fish attacking everything around them, we didn’t get a single strike.

On the bright side, we made it back to the marina alive. I think we were all hopeful that, with the fishing over, the curse had run its course.

But it was not to be.

As we were walking to our trucks, I heard Dave cry out from behind me. I turned to see him looking at the ground.

Pointing down, he said, “That apple just fell out of the tree and hit me in the head.”

“You see now, Dorman, what you have done?” I asked.

“No comment” was all I could get out of him.

By the Farmington Valley VNA

Seasonal Stress: Relief may be a breath away

“Dave, look at that,” I lamented to our captain. “It can’t be.”

“Holy crap, Dorman,” we said in unison.

From me: “What the hell were you thinking? Is that a b-b-banana?” I could hardly get the word out of my mouth.

“Yeah, so whamph?” was his reply as he stuffed the banana in his mouth.

“Let’s cut our losses and go get some breakfast,” I said. “We can’t beat the banana curse.”

“That’s crazy,” Dorman said. “Let’s move to our back-up area and jig.”

So that’s where we headed: to another can’t-miss spot. Two more hours and four more lost jigs later, we had gotten a grand total of one bite.

As the seasons change, many welcome the cooler temperatures, pumpkins, changing fall leaves and warm sweaters.

But there is also stress involved with sending children back to school and as sociated issues, worrying about the costs of the winter fuel bills, ice and snow, and even remembering the season as difficult if school had meant stress to you in the past. We may feel frazzled or generally anxious and our family and friend rela tionships may suffer.

What to do? Deep and focused breath ing is a tool that helps relieve stress. Conscious breathing can change your physiological state. When we feel stressed, our heart rate may increase, breathing becomes shallow, blood pres sure can rise, and we might go into a fight, flight, or freeze mode. We can actively shift that response by using slow deep breaths that activate our parasym pathetic nervous system. This part of our nervous system slows the heart rate, is active during digestion and helps bring calm to your body.

Discover the STOP practice. After a stressful phone call, before a stressful meeting, when children or others are melting down, or when just feeling over whelmed, do the STOP practice for about

a minute. The acronym STOP guides the practice: Slow down what you are doing. Take a few deep, slow breaths. Observe how you are feeling in your body. Proceed with what you were doing.

When breathing, exhale to a count of six, then inhale to a count of six. If pos sible, breathe slowly and focused in a quiet sitting location although this can be done anytime and anywhere. Find a deep rhythm that calms your breathing and your focus. People who have anxiety have a hard time trying to slow down. Practice slow breathing as your goal. Any focusing and slowing of breathing and thoughts will help. Some people also walk, stretch or lightly exercise while deep breathing to provide further calming.

It’s not all in your head. Deep breath ing stimulates your vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve. This nerve extends from the brain and branches into and influences numerous vital organs. When stimulated with deep breathing, the va gus nerve triggers the release of various chemicals that can induce calm.

If anxiety persists and is interfering with your daily activities, your health care provider should be consulted. Help is always available to allow you to live your best life, every day.

A portrait of hope and anticipation.

Dorman: oblivious.

Dave: the final insult. Submitted photos

A portrait of doom and despair.

Are you dense?

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

By Cathy Wynne

When I first got the call from my doctor in early February with the diagnosis of breast cancer, I didn’t want to tell anyone. I was in shock and denial. My sister has been fighting cancer for many years and my two youngest sons lost their father to colon cancer when they were 10 and 12. In the first few weeks and months, I kept my circle very small.

There is so much that is unknown and unique to each person’s situation and desire for privacy. There are many doc tor appointments, imaging, risk factors, genetic testing, decisions about surgery, and many more deci sions as the weeks go by. It’s hard to share something this big and scary when you know so little but your people want to help, to stay informed and to be kept abreast (pun intended) of what’s happening and how they can be supportive.

After feelings of denial, I got angry and I even resented the pink ribbon (which ironically, I have since painted on a tree in my front yard in the rainbow colors of inclusivity). I didn’t want cancer to define me, and timing for news like this is never good. I have a new and thriving Human Resource Consulting business (AHirePurpose.com) in Granby and I have recently become the caregiver for my mom who has advanced Alzheimer’s Disease.

As months and treatment went by, I realized I wanted to use my voice to bring awareness. This is why I’m speak ing up and sharing my story. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness

month and I’m hopeful that my story inspires and motivates women get their routine mammograms and to advocate for and understand their breast cancer risk factors. Many of us have put off routine preventive care because of the pandemic or because of fear. We can’t take care of others if we don’t take care of ourselves first.

