Granby Drummer | October 2024

Drummer

Tour Granby Artists Open Studios!

Meet the artists Oct. 19 and 20

Connect with your local Granby artists at the annual Granby Artists Open Studio weekend on Oct. 19 and 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Open Studio tour invites visitors to artists’ studios to meet the artists, watch demonstrations and find art and gifts. The Open Studio tour map showing all different artists’ locations is inserted in this Granby Drummer issue. Visitors can read more detailed information and download a map from granbyartists.org Thank you to all our generous supporters and donors whose financial support makes this annual event possible! This following exhibiting artists are participating in the 2024 tour: Avis Cherichetti and Linda

Yurasevecz will display their pottery art at Avis’s studio, Honey Hill Pottery. Avis has some new baking dishes as well as raku fairy doors. Linda will have miniature bird houses, berry bowls and yarn bowls. Ongoing demos will feature bowls to be given to the GMHS Honor Society for its Empty Bowls event to be held in March 2025.

Jane Furca will be displaying wheelthrown and slab-built stoneware pottery. She will have several in-process pieces to demonstrate how pottery goes from raw clay to finished product.

Sally Sargent-Markey will have watercolor paintings, handmade soft ani-

Granby prepares FY 25 departmental work plans

On an annual basis, shortly after the budget is approved, each department head prepares a work plan of departmental initiatives they plan to tackle with the funds put into place by the approved annual budget.

About town

with Mike wAlsh

Town Manager

The departmental work plan focuses on things over and above the daily operations with the overarching goal to move the town forward while introducing resiliency, redundancy and efficiency into the operations of the town.

This month, and continuing next month, I am providing a summary of departmental initiatives the FY 25 budget funded as detailed to me by each department head.

Departmental Initiative

Summaries

Town Manager’s Office

Complete the process to obligate $1.6 million of ARPA funds prior to Dec. 31, 2024.

Work to add a bond referendum question to fund the replacement of the Doherty Bridge.

Using the EOP in place, exercise the partial operation of the EOC with ICS processes.

Issue and administer an ethics policy including director-level financial disclosures.

Establish a Granby energy conservation, sustainability and performance standard.

Seek to formalize relationships with the LAFD, GAA, and GCTV via written Memoranda of Understanding.

Start up a Grants Office to proactively seek new funding sources for service needs.

Grants Office

Create an inventory of current grants including filing and reporting deadlines.

Create a comprehensive “needs” list of departmental/town issues that are grant eligible.

Identify new grants to address department/town needs.

Purchasing/Risk Management

Issue amended written purchasing policies to streamline a cumbersome process.

About Town cont’d. on p. 2

Absentee ballot information for General Election

Apply online at the Secretary of the State’s website to request that your absentee ballot be mailed to you. Once submitted online, it is automatically sent to the Town Clerk’s Office which will mail your ballot.

Your completed ballot should be returned to Granby Town Hall as soon as possible, but no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5.

When returning your absentee ballot, please be sure to follow ALL the instructions. Use of the Official Ballot Drop Box for Applications and Ballots (located at town hall) is strongly encouraged.

What are EWE looking at?

Focus group members sought for tweenage social program

At the Youth Service Bureau, we know increasingly negative messages are targeting boys ages 8 to 12. Messages about being an “alpha” male equate being a man with anger, violence and misogyny. Kindness, compassion and emotional expression are seen as weaknesses. Voices promoting anger, violence and misogyny are distressingly popular.

The YSB would like to explore how we could create a fun social program for upper elementary and middle school boys that would also promote a view of what it means to be a man in a society that values strength, compassion, kindness and assertiveness.

We would like input from parents as we develop an outline of what this programming might look like. What are our core values as a community regarding being a young man? What are the realities of being a young man in our society? Can our boys afford to be taught that voices like Andrew Tate’s are harmful and wrong without them risking being labeled as weak? Where is the line between being strong and being aggressive?

If you have an interest in being part of a focus group to brainstorm ideas about how the YSB might approach, this, please call AnneMarie Cox at 860-844-5355.

Carol and Peter Sepe brought some of their sheep to Lost Acres Vineyard for Granby’s Open Farm Day, Sept. 14. The Granby Agricultural Commission-sponsored event was a huge success. See more of Shirley Murtha’s photos, starting on p. 29.

Photo by Peter Dinella

Neumann-Hernsdorf plaque installed

On Sept. 16, family and friends of the late Diane Neumann-Hernsdorf gathered at Granby Town Hall to celebrate the installation of a plaque honoring Diane’s extraordinary service to our community. As described in her obituary appearing in the Drummer after her passing in August 2023, Diane was the town’s first (and only) female first selectman, elected after serving on the board of selectmen for many years. A partial list of her government participation can be seen on the plaque that is installed next to her first husband’s plaque on the wall to the left of the town hall entrance.

Above, Roger Hernsdorf (center) holds a proclamation issued by the State of Connecticut paying tribute to his late wife Diane Neumann-Hernsdorf. Diane’s son Mark and daughter Jennifer accompany him. Photo and copy by Shirley Murtha

Town Hall Happenings

Fall sports, harvest celebrations and changes at the PD

By Catherine Lanyon, Town of Granby Communications Staff

Granby Parks and Recreation is busy with myriad sports activities for all ages, including the new Mountain Biking FUNdamentals and Advanced Skills Program Progression courses, split into three age groups: grades 3–5, ages 13–18 and adults.

This course covers critical foundations skills for mountain bike riders of all levels, such as a new understanding of body positioning, how to use your brakes for better control, staying smooth over roots and rocks and the foundation to progress to more advanced skills.

One upcoming special event is the annual Trunk or Treat on Sunday, Oct. 20, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Granby Town Hall Parking Lot. If you are interested in decorating the trunk of your car and giving out treats to trick-or-treaters, please register by Oct. 16. All ages are welcome. Prizes will be awarded for the best adult costume, best child costume and best pet costume. Rain date is Oct. 27.

The library has a packed schedule of fall crafts and activities for all ages.

One special event is the Pumpkin Party Carve and Paint on the library’s front lawn on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The Granby Senior Center is hosting a Lotus Flower Lantern Project on Monday, Oct. 21, 2 to 4 p.m. in the Senior Center Community Room. This will be a fun cultural showcase from the Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project, with materials to make a lovely lotus flower lantern and the opportunity to view a short documentary on the history of Korean artistic traditions. Light refreshments will be provided, and it is $5 to attend. Register online at the senior center website.

The Granby Police Department welcomes Officer Tyson Deloy who was sworn in on Sept. 16. Be sure to welcome him to Granby when you see him. Longtime dispatcher Louann Hall has retired from full-time dispatching, although she is working part-time while a staff member finishes training. Dispatcher Christine Hedge has completed dispatcher training and Dispatcher Alexandria Litter is still in her training program.

Looking for complete meeting information?

You can access the entire minutes from any town meeting by visiting granby-ct.gov/AgendaCenter

Create one uniform filing system for all RFPs and related responses. Include general insurance requirements in all competitive procurements. Annual license and background checks for public works and parks and rec staff.

Administrative Project Management Office

Oversee a new budget process using ClearGov while focusing on capital projects.

Establish a Granby energy conservation, sustainability and performance standard.

Human Resources

Reformat and revise all job descriptions as necessary.

Amend the personnel rules to reflect labor contracts and current practices. Work cooperatively with the BOE on uniform hiring and onboarding practices.

Provide all employees with required training, including newly appointed supervisors.

Performance Management—roll out a new annual evaluation form.

Annual license and background checks for public works and parks and rec staff.

Community Development

Implementation of new/updated software for building permits, GIS and fire marshal.

Regulation updates for P&Z, IWWC, while aligning town ordinances with state statutes.

Monitor development filings for the battery farm and the solar development. Work toward meaningful development on the Freshies and Kearns Town properties.

Advance the town center project to realize its vision and potential.

Complete the construction of the SBP walking trail and make the STEAP grant filings.

Continued in the November issue.

About Town cont’d. from p. 1

BOARD OF SELECTMEN HIGHLIGHTS

AUG. 19, 2024

Present: Mark Fiorentino, Mark Neumann, Kelly Rome, Frederick Moffa, Margaret Chapple, Town Manager Mike Walsh, Finance

Director Kimi Cheng, Town Clerk Scott A. Nolan

Town Attorney/ Special Counsel

Two development projects, a solar farm and a battery farm, are being proposed and both projects fall outside of local control, except for a building permit if they are eventually approved. Walsh said that because both projects fall under the State Siting Council, the town desires to hire outside legal counsel with experience with solar projects and the Siting Council to better understand and exercise its rights. Walsh reported that Robert Decrescenzo of Updike, Kelly, and Spellacy can assist with the intricacies of the Siting Council and contract negotiations related to the development and eventual tax agreement should the project move to approval. Decrescenzo comes recommended by the East Windsor First Selectman. East Windsor has a host of solar farms within the town and has Decrescenzo as its counsel.

The board unanimously approved hiring Decrescenzo to assist with legal matters related to the solar and battery farms.

Town of Granby Code of Ethics

Walsh said the proposed Code of Ethics is intended to serve as a guideline for all elected and appointed officials, and employees of the town to maintain integrity, transparency and accountability in decision-making processes. These standards are intended to strengthen the tradition of good government in Granby.

The board unanimously approved and adopted the Code of Ethics.

Editor’s Note: The Code of Ethics is available for review on the town website.

First Selectman Report

When the West Granby Methodist Church property was deeded, a provision specified that if it was no longer being used as a church, it would be transferred to the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. Fiorentino reported that a group of people is working to incorporate it into Holcomb Farm.

Public Session

Maureen Eberly (Silkey Road) spoke about the Ethics Policy and thanked the board for its work on the code. Eberly inquired whether there is a system in place for ensuring that new employees receive the Code of Ethics. Eberly also inquired about the process of filing a complaint, the appeal process and if this would eventually become part of the town’s charter.

Robert Flanigan, Jr. (Woodcliff Drive) inquired about the number of holding ponds that the Key Capture battery storage park would have and when the board heard that Key Capture was interested in Granby. He also asked whether an attorney should have been hired prior to permits

being pulled. Flanigan inquired about the benefit of Key Capturing coming to Granby. He raised concerns about monitoring the facility and said that lithium batteries generate extensive heat and our fire department’s lack of PPE needed to address an emergency at the facility.

SEPT. 3, 2024

Present: Mark Fiorentino, Mark Neumann, Kelly Rome, Frederick Moffa, Margaret Chapple,Town Manager Mike Walsh, Town Clerk Scott Nolan, Student Liaison Ben LaVigne Acquisition of 87 Simsbury Road and 229 Mountain Road

Connecticut General Statutes require that prior to the acquisition of any town property, the board of selectmen refer the proposal to the Planning and Zoning Commission to evaluate the proposal for its consistency with the Plan of Conservation and Development and report its findings. Walsh recommended the board refer the acquisition of two properties, 87 Simsbury Road and 229 Mountain Road, to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Walsh noted that the property at 87 Simsbury Road is formerly the location of the West Granby United Methodist Church and when the church closed, the property reverted to the Hartford Foundation of Public Giving (HFPG). The town has been in contact with HFPG to acquire the property to rejoin it with the Holcomb Farm. If approved, it is anticipated the town will work with the Friends of Holcomb Farm and/or the Granby Land Trust regarding the responsibility and maintenance of the property and buildings. It is expected the property will be transferred to the town at no cost.

Walsh said that 229 Mountain Road property is 16.91 acres and is currently vacant except for a radio tower and associated equipment. The town wants to acquire a portion of the property to locate a new emergency telecommunications tower to improve emergency responder and police communications. The town would need to purchase approximately 5.7 acres along with an easement area that would encompass the fall zone for the tower. The easement area would be located on the remaining 11.21 acres that would be retained by the property owner. The purchase price would be $99,750.

The board unanimously approved the recommendation to refer the acquisition of both properties to planning and zoning.

Editor’s note: At the Sept. 10 meeting, the planning and zoning commission approved both acquisitions.

Public Session

Deborah Kulwich (235 Hartland Road) spoke about the missing clock project and that funds had been raised to replace the clock that used to be in the town center. Kulwich said a group of volunteers was ready to purchase and install a clock soon.

SEPT. 16, 2024

Members present: Mark Fiorentino, Mark Neumann, Kelly Rome, Frederick Moffa, Margaret Chapple.

Also present: Town Manager Mike Walsh, Town Clerk Scott Nolan, and Student Liaisons Ben LaVigne and Zainab Zafar.

Consideration of Budget Amendment for Early Voting Grant

Nolan said the Office of the Secretary of the State has announced that additional grant money has been made available to municipalities to support the changes in early voting for the November 2024 General Election. Pursuant to Public Act 24-81, the Secretary of the State’s Office will begin distributing grants

Open Studios Tour cont’d. from p. 1

mals, fimo jewelry, and small decorative items.

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 the creative process.

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

Douglas N. Williams is an impressionist oil painter who works en plein air (outdoors) and in the studio (DNWilliamsArtist.com). Customers report that his painterly eye creates compositions and personalized commissions that evoke sentimental feelings and memories. Please stop by Lost Acres Vineyard to watch a live demonstration of color layering techniques and for a chance to win the Open Studio demo.

Matthew Mikalonis is an interdisciplinary artist working primarily in print media and papermaking. He enjoys engaging with craft by making handmade paper with natural fibers and linoleum cut prints to create narratives. His work is inspired by his interests in folk art, antiques, and mythology.

Alexander Sogliero will be showing his photography at Lost Acres Vineyard. His work includes portraits, wildlife photography and landscapes.

Don Shaw Jr. focuses his photography on capturing the beauty of nature and our environment. He will display photographs of birds, blossoms, butterflies and local Granby scenes and landscapes.

William Bentley will be showing watercolor paintings and some Sketch Notebook Studies. The paintings, some

to municipalities for costs associated with implementing and administering early voting. The state has awarded the Town of Granby an additional $3,411.10 bringing the total of election grant monies received to $13,911.10 to support additional costs associated with all early voting events for the 2024 November Election.

Animal Shelter ARPA Reallocation Request

Walsh discussed the animal shelter that the Town of Granby operates at 166 Salmon Brook Street. Upon a recent visit, Walsh observed that the shelter is functional, however the facility needs some attention. He recommended that the animal shelter be added to the Phase 2 ARPA list with a $30,000 funding allocation. The board approved.

of which were developed during lessons with Laura Eden, include flowers and still-life subjects. The sketches flow from workshops taught by Doug Williams, that started as ideas for future paintings, but took on a purpose of their own over the summer with places and people in the Northwest and British Columbia.

Michael Bentley developed his photographic skills while working in graphic design where he produced album covers, print publications and eventually websites. Besides an overriding effort to capture light, color and shape, Michael’s most recent work has found painterly detail in the garden that is Granby.

Pam Jones will be showing framed landscape paintings done in oil and some prints.

Carolyn Dittes is celebrating 50 years of making pottery with a retrospective display, as well as showing her current utensil holders, bowls, mugs, vases and platters. She would love to hear how you feel about the new glazes.

George Mattingly is drawn to the natural world, and that has been 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.”

Emma Smith’s art consists of acrylic paintings of places she has visited in Europe, Asia and Iceland. She also has paintings of New England scenes. She enjoys traveling and then putting effort into designing and painting a memorable scene.

Rita Law-McConaughy will be in her studio starting a new painting so visitors will be able to watch and ask questions about her painting process and techniques.

Submitted by Granby Artists Association

Drumbeat editorials,

Letters to the Editor

KCE Proposal

Given the importance of accurately reporting information regarding developments in our town, I take exception to what was reported in the article entitled Key Capture Energy Proposed Battery Energy Storage Plan (September 2024). After listening to Mr. Williamson’s (of KCE) presentation on GCTV, and at the board of selectmen meeting Aug. 5, in my opinion there are questions regarding how and why KCE came to Granby.

Information given by Williamson and provided by Mr. Schwager, chairperson of the development commission, indicates a pre-existing friendship brought Williamson to Granby. Williamson stated, “I have a relationship with Marty, and he introduced me to Mr. Guarco.” Call it semantical, but one wonders if KCE’s stated process for identifying land for projects in Connecticut might have led KCE to a location other than Mill Pond Road.

To his credit, First Selectman Mark Fiorentino clearly identified the Guarco Estate and Mike Guarco, board of finance chairperson, as the owners of the property, and that Schwager “played a role in putting parties together.” Fiorentino also stated that “...there will be no communication with town staff and any representatives of the town with the project.”

Residents need to realize that our local boards, including planning and zoning, board of selectmen, and inland wetlands and watercourses commission have no jurisdiction regarding the outcome of this proposed project. Currently, the town has been recognized as “parties” in the process controlled by the Connecticut Siting Council.

Maureen Eberly

In response to Susan Patricelli Regan and Granby Schools

After reading Regan’s opinion piece in the July/August Drummer, I am curious to know the origin of her information relative to bullying in the middle school. Unless she or Mr. Kramarenko had students involved in bullying complaints, their information would not be firsthand.

Privacy laws govern information regarding individual students and

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 message at 860-653-9222 or send an email to: editor@granbydrummer.org

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.

families and regulate access to that information. Prior to coming to the board of education, did Regan and Kramarenko follow a chain of command: i.e. did they speak with the guidance department, the assistant principal, the principal, and then the superintendent of schools? Bullying in any school grade is a common situation; it is an unfortunate fact of the human condition since I was in elementary school in the 1950s. How we handle it is important. Accusations must be substantiated!

I would also suggest that specific names are not mentioned because of slander laws. Slander is speaking in a derogatory or defamatory manner in a public situation, such as a board of education meeting. Libel is defaming someone in print, such as a newspaper. Both can be actionable under the law.

In commenting about the shop/tech/ ec classes, Regan stated classes “occur apparently without teachers and are mostly study halls.” This seems to be a doubtful statement, and one I find hard to believe. Relative to the swearing comment, have you sat in the classroom and heard the swearing by students and teachers?

Barbara

Urso

Support for Anderson

I have known Mark for more than three years. He is a man who cares deeply for our state.

Town of Granby Meeting Calendar

Check Town of Granby website to verify date, time, location, and get information on how to participate on Zoom

Board of Selectmen, 7 p.m., Town Hall, Mondays, Oct. 7 and 21

Board of Finance, 7:30 p.m., Police Dept. Community Room, Monday, Oct. 25

Board of Education, 7 p.m., Town Hall, Wednesdays, Oct. 2 and 16

Planning & Zoning, 7 p.m., Town Hall, Tuesdays, Oct. 8 and 22

Inland Wetlands and Watercourses, 7 p.m., Town Hall, Wednesday, Oct. 9

Development Commission, 7 p.m., Town Hall, Wednesday, Oct. 16

KEEP US IN THE LOOP

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

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Serving on the commerce committee, he works hard to keep business in the state. He tries to introduce bills that are favorable to both small and large businesses alike.

He also serves on the environment committee. My wife and I support our local farms, and it’s good to know that Mark cares about them as well. He is an avid outdoorsman who cares about all environmental issues in the state. As a former member of our military, he supports the military and the police. Even though he represents the minority party in the state legislature, he does not give up on trying to enact policies that my wife and I support. I believe we not only need Mark Anderson to continue to represent our district with his common-sense conservative values, but we also need more like him to take back the senate and house and get our beautiful state back to a place where people are proud to say they live.

