Organizations

Troop 66 Scouts Camp and Climb in Storrs

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On Saturday, September 22, Boy Scout Troop 66 of West Suffield went on a camping and climbing trip to the adventure and climbing park in Storrs, Conn. Storrs Adventure Park allows for visitors to explore the various elements and climbing activities around the park while being securely locked into a system of belays. At the park, after being prepped and instructed on how to climb and use the various elements safely, the Scouts were allowed to go around the park, alone or with friends, and climb the bevy of climbing elements that are scattered around the approximately 600 square feet of the park. The elements are all between the trees on the property, and the platforms on the trees are connected by cable, wood, rope, and zip lines to form bridges. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the various levels of difficulty associated with the numerous elements, ranging from yellow (easy) to black (hard).

Organizations

Successful Salesman

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Like many Scout units, Suffield Cub Scout Pack 266 gets a big boost every year from selling Boy Scout popcorn. And for the third year in a row, Aiden Thomson, a ten-year old Bear Cub in the third grade at McAlister, has been the most successful salesman. He hit a new record this year at $2,352. That’s a lot of popcorn! The Cub Scouts get some of their motivation from sales prizes, and in his first year, Aiden was attracted by the drone shown on the prize list and set himself a goal of $2,000.

Organizations

Troop 66 Honors Another Eagle

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Quinn Bathgate set his sights on becoming an Eagle Scout from the time he became a Tiger Cub eight years ago. Now, at age 15 after four and a half years as a Boy Scout in Troop 66, he has achieved that goal. The Eagle award ceremony was held at Sunrise Park on October 21 in the pavilion, packed with family and friends who were there to share the joy. As is their custom during the traditional event, First Selectman Melissa Mack and State Representative Tami Zawistowski presented certificates, and Quinn was given a binder filled with congratulations from many prominent folks. Not only had Quinn fulfilled the requirements for the rank – the highest a Boy Scout can achieve – he had earned 37 Merit Badges, far more than the 21 required.

Schools/Sports

Superintendent Search

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The Suffield Board of Education has begun the search for a new superintendent. The Board has engaged the services of the New England School Development Council (NESDEC) to facilitate the search process. The process is expected to take approximately 120 days, with the intent of a new superintendent assuming the role on or before July 1. Dr. Elizabeth Osga, a retired Connecticut Public School Superintendent, is serving as the NESDEC Search Consultant. 

The search process will have three phases:

• The initial phase will include a call for candidates and the development of an ideal candidate profile. A link to this survey was sent to all stakeholders via our electronic communication system the morning of Tuesday, January 22.

Organizations

Holiday Trees Displayed and Sold

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For their Holiday Tree Gala, the Suffield Garden Club collected a great variety of trees from imaginative designers and stood them up for the first two weeks of December at the Senior Center for all to see. And, hopefully, to buy. From this first-of-its-kind-in-town affair, the trees were offered for sale, with the proceeds supporting the SGC’s scholarship program. On Saturday, December 1, a good crowd admired the trees as the Suffield Middle School Elite Voices sang. The Suffield High School Chamber Ensemble entertained on the next afternoon.

Organizations

Mycobiome of the Garden

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The Suffield Garden Club will hold a monthly meeting on Monday, February 4 at 11:45 a.m. at the Second Baptist Church, Fellowship Hall. Coffee, tea, a light lunch and a short business meeting are followed by a guest speaker at 1 p.m.

Eugenia Bone, our guest speaker, is an author, Italian cook, mushroom hunter and master canner. Her presentation on the Mycobiome of the Garden will provide an overview of fungal biology and illustrate how a little mycology can make one a better mushroom cook. Eugenia’s work has appeared in several publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine Gourmet and the list of endeavors goes on. All who are interested are welcome to attend.

Suffield Garden Club

What Does Organic Mean?

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We all wonder, at one time or another, about the organic food issue and whether or not one should pay the extra dinaro for it. You be the judge. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) defines organic as follows:

Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given neither antibiotics nor growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.

Schools/Sports

Wildcats Co-Op Swim Team Thrives

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Entering its second year as a four-town Co-Op team, Wildcats Swimming is looking forward to a strong season under even stronger leadership. Suffield, Ellington, Windsor Locks and East Windsor are united under four young men in particular who push themselves and their teammates to come out on top with wins, broken records and the respect of other competitive teams. At the head of the Wildcats is Drew Martin-Ryan, one of Suffield’s own. Martin-Ryan, a Suffield High School junior and three-year member of Wildcats Swimming, was named 2018-2019 Captain at the end of his 2017-2018 sophomore season. He has demonstrated huge growth during his time on the team, both as an athlete and as a leader. Martin-Ryan has the respect of his teammates as well as his coaches, and everyone is proud to have him as the representative for Wildcats Swimming.

People/Business

Never Too Old to Be a Flower Girl

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Norma Phillips, a life-long resident of West Suffield, had the honor of being specially requested to be a flower girl at a recent ceremony. Norma has extended family of three generations, and it was an exciting time for all present to have Norma, fondly referred to as the “Amp,” fulfill this special role.

In Memoriam

In Memoriam

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John E. Descy August 31, Age 85 Robert J. Lewis November 5, Age 90 Santo Anenta November 17, Age 67 Alan J. Deyette November 22,  Age 68 Bertrand G. Marien November 23,  Age 74 Diana Macari November 29,  Age 83 Anna R. Venditti Perrone December 2,  Age 84 Roger Nissopoulos December 3, Age 68 Daniel Francis Sullivan […]

People/Business

Non-Stop at Bradley

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The Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) is pleased to announce the debut of new, nonstop service from Bradley International Airport to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Orlando International Airport (MCO) on low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines. The service to Raleigh-Durham will commence on April 30, on an Airbus A320; the service to Orlando will commence on May 1, on an Airbus A321; the service to Denver is scheduled to commence on March 2.

Government/Town

Suffield Youth Center

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Suffield Youth Services Coordinator, Nikki Lengyel, has opened a Youth Center in town in the Suffield Senior Center Game Room on 145 Bridge Street. It offers foosball, a ping pong and pool table, Wii games, board games as well as arts and crafts! All youth must have a parent/guardian fill out a registration form prior to attending the center. The Center is open to grades 6-12 for drop in hours. The winter hours are as follows; Mondays and Thursdays from 4:30-7 p.m. and Tuesdays and Wednesdays 2:30-5 p.m. with a 2:30-3:30 p.m. homework hour.

Organizations

Sugar Witch

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The powers of magic, mystery and murder collide deep in the Florida Everglades … get ready for The Suffield Players production of The Sugar Witch by Nathan Sanders!

Schools/Sports

College Board Honors Suffield Schools

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Suffield Public Schools is one of 373 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 9th Annual AP® District Honor Roll. To be included on the 9th Annual Honor Roll, Suffield Public Schools had to, since 2016, increase the number of students participating in AP while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher. Reaching these goals shows that this district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP. National data from 2018 show that among American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half are participating. The first step to getting more of these students to participate is to give them access.

Schools/Sports

SHS World Languages Student

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Congratulations to Sarah Johnston – World Languages Student of the Month for December. Sarah is a senior at Suffield High School, currently enrolled in Advanced Placement French Language and Culture course. Sarah is a talented language learner with an unbeatable enthusiasm for linguistic challenges and cultural diversity. Her effort and dedication to the study of French have resulted in a high level of competency in the language. In April of 2017, Sarah was inducted into the National French Honor Society, and currently serves as the President of the chapter.