Here are some facts that I think are worth sharing:

Mammograms miss 50 percent of can cer tumors in women with dense breasts. Having dense breasts means having more connective tissue than fatty tissue. It’s the fatty tissue that helps the radiologist to see tumors on a mam mogram. If you have dense breasts, your mammogram looks like a snowstorm and the radiologist is look ing for one snowflake.

Connecticut was the first state in the country to require that people with dense breasts be told that they have

dense breasts after a mammogram, but Connecticut was one of the last to equalize the coverage of ultrasound and mammogram for screening.

New legislation mandates that in surance companies cover diagnostic ultrasounds that are needed after in conclusive diagnostic mammograms, especially in women with dense breasts. This new legislation extends the cover age to diagnostic procedures for people of any age who find a lump or have reason to believe—from family history, medical history or doctors’ analysis— that they are predisposed to breast cancer.

Seventy percent of tumors are found from self-exam—this goes for guys too!

Celebrating 60 years together

Ann and Clifford Thorstenson (above) were married in 1962 at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Hartford. In August the couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a trip down memory lane in a limo—taking them to all the places they lived together before settling in Granby. Starting at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, they visited Poquonock, Windsor and Enfield and sipped champagne before stopping for food and drinks and dancing. It was a great day reminiscing and celebrating. Submitted photos

One in eight women, and one in 800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, breast cancer has an almost 99 percent survival rate when caught early, but a 27 percent survival rate when caught in advanced stages. Some personal introspective that is near and dear to my heart

How do you tell your closest family and friends about a cancer diagnosis? This is a tough one. I first considered the relationship and impact this news would have. I’m a highly resourceful and intentional person, and I’m a recruiter by profession. I assign jobs. Who can best help me with personal care, rides when I can’t drive, housekeeping, errands, meals for me and my family, dog walking/ breaks, work support, even a dear friend who is a photographer who helped me visually capture my journey.

Next, I used the nonprofit site Caring Bridge.org to share regular updates with my circle. It’s easy to use, with options for choosing privacy settings and for various means of assistance (e.g. starting a GoFundMe, Meal Train or ordering groceries). You can add a co-author as needed.

The last 2 ½ years have proven to me how much we need each other and how shared experiences and connecting with others are vital to a happy life. Once I started sharing my story with family, friends and colleagues, the support was immediate, and I felt stronger than ever before. Everyone I have told has a story of their own survival, or of a loved one or someone who found out too late. This has inspired me to create a YouTube video about Breast Cancer and breast density: Are you Dense?

Because of early detection, I’ve got a 99 percent chance of being cured. This fact is worth restating: According to the Centers for Disease Control, breast cancer has an almost 99 percent survival rate when caught early, but a 27 percent survival rate when caught in advanced stages.

As hard as my treatment has been, it would be so much harder if my cancer were found later.

You must show up! Get your mam mogram and understand your risk factors—at every age. Make decisions based on data and your personal risk tolerance.

Your family needs you. You’re worth it!

Granby Boys Soccer

Beginning a new year at GMHS

By Chase Alexander, Class of ‘24

As the temperatures gradually dropped and hinted at the pending arrival of a welcomed New England autumn, another new season arrived as well: the 2022-23 school year. For the previous two years, anxiety surrounding the start of school following a summer characterized by relaxation and freedom has been met with further qualms induced by the unpredict able circumstances of the pandemic. Yet, to the appreciation of Granby teachers, students and their families, the 2022-23 school year is the first in recent memory to begin without the need for the mea sures that helped to combat the effects of COVID in Granby while simultaneously dampening the spirit and charisma of the culture at GMHS.

While this school year does not boast any pandemic-related protocols, it would be unfair to suggest that the current situ ation at GMHS is uneventful. As current students can attest, the experience sur rounding lunch is drastically different when compared to last year. The con struction of a new kitchen in conjunction with new band and chorus rooms has caused the Community Gym to assume the role of the commons by hosting three waves of hungry students throughout the day. In addition to the location change, students have observed a welcomed new circumstance in contrast to last year with each lunch wave encompassing 30 min utes, an improvement from the allotted 23 minutes that had been the norm.

Yet beyond the tangible adjustments, students have recognized at the start of the year that a collection of underlying transitions is already beginning to occur.