Nicholas R. Faraco

We are writing to support Mark Anderson to continue to be our representative at the State Capitol. He has helped bring $2 million to Granby for public safety. He and Senator Lisa Seminara worked to pass legislation to improve the flow of the Farmington River so that we all can enjoy the tubing, fishing and boating in this area. He has worked on a bipartisan plan to keep fiscal guardrails on our state budget for the next five years and won approval for a merger with the New Hartford fire district to improve efficiency and lower costs. He is working on cutting taxes, fees and regulations to help keep

Letters cont’d. on p. 5

The Drummer letters and opinion policy has been updated effective with the October 2024 issue.

GRANBY FOOD BANK

248 SALMON BROOK ST., GRANBY 860-653-5514

We currently need Jar spaghetti sauce Far East rice sides

Strawberry jam/jelly

Canned pineapple chunks, peaches

Asstd cookies/crackers

Toothpaste, shampoo

Dish soap

Toilet paper

Monetary donations are always welcome

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The Granby Drummer

A volunteer, non-profit publication established in 1970. The Granby Drummer (ISSN 1547-1497) is published monthly except January and August by Citizens for a Better Granby at 11 North Granby Road, Granby, CT 06035. It’s delivered free of charge to all Granby households and businesses. Out-of-town subscriptions are $25 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Granby, CT, and additional mailing offices.

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Copyright ©2024

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CBG Board

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Sam Mikus, Vice Chair

Karen Cleary, Treasurer Flo Bishoff, Secretary

Carol Bressor, Karen Handville, Roger Hayes

Rebecca Mikus, Dave Tolli, Lew Noble

Staff

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Chris Levandowski, Copy Editor

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Kathy Agresta, Carol Bressor, Nancy Dudenhofer, Karen Handville, Rita Isaacson, Patricia Kovaleski, Andrea Leshinskie, Eileen Longhi, Nicole Muller, Patty Sansone, Donna Schedinger, Faith Tyldsley

Reporters & Contributors

Jennifer Benson, Kate Bogli, AnneMarie Cox, Rob Flanigan, Mark Fiorentino, Monique Fitzpatrick, Bernadette Gentry, C.J. Gibson, Mike Guarco, Jay Harder, Holly Johnson, Brian Liss, Nicole Muller, Shirley Murtha, Trish Percival, Kim Pereira, Scott Riley, Faith Tyldsley, Todd Vibert, Laura Wolfe, Amber Wyzik, Sandy Yost

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UPDATED LETTERS & OPINION POLICY

The Drummer appreciates hearing from its readers.

Letters and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the CBG Board and the Drummer The length of letters will be held to 250 words and less, and opinion pieces shall not exceed 500 words.

To be published, material must be signed and include an address and phone number. This information will not be given to anyone other than the necessary editorial staff. Material from readers who do not reside in Granby will have the town of residence noted at publication.

Only one letter or opinion piece per household will be considered for publication in each issue. The Drummer reserves the right to edit, shorten or not publish a submission, and to run the material in any electronic form. Material becomes the property of the Drummer Email your letters to: editor@granbydrummer.org

Addressing these polarizing times

By Cathy Watso, GRR board member

On the night of Oct. 21, 2023, a white supremacist group distributed propaganda to some Granby neighbors, seeking white men to turn New England into a whites-only ethnostate by any means. In response, the local nonprofit, Granby Racial Reconciliation, led a Stop the Hate Rally with 200+ people present and distributed free “Hate Has No Place in Our Town” lawn signs—many are still seen in town today. To counter the “us vs. them” of such hate groups, GRR works to support connections and community forged in mutuality, understanding, collaboration, and love.

Due to my perception of a rise in malicious social discourse, I offer portions of the rally speech I gave. We can do better, Granby.

“…Fred Rogers taught about fear and other human emotions: ‘Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable.’ Thank you for those here, willing to move beyond fear, rage, shock into a unifying space. You averted the impulse to isolate or lash out and you came together.

Thank you for reaching out and offering support to the integral black, brown, immigrant, LGBTQ+, and other othered members of our shared community. You stepped beyond your individualistic needs to bolster, lift up, and protect them.

We come in the light of day, where we are seen and known. Look around. See what is visible, what is illuminated. I see people I am in relationship

Letters cont’d. from p. 4

our costs down and help job growth in our district. Mark continues to prioritize local aid to help keep taxes down and he is also working on maintaining local control over housing and education. He has helped pass legislation to support in-home care for seniors and improved quality of care in nursing homes.

Mark has shown that he is working for us all and keeps us informed through flyers, emails and town hall meetings and is easy to contact with any concerns through email, mail or phone. He has a perfect voting record at the State Capitol and works across the aisle for the benefit of all who live in our district.

He also volunteers in several local organizations. He will be getting our vote in November.

Carol and Herb Hulbert

Support for Anderson

I have known Mark Anderson since I

in all kinds of ways. You do too, don’t you? Relationships are the bedrock of a healthy vital town, a healthy vital New England, a healthy vital world.

Author James Baldwin stated, ‘I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.’

When, in the light of social connection, what was fearful in the dark, is seen for what it is: pain, loneliness, separation, misunderstanding.

It is an active imperative for us to be like an immune system for our town: to seek out, draw in and promote communal reconnections that offer health and vitality to the people who are in pain, isolated, feeling misunderstood, and who are misinformed. Without tending to the health of the parts of the whole of our community, the social system is susceptible to the forces that divide and conquer.

By gathering now in Community on this green, I urge us to commit to remain in relationship, with our diverse views, beliefs, and backgrounds, honoring all the ways humanness is packaged. I urge us to appreciate the kaleidoscope of this shared humanity. Use a lens of beauty and truth to assess the sincerity of what you hear, watch, read. Talk with those in your circle about their lives. Widen your circle of knowledge and connection. Help each other rise to ‘the better angels of our nature’. Let the forces of love fortify the bones of this community to withstand the diminishing forces of fear and division.”

moved to Granby in 2017 and always looked to him for guidance, as my life’s issues require a calm voice and intelligent thinking.

He has always been the voice I needed to hear to be sure I was making the correct decision for me and not overlooking important options.

Well, today we all have to listen to Mark’s advice and guidance as we approach another election for a State Representative for District 62.

Mark has been a strong voice against attempts by the majority Democratic Legislature to force EVs upon an unwilling public. Although it was defeated, citizens are being asked to support an electric grid update at taxpayer expense. You have also been subjected to two PURA-approved rate increases which includes helping Eversource pay for building EV charging stations which are not needed without an EV mandate. This idea is laying the groundwork to eventually force EVs on an unsuspecting public since the charg-

SBP Walking Path construction started

ing stations will be already available. Sneaky. But that is what the Democratic government is planning for you.

Mark has been on the forefront asking the governor—a Democrat—to call a special session to resolve several rate issues.

Mark Anderson is in the legislature representing District 62 and he is pushing all the issues affecting his constituents with the governor and legislature. He deserves to be re-elected and he has my vote and deserves your vote too.

Robert Moss

Support for Becker

I am proud to support Kim Becker for representative of the 62nd District. Since moving to Granby eight years ago, I have been fortunate to not only serve in a variety of volunteer capacities with Kim, but I consider her one of my greatest friends. She has always been there for me in times of challenge and need, and I know she will bring that commitment, without fail, to the district.

While Kim is an individual of many strengths, her greatest strengths are her capacity for reason and to care—she shows up for people, not for herself. She has put these strengths to work in Granby for years—with Valley Preschool, the Granby Ambulance Association, the Granby Commission on Aging, and as chair of the Granby Education Foundation. And this is just a small sampling of her actual commitment and service to the community. Our schools are greatly enriched with programs brought about by the generosity of GEF and the time she commits to supporting additional needs to our district.

Parks and Rec has announced that construction on the long-awaited walking path at Salmon Brook Park has commenced! This path will provide park goers a safe space to get those steps in and enjoy the beauty of the park.

Construction is anticipated to run through November. Please note that while the company aims for minimal inconvenience, to accomplish this project there will inevitably be parking issues, traffic issues, and storage/staging presence at the park. Please be careful and avoid construction equipment.

Kim has steadfastly dedicated her time to improving people’s lives for almost two decades. Her approach to issues and those with differing opinions is reasonable and kind. She is approachable, genuine and understanding that people may not always share the same opinion. True leadership is not about serving the interests of only those you think are like you. Kim will work to serve the entirety of the 62nd and bring representation that will promote the interests of everyone.

Monica Logan

The 62nd district of Connecticut deserves a representative that will fight hard to support the beliefs and issues important to its constituents, someone who has a strong commitment to making our rural district the best it can be. I believe Kim Becker to be the best choice for our district and I endorse her in the race for state representative. I met Kim and her family when our children began preschool together in town. Over the years we have forged a relationship based on common values and mutual respect. I have watched Kim become an essential part of the fabric of Granby—someone who gives of herself to so many organizations across the district with the sole hope of making life better for its citizens. Kim went from concerned parent to advocate for forward-thinking programs and wise budget planning and spending in our schools. She is tireless in her efforts for educational grants through the Granby Education Foundation. She believes in affordable housing and services for the elderly and underserved through her work with Stony Letters cont’d. on p. 6

Hill Village and the Granby Commission on Aging. She never gives up, always looking for ways to serve local businesses and grow our communities while still maintaining the unique and charming nature of our small farming communities.

Kim genuinely believes in supporting a diverse and welcoming community. Her kindness and inclusion cross boundaries and political parties.

I urge you to join me in voting for Kim Becker for state representative on Nov. 5.

Marcy Green

I ask you to vote for Kim Becker for state representative in the 62nd District, of which Granby is a part. Kim has the concerns and needs of all district residents in mind and will always do what is best for our community.

I first met Kim when I joined the Board of Granby Homes for Senior Citizens (aka Stony Hill Village), a housing complex for low-income seniors and the disabled in Granby. She is vice president of this organization. Kim is passionate about affordable housing for all but, particularly, for our seniors. Her contributions go far beyond attending board meetings; she speaks her mind at meetings in a calm, intelligent manner. I admire her way of approaching difficult issues.

Kim is also the chair of the Granby Education Foundation, board member of the Granby Ambulance Association; was appointed to the commission on aging; and is on the executive committee for the Kearns Community Center, among many other organizations to which she contributes.

Kim Becker focuses on issues important to our Granby community: fully funding police, fire and ambulance services; supporting our farms and small businesses; funding education; improving senior housing. She deeply cares about Granby. I have seen Kim in action and know she is intelligent, values-driven, kind and passionate about what she believes. She is a person who keeps her

commitments and follows through. I hope you will join me in voting for Kim Becker. It’s not about the party, it’s about the person.

Helen Frye

I was reminded of what a wonderful town we live in as I accompanied the challenger for Connecticut’s 62nd district door-knocking on a beautiful late summer day. Again and again, I heard, “Hello, my name is Kim Becker. I am running to be your State Representative, and I’m here to hear what issues are important to you.” And again and again, people engaged. They said they are concerned that the financial responsibilities of governing—like assuring quality public schools—are left on the backs of small-town property owners. Granby needs a stronger voice, with a seat at the table, in Hartford. They said they were tired of politicians trying to impose their personal beliefs and values on others. Politicians should “mind their own business!” And all of them, regardless of party affiliation, appreciated someone willing to hear their views. (And don’t get me started on their wellkept homes and gardens: the “Pride of the Valley,” indeed!)

I already knew I would support Kim; my time in the community with her inspired me to endorse her here, with readers of the Drummer. It’s time to send to Hartford a representative who will be welcomed into “the room where it happens,” and have a strong voice, informed by the people she represents. Kim will work in a bi-partisan way and will understand the implications of actions taken in Hartford on towns like ours. I hope others will join me in sending Kim, this year, to Hartford.

Jenny Emery

I support Kim Becker for State Representative in the upcoming election. Having observed Kim’s journey from a dedicated community-driven mother to a candidate for public office, I am inspired by her commitment and vision for our community.

Kim’s evolution from community advocate to state representative can-

didate is a natural progression of her passion for public service. Her firsthand experience tackling everyday challenges—whether advocating for better educational resources, supporting local small businesses, or ensuring our community’s safety—gives her a unique perspective that is both practical and empathetic.

Kim has been involved in local initiatives that directly impact our families. Her hands-on involvement in local organizations, including the Granby Education Foundation, Stony Hill Village, Granby Commission on Aging, Granby Ambulance Association, Lions Club, Barkhamsted and Granby Senior Center, and Granby Grange, is a demonstration of her profound dedication to improving our neighborhood.

As a mother who has navigated the complexities of balancing family life with community involvement, Kim brings personal insight and dedicated service. Her candidacy represents a shift towards a more inclusive and responsive representation that genuinely understands and reflects the diverse voices of our district.

I urge all voters to support Kim Becker. Let’s elect a leader who is not only deeply invested in our community but also equipped with the vision needed to make a positive impact at the state lev-

el. The upcoming election is a crucial opportunity to shape the future of our district, and Kim is the leader we need.

Nancy Knutson

Support for GOP Candidates

We are writing to support Senators John Kissel and Lisa Seminara and Representative Mark Anderson for reelection on Nov. 8. They have stood firm against the monolithic Democrat party. The Democrats have pushed Connecticut into an unaffordable state because of uncontrolled spending, driving “Going Green” with a path toward electric everything with no accountability; unreasonable electric rates caused by legislative mandates; doling out millions of taxpayers’ (our) dollars to placate the majority of low information voters who subsist on government handouts; 33 percent pay raises to state employees over the past four years; allowing biological males to participate in biological girls’ sports and use the same locker rooms. We could go on and on. We cannot allow the Democrats to continue their stranglehold on our pocketbooks, while most people have a hard time paying for groceries and medicine.

Reelect Kissel, Seminara and Anderson. Our future is at stake.

Bill and Susan Regan

PLANNING & ZONING HIGHLIGHTS

SEPT. 10, 2024

Members present: Eric Lukingbeal, Christine Chinni, Mark Lockwood, Eric Myers, Robert Lavitt, Steve Muller and Brennan Sheahan. Also present: Director of Community Development Abigail Kenyon and Land Use Coordinator Renee Deltenre.

100 Salmon Brook Street, proposed battery storage facility

Fiorentino stated that an application has been submitted to the Connecticut Siting Council for a battery storage facility at 100 Salmon Brook Street. The proposed facility would pull power from the grid and then re-distribute it when necessary to assist with load issues. The town has hired counsel and filed with the siting council to become party to the proceedings on this application and is currently in the process of engaging experts. Questions and/or concerns can be directed to the first selectman, town manager or director of community development. Kenyon stated that the application is located on the siting council’s website.

Application seeking a Special Permit under Zoning Regulations Section 3.12.3 for a professional office and associated site improvements for property located at 254 Salmon Brook Street, CE Zone.

Application seeking a Special Permit under Zoning Regulations Sections 8.16 and 8.6.14 for a restaurant with outdoor dining and live outdoor entertainment, and for an illuminated sign and associated site improvements, for property located at 256 Salmon Brook Street, COCE Zone.

Property owner John Pagliaro, applicant Tara Pagliaro, Land Surveyor Brian Denno, Architect Lori DiBattisto and applicant Meghan Peterson

were present to discuss the two applications. The property at 254 Salmon Brook Street consists of an existing single-family home with a detached garage to the rear. The applicant would like to convert the existing 1,486 s.f. garage into two professional office spaces. The existing house would remain as a singlefamily home.

The property at 256 Salmon Brook Street consists of a 646 s.f. building, which was a former print shop. Peterson would like to convert this building into a coffee shop. The building would be renovated to accommodate a kitchen, bathroom, counter seating and bench seating. There would also be a 240 s.f. patio for outdoor dining located to the south of the building. The applicant would sell coffee, tea, and other beverages, as well as pastries and baked goods, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, etc. The proposed hours of operation would be 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. seven days/week with the potential for additional hours to allow private events on occasion. Indoor seating would be limited to 15, outdoor seating would be limited to 25, and the ability to have non-amplified outdoor entertainment was requested. The applicant is also proposing one externally illuminated sign, either a freestanding or building sign.

Denno provided an overview of stormwater management, as well as the proposed site plan, which includes 22 parking spaces, two accessible parking spaces, the elimination of one existing curb cut on Hartford Avenue, and a concrete dumpster pad with enclosure.

Public water and public sewer capacity letters have been provided and the applicant is requesting a parking setback waiver along Hartford Avenue, which is currently nonP&Z Highlights cont’d. on p. 8

An energetic start to the year

All Granby Public Schools staff engaged in a high energy convocation to explore our theme, Connect. Believe. Achieve, and prepare for the year ahead. Our Granby Teacher of the Year, Kristin LaFlamme, addressed her colleagues with a reminder about the power of teamwork and connection. We also celebrated the 2024 Granby Public Schools Staff Person of the Year, Bridget Sullivan, one of the GMHS campus supervisors.

The first day of school with students was extremely positive and there were smiles and laughter at every level. It is wonderful to have our classrooms, hallways and playgrounds filled with the sounds of learning and joy. This is sure to be a great year!

Getting to work on our goals

At the board of education Meeting on Sept. 4, I shared my superintendent goals for the year. While work will continue in all six strategic goal areas, this year’s focus will support the first two goals for student achievement and communication. First, I will work to: Improve student achievement, academic performance and opportunity at all grade levels and for all ability levels and decrease achievement gaps on the path to college and career readiness.

Student achievement remains our top priority as we look to improve math scores across the district and ensure every student makes the necessary growth on state standardized assessments. In the second year of this important goal

for students’ overall growth and academic achievement, we will:

• Expand use of vertical surfaces and Building Thinking Classroom strategies.

• Analyze data and monitor progress for each student to inform decision making.

• Integrate small group instruction for deficit areas across all grade levels.

• Embed SAT-like math practice in both high school math and science classes.

• Support the new middle school math interventionist to develop and implement effective materials for intervention.

• Examine secondary support structures within our current schedule to identify improvement.

The district is entering year two of our communications plan and is making progress in streamlining our communications to help families find

the information they seek. The district website has been improved and information is shared with families in a timely fashion through the Thrillshare app, with the community through The Granby Drummer, and with all audiences through the askGPS blog. The following goal remains a priority: Enhance communication and build trusting relationships with all stakeholders.

Our focus for this second year of the communications plan will be to:

• Increase available information and details for school events and GPS curriculum, strategic goals, equity work, and policies related to student conduct.

• Create and share a public and internal Addressing School Concerns process chart to help all audiences get their questions answered and problems resolved.

• Train administrators and content creators on writing for today’s audiences to improve readability and to engage targeted audiences.

• Share school successes by sharing engaging student and staff videos to help tell the district’s story.

• Prepare audiences for emergencies by sharing a clear description of crisis communication protocols with appropriate audiences.

Summative Assessment Results

The summative assessment results from the Smarter Balanced and Next Generation Science and the school day SAT were shared with the Board of Education on Sept. 18, and the entire presentation can be found on our district homepage. Parents of students who tested last spring in grades 3–8, and 11 received a summative assessment report in the mail the week of Sept. 23. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions.

Districtwide we are seeing areas of improvement when compared to last year. We are above the state average in every area and all students are making

growth. In some grade levels, students have made significant gains particularly in English Language Arts. Our math scores continue to be an area of focus for improvement and therefore across the district this remains a priority for all students.

Granby Police officer Andrew Dzierzgowski, Board of Education Chair Monica Logan, Superintendent Cheri Burke and Police Captain Kurt LaFlamme, enjoyed meeting students on the first day of school. Submitted photos

Wells Road School staff Lindsay Zuck, Sarah Cosgrove, Heidi MacDonald and Taylor Barbieri greeted students on the first day of school.

