The Suffield Observer (https://thesuffieldobserver.com/category/organizations/page/8/)
On Saturday, September 20, members of the Suffield Rotary Club and Suffield High School Interact Club joined forces with the Windsor/Windsor Locks Rotary and several other regional Rotary clubs and student groups.
As the crisp weather sets in, it’s a reminder that the holiday season is fast approaching.
Each year on October 24, communities around the world unite for End Polio Now International Day, raising awareness and support for the ongoing effort to eradicate polio.Polio, a highly infectious disease that once claimed hundreds of thousands of lives annually, has been brought to the brink of extinction through decades of international cooperation, scientific ingenuity, and unwavering community engagement. Yet, until polio is eradicated everywhere, no child is truly safe. The Suffield Rotary Club joins Rotary International and partners worldwide in the historic mission to end polio forever.Polio eradication became Rotary’s flagship cause in 1985 with the launch of the PolioPlus program. At the time, polio paralyzed 350,000 children each year. Rotary envisioned a world where every child would be safe from this crippling disease and began a campaign to immunize children everywhere.Today, thanks to Rotary and its partners—including the World Health Organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and UNICEF—polio cases have been reduced by 99.9%.
In July, Troop 66 went to summer camp at Camp Mattattuck where some kids from Troop 260 joined us. All the scouts got to work on getting merit badges. Some merit badges scouts worked on include kayaking, environmental science, sculpting and movie making. We also got to do other activities like swimming, archery, fishing and more.There was also a special challenge for us to do. We had a chance to join Captain Jordan Beard’s yacht club and get a patch by doing various things like catching a fish, sailing in a rowboat or finding a geocache in camp, etc.
As some of you may recall, in October 2017, an unidentified interstellar object passed through our solar system. It was first spotted by a telescope in Hawaii, and its name, ‘Oumuamua’ is Hawaiian for “a messenger from afar arriving first”. Its unusual characteristics, including its elongated shape, lack of tail, and unexpected acceleration, have led to much speculation about its nature: “What is that thing?” It is the rock that sails by. This very real event provides the basis for the Suffield Players upcoming show, “A Rock Sails By” by Sean Grennan. Suffield native Lisa Parker directs this compelling production.
The Suffield Woman’s Club, led by Co-PresidentsDian Friedman and Renee Wood, has awarded SustainableSuffield a $5,000 grant to support its initiatives, includingfood scrap recycling, rain barrel making and itspopular Repair Cafes. Photo by Ellen Peterson Suffield Woman’s Club Co-President Dian Friedman flanked by Sustainable Suffield Co-Chairs Anna-Kristin Daub-Murphy and Tony Peterson. The club, which started in 1894 with 10 women meetingin a private home as the Woman’s Reading Club ofSuffield, evolved into a devoted and generous supporter ofa wide range of community services throughout its 131-year history. Suffield Woman’s Club is a proud memberof the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, headquarteredin Washington, DC.
This year’s Suffield on the Green had the feel of a typical fall weekend, however there was some rain on both Saturday and Sunday that closed the SOTG early at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, although, the sun did eventually come out on Sunday. The crowds, crafters, musicians, local charities and food booths were resilient!!! The 54th “Suffield on the Green” continued to bring smiles, give fairgoers a chance to meet with family and friends, as well as the opportunity to purchase unique items and enjoy some of the BEST food around! Photo provided by the author The friendly-faced train brought young and old to their destinations on the Green. The “Suffield on the Green,” brought to you by the Suffield Knights of Columbus and the Suffield dough, pulled-pork and of course, the Rotary Chicken BBQ – are YOU looking forward to next year already???Walking the Green, the fairgoers savored the opportunity to visit numerous booths filled with handmade arts and crafts plus local organizations sharing their information, services and food!
The Friends of Kent Memorial Library are pleased to report that we have had another successful book sale this year. All the money made from the sale is used to support Kent Memorial Library programs and purchase materials for the library throughout the year. Photo by Matt Auchy Books stored at Second Baptist Church were loaded for their ride to Father Ted Hall. Many “hands” go into making this sale happen. First, thanks to Second Baptist Church for providing us with space to sort and store the thousands of books that are donated to us during the year.
The first meeting of the Polish Heritage Society was held on Tuesday, October 24, 2007. The group was co-founded by Harry Kozikowski and Mary Anne (Kelly) Zak, with a lot of help from Lorraine (Kulas) Rapacki. The inaugural members of the group defined their mission to collect, preserve, and perpetuate the history and culture of Polish immigrants who began arriving in the Suffield area in the late 1890s. The Suffield Historical Society adopted the PHS as a subcommittee in the spring of 2007.In the early years, the PHS, predominantly comprising first-generation Polish Americans, made significant strides in documenting their family histories and interviewing others to gather more information about the immigrants who came to Suffield. These invaluable histories are now housed in the archive room of Kent Memorial Library.
There is now a pamphlet that has information corresponding to the sixteen numbered and labeled signs along Windsor Locks Canal Trail. It explains why the canal was built, its multiple uses and the purpose of canal structures. Pamphlets can be picked up in two locations, on the back wall of the shed closest to the trailhead in Suffield and at the Windsor Locks entrance. Photo submitted by the author Sign at the canal Headworks
There are 15 points of interest and a “EN’ sign indicating an eagle’s nest observation point. Number 1 is found just inside the Suffield entrance.