With the departure of the class of 2022 and the boisterous arrival of the class of

2026, each student has assumed a new role in some capacity. Much like the fashion in which the renovation of the old GMHS commons is soon to display a kitchen and other newly constructed areas, the constantly-shifting structure of classes from seniors to freshmen has already begun to create a new identity and culture amongst the student body.

The truth of the matter is that GMHS lost a significant aspect of its exuberant nature via graduation last year, but these vacancies only encourage the formation of an even stronger and committed group of students to represent GMHS in another great year of accomplishments. As usual, clubs and extracurricular activities are back up and running. Sports teams have been training tirelessly for the arrival of a new campaign and set their eyes on the 2022-23 year to be headlined by success and glory. Club members eagerly return to their interests following a relaxing summer, ready to fully invest themselves once again. And with a vastly diverse range of classes led by supportive teach ers, students can rest assured that this school year is their opportunity to thrive.

At long last, school in Granby has re turned to a state of normalcy, prepared to host another year characterized by student achievement and growth. None of this would be possible without the devoted staff and administrators who work tirelessly to shape the high school experience into what we know it to be. Failing to recognize the contributions of the staff here in Granby would overlook the effort that goes into constantly mak ing GMHS the successful, well-rounded place it is. It is with this appreciation for the GMHS community that the 2022-23 school year has begun, and will continue to serve as a source of pride in Granby.

Health Literacy—Dealing with Depression

By Hansika Lenkala, a 9th grade student at East Granby Middle School.

What is depression?

Depression is a condition in which a person faces persistent thoughts of unhappiness that interfere with daily routines. The sorrow feelings must occur for a minimum of two weeks and it is im portant to note that grief and depression are different. During grieving, one feels both pain and joy due to remembering happy memories, but depression is when one is consistently experiencing sadness. In addition, self-esteem is usually not affected, but in depression, self-esteem is negatively affected.

Symptoms of depression

There are noticeable symptoms when it comes to this disorder. They usually occur most of the time and others around the person will see changes in their usual behavior. The symptoms faced are both mental and physical. Mental effects include feeling hopeless, anxious, hav

ing trouble thinking/remembering and concentrating. Physical symptoms that may be faced are getting angry at minor problems, losing sleep or sleeping too much, feeling tired, having a significant lack or gain of appetite, and headaches.

How to treat depression

Although depression may feel very overbearing, there are treatments that help. In fact, 80 to 90 percent of people respond well to treatment. Treatments in clude medications (antidepressants) that are prescribed by doctors and therapy.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, there are actions that can be taken on a personal level, such as regularly exercising, eating healthy, and avoiding alcohol.

Please consult with your healthcare provider. This article is directed toward adults and not towards children.

Source material, American Psychiatric Association.

#10 Chas Orluk goes toe to toe with an Ellington defender.

Aiden Henebry splits the defenders and passes the ball out wide.

Senior Liam Cramer takes a free kick against Ellington. Photos by Jay Harder

By Ken Kuhl

September is the time of year when the small-town fairs begin around Connecti cut. For the early 20th century resident, the Granby Fair was the biggest thrill of the year. In late summer every year farm chores were set aside as families packed huge picnic lunches and headed for the fairgrounds.

It started in 1895 when the Granby Ag ricultural Society sold shares of stock and purchased 23 acres on West Granby Road for a fairground. The beautiful hayfield across from the Granby Rovers parking lot was the location. It eventually grew to include a bandstand, two grandstands and a baseball field, which was in the middle of a half-mile racetrack!

The 1890s were hard times for many rural communities in America. The farm ers and businessmen of Granby were resilient and weathered these times bet ter than most. One explanation for this resilience was the revival of traditional communal values. The Granby Creamery was in operation, the Grange had been revived and the Granby Fair was paying handsome prizes. The fair was just an other example of how the town could pull together to make life better for everyone.

A grandstand was built for the judges and officials and a grandstand for the crowd opposite it. The spectators could stand in the open field, or sit in the cov ered grandstand for fifty cents a person.

The turn of the century brought two great new food items that were very popular at the fair, but which mothers tended to dread: the ice cream cone and the hot dog. Acceptable choices might include a locally grown baked potato, served with thick slices of Granby-made butter and washed down with good old apple juice or a root beer.

It was also a truly educational project, with exhibits and contests. As entertain ment, the sulky racing was one of the main attractions, and by the turn of the century the fair was offering a $300 purse for the winners. The sulkies raced a half-mile down the track, finishing at the grandstand as the crowds roared and the Granby Brass Band played as loud as they could.

