Letter to the Editor

A Town Treasure: Suffield Academy

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Dear Editor,

As a proud resident of Suffield (since 1970), I am writing to detail the positive impact that Suffield Academy has had on my children and other children who went through the Suffield Public school system. I coached travel basketball for boys and girls, grades 5–8. Gym space in Suffield was always limited. Not only did Suffield Academy allow us to practice in their gym, but the Academy staff and students were always welcoming. The teams I coached were able to practice in a better facility for longer periods of time and extra days during the week.

History

A Moment in Time: Old Photos Invited from Our Readers

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A quiet scene in West Suffield Center is shown in this old postcard, postmarked 1906. On North Grand Street a one-horse carriage approaches the intersection passing a two-horse wagon, where two men walk toward the Terrett House hotel. At the porch next door, three men idly watch. The luggage on the porch suggests they are waiting here in the shade for a train at the depot just east of the corner.

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).

Library

Crowds Come to Honor Vern

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Vern Taylor laughs at First Selectman Melissa Mack’s tales on the special day held for him at the temporary Kent Memorial Library. Before his stroke, he had been a loyal and very helpful library volunteer for several decades. His wife, Dorian Taylor, left rear, laughs along with him. (She retired from the library recently; his daughter, Wendy, is children’s librarian.) As many as 50 friends at a time crowded the limited space to honor Vern. Many wore funny T-shirts in his honor; his read, “Follow in my footsteps and you’ll eventually reach the library.”

Schools/Sports

SHS Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Week

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Once again, at Suffield High School the World Languages department has continued their fall tradition of celebrating the heritage of Spanish speakers in the United States and throughout the world. On Morning Update, the daily news show featured anchors who shared information about the selected Spanish-language music of the day, along with conversation and cultural perspectives in Spanish. Karissa Stanio, Kristen McCarthy, and Michael Grigoriou hosted the show or worked on preparing and writing scripts and visuals for the show. To help get the message out to our school, Shreedula Balakrishnan and Lindsey Kasperski from the World Language Honor Society, with assistance from the Art Club members, coordinated the cultural display focused on this year’s theme: “One Endless Voice to Enhance our Traditions.” Another member of the Society, Kyle Englander, organized a donation drive for the Brazos de Amor – a non-profit organization helping fight poverty in Latin America. The core event of Hispanic Heritage Week this year was a presentation and discussion given by Karissa Stanio and Paige Anderson, both juniors at Suffield High School.

Government/Town

Holiday Tree Gala Musical Performances

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The Holiday Tree Gala on display at the Suffield Senior Center from December 1 to December 15 features not only beautiful trees decorated by people in the community but also musical groups. The hours are from 1 to 4 p.m. every day. The trees will be available for sale, with pickup on December 15. Proceeds from the sale benefit the Suffield Garden Club Scholarship fund. Come enjoy the singing voices of the Suffield Middle School Elite Voices group as they herald in the Holiday Tree Gala on opening day, Saturday, December 1 at 2 p.m. They are a very active and dedicated group of members from grades 6-8 Chorus, under the direction of Laura Noonan.

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.