The Suffield Observer (https://thesuffieldobserver.com/page/275/)
Trees have both common and scientific names, such as Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus).
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.
Lawrence C. Belliveau
June 7, Age 86
Sally Bissell
June 17, Age 90
Stephen C. Hojnowski
June 30, Age 78
Fernande Underwood
July 6, Age 96
Gail F. Karaniam
July 14, Age 70
Paul Gillen
July 15, Age 97
Lawrence Hall, Jr.
July 22, Age 77
Douglas Nilson
July 23, Age 64
Edward Szewczyk
July 26, Age 89
Michael Sanzaro
August 6, Age 84
For the underserved and needy in our community
Friday – September 7
7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Call for an appointment:
Craig Tini, D.D.S.
860-668-4431
The Suffield High School Class of 1946 was among the first classes that spent all four years in Suffield’s first high school (now McAlister Intermediate School). A surprising number of the Class of ’46 live hereabouts, and they’ve been meeting annually for many years, lately through the efforts of original class secretary Dorothy DeForge. Eight were able to attend the luncheon on June 29 in the private dining room at Suffield by the River; two more in nearby towns weren’t able to come; and four more live elsewhere in the country. That’s an impressive one third of the original 42 in the class. Must be that good Suffield soil.
Grandparents’ Day Celebration
Our second annual celebration of grandparents is Friday, September 7 at 4:30 p.m. Pizza party, drum circle event, craft project & ice cream sundaes! Enjoy a fun FREE evening with or without your grandchildren! Sponsored by Home Helpers Home Care of North Central CT, Suffield Youth Services, Suffield Senior Center, and Nicholson & Carmon Funeral Home. Please sign up by September 4. Transportation is available through our Mini Bus.
Celebrate fall at the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden! Start getting into the “spirit” of Halloween early as Suffield on the Green weekend kicks-off with a Lantern Tour of the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden on Friday, September 7th from 7 to 8:30 pm. Join our costumed guides and be transported to the time before electricity illuminated our homes on this golden-hour tour through the elegant house. Children are also welcome to attend and don period costumes for the twilight tour, which contains more sparkle than spook for even our youngest visitors. Lantern Tours are a beautiful way for the whole family to experience history together in a new light!
The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse by Alexander McCall Smith & The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel
The Rotary Club of Suffield awarded two Paul Harris Fellowships at the Club’s June meeting, held at the Seasons restaurant at Suffield by the River. Past recipients of the award and other guests were present. The prestigious Paul Harris Award, named for the organization’s founder, recognizes those individuals who are judged to have demonstrated a shared purpose with Rotary, emphasizing personal, professional and community service. This year, Suffield Rotary bestowed two Fellowships: one awardee was not a member of the club, the other was. After dinner, Scott Seabury announced the awards, with Suffield resident Joe Sangiovanni first.
Twenty-three Rotary Clubs in Northern Connecticut and Western Massachusetts (Rotary District 7890) have joined together to fund a project that will bring fresh drinking water and sanitation facilities to three needy communities in Guatemala. Suffield Rotary Club contributed $1,000 to this endeavor. Including matching funds from The Rotary Foundation, a total of $160,273 was raised. Adding this amount to the funds raised during the previous 10 years brings the twelve-year total to $785,568. These funds will pay for the materials needed to complete gravity fed water system with gray water filters, vented pit latrines and improved vented stoves for the 270 families (1,620 people) who live in the rural communities of Pamezul, Vista Hermosa and San Vicente, Guatemala.
Suffield High School wrestler John Nieroda, a 2018 graduate, did exceedingly well in his high school athletic career. With a 33-8 record as a 113-lb. freshman, he was Conference champion and fifth at States. Going 21-9 as a 132-lb. sophomore, he took second place in Conference, and in his junior year, his record was 27-12 in the 145-lb.
The Suffield Woman’s Club (SWC) will be holding its Annual Picnic at Bazin N. Bruce Memorial Park at noon on September 11 to welcome all returning members and those interested in joining the club. The Annual Picnic will kick off the 2018-2019 club year, serving as a social event for returning members to reunite after the long summer and as an opportunity for new members to learn about the club. The Annual Picnic will feature complimentary drinks and cookies. Those in attendance are asked to bring their own lunches. The Suffield Woman’s Club is open to all women who wish to volunteer in the field of community service.