Exhibits and prizes covered every item of interest to farmers and their families including vegetables, fruits, needlework, pies, cakes, bread, chickens, turkeys and geese.

The exhibitors began to arrive at dawn to obtain the most favorable locations for their displays—first prize money went as high as $2. The fame that ensued was also terrific.

All morning, there was a flurry of activ ity. At noon it became quiet, as the groups settled down at the huge picnic tables for gargantuan feasts and then back to the jostling crowds for the horse racing, obstacle races and baseball games.

The Granby Agricultural Fair continued until 1934 when a scaled-down version was moved to the Town Hall—today’s Grange Hall across from the First Church. For almost 40 years, the Granby Fair was the only town celebration of this type in Hartford County.

Today a new single-family home subdi vision is being built on the land that once was the Granby Fairgrounds. In honor of the horse racing, the community is named Harness Way.

The source for this article includes excerpts from Carol Laun’s articles pub lished in the 1980s. Actual images of the Granby Fair can be found on the Salmon Brook Historical Society Facebook page.

What’s new about pandemics? Answer: Nothing!

Speaking at the Granby Men’s Breakfast in Septem ber, Granby’s own Dr. Peter Barwick, MD, reviewed the history of pandemics, the progression of science and of medicine, the important role of several “unknown (think unrecognized) indi viduals” and the role of the electron microscope. He explained how the world’s response to smallpox mir rors our current day mix of confusion, including those vying to be “first” and those few who have been humble and altruistic trying to develop a solution to the best of mankind’s limited abilities. The message is that we cannot afford to lose sight of the fact that the enemy is the virus and not each other.

A recent COVID survivor himself, Barwick, a fixture in the Granby medical scene since 1968, shared his knowledge of history, weaving the ancient Silk Road from China to Turkey, the role of small pox in the fall of the Roman Empire, plagues in the Middle Ages, influenza, polio and COVID into a tale of discov ery, enlightenment, tragedy, frustration, and hope.

The Granby Men’s Breakfast meets monthly at the Granby Senior Center for friendship, breakfast and to listen to topics of interest. Men of any age are welcome and should send their contact information to gmensbkfst@gmail.com to be added to the email notification list.

Help Wanted - Human Resource Assistant

Performs various HR duties that include: record-ke\eping and paperwork tracking for all employee files; processes workers compensation paperwork and follows up appropriately with staff and employee; manages benefit enrollment and COBRA administration for employees along with acting as contact; understands and performs payroll functions as eeded. Must have strong customer service and computer skills always paying close attention to detail and confidentiality. ADP experience a plus! Full benefits with an excellent retirement package.

Photos courtesy of the Salmon Brook Historical Society.

Dr. Peter Barwick speaking at the September Men’s Breakfast. Photo by Pat Gilhluy

By Shirley Murtha

Trust

An audience filled the North Barn at Holcomb Farm on Sept. 8 when John Weeks stepped to the podium to begin his talk on the predatory birds that can be seen in the Granby area. One would not expect such a talk to begin with Shakespearean prose, but that was the case, as Weeks explained his title for the beautifully illustrated lecture: Hawks and Handsaws. Using some melodic lines from Hamlet that referred to certain birds as handsaws, Weeks noted that handsaws was probably an early translation from heronshaw, a word describing a young heron.

With an eye to preparing potential par ticipants for the weekend Hawk Watch at Blueberry Hill in Granville, Mass. on Sept. 10 also sponsored by the GPL and the Library, Weeks gave descrip tions of the various birds that might be seen. This particular location is a prime spot for viewing the many migrants that pass by during September and October. Numerous fall hawk watches take place along the eastern seaboard, the most fa mous being in the Appalachians at Hawk Mountain near Kempton, Penn.

For centuries, hawks and other preda tory birds were considered pests by

farmers. Pennsylvania offered a $5 re ward for any dead goshawk, but hunters shot any bird of prey they saw, bounty or no bounty. An annual shoot targeting hawks and eagles caused thousands to be killed each year well into the 20th century. Rosalie Edge, a passionate conservationist, bought Hawk Mountain in 1934 and established there the first sanctuary for birds of prey. The bounty for dead hawks was finally terminated in 1951. Since 1972, all birds of prey are protected under federal law.

Today, birds of prey, and many others, lose their lives in the blades of wind tur bines. Weeks showed the newest design of turbine that eliminates the blades. Hopefully it won’t be long before this design becomes the standard.

