Letter to the Editor
Libraries, Parental Choice, and What’s Appropriate
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Recent conversations about our library have sparked conversations about what books are on the shelves and what is appropriate for children and teens.
Sullivan’s Tobacco Plantation:Growers of Cigar Leaf Tobacco and more
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The John Sullivan & Son Tobacco Farm was started by my grandfather, John L. Sullivan.
Interfaith Council Celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr.
On Sunday, February 9 at Suffield’s Third Baptist Church, many gathered to remember and celebrate the life and teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr.
100 Years From Now
These last elections have touched me in a different way as I looked around me on Election Day.
Letter to the Editor
Library Shenanigans
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As a Kent Memorial Library Commission member, I would like to offer some thoughts for the community.
Editorial
Retirement Perks
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Since last February I’ve been working out at a local gym, to disguise its identity, I’ll call it Planet Fatness.
Government/Town
Suffield Sidekicks – Teens Helping Seniors
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Suffield Sidekicks matches local seniors with teens to help with light household chores and yard work, such as dusting, vacuuming, raking leaves, planting, weeding, home organization and computer assistance.
People/Business
Connecticut Children’s Hospital Benefits from Generous Donation
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The DeSimone Family Trust, established by long time past Suffield residents Jerry and RoseMarie DeSimone have donated $2.5 million dollars to support a neonatology intensive care facility and services in the newly built tower at Connecticut Children’s.
Government/Town
Suffield Voter Guide
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Town Election, November 4, Suffield Middle School 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.
The Observer asked all candidates: “What are your qualifications for this office?” Candidates were also asked another relevant question. Responses were limited to 200 words. FIRST SELECTMAN – Vote for up to OneQuestion for First Selectman: What do you think is the most pressing issue in Suffield? How would you address it? JIM IRWIN – DI am no stranger to public service.
Government/Town
Building a Voter’s Guide
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We thought you might find it helpful to understand the process we undertook to produce the Voter’s Guide. To begin, questions were drafted for the candidates based on information we thought would be helpful for voters to know. Then we sought contact information from the chairmen of both political parties. Final edits were made and all candidates were emailed the questions and allowed ten days to respond. The volunteer production staff at the Observer spent numerous additional hours preparing this month’s edition for 40 pages in order to fit the Voter’s Guide and ballot into the paper.
Suffield Rotary Welcomes New Club Members
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A Community Tradition Continues with Fresh Faces and Renewed PurposeThe Suffield Rotary Club gathered in the heart of town to celebrate a tradition as enduring as the community itself: the induction of new members. The historic Suffield Country Club played host to an event that blended ceremony, camaraderie, and the unyielding spirit of service that defines Rotary.New Beginnings: Welcoming the Next Generation of Rotarians
Photo submitted by the author Natalie Donais, Rotary club president, with new members: Dian Friedman, Stephanie Salerno and Karlene Sullivan, new member sponsor
Each new member brings fresh energy, new ideas, and a renewed commitment to our mission, voice-echoing the inclusivity and optimism for which the club is known. This year, the Suffield Rotary welcomed three new members, each from diverse backgrounds, professions, and walks of life, yet all united by a common desire to give back. Below is a short overview of three of those new members.Dian Friedman is a Suffield resident and joins us after many years as an educator in Massachusetts. Upon retirement she continued to work in the Suffield Public Schools as a tutor and substitute teacher.
Organizations
Sustainable Suffield Awarded Grant
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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.
Senior Center News
Senior Center & Mini Bus News
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Senior Center NewsLunches are $6 and include tea, a cold beverage,and dessert. Please make reservations by noon the day prior. Please bring your own container for leftovers. Menu is subject to change.Wed, Oct 1 Pasta with sausage and sauce, salad, Italian breadThurs, Oct 2 Chicken stew, salad, crusty breadTues, Oct 7 Tuna grinder with lettuce and tomato, cucumber salad, roll and butterWed, Oct 8 Cheeseburger & French fry bake, vegetable, roll and butterThurs, Oct 9 Stuffing stuffed chicken, sweet potato melts, vegetableTues, Oct 14 English muffin pizza with hamburger, pepperoni, roasted peppers,onion, cheeseWed, Oct 15 Pork Wellington, scalloped potatoes, vegetableThurs, Oct 16 Cheesy baked fajita chicken, Mexican pasta salad, roll andbutterTues, Oct 21 Chicken enchilada casserole, chips with salsaWed, Oct 22 Homemade chili, corn muffin with honey butterThurs, Oct 23 Rosemary and cranberry baked chicken, baked potato, vegetableTues, Oct 28 Crustless veggie quiche, sausage links, fruit cupWed, Oct 29 Chicken in mushroom sauce, parmesan garlic roasted vegetables &potatoesThurs, Oct 30 Hot dog wrapped in seasoned crescent roll, homemade mac & cheeseMini Bus trips require five passengers and are weather permitting. Reservations for October trips opened on September 20.
