Cupid’s arrows will fly for the 32nd year in a row, as the Friends of Suffield organization again hosts its popular Senior Valentine Social for local seniors. This year’s “sweet” event will feature a delicious lasagna dinner, with all the tasty trimmings – along with bingo, door prizes and the traditional crowning of the King and Queen.
Suffield seniors are invited to join the festivities on Saturday, February 9, from 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the Suffield Senior Center on Bridge Street. (Snow date: Sunday, February 10). All senior citizens in town are welcome. Since space is limited, reservations are required and are being accepted on a “first call, first served” basis.
In early December, Finance Director Debbie Cerrato and her staff moved back to the Town Hall from their temporary quarters at 230 Mountain Road, the commercial office building that has been the home of several Town departments in anticipation that the old Town Hall would soon have to be emptied for renovation or demolition. The Finance staff were not the only returnees; the First Selectman and her staff, along with the Human Resources staff, had returned previously. They join the Town Clerk, Tax, and Assessor departments, which had never left. First Selectman Melissa Mack had realized that the big plans for a renovated or new town hall were not likely to proceed immediately, and the rental expense of the temporary quarters was being wasted. The return migration was facilitated by the efforts of the low security State prisoners who regularly work with the Highway Department.
Suffield Youth Services Coordinator, Nikki Lengyel, has opened a Youth Center in town in the Suffield Senior Center Game Room on 145 Bridge Street. It offers foosball, a ping pong and pool table, Wii games, board games as well as arts and crafts! All youth must have a parent/guardian fill out a registration form prior to attending the center. The Center is open to grades 6-12 for drop in hours. The winter hours are as follows; Mondays and Thursdays from 4:30-7 p.m. and Tuesdays and Wednesdays 2:30-5 p.m. with a 2:30-3:30 p.m. homework hour.
At the December 12 selectmen’s meeting, Developer Mark O’Neill, of Hamlet Homes, presented another alternative for a possible relocation of the Town Highway Garage. As reported in the Observer’s December-January issue, three locations have already been considered for the garage, all involving a new or newer building, but most importantly, freeing Ffyler Place from what is considered an impediment to attracting advantageous commercial development there. The new alternative is Parcel 4 of the tract on East Street South that Hamlet has been marketing for several years. The ten-acre parcel is the northernmost part of the original 30-acre tract that Hamlet had acquired in 2014. Parcels 1 and 2 of that tract are now owned by the developers of Brook Hill Village, a new apartment complex with 36 apartments now occupied and 48 more soon to be offered.
The Economic Development Commissions of Suffield and East Granby co-hosted a workshop on Manufacturing, Workforce Development and Education in November at the New England Air Museum. 125 attended from the area, including manufacturers, educators, and professionals from banking, real estate, and government. Sponsors were: MB Aerospace, Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Bradley Development League, Connecticut Dept. of Economic and Community Development, and Hartford Business Journal. Opening remarks were made by Bart Kollen, Deputy Commissioner, DECD.
The Town of Suffield and the Chief of Police, in consultation with the Suffield Police Commission, recently announced the implementation of an operational study of the Suffield Police Department to begin immediately. Conducted by the Daigle Law Group, LLC, (“DLG”) the effort includes a review of law enforcement best practices relative to the department’s day-to-day procedures. The process, estimated to last between three and six months, will culminate in data-supported recommendations designed to enhance the workings of the department. The decision to proceed with the assessment coincides with a concern raised by a resident and possible litigation discussed in executive session at a special meeting of the Police Commission on January 3. Although executive sessions are confidential in nature, First Selectman Melissa M. Mack stated, “This is a next step in proactive measures taken to support the Police Chief’s goal of making the Suffield Police Department a model of 21st century policing.” Chief of Police Richard Brown also commented that, “The department is committed to embracing modern police practices and a community policing philosophy to improve our level of service.”
Attorney Eric P. Daigle, in his presentation for police consulting services on behalf of DLG, noted his firm’s “focus is on police best practices, specifically in the areas of policy development, training, investigation, and operations.” A former Connecticut State Police Detective, Mr. Daigle provides combined expertise in both law enforcement and civil rights.
The Assessor’s office reminds elderly and totally disabled homeowners that the filing period for the state and local homeowners benefit program opens on Friday, February 1, and will end on Wednesday, May 15. This program will allow a credit on the June real estate tax bill to qualified taxpayers. The income limits are $36,000 for an unmarried homeowner and $43,900 for married homeowners, who must also be residents of this state, be age 65 by last December 31, or totally disabled and live in the home. New applicants must file an application by May 15. Any current recipient of the benefit who has received a letter from the assessor’s office reminding them to apply this year must also apply no later than May 15, to continue to receive the benefit.
The Economic Development Commission (EDC) of Suffield and East Granby’s EDC will hold a series of four, free small business seminars over the next four months. These hour-long “best practice style” seminars are for the small business owner, to offer advice and guidance on challenges they face with limited resources. Topics will include: Financing, Marketing, Hiring Practices and Technology. The first session: “Financing for the Small Business” will show how to access capital to begin or grow a business. It features a panel of business financial experts from the CT Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC), Community Investment Corporation (CIC), local commercial institutions, and a local entrepreneur who successfully utilized funding to take his business to the next level.