Weeks described the characteristic of raptors, the group to which hawks be long. Raptors are birds of prey, hunting other animals for food. To that end, they have very keen eyesight and hearing, sharp talons and powerful beaks. Some of them hunt in daylight (diurnal), others at night (nocturnal). Many of them migrate following the same types of flyways that other birds use to escape winter climes. Many of these flyways are well-known and charted. When using a flyway, the birds can take advantage of rising col umns of warm air to save energy. Most raptors avoid migrating over oceans because large bodies of water do not generate uplifting wind currents.

Using beautiful slides of photos taken by himself and others, Weeks described the characteristics and identifying features of several kinds of hawks: red-tailed, red-shouldered, broad-winged, roughlegged, Cooper’s and sharp-shinned. Some of these birds are quite difficult to identify, but the slides were instrumental in highlighting the differences.

household hazardous waste collection

Saturday, October 15, 2022

8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Simsbury Public Works Facility

66 Town Forest Road, Simsbury

Open to residents of Simsbury, Avon, Farmington, Canton, Suffield and Granby. Proof of residency required.

Personal document shredding will be available from 8:30 am to -8960.

Among other birds covered in Weeks’ talk were eagles, harriers, falcons, kes trels, vultures and kites. In discussing the latter, Weeks noted that kites can stay aloft in place, seeming to be hovering the way falcons do. The great difference, however, is that the kites are truly float ing on air currents, expending very little energy, whereas the falcons are expend ing a lot of energy flapping their wings to stay aloft. That is the difference between

kiting and hovering. An example of a much smaller bird that hovers is the hum mingbird, which most folks have seen in their own yards.

In closing, Weeks paid tribute to his friend Sam Kellogg, who passed in 2021. On his last visit to Blueberry Hill, Kellogg counted 600 raptors passing overhead. It is not out of the question that the birders on Sept. 10 or any of the other days this fall might see that many.

Youth Services Bureau

by AnneMarie Cox

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Do you have a youth or teen in your life who struggles with a mental health issue? Would you like to feel more confident in your ability to support them and get them the help they need? Are you a coach or teacher who would like to understand how to identify a problem a youth is struggling with more easily?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, we are offering a class that may provide you with the skills and knowledge you want to have. The Youth Service Bureau in conjunction with the Farmington Valley Health District is

offering Youth Mental Health First Aid. The class can take up to 30 participants and will be held on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Senior/ Youth Services Building. There is an additional two hours of online study that will need to be completed prior to the in-person meeting. We are pleased to be able to offer this class for free.

Join the 2.6 million first aiders that have chosen to make a difference in their community. Call the YSB at 860844-5355 to register to attend.

Granby

Public Library

Hawk Talk with John Weeks

The title slide for the lecture

John Weeks always enthusiastically answers questions from the audience.

Photos by Shirley Murtha

Hawk Watch on Blueberry Hill

By Holly Johnson

Granby Public Library and Granby Land Trust hosted over two dozen nature enthusiasts Sept. 10 for a Hawk Watch on Blueberry Hill, Granville, Mass. The annual broad wing fall migration typi cally occurs over a two-week period in mid-September and bird fans have been gathering to watch the avian spectacle from this New England Forestry Foundation site since 1999.

Although there were no kettles of hawks spotted, the group did see several kestrels pass by as well as Monarch butterflies —all heading south. Local popu lations of vultures, ravens, bald eagles and a Cooper’s hawk were sighted. Mi grants tallied in the day’s bird count included flocks of rock pi geons and cedar waxwings, and a long list of songbirds. The best bird of the day came at the very end (3:59 p.m.) when a male Northern harrier swooped in and skimmed the hilltop flying low over the grass—the famous “gray ghost.”

Members of the group discovered a brightly colored Cecropia moth larva (fourth stage) and noted ripening fruit on a nearby American chestnut tree—a plus for those who attended an earlier chestnut restoration program, also sponsored by the Library and Land Trust.

Everyone was appreciative of Granby resident and longtime birder John Weeks being on hand the entire day to aid with the identification of all things in the air and on the land.

Public Works

Transfer Station hours: In addition to Saturdays, the transfer station will be open Wednesday mornings from 8 a.m. to noon through Nov. 16.

