Editorial

The Value of Inclusivity

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Our small town, in every season of the year, seems a peaceful, even a serene, place to live. Its natural beauty is enhanced by the old homes on Main Street and the spacious farms and open land within the town limits. People here are generally warm-hearted and outgoing, quick to help friends and neighbors, interested in community efforts. But beneath its placid surface, there are controversial issues in Suffield that keep bubbling up. The challenge that surfaces first is the question of the earlier referendum to remake the Bridge Street School into a community center.

Letter to the Editor

A Proper Send-Off

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Dear Editor,

Is it time to let go of the Bridge Street School? I don’t mean in a cold way like demolish it or knock it down. I mean in a thoughtful and caring way to celebrate its passing. Perhaps, a ceremony to reflect on its meaning to the Town of Suffield. Perhaps creating a suitable commemorative structure or monument to memorialize the School and all that it meant to generations of students.

Letter to the Editor

Veterans’ Day Surprise

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Dear Editor,

Veteran’s Day in Suffield had many observances: flags on Main Street, flags on homes, flags at the Veteran’s Memorial Park in the center of town. And most moving were flags on resting places for veterans at Woodlawn Cemetery on Bridge Street. For me the most moving event was when the doorbell rang mid-afternoon and three young scouts from Troop 11963 were at the door. The young middle girl handed me a 3×5 card and five American flag wrapped Tootsie Rolls. The handwritten note on the card: “Thank you for your service”.

Opinion

Stromoski’s Skews

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Rick Stromoski was a member of the Police Commission and voted with the majority in support of a grievance filed by a police officer seeking pension credit for time absent due to an on-the-job injury. The First Selectman declined to honor the vote. The issue is addressed fully in the article on this page.

Op-Ed

Support for the Community Center

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The undersigned members of the Suffield Parks and Recreation Commission wish to express our support for the completion of a community center building in Suffield.

Editorial

Suffield’s Proud History of Preservation

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Riding through Suffield Connecticut on a sunny fall day, one cannot help but be impressed by the stunning natural beauty of our town, from the stately and elegant sycamore trees lining historic Main Street to the open rich agricultural fields, recently groomed after harvest, and the vast open spaces, home to a large variety of native plants and wild life.

Editorial

Volunteers at the Observer

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When people ask me what I am doing in my retirement, one of the first answers I give–proudly–is that I occasionally write for my town’s local newspaper, The Suffield Observer. I do it because I enjoy writing, and also because the very concept of a local volunteer newspaper pleases me. I love the fact that well over 100 of our friends and neighbors in Suffield give generously of their time to this paper. There is only one “regular” paid employee, and she is part time; she is assisted by a webmaster and a graphic designer who are even less part-time. All the rest of us are amateurs who enjoy being part of our community in this way.

Editorial

A Little of This and That

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Phones. So many people of a certain age – usually not elderly – have given up their landlines.

Op-Ed

How is our Town Doing?

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Election season is a great time of year to ‘check in’ with how our town is being run. What is working? What could be better? Are we growing in a positive way? Are we being run effectively?