Teacher of the Year Kristin LaFlamme and Superintendent Cheri Burke

2024 Staff Person of the Year Bridget Sullivan with Superintendent Cheri Burke and GMHS Principal Mike Dunn.

Granby man receives Business Journal award

Eric Harrison, president and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, was selected as one of the Hartford Business Journal’s 2024 C-Suite Award Honorees. Harrison has focused on evolving United Way’s business by listening to residents, donors, community partners, municipal leaders and volunteers. Submitted by the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. Eric Harrison, submitted photo

PARKS & REC BOARD HIGHLIGHTS

SEPT. 3, 2024

Members present: Anthony McGovern, Greg Dion, Kathy Ungerleider, Sheri Litchfield, Julie Haefner, Jen Bilodeau. Absent: Steve Simard

Also present: Terri Ziemnicki, Sandy Yost, Daphne Shinder, Mike Walsh

Public Session

conforming. Denno spoke with CTDOT District 4, which indicated that a traffic study was not necessary. The town engineer has requested a sewer easement be established along Salmon Brook Street in the same location as the SNET easement; the applicant is agreeable to this. The applicant would like to establish the existing entrance on Salmon Brook Street to a right-turn-only from the north bound lane.

Lockwood reminded the commission that these proposed uses are within two different zones, and Kenyon provided clarification regarding split zones and parking regulations.

Public Comment

Paula Johnson, 289 Simsbury Road, spoke in favor of the application and recommended that the applicant consider weekend hours for professional office use. She also suggested that measures be implemented to slow traffic entering from Salmon Brook Street and stated that she would prefer to eliminate the option for live outdoor entertainment.

Suzanne Yucha, 32 Buttles Road, spoke in favor of the application, as well as Meghan Peterson’s character.

The commission decided to continue the application and public hearing to the next meeting (Sept. 24) for staff to review the revised plans and for the applicant to button up outstanding details.

Application seeking a Special Permit under Zoning Regulations Section 3.5.4.3 for outdoor storage for a property located at 557 Salmon Brook Street, C2 Zone.

Applicant and property owner Ken McCartney proposed an area for outdoor storage in front of the building to store stone, mulch, topsoil and two storage trailers. The base for the area would consist of processed stone, and a 6-foot wooden stockade fence would be installed to screen the area from the road.

There was no public comment. The commission unanimously approved the application.

Application seeking a Special Permit under Zoning Regulations Section 8.29.1.3 for a residential ground-mount solar energy system for property located at 268 Simsbury Road.

Applicant and property owner Keith Gove is looking to install a 12,000-watt ground-mount solar array to the north of the existing house. The array will measure 57.65 feet by 11.62 feet, would be 10.65 feet tall and would be located about 115 feet from the closest property line. The 7.5-acre property is located within the R2A zone and consists of heavy vegetation.

Public Comment

Paula Johnson, 289 Simsbury Road, spoke in favor of the application. The commission unanimously approved the application.

Reports and Correspondence

Kenyon said the town received two proposals in response to the RFP for 83 Salmon Brook Street.

Susan Carolan, 6 Dogwood, talked about pickleball and the annoyance caused by the wooden paddles hitting the plastic ball daily. She shared a sound clip of the sound generated by pickleball being played on the courts located at Salmon Brook Park and recommends pickleball be played at a different location.

Deborah Joyce, 1 Dogwood Court, stated that the tennis court lights are on until 11:30 p.m. There is drinking and she hears screaming of obscenities. She said that the rules need to be enforced.

Michelle Barry, 13 Dogwood Court, stated the close proximity of Salmon Brook Park was the reason they purchased their condo five years ago.

Catherine (last name not known), 45-year resident of Granby, stated that pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the US.

Kathy Kane, ambassador CT USA Pickleball, stated that USA Pickleball has a committee in place for this issue and offered to be of assistance going forward.

Gary (address and last name not known), asked the board their thoughts on having separate designated pickleball courts.

Steve Marks (address not provided) shared the same sentiments as Gary.

Ann Antkowiak, 102 Petersen Road, stated that she and her family are full consumers of Salmon Brook Park. They are concerned about having the courts moved to the high school and support the idea of designated pickleball courts.

Jim Haggerty, 2 Dogwood Court, stated that this is a national problem and that he thinks the noise from pickleball brings down home values. Also stated that The Gables is not an age restricted complex.

Mike Walsh, Granby Town Manager, asked Granby recreation staff to reach out to public works and have the light timer adjusted on the tennis courts, and told those in attendance to contact him directly with any issues regarding drinking and disturbances.

Craig Allen, 15 Centerwood Drive, stated that he is a nine-year resident of Granby and has participated in the pickleball classes offered through Granby Rec. He asked the board to

please not restrict the usages of the tennis courts.

Victoria Hickey, Mort Vining Rd, Southwick, stated her appreciation for being able to play pickleball in Granby. Southwick does not have courts.

Jensen Barry, 13 Dogwood Court, stated his family bought their condo because of its close proximity to Salmon Brook Park and that homes values have actually increased by $100,000 over the five years they have lived there.

Sherry W (last name unknown, an East Granby resident) stated that she doesn’t think the tennis courts are ideal for pickleball as “real” pickleball courts are built differently.

Maggie Percival, 6 Strawberry Fields Road, asked if the tennis nets could be left up longer in the fall.

Sandy Salazar, 132 Canton Road, stated that pickleballers don’t want to take over.

Susan Carolan, 6 Dogwood Court, stated that the courts were built prior to The Gables; however, unless you walked on the courts, you would not know pickleball was played there (in reference to purchasing her condo this year).

Frank Aurin, 4 Dogwood Court, asked what process was taken to put in the courts.

Betty Ann Haggerty, 2 Dogwood Court, stated acoustical studies need to be done regarding the sound and requested, due to negative health effects, the pickleball courts be relocated. She said the courts can move, her house cannot.

Deborah Joyce, 1 Dogwood Court, asked what the timeframe would be if new pickleball courts are built.

Kathy Kane, Ambassador CT USA Pickleball, stated that South Hadley built four courts all with fundraising dollars.

One of attendees mentioned that the cost for a new pickleball court (just the court itself) is $30,000 per court. The Park and Rec Board discussed the public comments and decided that there will be a Special Session held on Sept. 17.

Editor’s note: See Chairman McGovern’s article on p. 22.

Current Park Projects

A local organization would like to have permanent ramps installed at the Band Shell. They will contribute funds towards the construction.

CIRMA did a thorough inspection of the playgrounds at SBP. It was recommended that additional playground-specific mulch be added to the area.

P&Z Highlights cont’d. from p. 6

Youth Services Bureau

by AnneMarie Cox

Prevention Updates

The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services has again prioritized vaping as a Connecticut initiative. Youth across the State are reporting being exposed to peers vaping or vaping themselves, beginning around age 11. The research suggests that almost all vapes sold to youth contain either nicotine or THC. Nicotine is highly addictive as we know, and can be a lifelong and costly substance. Talk to your children about vaping. We know it is being marketed to entice younger users. Help them understand that the goal is to make them think it is cool, so they become the next generation of consumers.

Parents of elementary-age children, it is time to band together

Since the introduction of the iPhone almost 15 years ago, we have seen an unfortunate rise in depression and suicidal ideation in our tweens and younger teens. As most of us can recall, puberty and middle school were times of social anxiety and worry about making friends and fitting in. This developmentally normal process of finding oneself and formulating a personal identity has become more complex with the introduction of social media. Our children are trying to fit in

with peers and the millions of people they connect with online.

Once young people start using social media, no matter how innocently, they are likely to slowly and steadily increase the time spent engaging with it. It is perfectly understandable since the sites and apps are designed to be addictive. We strive for those likes.

One of the suggested initiatives is the Wait Till 8 movement. Waiting until at least 8th grade can protect our tweens from the adverse effects of social media during their vulnerable early middle school years. However, unless we band together it is nearly impossible to tell a 5th or 6th grader tha he or she can only have a smartphone in 8th grade when so many of their peers have them.

If parents can come together and make friend group agreements to all wait until 8th grade, it will be less socially isolating and marginally more acceptable for our kids.

The YSB is interested in finding ways to help curious parents network and create a Wait Till 8 movement in Granby. If you think this idea has merit, we invite you to join one of the focus groups we hope to conduct this fall. Call the YSB at 860-844-5355 if you want to attend one.

PUBLIC WORKS

Transfer Station hours: In addition to Saturdays, the transfer station will be open Wednesday mornings (8 a.m. to noon) through Nov. 20.

Household Hazardous waste collection: Saturday, Oct. 19 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 following 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 the truck is full. There is a two box limit per resident. For information, call the Granby DPW at 860-844-5241.

Roadwork: Road improvements are an essential part of our responsibilities here at Public Works. The process includes many steps, including: drainage improvements, blacktop overlay, curb

installation followed by backfilling the curb and, lastly, line striping. Delays are unavoidable during the process. We want to thank you for your patience as you traveled through the locations being worked on this summer. Please continue to use caution as our crews work diligently to close out this process before winter sets in. Thank you!

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 on the roadside with permission of the property owner. Signs should never be placed in traffic islands.

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.

Hospice volunteers are needed

Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Litchfield County (VNHLC) seeks hospice volunteers for its growing hospice program. The agency cares for patients who live in towns throughout Litchfield County and the Farmington Valley.

What do hospice volunteers do? They are friendly visitors who chat with, play music for, go outside, and sit quietly with patients. They also can provide respite for family or other caregivers, allowing time to take care of necessary errands.

Training is provided and can be adapted to individual schedule needs.

Volunteers can choose the towns to which they want to go. The hospice team embraces a philosophy of an uncompromised level of quality and patient/family-centered care. Volunteering with VNHLC is not just about giving but also about receiving. It’s a gratifying and enriching experience of which you can be proud to be a part. If you are interested in volunteering your energy, compassion and time working directly with hospice patients and their families, please get in touch with Pam Gordon at 860-2693219 or pgordon@vnhlc.org Submitted by VNHLC

REGISTRARS’ OFFICE

Sign up for the Poll Worker Team now

Poll workers are still needed for both early voting and the presidential election in November. The registrar’s office is compiling an email list of poll workers. Volunteer poll workers must be at least 16 years old and can choose to volunteer for a few hours, as desired to fit their schedules. If you are good with computers, your help is needed for the 14 days of early voting and same day registration (Oct. 21–Nov. 3.)

Most early voting shifts are four hours. The presidential election is Tuesday, Nov. 5 and most shifts for Election Day are eight hours. We also need same-day registration helpers, absentee ballot counters and traffic help on Election Day for short shifts. To be added to the list or if you did not receive the poll worker information e-letter, please email the registrars at: registrarofvoters@granby-ct.gov

Poll worker training is required to serve. The registrars of voters are inviting all interested citizens and students to a poll worker class on voting here in Granby. We will cover all of the protocols in place to secure ballots and ensure verifiable results. The class will be held on Thursday, Oct. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Granby Town Hall Meeting room.

Calendar Review

Friday, Oct. 4 is the first day absentee ballots for presidential election are available.

Thursday, Oct. 10 Voting and poll worker class held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Granby Town Hall Meeting Room (THMR)

Wednesday, Oct. 16 Public testing and sealing of the voting machines, 1 p.m. THMR Friday, Oct. 18 Special voter session in registrar’s office from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 18 Deadline for online and postmarked voter registrations to participate in the presidential election.

Oct. 21–31 and Nov. 1–3 Early voting at town hall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 29 Early voting at town hall from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 31 Early voting at town hall from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Questions?

The registrars’ office in the town hall is open every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please feel free to contact the registrars, Laura Wolfe and Paul Willis, at 860-844-5322 or -5323 or registrarofvoters@granby-ct.gov

CANDIDATE LIST FOR NOV. 5 ELECTION

Voters will be able to vote for one candidate in each category to serve the term noted.

Presidential Electors (1/20/2025 – 1/20/2029)

Harris and Walz, Democratic Party

Trump and Vance, Republican Party

Stein and Ware, Green Party

Oliver and ter Maat, Libertarian Party

Kennedy, Jr. and Shanahan, Petitioning Candidate

United States Senator (1/3/2025 – 1/3/2031)

Christopher S. Murphy, Democratic Party

Matthew M. Corey, Republican Party

Christopher S. Murphy, Working Families Party

Justin C. Paglino, Green Party

Robert Finley Hyde, Cheaper Gas Groceries Party

Representative in Congress 1 (1/3/2025 –1/3/2027)

John B. Larson, Democratic Party

Jim Griffin, Republican Party

John B. Larson, Working Families Party

Mary L. Sanders, Green Party

State Senator 7 (1/8/2025 – 1/6/2027)

Cynthia Mangini, Democratic Party

John A. Kissel, Republican Party

Cynthia Mangini, Working Families Party

John A. Kissel, Independent Party

State Senator 8 (1/8/2025 – 1/6/2027)

Paul Honig, Democratic Party

Lisa Seminara, Republican Party

Paul Honig, Working Families Party

Lisa Seminara, Independent Party

State Representative 62 (1/8/2025 – 1/6/2027)

Kim Becker, Democratic Party

Mark W. Anderson, Republican Party

Kim Becker, Working Families Party

Mark W. Anderson, Independent Party

Registrar of Voters (1/8/2025 – 1/3/2029)

Laura Wolfe, Democratic Party

Karen Antonucci, Republican Party

Making those connections

We are now settling into the routines of the new school year. Kids are getting comfortable with their teachers and their schedule, adapting to new policies and are engaged in the learning process.

Superintendent Cheri Burke last month announced that our theme for the year will be “Connect. Believe. Achieve.” While our priority is improving student achievement across Granby schools, I wanted to highlight the critical role of “connection”.

The connections between student and teacher, teacher and administration, and administration and parents, are paramount. They ensure valuable information, questions and thoughts. Ideas flow consistently and in real time—giving all stakeholders the very best chance to set up our students to successfully reach their goals.

Today, social media has become one of society’s top tools for connecting. It’s a great way to see what old friends are up to, find out what events are happening or share fun moments. But by now we, as adults, are aware that social media is also a place where anyone can say anything regardless of whether it’s true. It’s a place where contentious discussions consume valuable chunks of our time with net zero outcomes. Because no one is immune to the detrimental, sometimes hurtful and dangerous impacts social media can have, it’s incumbent upon all of us to use it responsibly and to teach our children to do the same.

Establishing and fostering connections with our schools will amount to a two-way flow of more accurate information, less wasted time and a more stable, productive environment for our students.

If you are looking for information, wish to express a concern or have a

question about a school-related issue, please directly contact the appropriate teacher, principal or the superintendent. Our administration created and published a chart (see e-address below) to help everyone find where to go with any given need. This chart can be found on all Granby schools’ websites, in the September issue of the Drummer and was discussed in the Sept. 4 board of education meeting. granby.k12.ct.us/ page/addressingschoolconcerns

If you have a board-related concern, or if you wish to discuss something district-related, always feel free to email me as board chairperson: loganm@granbyschools.org

It truly does take a village to keep our schools operating well. We would love for more parents and community members to get involved and stay connected to our schools. The PTO is a great opportunity for more parents to connect, and there are several openings available to get you started. If you are interested in joining the PTO, please reach out to info@granbypto.com

We also have the GMHS Athletic Booster Club (info@gmhsboosters. com), the Fine Arts Booster (GMHSArtsBooster@gmail.com), and more. If you are interested in finding other ways to participate in our educational community, please reach out to me any time, or ask the schools directly at askgps@granbyschools.org

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 services and to develop new programs to meet the needs of Granby residents. For more information about any of the following programs, contact Director Sandra Yost at 860-844-5351. Office hours are weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Winter season is fast approaching. There are steps you can take to make sure you are prepared. If you have a generator, be sure to testrun it monthly and have the appropriate fuel on hand. Service your furnace. Seal windows and doors to minimize drafts.

There are programs available should you need help with energy costs. Social Services may assist with applications by appointment.

See below:

Energy Assistance

Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is designed to help offset home energy costs of lower income families, specifically those households whose annual income falls at or below 60 percent of the state median income ($87,511 for a family of four in 2024).

Eversource Assistance Programs: Winter protection for income-eligible households prevents shutoff from Nov. 1, 2024 through May 1, 2025. Call Eversource at 800-286-2828 or visit Eversource.com/BillHelp

Operation Fuel: offers emergency energy assistance for heating expenses for households who meet program guidelines with incomes at or below 100 percent of the state median income guidelines who are in crisis.

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.

Food Resources

Granby Food Pantry: Located at 248 Salmon Brook Street, pantry hours are Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.–noon and Thursdays, 2–3:30 p.m. Before using the food pantry, you must qualify with the Town of Granby Social Services Department. An appointment is necessary; call 860-8445350 to schedule.

Waste Not Want Not Community Kitchen: Free meal available as drive-up to pick-up service every Wednesday, 3–5 p.m. at Granby Congregational Church, South Campus, 242 Salmon Brook St. The meal is free, but an offering is always welcome.

Mobile FoodShare: Tuesdays, Oct. 1, 15 and 29, 1–1:30 p.m. Please park behind the Granby Congregational Church and Visiting Nurses Building only. Please remember to bring your own bags. For more locations or weather cancellations, visit ctfoodbank.org/get-help/connecticut-food-banks-mobile-pantry-schedule

Life Church Hope 4 Life Food Pantry: Located at 23 Griffin Road, the food pantry is

open Wednesdays, Oct. 8, 22, Nov. 2 and 26, 2–6 p.m. to members of Life Church as well as anyone who is in need. No qualification is necessary. Please bring your own bags. For more information, please call the church office at 860653-3308.

Open Cupboard Pantry: Located at Granby Congregational Church, North Campus, 219 North Granby Road. Distributions are Fridays, 3–4 p.m. Please enter the church parking lot via north entrance on Stratton Road. Call the church at 860-653-4537 with any questions. SNAP: CT Foodbank will continue to facilitate SNAP applications by phone. For help with SNAP call 860-856-4357. This process will take approximately 30 minutes and CT Foodbank will mail you a packet to sign and return. Resources and Services

Child Welfare Resources: Tools for supporting virtual times for families and child welfare workforce tools are available through the Child Welfare Information Gateway at cwig@communications.childwelfare.gov

Domestic Violence: If you need help or just someone to talk to, please visit CTSafeConnect.org or call or text 888-774-2900. Advocates available 24/7.

Mental Health and Emergencies: If you are experiencing a true medical emergency or crisis, please call 911 or proceed to your nearest emergency room. You can also access mobile crisis services by dialing 211.

Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-467-3135

Access Line: 1-800-563-4086 for 24/7 access to substance use treatment, including detox and transportation.

When it Builds Up, Talk it Out: a campaign launched by United Way 211 and DCF, you can talk to a professional by calling 833-258-5011 or www.talkitoutct.com. For parents and caregivers.

State of Connecticut Department of Social Services - For assistance with applying for benefits, such as Medicare Savings Programs, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/formerly known as Food Stamps, call (860) 724-6443 x 275 for the Benefits Enrollment Center.

Senior Job Bank- A nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people over the age of 50 find part-time work in the West Hartford community and surrounding towns. Jobseekers are connected with part-time job opportunities in businesses, municipalities and nonprofits as well as per diem work with individuals. Visit https://seniorsjobbankct.org/ or call 860-5213210.