Household Hazardous Waste: Col lection on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Simsbury DPW facility, 66 Town Forest Road, Simsbury. A list of accepted items is available on the Town of Granby website. The follow ing additional services will be provided: Electronics recycling (items with Freon not accepted) and document shredding, special hours 8:30 a.m. –12:30 p.m. or until truck is full. Two box limit per resident. For information, call the Granby DPW at 860-653-8960.

Signs: Generally, no private signs are permitted on town property. Before placing a sign on the town green, please contact the Town Manager’s office for approval. Signs should only be placed roadside with permission of the property owner. Signs should never be placed in traffic islands.

Paint: In numerous locations through out town, paint has stained our roadways. Please do not place paint cans that still contain wet material in your trash bar rel. The cans are crushed in the truck resulting in paint being deposited onto our roadways. If the contents of a paint can are completely dried out, open the top of the can, and place it in your trash. Cans containing wet material should be brought to the transfer station. There is a state recycling program so there is no charge to drop off paint.

Textile recycling: You can still recycle textiles curbside, but you must contact Simple Recycling to schedule a pickup. It can be done online at simplerecycling. com or by calling 1-866-835-5068.

Plastic bag recycling: Plastic bags, wraps and mailers are recyclable but not in your curbside bin! Please look for the Store Drop Off label and take your bags/ wraps with this label to your local store.

Along the same lines, please do not place your recyclables in plastic bags. Once the bag reaches the processing plant, they assume it is trash and remove it from the recycling line. You’re basi cally wasting your recycling effort by doing this.

Yard Waste: Yard waste is not allowed in your trash or recycling barrels. Yard waste has been banned from curbside barrels since 1998. Grass, leaves, and brush should be composted on-site or brought to the Granby Transfer Station.

Is that Casper?

Group members at Hawk Watch. Submitted photos

Ripening fruit on an American chestnut tree Cecropia moth larva (fourth stage)

Find free resources at the library to help identify birds of prey and other wonders in nature. Sign up for eNewsletters to learn about other upcoming programs and events. Visit granby-ct.gov/library and granbylandtrust.org

Paul McDonnell captured this ghostly image in puddles along the Salmon Brook Park driveway.

Got Compost?

Fertilize your garden or lawn without chemical additives.

By Kelley Lawton

Got compost? You should—compost ing is a great way to use food waste to fertilize your garden or lawn without chemical additives. Compost is decayed organic materials that have broken down to the point where plants can use the nutrients. Composting can improve soil structure by allowing clay soil to drain better and allowing sandy soil to hold more water. Through its ability to provide a neutral pH to your soil, it helps prevent plant diseases.

If you are a gardener looking to improve your plants’ health, a concerned citizen trying to reduce your carbon footprint or a taxpayer wanting to improve your town’s budget, read on.

Granby’s Conservation Commission has been working with town officials and community members to meet criteria for Sustainable CT. The purpose of Sustain able CT is to celebrate municipalities that are reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions while saving money, improving public health, and building community. Composting and food-waste reduction is one of 13 action areas.

This past July Connecticut’s trash plant in Hartford faced near-closure. Up until now this facility, initially converted to a trash-to-energy plant in the 1980s, has been responsible for burning Con necticut’s waste and turning it into other forms of energy. Due to multiple plant failures and breakdowns requiring costly repairs, and without the support of state funding, its board decided to close the plant, making Connecticut communities seek alternatives. A lot of Connecticut’s waste will likely be trucked out-of-state, with those costs increasing each town’s waste-tipping fees. You can help Granby reduce its waste fees by first reducing home food waste, and then composting what there is.

Composting requires two things: a place to hold your compost and the compostable ingredients themselves. There are many types of compost containers:

The Hole: Dig a hole and throw your stuff in, cover it with dirt and plant on top immediately.

The Garden: Lay your kitchen scraps directly on your garden bed, cover with leaves and dirt and let it rot. Wait a month and then begin planting.

The Pile: This one’s easy. Pile every thing up and you will make compost.

The Pallet Bin or Ring: Use wood pal lets built with non-pressure treated wood, and nail them together to make a bin, layer your compost. Or use four poles sur rounded by chicken wire to make a ring.

The Store-Bought Composter: There are many options here, choose one that works for your yard.

Granby residents are well aware of the wildlife in town, including bears. Done properly, your compost heap should not attract vermin, but sometimes curios ity gets the best of our critter-friends. A closed composter can provide an interest ing challenge to a bear cub so you may find it best to choose a simple open and inexpensive compost container.

