Summer Programs at Hilltop Farm by FOFAH

There are a variety of new programs along with several familiar nature programs this summer at Hilltop Farm. These programs are designed to promote wellness and an understanding of the natural world. Check hilltopfarmsuffield.org/programs For details and prices, See you at Hilltop! Yoga at the Farm 

Sunday Yoga 9 a.m. weekly to September 29. All ages.

Hundreds Stomp for Alex

Alex Scott is gone, a victim of childhood cancer. But her lemonade stands live on, raising funds to fight that vicious adversary, and a group of dedicated local women called Driving for a Cure held an event in Suffield on May 18 to support the cause. This year Driving for a Cure sponsored a Texas-style hoedown called Stomp Out Cancer. Like the first Stomp last year, a good crowd gathered at the Hatheway House Barn. Among those attending were Alex’s mother, Liz Smith, from Enfield, and Alex’s aunt, Sue Flynn of Suffield.

Athletic Hall of Fame Scholarships and Golf Tournament

The Suffield Athletic Hall of Fame (SAHOF) is pleased to announce that the recipients of their 2019 scholarships are Sophie Lupone and Evan Mankouski. Each year since 2009, SAHOF has awarded scholarships to local student-athletes who are graduating seniors attending Suffield High School, or are residents of Suffield attending Suffield Academy. Sophie and Evan were both excellent students at Suffield High School who met the scholarship criteria, which includes treating people fairly, showing respect for everyone and displaying sportsmanship on the playing fields. To raise funds for these scholarships, as well as to help to defray the cost of the Hall of Fame induction ceremony that honors Suffield’s finest athletes and coaches, SAHOF will be holding the Fran Aniello Memorial Golf Tournament on Saturday, October 5. Fran passed away in 2015 after over 30 years as a basketball/golf/soccer coach and Athletic Director at Suffield High School.

Girl Scouts Earn Bronze Awards

On June 1, 5th grade Girl Scout Troop 10975 built and installed benches at the Pollinator Garden at Stony Brooke Park. The troop consists of 12 girls who earned their Bronze Award through this project. In order to achieve this award, the girls needed to invest 20 hours towards their designated project. To decide which project we would complete, we narrowed our ideas from ten down to three. From the top three, we took a vote, and building benches received the most support.

Two New Eagle Scouts Honored

With their traditional candle-lighting ceremony on May 21 at Second Baptist’s Fellowship Hall, Troop 280 awarded the Eagle Scout rank to Jonah Berrien and John Killam, both of whom had crossed over from the Cub Scout program in March 2011. Both had earned various awards along the way, both were members of the Order of the Arrow and both had earned the required 21 Merit Badges and completed their Eagle Scout Public Service Projects. Jonah’s project was the renovation and improvement of the memorial garden next to the Old Center Cemetery behind the First Congregational Church. He led a team that replaced the path, constructed new benches, and installed new plants requiring minimal maintenance. John’s project concerned the plight of the Monarch Butterfly.

Suffield Teen is CEO-Ready

Emily Brydges, 14, recently completed the winter session of an after-school entrepreneurship academy called Girls With Impact. She plans now to go into business with the program she developed. She participated in the 12-week program through 50-minute online classes at home, in audio and visual contact with local and global classmates and their coaches.  In a final online meeting, the students presented the business plans they had developed.  Emily’s virtual company was No Loose Ends, which would sell multi-colored shoe laces to runners, with all proceeds going to support Campaign for Female Education. In a statement prepared for the program, Emily said, “Prior to joining Girls with Impact, I did not have the courage or resources to take my passion and make it into something real. Now, having completed Girls with Impact, I can use my knowledge and experience to make a difference.” She plans to bring her company into reality this summer. 

Volunteers Sought for Old House Photo Index

Delphina Clark’s photo albums are a great resource for studying old homes in Suffield, but they aren’t easy to use.  The Suffield Historical Society is seeking volunteers to help correct that difficulty. Delphina (1892-1984) was a graduate of the Yale School of Architecture and became a long-time resident of Suffield, moving here about 1933. She lived first on North Street and then on Hill Street, each time restoring a great old house. An effective preservationist, she joined the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society and helped with the restoration of the Hatheway House in Suffield and two other Landmarks properties. Passionate about old homes, she assembled six photo albums of Suffield houses and typed eleven volumes of notes on Suffield land records.

Do You Have “Lion’s Tooth”?

Taraxacum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, which consists of species commonly known as dandelions. They are native to Eurasia and North America, but the two commonplace species worldwide, T. officinale and T. erythrospermum, were introduced from Europe and now propagate as wildflowers. Both species are edible in their entirety. The common name dandelion is from the French, meaning “Lion’s Tooth.” Like other members of the Asteraceae family, they have very small flowers collected together into a composite flower head.