Athletic Booster Club fall sports updates

By Corrine DelGallo

The Hope Hangout— a place for anxious teens

By Mackenzie Janski

TOOTH TALK

The GMHS Athletic Booster Club is excited for another year of high school sports, spirit and community! Our fall season is already underway, with football, girls/boys soccer, girls/boys cross country, girls field hockey and girls volleyball games occurring weekly. Find the full schedule on the CIAC website with the QR code below. The club is especially excited to announce that GMHS will host a series of homecoming games on Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct.

5. On Friday our football team, the Granby/Canton Bears, takes on the Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby Raiders under the lights at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday the all-day action begins with varsity girls field hockey at noon and ends with varsity girls soccer under the lights.

The GMHS Athletic Booster Club will also sponsor Rovers Night on Oct. 5. All current and former Rovers players are invited to attend the varsity boys soccer game against Bolton at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity girls soccer game against Berlin at 7 p.m. Rovers who attend will each receive a ticket to participate in our raffles and will also get to form a high five tunnel on the field to greet the high school players before their games. We will have sandwiches available from Chic-fil-A and other surprises in store as well.

All GMHS games, including those on Oct. 5, are open to all community members. We encourage you to attend and show your support for our high school athletes and coaches. Another way to show your support is to make a donation to the GMHS Athletic Booster Club. More information can be found gmhsboosters.com

Hope to see you on the field. Good luck to all of our athletes and coaches—GO BEARS!

There is a new resource in town for teens who may be struggling with anxiety or depression—The Hope Hangout (bit.ly/thehopehangout).

I created this resource as a part of my Girl Scouts Gold Award. In the Gold Award Project, the Girl Scout must identify an issue in her community, then find the root cause. The issue I identified was the increased amount of anxiety and depression in teens, especially high schoolers. I found the root cause of this issue to be the pandemic, during which there was a spike of anxiety and depression but not in those seeking treatment. As someone who struggled with anxiety in crowds after the pandemic, I wanted to base my project around this issue.

The goal is an easily accessible collection of vetted, reputable resources to help identify what teens are feeling. I conducted extensive research into causes and indicators of anxiety and depression among teens as well as effective coping strategies for those dealing with these issues. To get this important information out to middle and high schoolers in Granby (and beyond) I designed a website to provide easy access, and The Hope Hangout (bit.ly/ thehopehangout) was born.

The Hope Hangout is NOT intended to replace treatment by a mental health professional. It IS meant to be a valuable resource for teens to educate themselves and support the understanding of their own mental health. The site provides contact information for numerous local and national hotlines and support systems teens can call when they are in need.

To work hand-in-hand with the website and provide an aid for teens, I developed Mindfulness Kits that are available in several key locations—the Teen Corner of the Granby

Public Library (Main Branch), Granby Memorial High School, Granby Memorial Middle School and the Youth Services Bureau. These kits contain several comforting and distracting items to help teens pull themselves out of a spiral of negative thoughts. Each kit contains a small journal, coloring sheet and crayons, bracelet-making floss and directions, hand knitting yarn and instructions, a textured calm strip and comforting chamomile tea and hot cocoa. These kits are free for teens to take and keep to use as needed. My hope is that this project will help teens in Granby who may need mental health support but are nervous about asking for that help. If you are a teen, please visit The Hope Hangout. If you are a parent or someone who works with teens, please share The Hope Hangout with them. Visit bit.ly/ thehopehangout to access all these resources.

Celebrating the first day of school!

Kelly Lane Preschool Teaching Assistant Carey Even and preschool student Nora Martins enjoyed bubbles to celebrate the first day of school.

Submitted photo

by Michael Ungerleider D.M.D

Q: My dentist showed me a photo of my tooth with a crack in it. Do I have to worry about that?

A: The biggest difference between your bone and your tooth is that a bone can repair itself, but a tooth cannot. Therefore, when a tooth becomes cracked, it will only get worse. If the crack is only in the outer enamel layer, it will not hurt, as there are no nerves in the enamel. (the hardest and strongest part of your body.) Over time, with the extreme forces of chewing, the crack will typically grow larger and deeper. Bacteria that cause cavities act like termites and invade the crack and burrow down toward the pulp (the center of your tooth with the nerve chamber) The longer you wait, the more likely the bacteria will damage the nerve and you will need a Root Canal. However, even before that occurs, you might bite on a hard nut or shell or even a bagel or pizza crust and CRACK, the tooth will break. If you are lucky, the tooth could still be saved with a crown, or maybe a root canal and a crown. But if you are unlucky, the split tooth will have to be extracted and then you would need an implant.

So, if the Doctor shows you a crack in your tooth, follow his or her recommendation and get the crown before further damage results.

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! There is no obligation, just see what’s possible! If you have a question you would like answered or would like a tour of our modern office to view our infection control 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 to find out more about our practice:

VARSITY SOCCER SEASONS START STRONG

Photos by Jay Harder

Freshman Brody Boyd during a Sept. 14 non-league game against Old Lyme. Granby won 3-1.

Senior Calvin Olsen during the Old Lyme match .

Maylee Walker on the pitch during a Sept. 17 home match against East Granby. The girls won 7-0.

Junior Paige Shelansky at the Sept. 17 game.

Dylan Brown and Evan Wiggins during the match against Old Lyme.

John Hurczyn, Ben DelGallo and Brady Liss during the Sept. 12 home match against Ellington that ended in a 2-2 tie.

Jalissa Matthews and sophomore Jaclyn Scanlon: teamwork makes the dreamwork!

Junior Morgan Bosco drives the ball in the game against East Granby.

In Town Focus

Civic Club

The Granby Civic Club will meet on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. at the Senior Center. The guest speaker will be Margaret Smith-Hale from Nutmeg Senior Rides. The organization covers Granby and East Granby and may provide an alternative for those needing transportation to appointments. Refreshments will be provided. Guests and new members are always welcome. Please contact Ginny@lostacres.com with any questions.

Healing Paths

Join Ancient Healing Paths for their Free Alternative Healthcare Day on the second Thursday of every month at the Granby Congregational Church at 219 North Granby Road. At the free alternative healthcare day participants can experience a wide range of alternative healing modalities to include Reiki, massage therapy, acupuncture, sound healing and more. These services are free of charge, but donations are always welcome. For any questions regarding this event or any other Ancient Healing Path programs please email AncientHealingPaths@gmail. com

Join the Holiday Committee

Are you excited about the holidays and looking for a fun way to get involved? Join the holiday committee to help make the town tree lighting and celebration a memorable event. Attend a meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. in the Granby Police Community Room to learn more. We’d love to have you on board!

Lions’ Birdseed Sale

The Granby Lions will conduct its 29th Annual Birdseed Sale this fall. Orders must be placed by Saturday, Oct. 26, for the pick–up of seed on Saturday, Nov. 2, between 8 a.m. and noon at Pierce Builders, 522 Salmon Brook Street. Order forms will be mailed to existing customers. New customers may request an order form or ask questions by calling Lion John at 860-653-3086. The order form is also available on the Granby Lions Club website: e-clubhouse.org/sites/ granby_ct

Mad Agnes Show

The Salmon Brook Music Series presents a show with Mad Agnes on Saturday, Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m., in the Fellowship Hall of Granby Congregational Church, South Campus. Mad Agnes is a genre-bending trio who create an exciting, inclusive performance with original songs, storytelling and impromptu vocal improv. For more information and tickets visit the Salmon Brook Music Series website or call 860-999-3743.

Camera Club

The Granby Camera Club will meet on Monday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. at a site to be determined. The topic will be Painting with Light. Please contact Paula Johnson: pjgranby38@gmail.com for updated information. You will need your camera, tripod and a flashlight.

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

Men’s Breakfast

The Granby Senior Center kitchen renovation is complete and we will be serving hot breakfast on Friday, Oct. 11. The cost remains at $5. A reminder: the Granby Senior Center annual membership renews in September. The cost is $5 for Granby residents and $10 for non-residents. Reserve your seat for Oct. 11 by calling the Senior Center, 860-844-5352.

The October meeting will be the annual Granby Grunts robotic demonstration. The programming skills of our high school students are amazing. Come watch what they can do with a bunch of mechanical and electrical parts.

Save November 15–17

Granby Memorial High School Dramatic Arts will present Twisted Tales of Poe on Nov. 15, 16 and 17. Four mysterious and macabre tales from Edgar Allan Poe form the basis of this spellbinding production, presented like a live radio-style drama. Mark your calendars now and check the November issue for more details about this exciting show.

Women’s Breakfast

The next Granby Women’s Breakfast will be Wednesday, Oct. 2, with guest speaker Faith Tyldsley who will talk about her book, To Granby with Love, based on Granby’s own historian, the late Carol Laun, who dedicated many years researching Granby’s history. Breakfast will start at 8:30 a.m. in the Community Room of the Senior Center and the program will begin at 9 a.m. Cost is $5. Advance reservations are required. Call 860-844-5350 to reserve your spot.

The Feelings Bunch

The Youth Service Bureau is offering The Feelings Bunch, a four-session art expression group run by artist and LMFTA Megyn Crane. This program is for kids in grades K–2 and their caregivers to learn and promote the development of social and emotional learning together. At the same time, it allows interaction and creates connections with others their age.

The four sessions will include up to 10 children, Wednesdays, Oct. 2–23, 4–5 p.m. There is a $10 materials fee. Call 860-844-5350 to register.

SBHS News

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

Museum Store merchandise includes books, maps, mugs, t-shirts, notecards, jigsaw puzzle and many more Granby items. The store, located in the Enders House, is open Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Purchases on Tuesday can be made at the Preservation Barn during research library hours. Items for sale can also be viewed at salmonbrookhistoricalsociety.com

Flea Market: Saturday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. For vendor space, please contact Dave Laun at 860-653-3965 or Todd Vibert at 860-653-9506. Donations will be accepted on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m.–noon through Oct. 15.

Historic Holiday Photo Day: Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. The Wilcox House, located at 143 Simsbury Road, will be open for photo sessions. Both the Griffin Sleigh and Goddard Wagon are available for your photo shoot. Bring your digital camera or use your cell phone to capture this special moment. No appointment required, first come, first served. Fee for each photo session is $25. Rain date is Nov. 10.

Race, Religion and Politics Workshop

The well-received Race, Religion, and Politics series offered by Granby Racial Reconciliation (GRR) will conclude with a workshop on Sunday, Oct. 27, 3–4:30 p.m. at the Granby Senior Center. Prior participation is not required to join the workshop. Dr. Matthew Hughey, professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut and prolific author, is returning to facilitate the program.

The first two workshops helped make participants aware of unseen social forces and structures in our nation, as well as revealed common ways of talking about race in our culture that attempt to make racism invisible.

This workshop will continue the focus from the September program, addressing the impact of the intersection of religion and politics on our culture. Easy registration is on the group’s website, Granbyrr.com GRR sponsors this program to further its “purpose to raise awareness and continue the conversation on racial justice in our community so that Granby can be a great place for everyone.” GRR is grateful to an anonymous donor for bringing these programs to the community. Please join us!

Submitted by Cathy Watso and Denny Moon, GRR

Out of

Town

Soup’s on—Chef’s edition!

Join Expressions Pottery Workshop and Friend to Friend for the 24th Annual Empty Bowls fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 5, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the East Granby Community/ Senior Center, 7 Memorial Drive.

This year they’re serving delicious soup prepared onsite by Chef Stefan Drago, owner of Drago’s Kitchen. The fall fundraiser includes new surprises in addition to favorite traditions:

• Join the pre-event hike on Doreen’s Nature Trail, meeting at the EG Community/Senior Center parking lot at 10:30 a.m.

• Festivities begin indoors at 11:30 a.m. Choose a beautiful, handmade bowl, enjoy delicious soup, purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win a fresh holiday turkey, locally made pies or a TV. Enjoy live folk music performed by Allendale Rose.

• Take a stroll (or drive) to Expressions Pottery Workshop to peruse the handmade pottery for early holiday shopping, enter the free raffle to win a $50 Expressions Gift Card, indulge in a sweet treat and pick up a complimentary pumpkin courtesy of Peter L. Brown Company.

• The Friend to Friend Thrift Shop will also be open for your treasurehunting pleasure from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 32 Spoonville Road in East Granby. Tickets are $25 in advance (friendtofriendeg.com) or $30 at the door. You may buy a $5 soup-only ticket for children 12 and under, available for purchase only at the door.

All proceeds benefit the Friend to Friend Food Pantry, providing food to pre-qualified East Granby residents and families in need.

Free Quilt Show and Raffle

The Granville Quilt and Needlework Guild (GQNG) will participate in The Granville Harvest Fair with a free Quilt Show and raffle. The fair will be held Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 12 through Oct. 14 in Granville. The guild participates in the fair to promote needlework arts and to raise funds for its charitable works.

Regular meetings of the GQNG are

Pumpkin Patch Trolley and Curse of the Rails

The Connecticut Trolley Museum, at 58 North Road (Route 140) in East Windsor, presents Pumpkin Patch Trolley and Curse of the Rails, two fundraising events extremely important to the museum’s operations.

Step aboard the Curse of the Rails, where haunting echoes of the past and horrifying tales await you on an unforgettable haunted trolley ride! Guided by Deadalus Extreme Paranormal Investigations, journey through haunted landscapes and come face to face with entities that roamed these very rails. With each twist and turn, encounter ghostly apparitions and blood-curdling legends that will leave you questioning what’s real and what’s supernatural. Gather your bravest friends and embark on an immersive paranormal experience that will deliver chilling thrills you’ll never forget. Held on Friday and Saturday nights starting Oct. 4 Rated PG-13, it may be too intense for the squeamish. Hours are 6:30–10 p.m., admission is $45 per person and recommended for ages 16+. Tickets must be purchased in advance at cttrolley.org

Pumpkin Patch Trolley is family fun, filled with adventure where you ride on a trolley car out to the pumpkin patch field and each child can choose a free sugar-sized pumpkin. After returning to the museum campus, decorate the pumpkins, play in the corn box, enjoy the outside harvest play area, the museum exhibits and displays. Admission also includes the Fire Truck Museum which is located on the Trolley Museum campus. The event will be held on Saturdays and Sundays starting Sept. 28, and Monday, Oct. 14. Visit ct-trolley.org for hours of operation and to purchase tickets. Admission is $15 for adults and seniors, $14 for youth (ages 12-17), $13 for children (ages 2-11) and under 2 is free.

held on the third Tuesday of the month at the Southwick Town office building, 454 College Highway (Route 202) from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The October meeting will be a Halloween-themed trunk show of needlework items. Please join them and see what they have to offer. For more information, visit facebook. com/TheGranvilleQuiltAndNeedleworkGuild or call 413-568-1505.

Holly Boutique Craft Fair

The 30th Annual Holly Boutique 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. 17 and Friday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Come see a wonderful selection of quality crafts made by 30 local juried artisans. Refreshments available for purchase Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Agatha Christie mystery performed by Suffield Players

The Suffield Players are delighted to introduce the outstanding cast for its highly anticipated fall production of And Then There Were None by the legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie. Bringing this gripping mystery to life on stage are: Matt Bessette, Steven Close, Keith Giard, Kate Maggiore, Kat Marcil, Bailly Morse, Matthew Rafala, Charles Schoenfeld, Dana T. Ring, Christian Tarr, and Daniel Viets. The production is directed by Mary Fernandez-Sierra.

Performances will be at Mapleton Hall, 1305 Mapleton Avenue in Suffield. Evening shows begin at 8 p.m. on Oct. 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26. Matinees are at 2 p.m. on Oct. 13 and 20 This production is recommended for ages 13 and up. Join us for a captivating journey into mystery and suspense. Tickets will be available soon—stay tuned for updates and prepare for an unforgettable theatrical experience!

Giant tag sale fundraiser returns

Windsor Historical Society’s popular Bounties of Bargains tag sale fundraiser is back! This giant tag sale takes place on the grounds of the historical society museum, 96 Palisado Avenue (Route 159) in Windsor from Thursday, Oct. 10 through Sunday, Oct. 13 This huge community event has something for everyone.

Volunteers are needed. Help receive, sort, and organize donations, and monitor the tag sale event. Volunteers get special perks, including first dibs on sale items and unlimited leftovers after the tag sale. To volunteer, register online at: bit.ly/tagsalevolunteers or email windsorhistorical.tagsale@ gmail.com

Simsbury Grange Line Dancing

Line dancing with Mary Root is back at the Simsbury Grange, 236 Farms Village Road, West Simsbury. Join us on Friday, Oct. 11 on the lower level at 6 p.m. for free chili and cornbread and then upstairs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. for Root to take us through some fun coordinated moves. Line dancing helps increase flexibility, coordination, cardiovascular health and memory.

There’s no experience necessary and it’s a lot of fun.

This event, in partnership with the Simsbury Public Library, was very popular in April so sign up soon. Please register through Simsbury Public Library’s website/calendar of events. Parking is in FarmsVillage Plaza. Donations are welcome.

Jazz Mini-Course

Interested in learning more about Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and other great female jazz musicians? Join Javon Jackson, professor of jazz and director of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School, and Hartt Professor Matt DeChamplain for a three-session exploration of women in jazz.

Jackson and DeChamplain will use audio, video and some of their own live performances to put jazzy women in the spotlight, center stage. The sessions will be Wednesdays, Oct. 9, 16 and 23, 3:20–4:50 p.m. Details on this and other great lifelong learning courses and lectures are available at hartford.edu/ pc Email pcollege@hartford.edu with questions or to be added to the mailing list.

Church offers Spanish-language services

By Ray Clark

¿hablas español? Do you speak Spanish, or do you know someone who does? Valley Brook Community Church now offers worship services in both English and Spanish every Sunday at 10 a.m. and invites both Spanish speakers and English speakers to the worship service of their choice.

Pastor Clark Pfaff states, “We started the Spanish service last year when we recognized that we had several families who were bilingual, and these families had a desire to reach the Spanish speak-

ing community in the area. As we met and listened to these families, many of them shared with us a desire to worship in their primary language, and we wanted to meet that need.” From there a Spanish service team was formed! Pfaff and others on the church staff preach in the English service and Pfaff regularly preaches with a translator in the Spanish service. On other Sundays, members of the Spanish team use Pfaff’s notes to preach. Additionally, both singing and prayers are also in Spanish. These two services happen simultaneously in different spaces, but then the two groups come together after their respective worship services to connect over refreshments in the café.

Valley Brook Community Church is located at 160 Granville Road in North Granby. For more information about the church or the Spanish worship service, visit the church’s website at valleybrook.cc and click on the link Espanol, or send an email to español@valleybrook.cc

Old New-Gate Prison is now a Freedom Trail site

From left, Liz Shapiro (DECD Director of Arts Preservation and Museums), Representative Tami Zawistowski, Morgan Bengel (Old New-Gate Curator), John Mills (Founder of the Alex Breanne Corporation), Denis Caron (Author of “A Century in Captivity), Tammy Denease (Outreach Coordinator for the CT Freedom Trail), Todd Levine (SHPO CT Freedom Trail Coordinator). Photo courtesy of Alex Breanne Corporation

By Morgan Bengel

On Sept. 13, Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine was inducted as a Connecticut Freedom Trail site commemorating Prince Mortimer. The Connecticut Freedom Trail is a cohort of more than 160 sites across 70 Connecticut towns and works to celebrate the resilience and spirit of African American communities and history. The Old New-Gate Prison site commemorates the life of Prince Mortimer who

was inhumanely imprisoned at NewGate from 1811 to 1827.