Keep it simple in your kitchen. Use a plastic bin or container to collect kitchen scraps. When it’s full, dump it into your compost. In our family the kids do this job; it teaches responsibility and respect for the planet.

What goes into making compost?

Compost ingredients consist of brown and green categories. Brown ingredients provide a carbon source and include small sticks, dead leaves, straw or hay, wood chips or sawdust, ashes, shredded paper bags, peanut shells, labeled compostable food containers (not biodegradable, that’s different) and even dryer lint. Sawdust and fire ash should be used in small amounts or layers, because a large amount when wet does not let the compost pile breathe.

Green ingredients provide nitrogen and include fruit and vegetable food scraps, coffee grounds and filters, grass clippings, wet leaves, weeds, dead plant clippings, animal fur and human hair clippings. Avoid a lot of citrus fruit peels, onion or

garlic skin, as they are acidic and can be harmful to the worms needed to decom pose your scraps.

Don’t compost

No meat or fish products or bones should go in your compost. You should also avoid solid or liquid fat forms as these are not permeable to air and will attract vermin. Do not compost plants that seem to be diseased, pet feces or bedding and anything treated with pesticides. These can introduce contaminants into your compost.

How much is too much?

A good ratio for a compost pile is a 30:1 carbon to nitrogen ratio. That means you must be adding quite a bit of sticks, leaves, and “brown” ingredients to get your compost pile working. This ratio will aid in heating up your pile, killing off disease pathogens and allowing for decomposing while eliminating smells. If you find your pile stinks, place a layer of “browns” such as leaves, sticks and acorns over your food scraps.

Don’t get overwhelmed by trying to get the exact ratio—let a compost pile be to rot. Composting is a natural process that

Open Farm Day Fun!

Westminster

will occur with or without you. For less managed piles, it may take six months or more to get the first load of compost. It is a myth that compost needs to be turned—ensure your compost heap has enough air by placing small sticks or dry leaves between foods scraps to allow for good air flow. Carry on composting yearround, pile foods scraps on top of your snow-covered heap.

Compost is ready when it looks like mulch or soil. You can remove and use the oldest from the bottom of the pile. Spread it around your plants or mix into any soil. You will be doing wonders for the environment, and our town.

Editor’s Note: The author is a member of the Granby Conservation Commission. She told the Drummer that this article is important for those who feel intimidated by composting or don’t know how to get started. For those who believe they don’t have the time—Lawton works full time, is raising two children, runs her own business, and volunteers for more things than her husband thinks she should, but she makes time to compost!

Help Wanted - Custodian

We are growing! Full-time 2:30pm - 11:15pm to clean all common areas in our building and also respond to immedi ate needs on the resident neighborhoods. Previous experi ence preferred but not required. Benefits along with regular schedule and every other weekend rotation.

Call McLean, Simsbury, 860-658-3724. EOE

Let’s Plant the Seeds Together for a Secure Future!

Contact me: Matthew Tyo, RICP®

111 Founders Plaza, Suite 300 East Hartford, CT 06108 860.282.4600 ext.316 Matthew.tyo@ceterainvestors.com

Sheep shearing at Lost Acres Vineyard. Photos by Erin Pirro

One of the Sepe Farm sheep gets some petting from a visitor to Lost Acres Vineyard, Sept. 17, 2022.

Camera Club hosts van Welie Oct. 3

By Paula Johnson

The Granby Camera Club is excited to have Wendy van Welie as its guest pre senter at the Monday, Oct. 3 meeting at 7 p.m. in the Granby Se nior Center. She will discuss photograph ing people, in formal and informal settings.

Members and guests are invited to bring a portrait photograph for her to critique, if they wish. The picture can be on a stick or printed.

Photography has al ways played a very important role in van Welie’s life. From a very young age, she loved the unique technical challenges each portrait created. Initially study ing food and fashion photography, she thought she would follow a commercial career, but found that she loved work

ing with people in the different walks of their lives. She truly enjoys the storytell ing that goes hand-in-hand with people photography. “Everyone is unique and everyone has a story to tell,” she notes.

van Welie opened the doors to her Indigo Im ages Photography Studio in Granby Center in 2000. Although she no longer works out of that building, she contin ues to be blessed with a productive and active business in Granby.

In 2017, the Profes sional Photographers Association of America awarded van Welie a Certified Professional Photographer certification. She is a member of the Professional Photographers of America and the Professional Photographers of Rhode Island. She is co-president of the Granby Artists Association.

