The Suffield Observer (https://thesuffieldobserver.com/2025/10/)
Town Election, November 4, Suffield Middle School 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.
The Observer asked all candidates: “What are your qualifications for this office?” Candidates were also asked another relevant question. Responses were limited to 200 words. FIRST SELECTMAN – Vote for up to OneQuestion for First Selectman: What do you think is the most pressing issue in Suffield? How would you address it? JIM IRWIN – DI am no stranger to public service.
We thought you might find it helpful to understand the process we undertook to produce the Voter’s Guide. To begin, questions were drafted for the candidates based on information we thought would be helpful for voters to know. Then we sought contact information from the chairmen of both political parties. Final edits were made and all candidates were emailed the questions and allowed ten days to respond. The volunteer production staff at the Observer spent numerous additional hours preparing this month’s edition for 40 pages in order to fit the Voter’s Guide and ballot into the paper.
A Community Tradition Continues with Fresh Faces and Renewed PurposeThe Suffield Rotary Club gathered in the heart of town to celebrate a tradition as enduring as the community itself: the induction of new members. The historic Suffield Country Club played host to an event that blended ceremony, camaraderie, and the unyielding spirit of service that defines Rotary.New Beginnings: Welcoming the Next Generation of Rotarians
Photo submitted by the author Natalie Donais, Rotary club president, with new members: Dian Friedman, Stephanie Salerno and Karlene Sullivan, new member sponsor
Each new member brings fresh energy, new ideas, and a renewed commitment to our mission, voice-echoing the inclusivity and optimism for which the club is known. This year, the Suffield Rotary welcomed three new members, each from diverse backgrounds, professions, and walks of life, yet all united by a common desire to give back. Below is a short overview of three of those new members.Dian Friedman is a Suffield resident and joins us after many years as an educator in Massachusetts. Upon retirement she continued to work in the Suffield Public Schools as a tutor and substitute teacher.
The Suffield Woman’s Club, led by Co-PresidentsDian Friedman and Renee Wood, has awarded SustainableSuffield a $5,000 grant to support its initiatives, includingfood scrap recycling, rain barrel making and itspopular Repair Cafes. Photo by Ellen Peterson Suffield Woman’s Club Co-President Dian Friedman flanked by Sustainable Suffield Co-Chairs Anna-Kristin Daub-Murphy and Tony Peterson. The club, which started in 1894 with 10 women meetingin a private home as the Woman’s Reading Club ofSuffield, evolved into a devoted and generous supporter ofa wide range of community services throughout its 131-year history. Suffield Woman’s Club is a proud memberof the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, headquarteredin Washington, DC.
Senior Center NewsLunches are $6 and include tea, a cold beverage,and dessert. Please make reservations by noon the day prior. Please bring your own container for leftovers. Menu is subject to change.Wed, Oct 1 Pasta with sausage and sauce, salad, Italian breadThurs, Oct 2 Chicken stew, salad, crusty breadTues, Oct 7 Tuna grinder with lettuce and tomato, cucumber salad, roll and butterWed, Oct 8 Cheeseburger & French fry bake, vegetable, roll and butterThurs, Oct 9 Stuffing stuffed chicken, sweet potato melts, vegetableTues, Oct 14 English muffin pizza with hamburger, pepperoni, roasted peppers,onion, cheeseWed, Oct 15 Pork Wellington, scalloped potatoes, vegetableThurs, Oct 16 Cheesy baked fajita chicken, Mexican pasta salad, roll andbutterTues, Oct 21 Chicken enchilada casserole, chips with salsaWed, Oct 22 Homemade chili, corn muffin with honey butterThurs, Oct 23 Rosemary and cranberry baked chicken, baked potato, vegetableTues, Oct 28 Crustless veggie quiche, sausage links, fruit cupWed, Oct 29 Chicken in mushroom sauce, parmesan garlic roasted vegetables &potatoesThurs, Oct 30 Hot dog wrapped in seasoned crescent roll, homemade mac & cheeseMini Bus trips require five passengers and are weather permitting. Reservations for October trips opened on September 20.
The Suffield Garden Club is delighted to present Rebecca Sadlowski, founder of Rooted Flowers in Agawam, to present at the first SGC meeting of the season. Join us for a fresh look at how to design and grow a productive, beautiful cutting garden as Rebecca shares practical tips on garden planning, favorite varieties and planting strategies that maximize blooms through the seasons.What began as a roadside flower stand has grown into a year-round, farm-to-table floral business offering fresh flowers, events, workshops, and nationwide dahlia shipping. Rebecca and her husband Albert run the farm alongside their three young children. With a focus on only using home-grown flowers in their designs, Rooted Flowers is committed to seasonal stewardship, supporting local growers, and creating meaningful community connections through flowers. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Sadlowski Local farmer and floral designer Rebecca Sadlowski will present at the Suffield Garden Club’s October 6th meeting.
As some of you may recall, in October 2017, an unidentified interstellar object passed through our solar system. It was first spotted by a telescope in Hawaii, and its name, ‘Oumuamua’ is Hawaiian for “a messenger from afar arriving first”. Its unusual characteristics, including its elongated shape, lack of tail, and unexpected acceleration, have led to much speculation about its nature: “What is that thing?” It is the rock that sails by. This very real event provides the basis for the Suffield Players upcoming show, “A Rock Sails By” by Sean Grennan. Suffield native Lisa Parker directs this compelling production.
In July, Troop 66 went to summer camp at Camp Mattattuck where some kids from Troop 260 joined us. All the scouts got to work on getting merit badges. Some merit badges scouts worked on include kayaking, environmental science, sculpting and movie making. We also got to do other activities like swimming, archery, fishing and more.There was also a special challenge for us to do. We had a chance to join Captain Jordan Beard’s yacht club and get a patch by doing various things like catching a fish, sailing in a rowboat or finding a geocache in camp, etc.
The Suffield Parks and Recreation’s 45th Annual 10K Road Race, 21st Annual 5K Run, 2 Mile Walk, and Kids Fun Run, presented by PeoplesBank, was held on Saturday, September 6, starting at Suffield Middle School for all four races. It was an outstanding day, filled with sunshine, excitement, and community pride — the perfect weather to kick off the beloved Suffield on the Green Weekend. We lucked out at the race as the weather held off in the morning before the storm clouds rolled through. We are thrilled to share that this year’s event broke attendance records, with over 300 participants and local vendors joining in to celebrate this cherished town tradition. Families and friends lined the courses and gathered at the event hub, where children had a blast in the incredible bounce house sponsored by Wilcox Rentals, and many enjoyed face-painting by Joelle’s Skincare and Makeup of Suffield.
Bridge of SighsRichard Russo2007, Alfred Knophpub., 528 pgsRichard Russo has written many books in many genres– fiction, essays, a memoir, short stories–but since Empire Falls won the Pulitzer Prize in 2002, his name and reputation have been in a bit of a shadow, as younger writers have risen to occupy the limelight. Bridge of Sighs is not new; in fact, it’s nearly 20 years old, but it is not out of date. Its themes, handled subtly, include violence, alcohol and drug addiction, adultery, gang-related issues, bullying, racism, poverty. There is very little direct reference to some of them, and often the reader senses from delicate clues that there is something going on behind the scenes. In that way great suspense is built, something only an experienced, gifted writer can manage.The complex plot centers around a boy named Louis Lynch, nicknamed Lucy, to his chagrin.