As a boy, Prince was captured on the coast of Guinea, enslaved in Middletown, Conn., and purchased by Phillip Mortimer. When Mortimer died in 1794, his will stated that Prince was to be freed but the will was contested and overthrown by his son-in-law, George Starr. In 1811, Prince was accused of attempting to poison Starr, convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. When New-Gate closed, he was transferred to the Wethersfield Prison where he died at the age of 110.

Stony Hill Village Events

By Dave Roberts

Granby Homes for Senior Citizens (which operates Stony Hill Village) will hold its annual Friends of Stony Hill Village meeting on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 6:30 p.m. in the community room at 259 Salmon Brook Street. Attendees who are or become members of the Friends can elect three new board members (Kim Becker, Nancy Costopulos and Lorri DiBattisto), vote on board officers (President, Dave Roberts; Vice President, Kim Becker; Treasurer, Helen Frye; and Co-secretaries, Valerie Raggio and Raine Pedersen), and review proposed by-law amendments. The meeting is open to all individuals interested in supporting quality affordable housing in Granby.

The third bi-annual Stony Hill Village Community Serve Day will be Saturday, Oct. 5, 9 a.m. to noon. This community-service event is open to everyone and provides a chance to contribute directly to the upkeep and enhancement of the 49-unit Stony Hill Village community. Participants are invited to gather in the community room by 9 a.m. to receive instructions on the tasks that need to be completed.

For more information about these events or how you can get involved, please get in touch with President Dave Roberts at Granbydavidroberts@gmail.com or 860-469-5067.

NOV. 5, 2024 BALLOT QUESTION

“Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to permit the General Assembly to allow each voter to vote by absentee ballot?”

Explanatory language:

Under the current state constitution, qualified voters may cast an absentee vote only if they are unable to vote in person at their polling place on election day due to: 1) absence from their city or town; 2) sickness or physical disability; or 3) their religious beliefs prohibiting secular activity on a day. If this amendment is approved, the state constitution would no longer limit the reasons why absentee voting may be used. Therefore, it would expand the state legislature’s authority to pass laws regarding voting by qualified voters who will not appear at their polling place on election day.

Some members of the Spanish Team, from left, Alberto Calderon, Rosember Jonathan and Clark Pfaff. Photo by Becca Smith

Granby 4-H welcomes new members, new volunteers

By Emilia Sales

Granby 4-H sign-up night is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 2 at the Holcomb Farm Workshop. The open house from 7 to 8 p.m. will introduce the youth-officer team and project groups available for the 2024-25 program year.

The 4-H Club is an organization where kids find a welcoming community and a place where they can learn, cultivate and grow life-long skills and friendships. Granby 4-H welcomes children ages 7 to 18 who are interested in exploring agricultural, vocational, artistic and STEM skills.

There are eight monthly club meetings per year, November to June, on the first Wednesday of the month from 7 to 8 p.m. Meetings are run by 4-H youth officers and then a 4-H member leads a demonstration on a topic, such as raising dairy goats or showing their dog at the fair. Next, the club welcomes an adult member of the community to lead a program on additional topics such as beekeeping or a hands-on art activity.

Members are encouraged to participate in one (or many) projects groups as well. This involves smaller group meetings led by volunteers willing to share their knowledge or talent. This is where more hands-on learning takes place.

4-H member Emilia Sales’ beekeeping presentation at the library.

Photo by Rick Kirschbaum

New project groups this year include beekeeping and crochet.

Club participants also volunteer in the community, such as marching in the Memorial Day Parade or creating holiday ornaments for residents of MeadowBrook. Check out the new website for more information on the club, project groups and volunteering: granby4h.com

Parent and community volunteers are needed to provide the club members with a continued variety of projects. Past groups have included painting, homesteading, 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

Alternative healthcare is an option in Granby

Ancient Healing Paths, a Granby nonprofit organization that provides free monthly access to alternative healthcare, hosted a tag sale/bake sale on Sept. 14 at the Granby Congregational Church on North Granby Road. It was a beautiful day and many took advantage of the shade from the sugar maple trees at the church. Shown here are Bear Crevier and Aidale Scott Crevier, the founders of Ancient Healing Paths. See what alternative healing modalities are available at the Free Alternative Healthcare Day on the second Thursday of every month, 3–8 p.m., at the Granby Congregational Church on North Granby Road. Bear Crevier and Aidale Scott Crevier, the founders of Ancient Healing Paths. Submitted photo

Help Rotary International fight polio in Gaza

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s (GPEI) goal is to prevent the world’s children from becoming paralyzed by polio ever again. The GPEI is a public-private partnership led by national governments with six partners: the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Gates Foundation and Gavi, the vaccine alliance.

The recent detection of variant poliovirus type-2 isolated in environmental samples and the confirmation of a 10-month-old child who has contracted polio in Gaza, is a stark reminder that as long as polio exists anywhere, it is a threat everywhere. The ongoing crisis in Gaza has contributed to reduced routine immunization rates and an increased risk of vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio. The crisis also poses a significant challenge to fully implementing disease surveillance and vaccination campaigns.

Poliomyelitis (polio virus) is a highly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of five. The virus is spread person to person, typically through contaminated water. It can attack the nervous system, and can lead to paralysis. Although there is no cure, there is a safe and effective vaccine—one that Rotary and its partners used to immunize over 2.5 billion children worldwide. Prasad Menon, a Rotarian from the Simsbury-Granby Rotary club, participated in National

Immunization Programs against polio in India and Nigeria.

A humanitarian pause in Gaza allowed a two-round polio vaccination campaign in September. The campaign has highly dedicated health teams and high levels of community participation. During this campaign, over 640,000 children under 10 years of age in central and southern Gaza have been vaccinated.

Oral vaccinations were provided at hospitals, medical points, primary care centers, displaced persons’ camps, key public gathering spaces, food and water distribution points, and transit routes. Additionally, mobile teams visited tents and hard to-reach areas to ensure they reached families who were unable to visit permanent sites.

Rotary has committed $500,000 to bolster this initiative, channeling these funds through a dedicated Polio Outbreak Response Fund. This is a part of Rotary’s $50 million annual contribution until polio is eradicated. Financial contributions to the PolioPlus fund will help Rotary and its Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners achieve a world in which no child is paralyzed by polio again. Polio is still endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

You can help Rotary’s efforts to eradicate this devastating disease by donating at rotary.org/donate under featured causes, select the Polio Fund. We can be reached at info@SimsburyGranbyRotary.org for more information. Submitted by Karen Young, SimsburyGranby Rotary Club

Familiar Faces

By Nicole Muller

Dr. Lisa Petersen’s journey of discovery

While she is not a Granby native and hasn’t always been a veterinarian, Lisa Petersen has walked a long and winding road to get here. Known by some as “the rainbow bridge vet,” reflecting her gentle compassion during emotionally painful times, Petersen has built her business by doing something unusual for a 21st century doctor: making house calls.

“I grew up in a close-knit Yonkers, N.Y., neighborhood,” Petersen says. “I was always the kid who, if someone found a baby bird, I took care of it. And I always loved nature, exploring the life in and around the nearby creek. My mother fed the birds, so I developed a love for them, their myriad colors and shapes and calls.”

While Petersen says that everyone who knew her thought she’d be a veterinarian—and they were, ultimately, right—she majored in psychology at Fordham University in Bronx, N.Y.

“While I was at Fordham, I got into biology and took some animal behavior classes with a professor who was affiliated with the [Bronx] zoo,” she says.

Following graduation, Peterson worked in the education department at the zoo. “I was handling alligators, and for school shows I had to walk on stage with a python wrapped around me,” she laughs. “Then I had a five-month outreach and education internship at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, an international center for raptor conservation, education and research in Kempton, Pennsylvania.”

When the internship ended, Petersen headed for Syracuse University for a masters in environmental science. “My first job after that was with the Environmental Protection Agency in Manhattan, doing public outreach,” she says. “I was moving farther and farther away from what I really wanted to do, and after lots of soul searching, I moved to Albany and took classes that I needed for vet school at SUNY [State University of New York].”

While at SUNY-Albany, Petersen worked in various positions at local veterinary hospitals. “It seemed that all the vets had graduated from Cornell [College of Veterinary Medicine], so that’s where I went,” she says. “By the time I went to vet school, almost 10 years had lapsed since I had graduated from college.”

Four years later, with a degree in veterinary medicine in hand and with a dog she rescued from being euthanized because her owner could not afford treatment for Addison’s Disease, Petersen landed a job in central New

living and working in Granby for 20 years, caring for pets—and their people.

Photo by Nicole Muller

Jersey, where she stayed for three years, learning from an experienced veterinarian and surgeon. She then moved on to Rocky Hill, Conn., working per diem at a variety of vet clinics, gathering even more experience and knowledge.

While in Rocky Hill, Petersen adopted Vida, a four-month-old Jack Russell terrier whose breeder did not want to spend money on surgery to mend a broken leg. Over the years, she has adopted many dogs, including Labrador retriever Cassie and an obese chihuahua, Diego, who is now slim and trim. Two cats, Cashew and Andi, complete Petersen’s menagerie.

It was when Petersen was house hunting in 2004 that she came to Granby. “I was looking for semi-rural with a yard that was manageable for me and where there was wildlife,” she says. “I bought my Cape Cod-style home mainly because it has a little brook behind it, and when I walked out back, I saw a great blue heron and a hummingbird.” An avid birder, Petersen also noticed the profusion of cattails down by the brook where beavers had built a dam and where mergansers, sea ducks that prefer fresh running water, breed.

“I love my home,” she says. “It’s within walking distance to town, a nice drive to suburban neighborhoods, and out back, it’s wild.” Her ever-expanding garden of native plants attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.

After working eight years at a veterinary clinic in Southwick, Petersen decided to open her own practice making house calls. “I stayed on at Southwick one day a week, but right before COVID hit, I gave notice because I wanted to be entirely accessible to my clients and have the time to answer emails and conduct follow-ups,” she says.

But over time, the work involved in

Honey Cake is a sweet autumn treat

By Nina Jamison

Autumn was one of the most important periods of the year in ancient times, as daylight began to fade and darkness lay ahead. Ancient civilizations built structures that aligned with the sun during the autumnal equinox, such as El Castillo in Yucatán, Mexico. It was also the beginning of the harvest season.

The word “autumn” has multiple origins. One is the ancient Etruscan word autu, meaning “passing of the year.”

Years ago, my husband and I visited Volterra, Italy where the Etruscan Museum displays the ancient culture’s beautiful, almost contemporary-looking artwork. This made that particular origin all the more interesting to me.

Symbolizing hope for a sweet year ahead, this autumn cake is a traditional treat for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, though it can be enjoyed by anyone, at any time! This is a simple recipe that requires just one bowl and a little fall spirit.

running a busy private practice became too much. “Doing the laundry, ordering meds, scheduling appointments, answering emails and phone calls and conducting follow-ups became a demanding, seven-day-a-week job,” Petersen says. “Now I’m making a transition from providing routine wellness and sick visits to exclusively conducting end of life and euthanasia care.”

Many pet owners need guidance on how to care for a terminally-ill pet and when it’s time to let them go. “I do quality of life assessment. People want to know when it’s time to let go or if there is more they can do to make their pet

Honey Cake

Ingredients

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup brewed coffee or black tea (room temperature)

2½ Tablespoons orange juice

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined.

Add in the egg, vanilla, coffee, orange juice, vegetable oil and honey, and whisk until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow it to cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes.

comfortable. It is so much more peaceful and less stressful for all concerned to say good-bye in the home. I devoted much of my time to wellness care. Now I’m changing focus.

“I want to find the balance between being there for people and their pets and finding time for myself, to travel, to bird watch, to kayak and to unwind. I don’t think of what I do as a job,” Petersen says. “I love what I do.”

Know of a resident for a future Familiar Faces column? Please email your suggestions and contact information to Nicoleoncapecod@gmail.com

My honey cake fresh from the oven.

A photo of Volterra’s entrance gates.

Photos by Nina Jamison

Dr. Lisa Petersen has been

Familiar Faces cont’d.

Calling all artists—enter the GLT Art Show!

The Granby Land Trust and Granby Artists Association are seeking entries to the GLT’s 17th annual juried art show, Nov. 7 to Dec. 8, at Lost Acres Vineyard, 80 Lost Acres Road in North Granby. The show is titled Celebrating New England’s Natural Beauty. Artwork must

depict or be inspired by natural settings in New England and must be offered for sale, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Granby Land Trust. All genres of visual art are encouraged, including but not limited to painting, photography, print making, drawing and sculpture. The GLT offers nearly $5,000 in cash awards plus exhibition in the show, which will hang for a month.

A prospectus can be found on the land trust’s website, GranbyLandTrust.org (go to “Events,” then to “Art Show”). Gabrielle Robinson, the director of the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, will serve as juror.

Art drop-off dates are Friday, Nov. 1 and Saturday, Nov. 2. Enjoy a reduced registration fee by pre-registering by mail by Oct. 21. See prospectus for details. Please also note criteria for select awards.

Awards will be presented at Opening Night on Thursday, Nov. 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. The whole community gathers at the Vineyard each year on Opening Night, to celebrate artistic talent and natural beauty.

Looking for inspiration? On Sunday, Oct. 6, the GLT will host its BIG PAINT, a plein air event, at the Dismal Brook Wildlife Preserve in North Granby. Artists should arrive at 8 a.m. The general public is invited to see the artists at work after 9 a.m.

Parks & Recreation

Phone: 860-844-5289

Website: granbyrec.com

Email: recreation@granby-ct.gov

Please see the website for all of the programs and activities that the Granby Parks and Recreation Department has to offer. Here are some special announcements.

Croptoberfest 2024 Scrapbooking and Crafting Event

Oct. 25, 26 and 27 in the Gathering Room at Salmon Brook Park. Hosted by Eleanor Terrell.

Enjoy three days of uninterrupted scrapbooking fun! Register for all three days, only $100.

• Friday, Oct. 25, 12–6 p.m. for $30

• Saturday, Oct. 26, 9 a.m.–7 p.m. for $50

• Sunday, Oct. 27, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. for $30

Paint Night with Paint Craze: Fall Harvest

Join your Park and Rec staff along with artist MaryBeth Read from Paint Craze for a fun evening of creating and socializing. All supplies and instruction are provided. No artistic skill required! Everything you need will be supplied including a 11” x 14” canvas.

Feel free to bring food and beverages to enjoy while you paint. This program is being held at Salmon Brook Park in the beautiful Gathering Room. Hope you can be part of this fun evening!

Thursday. Nov. 7, 7–9 p.m. in the Gathering Room at Salmon Brook Park. Cost $40.

Ski Sundown: Winter Made Better Registration is open for our popular Ski Sundown program (grades 3–12). Your skier will be bussed from either the Granby Memorial Middle School (students in grades 6–12) or Wells Road School (students in grades 3–5) for five weeks (Fridays, January 3 to 31) of snowy fun. Please visit the website for details.

What do you like most about Granby?

If your answer includes anything about Granby’s farms, forests, hiking trails or open spaces, the Granby Land Trust hopes you will consider joining the organization. Membership is just $30 a year. Go to GranbyLandTrust.org to learn more and join!

Join the Granby Land Trust for a Wednesday Walk

Looking for a low-key way to get some exercise, enjoy some time in nature and meet new people? You should try a Wednesday Walk, hosted by the Granby Land Trust.

All are invited to join GLT Board Member Leslie Judge on Oct. 9 for a walk through the GLT’s Dismal Brook Wildlife Preserve, including stops at the pond, cabin, and cemetery; and on Oct.

16, for a slightly longer walk which will include a hike up to the summit of the Eastern Barndoor Hill in the McLean Game Refuge. Judge is a wonderful guide, and it’s tough to beat a morning spent on the trails making friends. For more information on these hikes, go to GranbyLandTrust.org and click on our Events Calendar.

The Granby Land Trust could use your help

Help maintain GLT’s beautiful properties. The land trust will host a volunteer work party on Sunday, Oct. 26, 9–11 a.m., on the Mary Edwards Mountain Property. This is a great way to spend some time giving back. To register, email Rick Orluk at info@granbylandtrust.org

Annual Meeting and Potluck Supper is Oct. 20

Each fall, Granby Land Trust members gather on a Sunday afternoon for the GLT Annual Meeting. It is a day to celebrate our love for the outdoors and to recognize the collective efforts of the GLT’s amazing team of volunteers. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to gather with friends and neighbors who believe we should protect land from development, manage land to protect our natural resources, and honor Granby’s natural heritage.

This year’s GLT Annual Meeting and Potluck Supper will be held on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 5 p.m. at Holcomb Farm’s North Barn. Members are asked to register via the GLT’s website: GranbyLandTrust.org (If you’re unsure whether your membership is current, you can email info@granbylandtrust.org to ask.) The GLT’s membership year runs from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31, so all gifts received after Sept. 1 count toward your 2025 membership.

For the potluck supper, the GLT asks that guests please bring a side dish, salad or dessert to share. The GLT will provide the main course (vegetable and meat lasagnas).

After supper, the GLT Board of Directors will conduct the organization’s Annual Meeting. Learn about the organization’s recent

acquisitions and land management activities, elect new board members, and celebrate land trust heroes. The Mary Edwards Friend of the Land Trust award will be awarded at the meeting.

Members: The GLT’s success is the result of contributions from so many people, including you. The board of directors of the Granby Land Trust sincerely hopes you will come celebrate with us. Watch your email for more information and a registration link; or go to: granbylandtrust.org and click on “Annual Meeting” to learn more.

Part two

of

The Goats of Granby

three: Goat people of Granby and North Granby

By Faith Tyldsley

Nancy Butler of Lyric Hill Farm

Nancy Butler refers to 30-year-old “senior citizen” pony Bayberry and Lyric Farm’s three Alpine goats as “my little barn children.” There was a time, after the Butlers arrived on Hungary Road in Granby in 2004, that their goat herd grew to eight. “Our middle son, Austin, was the goat kid and showed our goats as a 4-H member when he was in elementary school.” Interest waned with the advent of middle school.

Care for the goats passed from son to mother. Nancy started making goat soap as a way “to satisfy my goat habit.” A former milk shed on the home property became a self-service store for her individual soaps (bar, felted and needle felted) as well as laundry soap. Her products also sell online, at retail stores

from Boston to New Jersey and at the farmers’ markets at Lost Acres Vineyard.

Her goats are Alpines, a breed she describes as “a more headstrong goat than others.” Nevertheless, this breed is one of her favorites. Nancy’s three Alpine goats are Penny (16), Nary (9) and Little Goat (7).

Dorothy and Stanley Hayes and daughter, Ellen Whitlow, of Sweet Pea Cheese

Dorothy and husband Stanley own Sweet Pea Cheese, a goat dairy in North Granby. Stanley shared that, “The goats are milked twice daily, approximately 280 days a year for a total of 1,710 gallons or 14,706 pounds.”

The farm store offers goats’ and cows’ milk (regular and chocolate), yogurt and 15 flavors of chèvre plus two types of feta. These comestibles and other goatrelated products, including goat milk lotions and soaps, are available from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the farm store on a self-serve basis.

Dorothy and Stanley, sister-in-law

Nancy Hayes, daughter Ellen Hayes Whitlow and Taylor Rogers-Gunderson perform the intensive work required for this enterprise: milking and feeding; the production of cheese, milk and yogurt; the drama of kidding season; and upkeep of barns and fencing. Dorothy and Stanley take a vacation late in the year. Their trips are planned to coincide with the goats’ own vacations—a break of two months from milking during their late pregnancies.

