The Suffield Observer (https://thesuffieldobserver.com/page/277/)
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.
Selected from the pages of the Windsor Locks Journal and lightly annotated by Town Historian Lester Smith. September 6
A new laundry is being established at the Suffield School and electric washing machines and mangles have been installed. This is along the line of economy and good business practiced by the school. The school has besides its herd of cows, about forty pigs and five hundred pullets and are assured of fresh farm products. .
The Market will carry on every Saturday 9 a.m. until noon through October 7 with the exception of September 8 when they make way for the Suffield on the Green festivities.
Two months ago it seemed that signing the PCB abatement contract was imminent, but at the Observer’s current mid-month deadline, the contract had been signed only by AAIS, the contractor. It was soon signed for the Town. Facilities Director Julie Oakes explained that the delay had nothing to do with contract problems – both parties were ready – but the Public Works Department had just been too busy with other matters, like concepts for a new Town Hall and putting a new roof on Spaulding School. Start of work now awaits EPA approval of a work plan to be written by AAIS. In the meantime, problems with the new HVAC equipment have been repaired and the system has been subjected to extensive testing, including repetitive cycles of reversing valve operation, all under the watchful eye of a separate contractor functioning as a commissioning agent.
Not long ago television news reported on high school students who had invented a password storage device and were setting up a business to sell it. The device stored passwords and allowed the user to access them by displaying a fingerprint. The whole password situation is very annoying. It is often tempting to decide against visiting a site or doing anything on it, simply to avoid adding yet another password to your collection. Many people use the same password over and over, a practice the experts strongly disparage.
The cherished old building really was in danger of collapse. Glenn Neilson, an experienced construction manager and the member responsible for the care of the First Baptist Church up on Hasting’s Hill at the end of Russell Avenue, had seen some pieces of the ceiling on the floor of the sanctuary and realized there was a problem. And when he climbed into the attic, he found that several key connections in the old post-and-beam framework, built in 1846, were rotted away and the structure was coming apart. So, with the help of Building Inspector Ted Flanders and Tom DiBlasi, a professional structural engineer, he planned the repairs. Brian Doyon, a much-respected local carpenter, agreed to tackle the job.
When Suffield’s economy was primarily agricultural and the top crop was tobacco, there were occasional years when Suffield schools did not open until tobacco was harvested. Children in tobacco-growing families and neighborhoods participated in the harvesting. And school could not start until their work was done. Weather set the opening date of school. Browsing through old town reports, diaries and scrapbooks one finds glimpses into the history of Suffield education.
We are seeking Vendors for our Christmas Bazaar held at Sacred Heart Church, 446 Mountain Road, Suffield, CT to be held on Saturday, November 3rd from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All proceeds go to the Sacred Heart Women’s Guild Scholarship Fund. For details call Elizabeth at 860-668-4246 or email sheart.church@sbcglobal.net.
Saturday, September 22, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Copper Hill United Methodist Church
27 Copper Hill Road, East Granby
Baked goods, “Treasures”
Come early for best selection. Donation drop off
Saturday, September 15, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Call Susan at 860-668-1031 for more information
Great week at Vacation Bible School at Second Baptist Church!
West Suffield Congregational Church will be participating in Suffield on the Green, a long standing tradition for this church. This year the 275th Anniversary Committee will have a display at Suffield on the Green on Sept 8th and 9th. The committee is raffling off several baskets, including a LEGO basket, dog basket and a “locally made” basket. Welcome Sunday, the first worship after summer vacations, will also be September 9. Our children will help lead worship.
Worship, Sundays, 10 a.m., Sanctuary- All Are Welcome!, beginning September 9. 9/5: Communion Luncheon in the Ebenezer Gay Room. Choir rehearsals begin – every Wed, Pilgrim Choir at 5 p.m., and Chancel Choir at 7 p.m.
9/8-9/9: Suffield on the Green. Stop by the Church booth and Bake Sale, information on services, programs, and support group availability. 9/12, 19, 26: Bible Study, 10 a.m. in the Ebenezer Gay Room
9/16: Kick-Off Sunday at First Church!
Visit the 350th Anniversary Committee at Suffield on the Green. Please stop by the Town’s booth at Suffield on the Green and talk with members of the 350th Anniversary Committee and see what’s in the works. Plans are coming together but we are still in need of volunteers to help organize and run events. Sign up for the first annual Suffield 350th Anniversary Celebration Golf Tournament to be held on October 13 at the Suffield Country Club. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Suffield350.
For 42 years members of the Suffield Volunteer Ambulance have been taking sick and injured people from Suffield to the hospital and teaching first aid and CPR on the side, but the world we live in is changing and we are changing with it. No longer is it realistic to just be reactive. In an effort to be more proactive, we have been working on a number of important prevention and preparedness initiatives. In the area of prevention, we have partnered with the Suffield Local Prevention Council in several programs since its inception almost two years ago. • We helped sponsor a forum with Eric Staton, a local paramedic and EMS/police trainer on identification of illicit drugs and how parents can deter use by their children.
A new school year is upon us, providing a chance to shed all those bad habits and start the year right. My fellow parents, I am talking to you. For those of us who drive our children to any of Suffield’s fine schools, there are procedures for the safe and efficient drop off of students. Why are there people who don’t follow them? Consider the situation at the McAllister Intermediate School.
The following table has been adapted from data provided by the Suffield Police Department.
There has been a lot of talk in town with the warmer weather coming in, having more frequent interactions with our resident Black Bear population. There were nearing thirty calls for service between May and June of this year that had dealt specifically with problem bears. Wildlife encounters can be a very beautiful and exhilarating experience. Just remember that when dealing with Black Bears, their behaviors can be wild and unpredictable. Please do your part in helping us keep them wild.
On May 22, The Office of the Chief of Police was notified by staff of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) that an allegation had been reported to DCF which involved members of the Suffield Public School District.
On August 2, a town employee reported an incident of suspected child abuse or neglect to the Director of Parks & Rec of the Town of Suffield. The incident did not take place at a town-related activity or program but was reported to the town employee on July 2. The Director of Parks & Rec immediately notified the Suffield Police Department and the Department of Children and Families. Subsequently, the question of whether the town employee should have reported the incident sooner was raised. The First Selectman’s Office immediately began an administrative investigation and requested a criminal investigation into that issue, and the employee was placed on paid administrative leave during the process.
Veterans
Veterans of any declared war period and current active duty military having not previously filed for an exemption must provide an original or certified copy of their Honorable Discharge or current orders or affidavit to the Suffield Town Clerk by September 30 to be eligible for a minimum exemption of $3,000 deducted from the assessed value of real estate or a motor vehicle. Each current member of the United States armed forces (including reserves and National Guard) is also eligible for the exemption from taxes of one motor vehicle upon application. Veterans with VA disability ratings must submit proof of the rating to the Assessor for an increased exemption benefit. Proof needs to be supplied once, unless the rating is changed. Disabled veterans age 65 or older are entitled to an exemption equal to that of a 100% disabled veteran upon providing proof of age to the Assessor.
Clean Harbors was again invited to town to collect household hazardous waste materials brought to the pick-up location on Ffyler Place. That company, a large, multinational corporation, is paid to dispose of the material in various government-approved ways. Between 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 30, an almost constant stream of residents arrived to bring their stuff. Drivers were advised to stay in their cars “For Safety” as white-suited workers unloaded and sorted it. The collection is done on a “pay as we dump” basis, with specific prices tallied carefully as each load is put into the appropriate bin.