For the second year, Suffield by the River has granted the Althea Scheller Scholarship to one of the senior living community’s staff. This year the recipient is Antonia Reynolds, who came to the center in 2004 as an aide and has since become a licensed practical nurse. Toni plans to continue her part-time studies to become a registered nurse. The scholarship was established by Althea Scheller last year to express her appreciation for her care at Suffield by the River and give a deserving staff member a hand up. This year, following Althea’s recent death, the award ceremony was attended by her nephew, John Whitney, and his wife Nancy, who said they intend to see that the scholarship continues.
Winners pictured, with 57 strokes in the five-player Scramble at Oakridge Country Club, are, from the left: Jason Abate, Ken Eilers, Beth Eilers, Bill McCarthy and Matt McCarthy
In an effort to clear the way for desired development on Ffyler Place, the Town has been contemplating other locations for the Town Highway Garage, whose location there is thought to deter potential developers. The old garage also is in need of considerable update and repair. A plan under way some months ago to build a new garage on Town property on South Street has now been replaced by a very different idea. The new plan was discussed and approved by the Selectmen at their June 20 meeting, by the Conservation Commission on July 24, and by the Planning & Zoning Commission on August 6. It has yet to be addressed by the Board of Finance.
In the Observer’s June issue, when Beth Chafetz summarized the Town’s long effort to improve the headquarters building of our town government, she provided an appropriate headline: The Town Hall Saga. That story reached a milestone on July 18 in a four-board meeting of the Selectmen, the Finance Board, the Permanent Building Commission, and the Advisory Commission for Capital Expenditures before a disappointingly sparse handful of interested citizens in the Middle School auditorium. The Town Hall, erected in 1962 and remodeled since, has for several years needed a major overhaul of its infrastructure. And as the administrative needs of the town grew, the police station was relocated (to that most-appropriate address: 911 Mountain Road) and other departments have moved as well. Several attempts have been made to define how the building could be improved,
A key step was taken in October 2015, when a referendum with over 1,200 voters, approved an appropriation of $5,130,000 to renovate and expand the old building, with over $4,000,000 of that to be supported by bonding.
The Suffield Arts Council is featuring a collection of watercolor paintings by noted artist Alan Izatt of Belchertown in the Gallery of Suffield’s Kent Memorial Library, continuing through September.
The Suffield Woman’s Club (SWC) will be selling 9” fall mums on Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23 at Sacred Heart Church after each service.
Torrential rain was not an auspicious start to Saturday, August 4, but the afternoon turned lovely for the Volunteer Appreciation Picnic hosted by The Friends of the Farm at Hilltop. Joan and Tom Heffernan of Suffield were honored as FOFAH’s 2018 “Volunteers of the Year.”
Joan is an amazing gardener! She takes care of the landscaping around the two historic farmhouses and has been a big help with the butterfly, hummingbird, and pollinator gardens. Joan and husband Tom have also taken on creation of the new “corn crib” garden on the east side of the farmstead. Last, but not least, Joan is quick to share the beautiful nature photos she takes around the farm and the open space.
It’s not the kind of parade with marchers in step, but the motif was Patriotism, and patriotic spirit was certainly evident with the splendid red, white, and blue trappings on many of the boats that circled Middle Pond on Saturday, July 7. This traditional event held by Citizens Restoring Congamond was bigger than ever this year. The event began at about 5:00 p.m. with music from the PA system to entertain as boats gathered at anchor in front of the performance stage at Babb’s Beach. Some headed in to tie up on the beach, carefully avoiding the half-dozen kids swimming. (Signs warned that no life guard was on duty.)
This being an Independence Day celebration, the event started with Kristina Perez, 12, singing “God Bless America,” followed by “America the Beautiful.” Kristina, from Avon, is the granddaughter of Scott and Ginny Graves.
The wide-ranging presentations at the Suffield Arts Festival offered the town an opportunity to enjoy a free sample of local music, dance, drama, mime, comedy, painting, crafts and more. The Suffield Youth Theater (SYT), always adventurous, tackled this as their summer event on Saturday, July 14. There was much to enjoy. In addition to SYT regulars, there were performers from the Around Town Two singers, Red Door Theater, Springfield Drama Studio, Moxie Dance Center (West Hartford), Suffield High’s Improv Club, the “Time Was” trio and musicians and artisans and artists of various genres. Several large tents were set up, and as this was an all-day affair, SYT arranged for a variety of food vendors and other amenities.