GMHS Class of ‘76’s Fitzsimmons passes

Marc Robert Fitzsimmons, 63, of Co lonial Beach, Va., was tragically killed in a one-car accident in Stony Point, N.Y., on Aug. 23. The son of the late Thomas and Elizabeth Fitzsimmons, Marc was born in Canada and raised in Granby, where he was active in scouting and the Granby Pony Club. He graduated from Granby Memorial High School and was a member of the cross-country team.

After serving in the Navy for four years, Marc went on to Ithaca College where he rowed varsity crew and earned his degree in photography in 1984. Upon graduation, he worked for several Connecticut newspapers including the Hartford Courant, the Farmington Val ley Herald, and the Hartford Business Journal

Marc eventually moved south, got married and embarked on a career in information technology. He worked for a number of different government agencies in different states. After hours,

Marc combined his IT and photography skills in a number of free-lance creative pursuits. He was especially valuable to his 1976 GHS class in planning and promoting their class reunions. His work can still be found at: fitzsphoto.com and flickr.com/photos/tags/granbymemori alhighschool

For a number of years, Marc also sold calendars featuring photographs of vari ous Granby sites. He had recently retired and was planning to set off in 2023 on a trip around North and South America to document the people and cultures he would come in contact with, as well as the “ruins” that he might discover.

Marc is survived by his former wife Tracey Migeot, the mother of his two sons, Geoffrey and Ethan; his sister Be linda and her husband Gary Bullock and their children Maddie and Derek; and his brother James. Memorial donations can be made to Easterseals via their website at easterseals.com/arkansas.

Bear-y fun ride at Celebrate the Valley

It was a bit chilly Friday night, Sept. 23, for the first Celebrate the Valley event, but that didn’t stop this youngster from enjoying this animal-themed ride.

Help

of

-

center

to residents in the

room along with other kitchen duties.

schedule – every other weekend rotation (15% additional) full

If you are interested in part-time – we can use 4-7p and 5-8p servers and dishwashers.

McLean, Simsbury 860-658-3724.

Wendy van Welie, submitted photo

Photo by April Isaacson

Closer to Home

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Anderson Reelection 17

Action Carpet 21

Alpha Dance 33

Becker for State Rep 25

Beman’s Hardware 29

Berkshire Hathaway - Harness Way 31

Berkshire Hathaway – Nancy Reardon 7

Brignole Bush & Lewis 2

Cahill’s Motor Cars 3

Cambridge Brew Pub 9

Carmon Funeral Homes 11

Carter Robert Painting 9

Cetera Investors 34

Chiropractic Care of Granby 6

Christensen Insurance 30

Christopher Bryant 23

Edward Jones - Jim Hammel 10

Evans Automotive 5

First & South Churches 12, 13

Gary’s Mowing 5

Granby Artist Association 10, 29

Granby Community Fund 28

Granby Dental Center - Dr. Ungerleider 8

Granby Dental - Dr. Kirschbaum 23, 34

Granby Food Bank 4

Granby Land Trust Art Show 18

Granby Lions Club 30

Granby Public Works 32

Granby Self Storage 31

Higleyville Coin 6

Kissel for Senate 16

Larry’s Construction 35

Mark Brady Kitchens 22

Martel Transportation 34 McLean Home-32 Hr. Nurse 22

McLean Home-Maintenance Asst 35

McLean Home-Custodian 34

McLean Home-Dining Assoc 35

McLean Home-Human Resource Asst 31

McLean Home-Servers & Dishwashers 26

McLean Memory Care 24

McPheat Eric Total Mortgage 19

MeadowBrook of Granby 32

Morawski Cleaning 22

Neckers 33

Northwest Community Bank 15

O’Brien Nurserymen 20

Pilgrim Covenant Church 14

Premier Energy 8

Ravenswood 19

Route 10 Tire 11

SanditzTravel 5

Santa Realty 9

Shaffer Beacon 26

Small Town Septic 27

State Line Mendota 27

Subseven 26

Sullivan Hardwood Floors 5

Swim Center at Westminster 35

Thomas Sullivan Morgan Stanley 6 Tim Kronk - William Raveis Realty 20

Troiano Oil Company 33

Two Park Place 11

Volunteers at Drummer 13 Westfield Bank 36

Windsor Federal Savings 8

Home Equity Line of Credit

Home Equity Loan

Nicki Cox and Paw enjoy a visit at Angel Horses on Open Farm Day on Sept. 17, 2022.

Photo by Faith Tyldsley