Government/Town

Incumbent Debaters Won

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Pictured at the November 2 Suffield Candidate Debate at Suffield Middle School, sponsored by The Suffield Observer and the Democratic and Republican Town Committees are the two candidates who won the election on November 6, each by a comfortable margin. Each is the incumbent: Tami Zawistowski as State Representative for District 61 (Suffield, East Granby, and a bit of Windsor) and John Kissell as State Senator for District 7 (Suffield, Enfield, Somers, Windsor Locks, East Granby, a bit of Windsor, and most of Granby.) Debate moderator George Colli of WTNH TV-8 (a Suffield resident) appears in the photo with Sen. Kissell. 

Government/Town

Take the Suffield Trivia Quiz

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The 350th Anniversary of Suffield will soon be here. How well do you know our town? The Suffield Observer will contain short trivia quizzes until the 350th Anniversary Celebration. Take them and see what you know. 1.

Government/Town

Do You Have a Suffield Story To Tell?

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One of the projects for Suffield’s 350th anniversary celebration will include a compilation of stories of our town. Suffield native Robert Alcorn wrote The Biography of a Town – Suffield, Connecticut 1670-1970, published in 1970. According to Alcorn, “The volume is an attempt to bring the three hundred years of Suffield into focus if not to life.”

Our plan for the 350th is to republish Alcorn’s book along with a Volume 2, which would be a compilation of Suffield stories from the last 50 years that brings us from the late 1960s, when Alcorn’s book left off, through the past 50 years to 2020. Our tentative idea is to call it 50 Stories for 50 Years. We are looking for residents (or former residents) who have a story to tell.

Government/Town

Suffield 350th Tees

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Celebrate Suffield with a green or red long-sleeved tee shirt! The Suffield 350th Committee will be selling tees for $15 at the Winter Farmers Market at the SHS Large Animal Facility on Saturday, December 1 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Schools/Sports

HMF FitKids

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On Tuesday, October 30, more than 1,900 students from 35 schools across Connecticut participated in the HMF FitKids in School Final Mile event- the culmination of weeks of training supported by the Hartford Marathon Foundation. One hundred forty-seven students from McAlister Intermediate School participated in the event. Now in its 11th year, the free program for students in elementary and middle school has served more than 18,000 students, encouraging a healthy, active lifestyle through running. Students participated in a six-week training program throughout the fall, then completed their final mile run at Tuesday’s celebration in Rentschler Field. They earned medals to commemorate their weeks of hard work.

Government/Town

Town Approves Temporary Safety Fix

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On Tuesday, October 30, Galasso Materials began overlay paving/shimming and pothole repair of deteriorated areas on portions of Forest and Griffin Roads, two private roads in West Suffield. The undertaking followed safety concerns expressed relative to the condition of the roads and agreement by Town officials. The $47,273 project will be deducted from the Town’s Pavement Management and Drainage Funds, leaving under $100,000 for the remainder of the fiscal year. First Selectman Melissa M. Mack noted, “This measure assures safe passage for emergency vehicles and residents while determining a long-term plan to address private roads in a way that is equitable for all.”

Residents of Forest and Griffin Roads voiced complaints regarding poor roads overall, but highlighted rough areas marred by pot holes and extreme cracking, making portions of them difficult and unsafe for travel. The Town pointed to the key role neighborhood associations play in maintaining private roads, but acknowledged their difficulty to comply with and fund necessary upkeep.

Government/Town

Free Service Creates Personal Calendar Feeds

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The Town of Suffield announces the launch of a community events platform in partnership with Burbio.com. Burbio offers a free website iOS and Android app that organizes town happenings in one place. Residents select calendars to follow, create and sync a personalized feed to their Google or Apple calendar, and receive notifications of schedule changes. Streaming through Burbio is free for residents and nonprofits. The Burbio link can be found on the Town of Suffield website (www.suffieldct.gov/community/calendar).

Organizations

Insert It in The Observer!

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Did you notice the “Christmas in Suffield” insert that went out in the November issue of The Suffield Observer? An insert is a great way for an organization to reach out to the 6,900 households in Suffield and West Suffield that receive The Observer. An insert is a special service that The Observer makes available only to nonprofits. Their charge is $200 to help cover the cost of having Turley Publications “insert” a brochure, newsletter or postcard into each copy of The Observer when it is printed. The main cost of doing an insert is printing the brochure.

First Selectman’s Update

First Selectman’s Update

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In October, I joined town leaders from across the state and attended productive workshops at the annual Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) convention. Given the State’s financial woes, much of the focus centered on how towns can better position themselves for impending cuts to municipal aid. Hot button items included the need for collaboration, and structural changes via regionalization and within towns themselves. Consistently, the theme relative to success was the need, ultimately, for trust between partners. I am happy to say that in Suffield, we have such trusted partners in both our schools and neighboring towns.