Each year welcomes another generation. During January and February of this year 120 kids were born. There

were eight sets of triplets. Sweet Pea Cheese’s goat population currently numbers 80.

Emilia Sales and family of Silkey Mountain Farm

Emilia and her family live at 17-acre Silkey Mountain Farm in North Granby.

The farm is home for three bee hives, four goats, four pigs, four turkeys and 35 chickens. Two Labrador retrievers, Lucille Ball and Grace Kelly, keep watch.

Violet was the farm’s first goat. She rode from Sweet Pea Cheese to Silkey Mountain Farm in Emilia’s Volkswagen sport wagon in 2018. A happy bonus were the two kids riding along with her—in her belly. Violet is now six years old. Veronica, one of her offspring, lives at Silkey Mountain Farm along with herd mates Mario and Luigi. The edges of Silkey Mountain Farm’s fields are prone to poison ivy and other

undesirable invasives but Emilia’s four munchers, referred to as “my live-in landscape architects,” have that situation under control.

One’s reaction upon seeing a LaMancha for the first time is to assume its ears have been cropped (as is done with some dog breeds) but LaManchas simply possess tiny ears.

Ann Wilhelm and Bill Bentley

Conservation advocates Ann Wilhelm and husband Bill Bentley live on Wilhelm Farm, a 45.6 acre third-generation homestead in North Granby. The farm was awarded a Conservation Innovation Grant in 2017 by Natural Resource Conservation Service. The grant made it possible to apply the principals of agroforestry (a land use management system).

The practice of silvopasture—which is the thoughtful pairing of trees, pasture and grazing animals to create a healthy

Goats cont’d. on p. 22

Nancy Butler with Little Goat. Photo by Faith Tyldsley

Dorothy Hayes of Sweet Pea Cheese with Listerine, a Saanen/LaMancha cross. Winner of the Best in Show Goat Class at the 4-H Fair, August 2024.

Photo by Faith Tyldsley

Emilia Sales with new-born Veronica, a LaMancha, 2021. Submitted photo

ecosystem—is ongoing at the farm. The animals in this case are goats, engaged in what is also known as managed grazing. They are directed to, and eagerly ingest, invasive fauna including poison ivy, bittersweet and rosa rugosa, thus clearing previously unusable land. Each summer Wilhelm Farm welcomes “six or so” residents of Sweet Pea Cheese to “goat summer camp.”

Enjoy the informative—and hilarious—video entitled Why Goats? on the farm’s website (wilhelmfarm.com) under “Video and Other Resources.”

Coming in November: “Goats are smart, curious and calming, and they can even help you make some money.”

Raising Goats for Dummies by

Cheryl K. Smith

BREEDS IN BRIEF

Goat breeds possess curious names such as Alpine, Angora, Boer, Cashmere, Nubian, Saanen, Kiko, LaMancha and Tennessee Fainting. The number of breeds, estimated to be about 300, fall into three categories: dairy goats, meat goats and fiber goats.

High on the list of goats recognized as excellent milk producers are the Saanen and LaMancha. These are the two breeds found at Sweet Pea Cheese, North Granby’s renowned goat dairy. Breeds known for their meat include Boer and Kiko. Angora and Cashmere goats are the go-to fiber producers for mohair and cashmere respectively.

The smallest breeds are the Pygmy and the Nigerian Dwarf. Due to both their diminutive size and their friendly, playful and fun-loving personalities, members of these two breeds compete as candidates for the role of “pet goat,” an adventurous concept to be explored in part 3 of this series.

Concerns aired about Granby pickleball

By Anthony McGovern, Chairperson, Parks and Recreation Board

On Sept. 3 the Parks and Recreation Board held its regular monthly meeting. The board meets on the first Tuesday of each month and the agenda includes a standing segment for public comment and input. Typically, there is next to no public engagement in these board meetings. However, this meeting sharply broke trend with a significant and enthusiastic showing of public interest in pickleball.

With the intention of transparency, as chairperson of the board, I’m sharing information regarding this topic given the degree of community interest exhibited and to generally raise awareness of this town board and our charge. During public comment, several residents who live adjacent to Salmon Brook Park expressed concerns about quality-of-life impacts arising from the noise of pickleball play, play occurring beyond park hours of operation, and general courtesy and respect of park rules.

Pickleball is played on the fenced, hard courts used for various racket games and other sports near the main entrance to Salmon Brook Park. Residents were looking for constructive solutions and not for an abrupt cancellation of pickleball. During public comment, many community members and park users advocating their en-

joyment of pickleball play at Salmon Brook Park had a mutual interest in addressing concerns through longer-term solutions to enhance park features and facilities as well as to address the rapid growth and popularity of the sport. The board’s commitment to those in attendance for public input was to listen and seek understanding of the multiple experiences being shared. We did listen. We are starting to learn and have made a commitment to work toward understanding the total impacts of pickleball and how P&R can look for win-win solutions for the community

The board met again via Special Meeting on Sept. 17 to exclusively discuss pickleball and set a plan to further learn and develop understanding of potential options. While there wasn’t an agenda item for public comment and input, there was a sizable showing of interested members of the community. This is not a small or insignificant topic, and it will take time to assess potential solutions.

In the short-run, the Parks and Recreation Department has adjusted lighting of the courts to better align with park hours, and park rules have been posted on the court fences. In the long-run, the board needs ongoing collaboration from the community with additional data, experiences and knowledge to solve this topic and the long-term needs and expectations of the community for P&R services and facilities.

The Parks and Recreation Board meets the first Tuesday of each month at 6:15 p.m. at the Park House at Salmon Brook Park.

Early Voting is Oct. 21 – Nov. 3

To assure that anyone casting a ballot votes only once, there is an affirmation to be filled out on the early voting envelope before receiving a ballot. Please note, early voting ballots cannot be rescinded once cast. Early voting will be held at town hall. Here is the process:

• Come to town hall and enter the line by the side entrance.

• Show a valid ID or if previously confirmed, fill out a form attesting to your ID.

• Electronically check in to confirm you are a registered voter.

• Poll worker will cross off on the voter paper list, same as at the polls.

• Fill out the early voting envelope, affirming you have not/will not vote again

• Vote your ballot in a privacy booth and seal it in your envelope.

• Conduct second check in to cross your name off electronically in statewide database.

• Place your sealed ballot into the slot of the black bin.

New to town or just moved— update now!

There is an easy, fast online process to report changes to your voter registration. When you go online to Granby’s website or directly to the state’s website, you can register to vote or update your voter registration and verify you are all set for the presidential election. The state’s web address is: voterregistration.ct.gov/ OLVR/welcome.do

There is also a link on the town clerk’s page to apply for an absentee ballot.

Ann Wilhelm with her Saanen goat, Morning Glory. Photo by Faith Tyldsley Goats

Goats at work.

Photo by Ann Wilhelm

SPECIAL EVENT

Lotus Flower Lantern Project: Monday, Oct. 21, 2 p.m. The members of the Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project will be on hand to help you make a lovely lotus flower lantern using colorful paper and wire frames. A short documentary film on Korean artistic tradition will be shown as an introduction to the aesthetics of Korea. Light refreshments will be provided. Cost: $5.

Lifelong Learning

Live to 100, Secrets of the Blue Zone: Mondays in October at 10 a.m. Four-week docuseries on Netflix broadcasted at the Center. Episodes are about 40 minutes long. Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones takes members around the world to investigate the diet and lifestyles of those living the longest lives. Explore the original blue zones, be immersed in their culture and lifestyles, and see how Blue Zones is applying the research in communities across the United States. Get insight on how to benefit from following at least some of their leads, because the only thing better than looking good as you age is feeling good as you age. Free.

Medicare Made Perfectly Clear: Friday, Oct. 18, 1 p.m., at the Senior Center, hosted by Madison Levins. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the different parts of Medicare (Parts A, B, C, and D). Learn about eligibility criteria and enrollment periods. Discover supplemental coverage options available to enhance your Medicare benefits. Receive expert advice and insights from a seasoned professional in the healthcare industry. Ask questions and engage in discussions to clarify any doubts you may have. Free.

Trips

Basketball Hall of Fame: Monday, Oct. 14, depart at 9:30 a.m. Located in Springfield, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level–men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame Museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo Court of Dreams. Lunch on your own after at UNO Chicago Pizzeria and Grille. Cost: $25.

Ongoing Programs

CRT Hot Lunch: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12–1 p.m. Community Café offers a healthy, low-cost lunch for seniors 60+ 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: Wednesday, Oct. 2, 10 a.m.–noon by appointment at the Senior Center.

Specializing in Elder Law. Please call to set up an appointment for a free half-hour consultation.

Ask the Realtor: Wednesday, Oct. 9, 10 a.m.–noon by appointment only. Longtime Granby resident Judy Guarco has worked for 20+ years representing both buyers and sellers in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Guarco’s goal is always to be a trusted advisor to help navigate the ever-changing world of home ownership with good advice, solid market knowledge, customer service and attention to detail. Call for a free 30-minute consultation.

Ask the Financial Advisor: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 10 a.m.–noon by appointment only.

Meet with Financial Advisor Matthew Sondrini from The O’Brien Group for a free 30-minute consultation.

Cribbage: Every Friday, 3–5 p.m. and every Tuesday at 6 p.m. Experienced players will assist with refreshing your game play. Free.

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

Music Jam, Back in Time: Every Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Bring your instrument and join in. Music from 60s thru 80s. Open to any type of musicians. Free.

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

History Revisited: Every Tuesday, 10 a.m.–noon. Jerry Perkins, former professor and high school history instructor, brings history to life. Join this informative and fun view of events from Pre-Columbian times to the present. Free.

Health and Wellness

Chair Massage: Tuesdays, Oct. 1,15 and 29, 10 a.m.–12:45 p.m., by appointment only. Bev offers 15-minute chair massages for $10.

Blood Pressure/Blood Sugar Clinic: Every Thursday from 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. No appointment needed. Courtesy of the Farmington Valley Visiting Nurses Association. Held in the Senior Center Community Room.

Healthy Minds: By appointment only. Situations such as the death of a loved one, failing health or strained family relationships can be daunting to face alone. Working with a marriage and family therapist may help you move forward with the better part of life. To schedule a confidential appointment, call 860-844-5350.

Foot Care by Sarah: Wednesday, Oct. 9, by appointment only. Sarah from Mobile Manicures will be here on the second Wednesday of every month for 30-minute foot care appointments. Cost: $35.

Therapy Dog Visits: Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 1:30 p.m. Sloppy kisses and happy tails! Researchers and experts agree that pets excel as therapeutic agents and that dogs are an antidote to depression. Studies have shown a decrease in both blood pressure and stress levels during therapy dog visits. A visit with a therapy dog can increase overall emotional well-being and stimulate the mind in dramatic ways. Free.

Flu Clinic: Hosted by the Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Litchfield County on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2–4 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to noon. Insurances accepted are: Aetna (Regular and Medicare), Anthem (Regular and Medicare), Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, United Health Care (Advantage). No other insurance accepted. Call 860-651-3539 for an appointment

Exercise Programs

See current Center Life newsletter for session dates and cost for all programs.

Gentle Movement: Monday, 11:15 a.m. This class will increase your strength, help your balance, and provide stretching to maintain and increase mobility. Instructor, Paula Pirog.

NEED EXTRA SPACE?

Please visit granby-ct.gov/senior-services or check your Center Life Newsletter 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. Must have current Senior Center membership to participate in programs.

Total Body Tone: Monday, 12:45–1:45 p.m. Class will consist of circuit style strength training/cardio using a variety of equipment like bands, weights, and steppers, etc. Each class will be different, class will include chair and standing exercises. Instructor, Michelle Rancourt.

Chair Yoga: Tuesday, 2:30 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.

Yoga: Thursday, 4 p.m. Strength building sequences, standing and on the mat. Includes balance and Pilates floor work. Instructor, Paula Pirog.

Line Dancing with Jim: Wednesday, 1:30–2:30 p.m. Instructor Jim Gregory has been teaching dance full-time for 40 years. His expertise will have you learning the steps in no time and having a blast too. This class is for beginners to advanced dancers

Yogachi: Wednesday, 2:45–3:45 p.m. This class is a gentle standing combination of stretches, joint and spinal movements and balance exercises, perfect for the aging body. Principles of yoga and Tai Chi are explored. This gentle class will leave you feeling energized, centered, grounded, relaxed and healthy. Instructor, Mary Ellen Mullins.

Everybody’s Exercise: Thursday, 1:30–2:30 p.m. This class will include strength and weights, some cardio, balance, and flexibility. All movements can be modified for chair or standing. Instructor Mary Root will personalize your routine based off your current flexibility, strength, etc.

All about Balance: Thursday, 2:45 p.m. This class focuses on strength for balance efficiency, such as squats, handheld weight maneuvers, and walking drills, as well as core conditioning. Instructor, Paula Pirog.

Adult Fencing: Friday, 11 a.m. Olympic Foil Fencing Club for adults, where you can learn the most sophisticated fencing sword called

Foil. Sport of Olympic Fencing is open for everyone, with any physical abilities. Fencing is an elegant and complex sport that makes your brain think fast and clearly, keeping it healthy and alert and it’s maintaining your motor skills in top condition throughout your life. Fencing classes are taught by coach Marc, who is a Fencing Master with 45 years of experience and is an

coach and

of

Fencing.

E. B. Goddard, a man who wore many hats

By Todd Vibert

Edward Byron Goddard, who owned this nine-foot-long, three-foot-wide wagon (pictured at right), lived in Granby his whole life. Born on June 9, 1873, he grew up in West Granby and attended the Thomaston Academy. As a young man, he worked at Loomis Store. Understanding farmers’ needs, he started his own business selling farm equipment: plows, harrows, rakes, manure spreaders and hay mowers, as well as feed, seed and the tools and paint needed to maintain the farm.

Goddard traveled in the wagon throughout Western Connecticut and Massachusetts selling and delivering the small equipment, tools and feed. Like today’s business vehicles with a company name on the door, the wagon proclaimed: “Sold by E.B. Goddard, Granby, CT” and advertised an equipment manufacturer. Large machinery was shipped by rail to stations in Springfield, Hartford and New Haven, where he picked it up and delivered it to customers. He communicated with clients and vendors using the telegraph, mail and, after the first sets were installed in Granby in 1896, the telephone. By 1900, Connecticut had about 600,000 phones, rising to 2.2 million in 1905, and 5.8 million by 1910.

Goddard also became a realtor, obtaining a broker’s license and was well-known for his signature attire— business suit, pressed white shirt and tie. Besides farm equipment and real es-

E.B. Goddard dressed formally even on skates … complete with his Fedora! tate, he sold automobiles from catalogs, arranging for delivery to customers. As automobiles became popular, Goddard was one of the first in town to own one. Known best as E.B., Goddard was actively involved in community affairs. He served in the 1911-12 session of the Connecticut General Assembly, was the Master of the St. Marks Masonic Lodge #91, and was a founding member and

Goddard cont’d. on p. 25

Fundraiser photo shoot planned for Nov. 9

Thinking about options for a fun and unique family Christmas card this year? How about one that’s uniquely Granby? The Salmon Brook Historical Society is hosting a fundraiser photo shoot at the Sadoce Wilcox House, 143 Simsbury Road, West Granby, on Saturday, Nov. 9 (rain date, Nov. 10). Come take a picture on the E.B. Goddard wagon with a scenic West Granby backdrop and use the photos for your holiday card this season.

Submitted photo

Historical Society News

Flea Market. Saturday, Oct 19, 9am-4pm. For vendor space, please contact Dave Laun at (860) 653-3965 or Todd Vibert at (860) 653-9506.

Holiday Historical Photo Shoot. Saturday, Nov. 9, 10-2 (rain date Nov. 10) at the Wilcox Barn at 143 Simsbury Road.

This is your opportunity to take a family photo with artifacts from the Historical Society’s collections. The EB Goddard wagon and the Griffin sleigh will be positioned against the picturesque Wilcox Barn and the rolling hills of West Granby. A perfect setting for a holiday photo!

The Stroll Returns!

In the fall of 2020, during the pandemic, the Salmon Brook Historical Society found a way to share Granby’s history outdoors. We called it “A Stroll through Granby History.” The Stroll was an opportunity to both walk and learn; no one went inside any of the homes. We are doing it again!

Getting to Know Us

Name: Todd Vibert

Volunteers will be on hand to take photographs using your device. A $25 donation is requested per group, which helps us maintain this beautiful property. Bring your family, friends, and pets and capture the moment! Photos will be taken based upon order of arrival.

Position: Board Member and Immediate Past President

odd has been a dedicated member of the Society since 1995, though his involvement dates back to the 1970s when he helped his father, Bill Vibert, set up the Antique Show at the high school. Over the years, Todd has contributed by assisting with parking at the flea market and guiding vendors to their spaces early in the morning. He remains impressed by ociety’s volunteers, which is crucial to the flea

In addition to his work with the flea market, Todd organizes Sunday tours from 2 to 4 p.m. He values the docents who volunteer their time to educate the public about the town’s history. Despite his busy schedule working at Avis Budget Group and as a sports supervisor at Granby High School, Todd finds time to write about Granby’s history for the Granby Drummer. His commitment stems from his belief that all Granby residents should understand their town’s history, driving his deep involvement with the Salmon Brook Historical Society.

From Oct. 1 through Oct. 29, the Salmon Brook Historical Society will place a temporary sign with a picture of the original house in each front yard along Salmon Brook Street (Route 10/202). In addition to the early picture, the posters will include a QR code so walkers can learn much more about the history of the houses and the people who lived in them using their cell phone or tablet. Again—none of the houses will be open for inside tours, but the gathered stories are fascinating.

A map of the homes included in “A Stroll through Granby History” appears on page 25 and will also be available to be printed from the SBHS website

The Rowe House, 208 Salmon Brook Street

A Stroll Through Granby History Map

Don’t miss taking “A Stroll through Granby History!”

In 2020 and 2021, the Salmon Brook Historical Society sponsored a history stroll highlighting 33 houses and spots where important buildings once stood. This Oct. 1 through 29, the signs will again line Salmon Brook Street, the town green and the SBHS campus at the southern end of the street. In addition to the expected stories there are stories about Black families, free and enslaved. Learn about indigenous peoples (the Massaco, Tunxis, Waranoakes, Agawams and the Poquonocks)

Goddard cont’d. from p. 24

one-time president of the Newgate Coon Club. He married Ada Cooley in 1895, and they had one daughter, Dorothy Louise. E.B. Goddard passed away in June 1940 at age 67 and is buried in Granby Cemetery.

It is fitting that E.B. Goddard’s wag-

who lived here long before white Europeans. Artifacts that have been dated to 425 A.D. (the start of the Middle Ages in Europe) have been found in Granby. These signs are not attached to specific houses but will be on the SBHS campus.

Our stories give us a strong sense of place, a feel for how Granby became what it is today. We’ve included both the good and the not-so-good stories. This October, make time to walk through our town’s history with family and friends. Submitted by Peg Giles, SBHS.

on is at the Sadoce and Roxy Wilcox House, as Ada Cooley Goddard was their great-great-granddaughter.

