Farming/Nature
Winter Wonder
|
Encapsulated berries sparkle in the sunlight on a snow covered tree limb.
Suffield’s History and Notable People Honored
|
Trees have both common and scientific names, such as Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus).
Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Association Receives Prestigious National Honor
The Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Association (SVAA) has been recognized on the national stage as the 2026 EMS Agency of the Year by the National EMS Management Association.
Library
Crowds Come to Honor Vern
|
Vern Taylor laughs at First Selectman Melissa Mack’s tales on the special day held for him at the temporary Kent Memorial Library. Before his stroke, he had been a loyal and very helpful library volunteer for several decades. His wife, Dorian Taylor, left rear, laughs along with him. (She retired from the library recently; his daughter, Wendy, is children’s librarian.) As many as 50 friends at a time crowded the limited space to honor Vern. Many wore funny T-shirts in his honor; his read, “Follow in my footsteps and you’ll eventually reach the library.”
Library
PCB Abatement Continues
|
By mid-November, the grit blasting to remove ceiling paint judged to be the primary cause of the airborne PCB in Kent Memorial Library had been completed, and attention was directed to the floor, from which all the carpet squares and faux wood flooring had been removed, leaving adhesive residue. With all the windows blanked out by plastic to protect the glass, library aficionados couldn’t watch the work, but it’s certainly been gratifying to hear reports on the progress. Following the blasting and application of the epoxy encapsulant (the chemical folks don’t like calling it “paint”) and the successful completion of air quality tests, the rest of the work of putting the library back together can begin, including pipes and conduits on the ceiling, the rearranged book shelves, and the bathrooms.
For the historical room, Facilities Director Julie Oakes reports that a small change in the location of a fire sprinkler head will provide the necessary clearance, so work on putting the room back in use should be able to proceed. The new compact shelving for that room was delivered many months ago and must be installed. New seating for the auditorium (with reduced capacity to allow for up-to-date standards of accessibility) is expected in January for immediate installation then.
Library
Suffield Library Foundation Update
|
The Suffield Public Library Foundation is a vibrant organization, and we too have anxiously awaited news on the progress of the Kent Memorial Library (KML). We have not let the frustrating PCB predicament deter our mission to support our town library. The foundation formed in 2009 because many in town believed it was a necessary and fiscally responsible decision to set up an organization that allowed citizens to support KML through charitable gifting. Under the town leadership of First Selectman Scott Lingenfelter, our organization was formed. Our 501(c)(3) foundation serves as a conduit so that generous people can be sure their donations are meeting all eligible requirements of charitable contributions, and the funds are used exclusively for the benefit of the KML.
Farming/Nature
Under the Rainbow at Halloweenfest
|
Frankenstein and his bride (Jax and Ellery Baker) head for the Pumpkin Patch as a surprise rainbow enhances HalloweenFest at Hilltop Farm on October 20. The annual kids event is sponsored by Suffield Girl Scouts and The Friends of the Farm at Hilltop.
Library
December Movies
|
Seating is limited at 61 Ffyler Place. Please register for a showing at 860-668-3896. Juliet, Naked
Wed., Dec. 5 at 2 p.m.
Thur., Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Fri., Dec.
Library
Teen Programs
|
Fall flew by but we are ready for winter! Sign up for these FREE Teen Programs online at suffield-library.org. Thanks to the Friends of Kent Memorial Library for their support! Make Your Own
Bath Fizzies
December 5
from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
at 61 Flyler Place
Let’s get some science going and learn to make homemade bath bombs. You’ll go home with gifts for the holidays, or a treat for yourself.
Library
Children’s Programs
|
There will be seven weeks of stories, crafts, and activities during this 30-45 minute story time. (Ages 2-5.) Come have fun! Register or drop-in.
Director’s Corner
“Please look after this bear. Thank you.”
|
This bear is Paddington, whose story started on Christmas Eve in 1956, at Selfridges in London. Michael Bond, searching for a present, pitied a forlorn toy bear sitting alone on a shelf and took it home. He wrote more than 70 stories about his much-loved bear. Today, over 30 million Paddington books have sold worldwide. The bear is so famous that when the Chunnel opened, a Paddington bear was the first item to enter France.
Organizations
King House Museum – Don’t Forget
|
The Snowman Exhibit will be held at the King House Museum on Saturday, December 1 and Sunday, December 2, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Refreshments will be served in front of the fire. The Silver Tea Exhibit will be held at the West Suffield’s Academy Hall on Saturday, December 1, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Everyone is welcome.
Organizations
Polish Heritage Society
|
The Suffield Polish Heritage Society welcomes anyone in Suffield and the surrounding area who is interested in learning about the Polish Culture and keeping it alive. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month from September through June at 10 a.m. Watch for announcements about meetings and other items of interest to Polish Americans on the Facebook group “Suffield Polish Heritage Society.”
