1818 Connecticut State Convention

The Suffield Historical Society will hold its monthly meeting on Wednesday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at the Suffield Senior Center. Guest speaker will be State Historian Walter Woodward who will tell the tale of treasonous times, angry politics and the Convention of 1818 that changed Connecticut’s Standing Order. Dr. Woodward is always an engaging raconteur, and his talk is sure to be lively and enlightening. The public is welcome to join members.

Bald Eagle Golf Outing

Make plans now to join The Friends of the Farm at Hilltop for our fifth annual Bald Eagle Golf Outing on Sunday, June 24. The event, to be held at the Suffield Country Club, is a major fundraiser for FOFAH. Proceeds will be used to pay for structural improvements to make it possible for the historic dairy barn to be open and accessible for public events. Registration and lunch for the 18-hole scramble format golf outing will begin at 11:30 followed by a 1:00 shotgun start. Golf will be followed by a reception and dinner at the Country Club’s Sunset Tavern around 6 p.m.

For a $200 donation, each player will receive lunch, golf, reception, and dinner.

Conservancy Spring Programs

Suffield Land Conservancy’s Annual Spring Programs are a wonderful opportunity to connect with the outdoors, discover wildflowers, explore the forest and uncover different species of birds that are right in your very own backyards. Open to the public, please join us for each of these outdoor adventures with your friends and family members. Annual Bird Watching Hike will be held on Saturday, May 5 at 8 a.m., rain or shine. The location of our new property is on the east side of South Grand Street near the East Granby line (no sign for the town change) between houses at 1324 and 1466 where there will be a temporary sign marking the area for the walk. Drive down a short access road where you will find a place to park off the road.

Monster Tag Sale at Hilltop Farm

The Friends of the Farm at Hilltop are excited about our “Monster” Tag Sale & Flea Market coming up on May 19! This year we are particularly grateful to have received a generous donation of tools, both old and not-so-old, that will be for sale. The event really will be a “Monster” with 60 booths; a good mix of crafters, entrepreneurs, and tag sales. Folks are planning to sell antiques and rustic décor, books, jewelry, fashion accessories, and personal care products. There will also be lots of crafters selling their handmade products.

Polish Heritage Society Meeting

It was standing room only at the April meeting of the Polish Heritage Society (PHS)! Pat Cosma arranged to have Susan Urban, a Polish folk artist from West Springfield, talk about and demonstrate “wyncinaki”—Polish paper cutting. Then she coached attendees through the process of making one of their own. The PHS hopes to have her back next year to demonstrate “pisanki”—decorated Easter eggs. The May meeting of the PHS will be held on May 2 at 10 a.m. at the Ambulance Center.

Summer Nature Programs

Overlooking the Connecticut River in Suffield, the fields and streams of Hilltop Farm are a great place to learn about the outside world. Participants in the summer nature programs at Hilltop will explore the outdoors through science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) based activities and experiments developed by UConn scientists and by our teachers. The bugs, birds, trees, soil and water of Hilltop Farm will be examined in an environment of friendly fun. Summer programs are designed for three age groups:

Little Bugs for ages 4-6, is a 2-hour program on Tuesdays at $20 per day. Conservation Explorers for ages 6-9, are two weeklong sessions starting on either July 30 or August 6 at $150 per session.

Volunteers Needed at the Observer!

Did you know that the Observer, your community newspaper is run by friendly and dedicated volunteers? If you are interested in helping to keep this vital community resource running smoothly, please consider volunteering your time and energy. Some of our volunteer jobs (which include training) are:

Downloaders – download articles from email and put articles into the computer system. Preppers – retrieve articles from the system and put them in column format. InDesigners – need to have computer system skills, but we will teach anyone who has the desire to learn.

It’s May Market Time!

Spring is a busy time for everyone, and the Suffield Garden Club is really busy right now. Our members are getting ready for our annual May Market at the Phelps-Hatheway House Barn in Suffield. As always, our May Market is held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Saturday, May 12 before Mother’s Day. And yes, admission is free. Members are making unique garden ornaments, casting tufa planters, and digging and potting up plants from their perennial gardens.