To learn more about E.B. Goddard or the wagon, call the Salmon Brook Historical Society at 860-653-9713 or visit salmonbrookhistoricalsociety.com

Cliff Burrell honored by Grange

In a heartfelt recognition of his outstanding contributions to the community, Commander of the Granby American Legion Post Cliff Burrell has been honored as the Granby Grange #5 Community Citizen of the Year. This prestigious award highlights Burrell’s unwavering support and dedication to local initiatives, particularly his work with the Grange. Burrell lends his time and expertise to support various projects, including the community garden and landscape management. His commitment to these endeavors has been instrumental in the Grange’s success and the enhancement of the local community spaces, a fact that we can all take pride in.

As Commander of the Granby American Legion Post, Burrell has supported veterans and their families, demonstrating his dedication to service and community welfare.

The Grange’s Community Citizen of the Year award is a testament to individuals who go above and beyond

to support and uplift their community. Burrell’s selection for this honor recognizes his exceptional contributions and the positive difference he has made in Granby.

Submitted by Dave Roberts

A Childhood Memory

When I was a little girl in the 1950s, I went to Byram School in Greenwich. It had kindergarten through eighth grade, and the older children were taught to be protective of the younger ones on the playground.

In my mind’s eye, I see the jungle gym where I only climbed on the lower bars, the green wooden seesaws, the baseball and hockey fields, and the gigantic black rock that four or five children could stand on at the same time. Everyone said that this rock had been left there when the glaciers melted. There were also young trees with bronze markers in front of them with the names of those Byram School graduates who had died in World War II.

I especially remember that not only did we walk to and from school, but we also walked home for lunch and returned back—lots of walking!

Only a few of the moms worked outside the home then, so most were available to make our lunches. I remember meatloaf sandwiches on white bread with lettuce and tomato, peanut butter with jelly or marshmallow fluff, tuna fish, and grilled cheese with tomato soup. Sometimes my mother made homemade pea soup, which I didn’t like too much. So, she would cut up hot dogs in it to get me to eat it! There was also a large glass of milk with Bosco and fruit cocktail and cookies for dessert.

To get to and from school we had to cross the heavily travelled Old Post Road (Route 1). So, we had a policeman to cross us. I felt so safe when he stopped the cars by holding up his white gloved hand.

On Mondays after school, we would walk to catechism at the Roman Catholic church, and on Fridays in Lent to Stations of the Cross. Since I was coming home a different way, my mother would come to meet me to cross the Old Post Road. Yes, we did a lot of walking, but we never thought twice about it —except maybe on rainy days when we wished we had a ride!

Bernadette R. Gentry

Cliff Burrell, recognized as Granby Grange #5 Citizen of the Year. Submitted photo

Holcomb Hoedown Success!

The first Holcomb Hoedown attracted upwards of 400 people of all ages to Granby’s Holcomb Farm. Held on a beautiful late August day, the hoedown had something for everyone: professionally led line dancing lessons in the North Barn Pavilion; cowboy-mounted shooting by the Granby Horse Council in the South Horse Ring; a Kid Zone with crafts, face painting, popcorn and an entertaining puppet show by puppeteers from the Hispanic Health Council; a corn crib and hay maze and other fun and games; food trucks and more.

There were two main goals for this free event, open to all. First, to introduce more people to Holcomb Farm, a 312-acre property owned by the town, and to Friends of Holcomb Farm, the nonprofit, membership-based organization which farms the fields and stewards the open space. Second, and equally important, was to raise funds to support the Fresh Access program, through which the Friends provide roughly 25 percent of the food grown at the farm to people who might not otherwise have access, through community partners. Thanks to so many people who came

out and donated and to the businesses who sponsored the event. Both goals were achieved and then some. (Be sure to see the “Thank you to our sponsors” ad on p. 29 in this issue.)

We accomplished something else, too: we had fun! Board members and volunteers (including local students and the GMHS boys soccer team) worked tirelessly to pull this together, and when the day came, the sun shone, and y’all showed up, it was all worthwhile. We are already beginning to plan for the Second Annual Holcomb Hoedown next summer. If you attended and have any feedback to offer or would like to help out at next year’s Hoedown, let us know at info@holcombfarm.org

Another Open Farm Day celebration

We thank the Granby Agricultural Commission for once again organizing Open Farm Day that brought people from Granby and beyond out to Granby’s many farms. At Holcomb Farm, we welcomed our good friend Chef Chris Prosperi of Metro Bis for one of his signature cooking demonstrations using fresh Holcomb Farm produce. Later, visitors enjoyed a tour led by Farmer Joe of the farm’s fields and greenhouses. And throughout the day, people visited the store and experienced the beauty of

Harvest Dinner and Live Auction

Summer is winding down

While mid-September is proving unusually warm, the days are shortening quickly and the leaves are turning. Summer CSA pick-ups and Fresh Access distributions will continue, and the Farm Store will be open to all throughout October. We hope to be able to offer winter CSA again this year. (More on that next month.) In the meantime, stewardship volunteers continue to mow the trails and fields, fight invasives on the Tree Trail and clear woodland trails throughout the 10 miles of hiking trails. All are encouraged to find a cool autumn afternoon to take an easy stroll or a rigorous hike and be grateful for all that New England has to offer this season. Last big event of the year:

The Friends are excited to be hosting a Harvest Dinner and (new this year) live auction to benefit Fresh Access on Saturday, Oct. 19. The venue will be the home of one of our Fresh Access community partners: the Healing Meals Community Project on Nod Road in Simsbury. The live auction will feature a diverse selection of donated items—from weekends in Manhattan and Vermont to an exclusive dinner for six at Metro Bis—with Farmer Joe and Chef Prosperi hosting, opening night tickets to The Lion King at the Bushnell, and many more. If the tickets are not already sold out, you can get yours at holcombfarm.org

It is going to be a special evening, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to support Fresh Access. Of course, if you can’t join us (or the dinner is sold out), we are always grateful for donations. Just hit the “donate” button on the website and make a note to direct your

this land that has been farmed since the mid-1700s.

Granby Horse Council member Samantha Henry riding Shaman demonstrates the international sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting.

Photo by Laura Midura

Open Farm Day brought folks to the Farm Store to see what Metro Bis’s Chef Chris Prosperi could cook up with Holcomb Farm veggies. Photo by Melody Smith

The North Barn was a perfect venue for Stompin’ Boots to teach line-dancing to willing Hoedown-goers.

Photo by Donna Snyder

Fresh Access volunteers Lynn Barragan, JoAnn Smith, Patty Sansone and Ann Wilhelm spend a morning harvesting Thrall Family Farms grapes for distribution to families who might not otherwise have access. Photo by Donna Snyder

The Holcomb Hoedown Kid Zone face painting was a huge hit. From left, Arlo Baron, Ella Harris and Sophie Midura. Photo by Laura Midura

Holcomb Farm cont’d. on p. 27

your

to own a print of

Holcomb Farm cont’d. from p. 26

donation to Fresh Access. We welcome all who are able to help us continue to provide 30,000+ pounds of fresh local produce to fight food insecurity and improve healthy lifestyles.

Purchase a Laura Eden print to benefit Fresh Access

On sale now in our Farm Store: exclusive, matted giclee prints of Laura Eden’s award-winning painting, Holcomb Beauty, depicting members of the Holcomb Farm crew tending to the crops in the fields. This is your chance to own a piece of Laura Eden art!

An accomplished artist and Granby resident, Eden says of her work “My paintings are meant to trigger daydreams. They are a response to quiet moments spent in nature’s grasp. Recalling a familiar feeling of place, they at the same time show the viewer a more intimate, exaggerated perspective. Through my work I try to evoke a refreshing response to the commonplace.” Matted prints are on sale for $65 and $140, and Eden will donate 40 percent of every sale to the Friends of Holcomb Farm’s Fresh Access program. These prints are only being made available via the Friends of Holcomb Farm, so make sure you get to the Farm Store (111 Simsbury Road) to purchase yours before they sell out. The Friends of Holcomb Farm thank Laura Eden for her generosity..

Lori Armentano, Diane Szipsky and Donna Snyder show off the literal fruits of their labor at the Thrall Family Farms in Windsor. These volunteers harvested apples for distribution to families in Granby, Hartford, New Britain and beyond via the Friends of Holcomb Farm’s Fresh Access program.

The Holcomb Workshop was at capacity with kids enjoying the Hispanic Health Council’s Fernando the Farmer puppet show at the Hoedown. Photo by Jenny Emery

Photo by Rick Brown

Now’s

chance

this beautiful Laura Eden painting, available exclusively in Holcomb Farm’s Farm Store. Eden will generously donate 40 percent of every sale to Holcomb Farm’s Fresh Access program. Photo by Ed Judge

Granby’s Open Farm Day, Oct. 14, was graced with perfect weather for the 19 agricultural businesses and organizations that participated. Many thanks to our wonderful photographers—Shirley Murtha, Holly Johnson and Rae Cameron.

and left top and bottom,

Above

visitors of all ages to Cossitt Library enjoyed assembling 3D printed tractor models in the makerspace, snacking on “Seeds you can eat” at the Seed Library, creating herbal sachets, and making Tic-Tac-Toe games.

John Coward talks tobacco.

A youngster gives Powalka’s truck a test ride at Cossitt.

John O’Brien demonstrating hosta dividing.

Ready to go for a ride at Clark Farms.

Richard C. Powalka, North Granby, shared his restored 1933 “Little Blue Truck” with library visitors.

Why bees need vets

In the past few years, there has been a lot of news and discussion about saving the bees. We know that honey bees are extremely important for food production around the world and without these pollinators, we would be in a grim situation. In 2022, it was estimated that there were about 2.7 million honey producing colonies in the United States. According to a study by Bee Informed, a nonprofit organization collecting census data on beekeeping across the US, beekeepers lost about 48.2 percent of colonies between April 2022 and April 2023. With continued losses, food production could be in jeopardy. This is where veterinarians step in.

As of 2017, honey bees were reclassified into a food-producing species, meaning beekeepers cannot obtain antibiotics without a prescription or feed directive from a veterinarian. While

many think vets can just write a prescription, legally we must establish a Veterinary-Client-Patient-Relationship, or VCPR. This is true of any species, including honey bees. A VCPR means that we have examined the animal once yearly at minimum. We could never examine each individual bee but we examine the colony as a whole and treat the colony as if it were an individual animal.

The most common issue we are finding with honey bee colonies is Varroa mites. These mites are found across the US and in other parts of the world. Not only are the mites parasitic to the individual bees, but they also carry many viral diseases that can spread to the colony. There are bacterial, fungal and viral infections we can see with colonies as well as husbandry issues that can contribute to the large losses of colonies.

If you have honey bees, whether you are a commercial producer or a hobbyist, I strongly urge you to reach out to a veterinarian for regular hive exams. Veterinarians can be found on The Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium’s website.

I look forward to doing my part in saving the bees!

Karen Dowd manning the Granby Land Trust station

Jewelry vendor at Lost Acres Vineyard

Hat vendor at Lost Acres Vineyard

Racing ducks at Clark Farms

Mum display at Clark Farms

Vintage dollhouse at SBHS’s Wilcox House

Granby author Dana McSwain to read at the Mark Twain House

By Nicole Muller

Who would have expected that walking her poodle in Granby woods would have inspired Dana McSwain to write a creative non-fiction piece that was selected to appear in the 2024 Connecticut Literary Anthology? Everyone who knows McSwain, that’s who!

In fact, McSwain’s piece, The Perfect Stranger, is so compelling that the anthology’s editor and prize-winning author Victoria Buitron has asked McSwain to read it at the Mark Twain House when the anthology is unveiled on Oct. 20. The anthology, which includes the best poetry, non-fiction and prose produced by Connecticut writers over the past year, is the jewel of the Central Connecticut State University’s English Department.

“Only a few writers have been asked to read, so I feel so very honored,” McSwain said.

Like all her writing, The Perfect Stranger is an exquisitely crafted and compelling read. “Most of my nonfiction work explores feminism in my lifetime,” McSwain says. “As a Gen X-er, I’m interested in why strangers become friends and what silent cultures pull us in. For many women, truths bubble up when they’re with another woman. There’s something deep in our evolution that tells us who to trust. To hold another woman’s secret is a special moment that feels so precious.”

McSwain said that the idea for this piece came to her when she was personally in a low place. “I was separated from my children [who were away at college]. We had lost one of our

dogs and our poodle Pippi was suddenly afraid of everything. When I was hiking in the woods, women, strangers who approached me, were sharing secrets. In this beautiful society here, women with secrets too heavy to carry share them with other women. What I wrote is something that a woman shared with me.”

McSwain said she believes that women know intuitively that their mothers and grandmothers were healed by sharing.

“It is such a beautiful culture among women,” she said.

But why is the secret that is revealed in her essay pregnancy? “I wanted it to be pregnancy because when you’re pregnant, you’re both excited and terrified because you know that so many things can go wrong,” McSwain said. “There’s something innate inside that makes us need to share that fear. We’re so afraid, but we know it’s safe to share our fear with another woman. There’s a shorthand that we all understand.”

One glance at an excerpt from McSwain’s essay says it all. “Branches snap around the bend---but close. The new dog streaks back to me, an ink blot puddling at my feet. There are bears in these woods, but it’s not bears I worry about. They pay us no more than a passing glance before lumbering on, as uninterested in interaction as I am. Up trail, a woman appears, and I instinctively relax.”

McSwain will join 11 other writers reading their work at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20, at the Mark Twain House, 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford. Admission is free, but seating is limited. Reserve a seat at eventbrite ct

Granby’s Dana McSwain will read from her creative nonfiction piece The Perfect Stranger, included in the 2024 Connecticut Literary Anthology, at the Mark Twain House on Oct. 20.

Photo by Nicole Muller

Girl Scout Troop 66362 graduates!

The girls of Girl Scout Troop 66362 have graduated high school. Caroline Hall and Mackenzie Janski (Granby Memorial High School), and Daisy Rzecinski (Suffield High School) graduated as part of the Class of 2024.

All three girls joined Girl Scouts in kindergarten as Daisies and remained active members for 13 years, through their senior year of high school, attaining the rank of Ambassador. As Girl Scouts they’ve had many experiences including

In Memory of . . .

ziplining, white water rafting, archery, camping, hiking, cooking, wood working, photography, traveling abroad, earning badges and higher awards, contributing to their community and supporting their sister scouts. They will bring the lessons and memories of Girl Scouts with them as they go on to college at the University of New Hampshire (Caroline), Millersville University (Mackenzie) and University of South Carolina (Daisy). Congratulations and best wishes Troop 66362— we’ll miss you! Submitted by Christina Hall

Osborn, Charles Andrew, 71, husband of Lynn L. (LaBrecque) Osborn, August 15

Wright, Richard L., 77, husband of Pamela (Gates) Wright, August 17 Malloy, Bernadette (Morgan), 89, wife of the late Thomas Malloy, August 22 Boock, Joan (“Joanie”), 57, wife of Michael Boock, August 24

Olechna, Walter M., 82, husband of Patricia A. (Woinoski) Olechna, August 29

Scannell, Paul Michael, 88, husband of the late Andrea (Normandin) Scannell, September 2

From left, Caroline Hall, Daisy Rzecinski and Mackenzie Janski, submitted photo

Browse & Borrow

Adult Programs at GPL

Tech Talk, Security Tips from a Pro: Monday, Oct. 7, 2–3 p.m. Joe O’Donnell, SWAT Technologies, shares tips for securing your phone from unwanted monitoring and tracking, explains how to stop email spammers, and answers your personal security tech questions.

Movie Matinee, American Fiction: Monday, Oct. 14, 1:30–3:30 p.m. Enjoy a feature film and complimentary snacks at the monthly matinee. Cord Jefferson’s hilarious directorial debut, American Fiction (rated R for language) confronts our culture’s obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes. The comedy-drama is a best picture nominee and tells the story of Monk, a frustrated novelist who is fed up with the establishment that profits from tired and offensive tropes in Black entertainment. To prove his point, he uses a pen name to write an outlandish Black book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy.

The Last Full Measure of Devotion, Honoring Our Vets: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 6:30–7:30 p.m. How to honor the sacrifice of service members has been a question through the years. Professor Hamish Lutris presents how veterans have been recognized for their service and how that recognition has changed over time. Sponsored by the Granby Public Libraries and American Legion Shannon Shattuck Post 182.

Crafters Café, Paint Nite: Thursday, Oct. 24, 6–7:30 p.m. Connect with your inner artist. Katherine Tolve, The Art Room, leads a paint workshop for beginner and intermediate skill levels. All materials provided. Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries.

Author Talk, Kara Labella: Wednesday, Oct. 30, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Author Kara Labella draws from local history and folklore to write spine-tingling tales. History buffs, lovers of spooky stories and anyone who appreciates a good read will enjoy the presentation. Signed copies of Labella’s works will be available for purchase.

GRANBY PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM

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

gplibrary@granby-ct.gov

Library Hours–Main Branch

Monday–Thursday: 10 a.m.–7 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Library Hours–Cossitt Branch

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 1–6 p.m.

Second and fourth Saturdays each month (10/12 and 10/26): 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Registration is required for library programs. To register, scan the QR code, visit granby-ct.gov/ Library and click on “Register for a Program” or call the library at 860-844-5275. To learn more about upcoming programs, sign up for the library’s monthly eNewsletter. For the most updated information on dates and programs, refer to the library’s online calendar.

GPL= Granby Main Branch FHC= Cossitt Branch

CCS Makerspace Programs at FHC

CCS Equipment Demonstration and Training: Check library website for dates and times. Adults and youth ages 8 and up with an adult. Give your creative ideas life—visit Cossitt’s makerspace and learn to use the 3D printer, laser cutter, sewing and embroidery machines, sublimation printer, vinyl cutter, mug and bottle presses and all manner of digitizing equipment.

Laser Cut Bird House: Saturday, Oct. 12, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. Adults and teens ages 16 and up, assemble a laser cut birdhouse, sand and decorate. Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries.

Sketchbook Basics: Tuesdays, Oct. 15, 22 and 29, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. Artist Doug Williams leads a three-part series introducing beginners and advanced beginners to sketching. Learn to simplify what you see, create value scales, practice lines and shapes, and understand shading and perspective. Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries.

Exploring Cricut Design Space: Thursday, Oct. 17, 1:30–3 p.m. Unlock the power of Cricut Design Space in this class designed for beginners. This hands-on class will guide you through the fundamentals of Cricut’s intuitive design software.

Cutting Edge Creations, Mastering Cricut Design Space: Thursday, Oct. 24, 1:30–3 p.m. Bring your custom design skills to the next level. This class will guide you through many advanced features of the Cricut Design Space software. Participants should have a basic knowledge of this software.

Knit and Crochet Group: Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Knitters and crocheters are invited to a monthly meet-up to work on individual projects, and perhaps a group activity. All levels are invited. Space is limited.

Intro To Knitting: Wednesday, Oct. 9, 1:30–3 p.m. Beginning knitters and those who need a refresher will learn basic knitting skills, including casting on, binding off, knit and purl stitch, stockinette and garter knitting. Yarn and needles provided or bring your own. Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries. Knitting In The Round: Wednesdays, Oct. 30, Nov. 6 and 13, 1:30–3 p.m. Learn to use circular needles with a flexible cable to knit a hat. Participants must have some knitting experience and need to attend all three classes. Yarn and needles provided or bring your own. Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraires.

Book Clubs

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

Millennials Read: Friday, Oct. 4, 6:30–8 p.m. Each month is at a new local hotspot. At this no-stress book discussion, join readers in their 20s, 30s and 40s to talk about current book picks. You do not need to be reading anything specific; come and fill up your TBR list. October’s meeting will be held at Hopmeadow Brewing Company in Avon.