The meeting on December 5 will be held at the Suffield Ambulance Center (205 Bridge Street.) With the help of the Felician Sisters from Enfield, we will sing Polish Christmas carols, Kolędy. The Sisters will also bring Opłatek, the Polish Christmas Wafer, used during the Christmas Eve celebration, Wigilia, and possibly some Kolędy CDs for sale at the meeting. This is always a “standing room only” event. On January 2, Sara Zak will repeat a presentation recently given to the Suffield Historical Society.
History
A Moment in Time: Old Photos Invited from Our Readers
|
A quiet scene in West Suffield Center is shown in this old postcard, postmarked 1906. On North Grand Street a one-horse carriage approaches the intersection passing a two-horse wagon, where two men walk toward the Terrett House hotel. At the porch next door, three men idly watch. The luggage on the porch suggests they are waiting here in the shade for a train at the depot just east of the corner.
History
100 Years Ago in Suffield
|
Selected from the pages of the Windsor Locks Journal and lightly annotated by Town Historian Lester Smith. December 6
A large touring car ran into an electric light pole at the corner of South Main street and Kent avenue Sunday morning tearing off the right rear wheel, smashing the top and windshield and badly damaging the body of the car. . . . on their way from Worcester, Mass., to Bridgeport .
Through the Looking Glass
She Did It Her Way
|
Paige’s husband called not long ago looking for anecdotes about her high school years that he could use in her eulogy. I wasn’t much help even though she and I were very close during high school. Her career in adventurous social activities blossomed more in college. In high school we used to take long walks which we called Braeburning because we would wind up at an elementary school called Braeburn, where we’d sit on the swings and chat. On one of these walks we decided that we would not speak any English; unfortunately Paige was taking German and I was taking Spanish, so communication was challenging.
Organizations
A Merry Melodrama Coming to The Suffield Players in December!
|
Three Performances Only: Keep The Home Fires Burning by Charles E. Bright. An ensemble of 16 talented local thespians from Massachusetts and Connecticut are gathering to create a Merry Old-Fashioned Melodrama with Songs of the Season on December 7 and 8 at 8 pm, and December 9 at 2 p.m. at Mapleton Hall. This play is recommended for all ages! Keep The Home Fires Burning is The Suffield Players’ 2018 Holiday Benefit Challenge production, performed with scripts in hand as a staged reading with a minimum of rehearsals … and a maximum of creativity! All proceeds from this production go toward the upkeep and maintenance of Mapleton Hall, The Suffield Players’ theatre, built in 1883.
Organizations
Volunteers Clean Up Riverside Trash
|
On Saturday, September 29, twenty volunteers combed the Connecticut River bank, the Windsor Locks Canal trail and the surrounding area for litter and other unsightly rubbish. Half the group were members of the Suffield High School Interact club. Others were members of the Friends of the Windsor Locks Canal, a few Cub Scouts and several other volunteers. The crew worked for three hours. The project was coordinated by the Friends under the auspices of the Connecticut River Conservancy’s Source to Sea Clean-Up program. “We greatly appreciate all the folks who helped,” said Friends’ secretary, Karen Carlson.
Churches
Sacred Heart Parish Holiday Schedule
|
Christmas Eve
Monday, December 24,
Birth of Our Lord and Savior
4:00 p.m. Mass and
10:30 p.m. Mass
Christmas Day
Tuesday, December 25, Birth of Our Lord and Savior 8:00 a.m. Mass and
10:00 a.m. Mass
New Year’s Eve
Monday, December 31
Feast of Mary,
Holy Mother of God
4:00 p.m. Mass
New Year’s Day
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Feast of Mary,
Holy Mother of God
8:00 a.m. Mass and
10:00 a.m. Mass
Sacred Heart Parish
446 Mountain Road
Suffield, CT 06078
Churches
Potato Latkes for Hanukkah
|
Jews all over the world will celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, which begins this year on Sunday, December 2 at sundown and ends Monday, December 10 at sundown. This holiday is a celebration of freedom and is very much a family holiday. Jewish families light the Hanukkah menorah, adding one light each night, exchange small gifts, play dreidel, a gambling game played often with pennies or candy (M&Ms are our favorites), sing songs and eat latkes (potato pancakes) or doughnuts (sufganiyot), because they are fried in oil. The oil the latkes are fried in represents the miracle of the small container of oil that burned for eight days in the Hanukkah story and reminds us of the freedom for which we are thankful. My favorite latke recipe follows:
Latkes
Serves 4-5
5-6 large baking potatoes, shredded in a processor
3 large eggs
2 Tablespoons flour
Vegetable oil
½ onion, chopped into small pieces
1.
Now and Then
Giving Thanks and Gifts
|
Giving thanks at Thanksgiving time and gifts at Christmastime, we count and share blessings. Reaching beyond unease toward peace on earth many yearn to rest, not necessarily as “merry gentlemen,” but as faithful people recalling more comfortable times. Among the blessings we count are each other. Suffield is blessed to be cared about by hundreds of “each others”. We call them volunteers. They serve and care for us in countless ways.