Suffield Garden Club
The Joy of Growing Specialty Cut Flowers
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The Suffield Garden Club is delighted to present Rebecca Sadlowski, founder of Rooted Flowers in Agawam, to present at the first SGC meeting of the season. Join us for a fresh look at how to design and grow a productive, beautiful cutting garden as Rebecca shares practical tips on garden planning, favorite varieties and planting strategies that maximize blooms through the seasons.What began as a roadside flower stand has grown into a year-round, farm-to-table floral business offering fresh flowers, events, workshops, and nationwide dahlia shipping. Rebecca and her husband Albert run the farm alongside their three young children. With a focus on only using home-grown flowers in their designs, Rooted Flowers is committed to seasonal stewardship, supporting local growers, and creating meaningful community connections through flowers. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Sadlowski Local farmer and floral designer Rebecca Sadlowski will present at the Suffield Garden Club’s October 6th meeting.
Organizations
The Suffield Players Launch Their New Season
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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.
Organizations
Troop 66 Summer Camp
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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.
Government/Town
45th Annual Parks and Rec Road Race
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The Suffield Parks and Recreation’s 45th Annual 10K Road Race, 21st Annual 5K Run, 2 Mile Walk, and Kids Fun Run, presented by PeoplesBank, was held on Saturday, September 6, starting at Suffield Middle School for all four races. It was an outstanding day, filled with sunshine, excitement, and community pride — the perfect weather to kick off the beloved Suffield on the Green Weekend. We lucked out at the race as the weather held off in the morning before the storm clouds rolled through. We are thrilled to share that this year’s event broke attendance records, with over 300 participants and local vendors joining in to celebrate this cherished town tradition. Families and friends lined the courses and gathered at the event hub, where children had a blast in the incredible bounce house sponsored by Wilcox Rentals, and many enjoyed face-painting by Joelle’s Skincare and Makeup of Suffield.
Book Reviews
Book Review
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Bridge of SighsRichard Russo2007, Alfred Knophpub., 528 pgsRichard Russo has written many books in many genres– fiction, essays, a memoir, short stories–but since Empire Falls won the Pulitzer Prize in 2002, his name and reputation have been in a bit of a shadow, as younger writers have risen to occupy the limelight. Bridge of Sighs is not new; in fact, it’s nearly 20 years old, but it is not out of date. Its themes, handled subtly, include violence, alcohol and drug addiction, adultery, gang-related issues, bullying, racism, poverty. There is very little direct reference to some of them, and often the reader senses from delicate clues that there is something going on behind the scenes. In that way great suspense is built, something only an experienced, gifted writer can manage.The complex plot centers around a boy named Louis Lynch, nicknamed Lucy, to his chagrin.
Organizations
Suffield Rotary Champions Global Effort: End Polio Now International Day
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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%.
Farming/Nature
The Intellectuals
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There is something about intellectuals. We happened to grow up playing with lots of kids in the neighborhood. But one family seemed to have had a little more brain power than the rest of us, and we should have seen the signs. As we raced in and out of houses and through back yards, their house was the one with the chess set at the ready and bookcases overflowing. Classical music might be wafting down the stairs, and every one of the kids played an instrument and played it well.
Organizations
West Suffield Village Improvement Association Meeting
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There will be a meeting of the WSVIA on Monday, October 6th at 7pm at West Suffield Academy Hall, 1499 Mountain Rd, West Suffield. All are welcome. We are going to be discussing what direction our association needs to take concerning West Suffield Academy Hall. At this point we rent out the building for social events. The reduced number of rentals has forced us to look at our options.
Uncategorized
Scouting in the Land of Fire and Ice
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Troops 260, 262 and Venturing Crew 261 had an epic summer adventure in Iceland, and wow, what a trip it was! After two years of planning and fundraising, 26 Scouts and leaders finally set out on a journey they’ll never forget.The adventure kicked off in Reykjavik, where they wandered through streets lined with museums, art and interesting food. Some of the adults even braved Iceland’s infamous fermented shark (hákarl)— however we’d recommend the hot dog. Photo by Sarah Thomas Scouts pose together before visiting Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s iconic waterfalls. But it wasn’t all about the city.
Library
Library Activities
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For more information or to register for a program, please stop by or call the library at 860-668-3896 or go online to suffield-library.org Follow us on Facebook. All programs are free. General Programs
Movies at the LibraryKML is showing movies! Visit our website at www.suffield-library.org for more information, including this month’s movie showtimes.Books and Beyond Discussion with Anna JohnstonPlease join us via Zoom on November 13 at 7 p.m. to discuss The Borrowed Life of Fredrick Fife with Anna Johnston. Copies of the book are available at the library and on the Libby, Hoopla, and Palace Project apps.