Something About The Author Book Club: Monday, Oct. 7, 1:30–2:30 p.m. Discussing Burial Rites by author Hannah Kent. The novel is based on a true story of the final days of a young woman in Iceland in 1829 accused of the brutal murder of her former master. John Rusnock will lead the discussion.

Sci/Fi Fantasy Book Club: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 6–7 p.m. Discussing Hyperion by Dan Simmons. In the far future seven pilgrims travel to the mysterious planet of Hyperion. Each carries a personal agenda but find they are interconnected as they share their individual stories, shedding light on the enigma that is Hyperion. Written in 1989 and the first in a series, it won the 1990 Hugo Award for Best Novel. Jim Gorman will lead the discussion.

Children’s & Teen Programs at GPL

Paws For Tales: Thursday, Oct. 3, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. Children in grades 1–3 are invited to attend the program where they can build confidence and practice reading aloud to Amani, a calm and friendly cocker spaniel registered therapy dog. Amani provides a patient, non-judgmental audience, helping young readers develop their literacy skills in a fun, relaxed environment. Each child can read their favorite book to Amani for a set amount of time. Bring a book or choose one from the library’s collection. This pawsitively delightful program is perfect for any young reader looking for an encouraging and supportive experience. Space is limited.

Teen Felting, Wise Owl: Thursday, Oct. 3, 2–4 p.m. Grades: 6–12 Teens are invited to join us for a fun afternoon with fiber arts expert Angelina Fleury. In this session, teens will learn how to felt wool and create their own wise owl. Space is limited. Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries.

Scary Tales & Slimy Surprises: Monday, Oct. 7, 6–6:30 p.m. Ages: 7–10 Join us for a spine-tingling adventure as we dive into spooky stories that will give you chills. After the tales, test your bravery with our mystery boxes filled with gooey, slimy and squishy surprises. Are you ready to feel the fright? Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries.

Dungeon & Dragons for Beginners: Monday, Oct. 14, 1–3 p.m. Grades: 6–12 Join us for an exciting program led by experienced teen Dungeon Master, PK. This adventure welcomes new players to the world of D & D, where you’ll create characters, explore magical realms, and embark on thrilling quests. Whether a complete beginner or just getting started, PK will guide you through the rules, role-playing and dice rolling. Bring your imagination and a sense of adventure. All materials are provided. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow adventurers, make new friends, and dive into the world of tabletop gaming at the library. Snacks will be provided. Space is limited. Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries.

Dungeons & Dragons: Monday, Oct. 21, 3–5 p.m. Grades: 6–12 Join us for the next thrilling session of D & D with Dungeon Master PK! This game continues from last week’s adventure, so participants should already know how to play and bring their character sheets. Prepare to face new challenges, exciting battles and explore deeper into the fantasy world. The adventure awaits—are you ready? Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries.

Simplyart, Keepsake Boxes: Wednesday, Oct. 16, 4:30–5:30 p.m. Ages: 8–11 years. Get crafty and design your very own keepsake box.

Library cont’d. on p. 33

John Oates receives honorary proclamation

School-aged children will have fun decorating and personalizing their boxes to store special treasures. Join us for a creative afternoon filled with imagination and colorful supplies. Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries.

Teen Lab, Personalized Water Bottles: Tuesday, Oct. 22, 3–5 p.m. Grades: 6–12 Get creative with personalized sublimation bottles using a cricut machine. Design and customize your own bottle with unique graphics and text. All materials will be provided. Don’t miss this chance to craft a one-of-a-kind bottle that’s both functional and stylish. Space is limited. Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries.

Pumpkin Party, Carving and Painting: Saturday, Oct. 19, 1:30–3:30 p.m. All ages are welcome on the library’s front lawn for a festive Pumpkin Party to carve their own jack-o’lanterns, while small children can enjoy painting pumpkins with vibrant colors. Celebrate the season with creativity, fun and a whole lot of pumpkins. Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries.

Preschool Halloween Parade: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 10:30–11 a.m. Ages: 2-4 years. Preschoolers and 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. Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries.

Fiber Arts Club: Wednesdays, Oct. 9 and Nov. 13, 3–5 p.m. Grades: 6–12 Join our Fiber Arts Club for teens and explore the world of crochet, needlepoint, hand sewing, cross-stitch and more. Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, come learn new skills, share your projects, and get creative with friends after school. Some materials will be provided, but feel free to bring your own supplies from home. Light snacks will be provided. Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries. Teen Hocus Pocus Movie Watch Party: Friday, Oct. 25, 3–5 p.m. Grades: 6-12 Join us after hours for a spellbinding evening at the library with Hocus Pocus. Watch this Halloween classic while enjoying snacks, drinks and participating in fun interactive activities like Movie Bingo, a Quote Challenge, and a Scavenger Hunt. Dance, sing along and come in costume to make the night even more magical—don’t

First Selectman Mark Fiorentino presented John and Linda Oates a proclamation at the Sept. 16 board of selectman meeting, thanking them for their generosity in donating four Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to the town this past summer. John and Linda took this action to continue the legacy of community service that began with John’s father, Jim, and mother, Nancy, both of whom devoted many years of service to Granby boards and organizations. Nancy passed in 2014 and Jim in 2023. Linda was not present at the meeting. Photo by Shirley Murtha

Shown above are the librarians and volunteers that put together the 2023 book festival. From left, Amber Wyzik, Laurie Smith, Casey LaPlante, Michele Kaminski, Joy Cloukey, Laurel Farrer, Alyssa Linden and Leigh Ann Ryan.

miss out on the fun with friends at this exclusive event. Sponsored by The Friends of the Granby Public Libraries.

2024 Granby Children’s Book Festival: Saturday, Nov. 2, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at Wells Road Intermediate School, 134 Wells Road. All ages are invited to the free event, an amazing day of book love.

Weekly Storytimes at GPL

Check library calendar to confirm weekly storytime dates as some are subject to change.

Baby Rhyme Time: Tuesdays, Oct. 8, 15 and 22, 10:30–11 a.m. Ages: Birth–14 months. Babies and their caregivers are invited to join an interactive lap-sit program featuring a story, nursery rhymes, songs and baby sign language.

Mother Goose On The Loose: Wednesdays, Oct. 9, 16 and 23, 10:30–11 a.m. Ages: 2–4 years. Young children and 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.

Nightfall Stories and Stretch: Thursdays, Oct. 10, 17 and 24, 6–6:30 p.m. Ages: 4–7 years. Children are invited to join an independent mindfulness program featuring stories, stretches and an interactive activity.

Toddler Time: Thursdays, Oct. 10, 17 and 24, 10:30–11 a.m. Ages: 15 months–24 months. Toddlers and their caregivers are invited to join an interactive program featuring a story, nursery rhymes, songs and sign language.

Mini Movers: Fridays, Oct. 11 and 25, 10:30–11 a.m. Ages: 15 months–4 years. Children are invited to join an interactive music program featuring songs, dancing, scarves and egg shaker activities.

The Garden Corner

By Cindy Dixon

It is time for fall planting

Summer months are slipping by, and fall is right around the corner with its shorter days and cooler nights. Many think that the end of summer heralds the end of our planting and garden season. That is not necessarily the case. The cooler temps mean reduced water needs, which reduces the stress on plants (and the people digging and weeding them).

When shrubs, trees and late summer vegetables are planted in the fall, the plant’s energy is sent to the roots, which will continue to grow until a hard freeze. You are giving the new plant, tree or perennial a head start for the next year.

Fall also means fewer pests munching on our plants and fewer opportunities for disease. Insects turn their focus from feeding on plants to searching for a place of winter dormancy. Fungi and bacteria thrive on heat and moisture. With the temperatures tending to be lower and fewer leaves to infect, the spread of disease lessens.

I put together a list and time frame for some of the vegetables and flowers that are good for fall planting.

Early October Spring bulbs (tulip, trout lily, daffodil, snowdrop, starflower), trees and shrubs, perennials, (peonies, daisies, sedum, etc.), accent plants (mums and asters), lettuce and spinach, kale, leafy greens such as collard greens and kohlrabi, cabbage and Swiss chard, bok choy and mustard greens, radish, herbs.

October

Spring bulbs (iris, tulip, daffodil, hyacinth bulbs and crocus corms), sedum, hardy mums, asters, and fall pansies, garlic, shallots, peas, arugula.

November

Spring bulbs, trees and shrubs

Clean up the garden beds from dying summer crops and add compost and kelp to feed the soil before planting the next crop this fall.

Watering is probably the most important task for a fall garden. The air and ground temperatures are already warm (unlike at spring plantings).

Keep on gardening and enjoying all your delicious and healthy bounty. You will be pleasantly surprised at how easy fall gardening can be.

Next month, we’ll talk about our gourd and pumpkin harvest.

Sweet peas and shallots are among those great for fall planting. Stock photos.

Library cont’d. from p. 32

Smoke alarms:

Make them work for you!

The Town of Granby’s Fire Marshal’s Office and Lost Acres Fire Department are teaming with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to promote this year’s Fire Protection Week campaign, Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!TM The campaign works to educate everyone about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home.

According to NFPA, smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half (54 percent). Meanwhile, roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign helps better educate the public about simple but critical steps they can take to make sure their homes have smoke alarms in all the needed locations and that they’re working properly.”

“Smoke alarms serve as the first line of defense in a home fire, but they need to be working in order to protect people,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of

Bringing flowers for teachers

“Working smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, giving people the time to get out safely,” said Granby Fire Marshal Brian Long. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign is a great way to remind everyone about these messages and to act on them.”

Here are some key smoke alarm safety tips and guidelines:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of the home.

• Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.

• Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.

• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.

To find out more about the campaign’s programs and activities, please contact the Fire Marshal’s Office at 860-8445321. For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and smoke alarms, visit fpw.org and for fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org Remember, working smoke alarms save lives! Test yours today!

The Granby Fire Marshal’s Office offers FREE inspection of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for one- and two-family homes in our town. There is no cost or obligation involved. We have a limited supply of replacement smoke alarms available to homeowners. Help us keep you and your family safe. Contact us today at 860-844-5321 or firemarshal@granby-ct.gov

Submitted by the Fire Marshal’s Office

Granby and the First Amendment

The Great Awakening

By Skip Mission

This is part two of a five-part religious history series taking us from early Granby through events to the First Amendment. (Part one is available on the Drummer website, September issue.)

Last month, we experienced what 1700s Granby life was like living and chafing under a town government responsible for one’s religious well-being. In part two, we’ll add more local religious context as tensions become division in the Salmon Brook Ecclesiastical Society. The Great Awakening in the Connecticut River Valley includes two key figures, Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield.

Jonathan Edwards was America’s first theologian, a Yale-educated Congregational Pastor, born in South Windsor. When preaching, he methodically read his notes from point to point and was thought maybe to be boring. Edwards was an insider, part of the established Puritan Congregational clergy. His grandfather, Solomon Stoddard, was nicknamed the Puritan Pope of the Connecticut River Valley. Edwards preached the sermon Sinners in the Hands of any Angry God in Enfield (on Route 5 with a rock marking the spot). The message is often quoted for its fire and brimstone scare. Edwards’ point in the message was not to scare people into heaven but “warn them away from hell.”

The unexpected effect of Edwards’ preaching was recorded in A Narrative of Surprising Conversions from 1733-1735. The response was men and women held onto the pews, cried out for mercy, pleading “is there no way to escape?” Minds were more engaged in religion with visible effects upon their bodies, outcries, fainting and crying in the streets, meetings for prayer and fasting, some with joys, some with convulsion. This included elderly to young, regardless of class, men, women, children, and “even some zealous from Suffield.” He attributed it to God in Distinguishing Marks of a work of the Spirit of God as people were awakened with a sense of their potential eternal ruin. He later reported a similar response to his boss in An account of the Revival of

Religion in Northampton 1740-1742, the same year the Granby society was formed. In contrast to Edwards, George Whitefield was an outsider. An English Anglican evangelist with extraordinary oratory skills, he had a booming voice said to carry for miles. He made seven tours to America including one to the Connecticut River valley in 1740-1741, preaching in churches and open fields. He was a friend of Edwards and knew him well. He kept a journal of his crusades while touring America, preaching an estimated 18,000 times to more than seven million people.

In Whitefield’s journal at age 25, he recorded town by town, day by day, his ministry results. In Suffield and Windsor, he wrote that he “preached of the doctrine of the new birth… to several thousand in Suffield with many ministers present …. but the word came with power, and I did not spare them.” Furthermore, he alleged that “Mr. Stoddard is much to be blamed for unconverted men to be admitted into the ministry… being a bane of the Christian Church.” Meanwhile, others received the conversion “spirit of adoption” he presented, but there was no mention of Granby.

In his book, Tempest in a Small Town, Mark Williams answers why. One facet of the tempest was a religious split in the new Salmon Brook Society between the established church members called Old Lights, while those with a newfound conviction leading to a conversion experience were called New Lights. The New Lights were common folk who searched the scriptures for themselves. In Granby, 12 years of disputes between Old and New Lights resulted in not inviting Whitefield to preach.

The New Lights of the valley went even further. Whitefield believed in infant baptism and would say that my “chicks have turned to ducks.” The metaphor was of Jesus’ followers being his “chicks under his wing.” However, Whitefield’s followers were now getting baptized by immersion (as ducks) following the New Testament pattern of baptism after a conversion experience and not him.

Next, in Part 3: How did the Connecticut colony and certain New Lights respond?

Brothers Jake and Owen Giannuzzi brought flowers for their teachers at the Kelly Lane School Meet and Greet. Submitted photo

Newly-opened Drago’s Kitchen offers creative excellence

By Kimberly Pereira

Since opening in February, Drago’s Kitchen has welcomed the Granby community into its inclusive and creative breakfast and lunch restaurant, located at 7 Mill Pond Drive. The menu spans gluten-free, vegan and allergenaware options, as well as innovative kid-friendly and family menu choices. Each dish is made from scratch or in conjunction with a local partner, such as Pure Love Gluten Free Bakery of Avon.

The vision for Drago’s Kitchen was born from chef and owner Stefan Drago’s more than 20 years in the culinary industry. Drago, a Granby native, has been cooking since he was 14 years old. As a high school student, he opened Toni Ann’s restaurant on the weekends and later walked next door to New England Pizza to work until closing at that restaurant. Those long weekends, when Drago would work from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., taught him about the rigorous and indefatigable nature of the food industry. However, after high school Drago elected to pursue his competing dream of being a singer-songwriter, and moved to Nashville, Tenn. to attend Belmont University with a focus on music and business. Throughout his college years, Drago realized that music was not his calling and that he was much more drawn to helping the catering crew at the university. “There was no part of the business that I didn’t enjoy,” he notes.

From there, Drago attended what he calls “the school of hard knocks.” He recalls, “I jumped every year. I would jump to a different restaurant, different cuisine to master my trade.” One of his first positions was with a catering company hosting the after-party of the CMT Flameworthy Awards. “My working interview for this job was out on a pasta sauté station, cooking for the likes of Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley.” Drago shares, “It was the coolest thing in the world!”

This array of experience in the culinary world instilled a deep sense of appreciation for high-quality ingredients in Chef Drago. “For me, it’s all about the quality. I will always be successful as long as I take pride in what I put on a plate. And in order to take pride in what I put on the plate, I have to use the best of the ingredients that

I could find.” Drago’s Kitchen does not use anything that’s been frozen. “I want to be the best that I can be,” Drago declares. This includes an extreme sense of ownership and attention to customer care. If a customer comes in and doesn’t like the meal they ordered, Drago considers that to be his fault, and an opportunity to make it right.

Drago’s Kitchen operates with a strong sense of family. After working in fast-paced businesses such as Trumbull Kitchen, the Society Room of Hartford and TJ’s Burritos, Drago wanted to build a business that would allow him to spend more time with his family and enjoy life. Quarantining during the COVID-19 pandemic, in his words, “was the best thing that could have happened to me, because it made me appreciate life.” Now, Drago’s daughters are a common sight around the restaurant, sometimes helping to seat patrons, and his wife runs the business’s social media and memorabilia sales.

Looking to the future, Drago is excited with the success he’s had and hopes to further expand its catering. Recently, Drago’s Kitchen has catered weddings, backyard family barbecues, and is going to be offering Thanksgiving takeout this year. Catering events offer an invigorating challenge, where Drago sits down with the client to design a unique menu which could range from Indian cuisine to traditional BBQ. “I love creating. I’m a chef!” says Drago.

Lila’s delicious chicken breast

Recipe from Judy Guarco

Ingredients

4 (6 oz) skinless chicken breast halves 1 cup multi-colored cherry or grape

tomatoes

3 Tablespoons oil and vinegar dressing

20 olives, halved

½ cup (2 oz) crumbled feta cheese basil leaves, torn for garnish salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Prepare grill to medium high heat. Sprinkle chicken with ¼ teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper.

Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray and grill for 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Keep warm.

Combine tomatoes, 1 ½ Tablespoons dressing and olives in medium skillet over medium heat and cook for 2 min-

By Kathy Norris

utes or until tomatoes soften slightly and mixture is thoroughly heated. Stir occasionally.

Brush chicken with remaining dressing. Cut each chicken breast into ¾ inch slices. Top chicken with tomato mixture. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and torn basil leaves.

Note you can improvise for weather and adjust cooking time for a stove top.

Winner’s Spotlight

Kudos to our Drummer writers and editorial team for winning awards in 10 separate categories in the 2023 Connecticut Press Club Professional Communications Contest! We’re spotlighting one of our award winners in each of the Drummer’s next several issues.

Founded in the 1970s, the Connecticut Press Club is comprised of men and women who work statewide as writers, editors and other media professionals. The Press Club’s annual communications contest is open to anyone living or working in Connecticut and covers a wide range of communications categories, with entries judged according to

criteria and guidelines specific to each category.

This month we recognize Susan Accetura who won an Honorable Mention in the Feature Story (Magazine, Newsletter/Other Publication) category. To read Susan’s article, “After nearly 46 years in the Wutka family, Lost Acres Orchard passes seamlessly to its new family: The Bennetts,” in its entirety, please visit the archives section of our website (granbydrummer.com), click “read online” and select the May 2023 issue. Susan’s article appears on page 1. Or go to issuu.com/granbydrummer/ docs/drummer_may_2023 Congratulations, Susan!

Stock photo

Stefan Drago in front of his new restaurant. Photo by Kim Pereira

Camera Club members paint with light

The Camera Club’s 2023 program of Painting with Light was held at the Lost Acres Fire Department. Members photographed the antique fire truck at night using only flashlights. Shown here is Paula Johnson’s photograph, showing the effect of using different colored light.

For the 2024 program, club members plan to photograph an antique car.

November 2024 deadlines

ADS: Monday, Oct. 7 at noon Ad Team 860-653-9222, please leave a message.

Email: ads@granbydrummer.org

ARTICLES: Monday, Oct. 14 at noon Drummer phone: 860-653-9222.

Email: editor@granbydrummer.org

WORK DATES: Oct. 7 to 20 Call or email for times. The public is encouraged to submit articles and photos about events of interest to Granby residents. The editors urge you to make submissions by email if at all possible. We acknowledge submissions by return email. If you do not hear from us, please follow up with another email or leave a message at 860-653-9222. Articles should be written in the third person. More detailed information on Drummer submission requirements is available on the website at granbydrummer.com

Closer to Home

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