Government/Town

Reminder to Register Your Dog

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Connecticut State Law requires that all dogs six months of age or older be licensed in the town of residency. Proof of current rabies vaccination and spaying or neutering, if applicable, must be provided at the time of the application. Rabies tags alone are not an accepted proof of vaccination. After June 30, by law there will be an additional charge of $1.00 per month for each month the dog is not licensed. The yearly dog registration period set by State mandate runs from June 1st through May 31.

Editorial

Learn Life’s Lesson While Young

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After coaching softball for over 25 years at recreational, Little League, travel, and high school varsity levels, I have a few tips for parents and coaches. First, let me say that 99% of the girls’ parents (and the girls!) were a delight to deal with and some remain good friends long after their daughters have given up the game. For the most part the parents were realistic about their daughter’s talent and sincerely cheered on her teammates. As somewhat of an athlete myself before the days of Title IX when girls’ sports were at the bottom of the heap both in funds provided and opportunity, I relished the chance to be on a team, and to strive with others to accomplish a common goal. It was disappointing to me that the softball team my senior year played a schedule of 7 games while the baseball team played 21.

Government/Town

The Town Hall Saga

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More than two and a half years ago on October 8, 2015, the Town voted at referendum to “appropriate $5,130,000 for renovations and improvements to Suffield Town Hall and authorize the issue of bonds, notes or temporary notes in an amount not to exceed $4,385,000 to finance said appropriation.” Since that time, movement towards a renovated Town Hall has taken several turns. The most recent is the Permanent Building Commssion’s (PBC) proposal to raze Town Hall and replace it with a new, more efficient building. The following timeline, based on information from the minutes and attendance at PBC meetings and minutes of the Board of Selectmen (BoS) from 2015-2018 illustrates the history. From October to December of 2015 PBC met and discussed hazardous material abatement in Town Hall (asbestos, lead, etc.) and where to move town offices when abatement started. The need for “swing space” was necessary, and locations such as 203c Mountain Road, Ffyler Place and the old CVS building were among the possibilities.

Organizations

PMC Kids Hit New Record

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The variable light rain on May 12 drove the post-ride activities of the PMC Kids Ride indoors, but a great batch of Suffield youngsters – 207 in all, ages 3 to 16 – weren’t deterred from their commitment. And the pre-event fundraising to provide the entrance fee and much more had been completed in the preceding months, so this year’s Kids Ride brought in $52,541 for cancer care and research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This was a new record for the Suffield event. As before, the Ride began in the McAlister-Middle School parking lot, under the Suffield Fire Department’s giant American flag. Older kids rode their bikes up Hill Street to Russell Avenue and back, about two and a half miles.

Schools/Sports

SHS Principal Named

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It is with pride and great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Mr. James Blain as the incoming Principal of Suffield High School. Mr. Blain was interviewed and approved by the Board of Education after a rigorous process. Three finalists were interviewed by a committee of 19 members including BOE members, students, parents, an administrative assistant, faculty, and school and district administrators. The process included focus groups to characterize the desired candidate qualities, a structured interview, a performance task and interview, and small groups to engage in conversation. Mr. Blain’s authentic leadership skills and passion for educating the whole child make him a great fit for Suffield Public Schools.