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.
Windsor Federal Savings is proud to announce the promotion of Maureen Sullivan to Vice-President – Retail Operations. “Maureen’s extensive retail banking experience has allowed her to successfully take on additional responsibilities”, George Hermann, President and CEO of Windsor Federal Savings stated. Joining Windsor Federal Savings with over 10 years of prior retail banking experience, Maureen rapidly advanced within her career from part time Teller to Branch Manager by taking advantage of bank educational opportunities and receiving recognition for her outstanding customer service capabilities. In July 2017, she was promoted to Assistant Vice-President.
This event is being held with funding from an Enhancement Grant from the Connecticut State Department of Education, Division of Family and Student Support Services Bureau of Health/Nutrition, Family Services and Adult Education, and contributions from the Greater Suffield Interfaith Council and with the partnership of the following organizations: Town of Suffield Youth Services and Police Departments, Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), North Central Regional Mental Health Board (NCRMHB), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Connecticut, Cross Street AME Zion Church, Advocacy Unlimited, Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR), and the Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement (CABLE).
When I was 15, I was sitting in on a driving lesson my friend Chris was getting from his dad. After practicing all the fundamentals, Chris was given the green light to drive home. It was sunny, the windows were open and an air of triumph permeated the car. Inexplicably, a bee flew into the moving car, hit Chris’ neck and landed right on the inside of his leg as he was driving swiftly down this stretch of road. As the bewildered bug began creeping up his leg, and as Chris was wearing shorts on that hot day, he let loose a stream of expletives, pulled the car over and, after deliberately putting it into park, jumped out and danced until the insect flew away.
On March 29, the Wheeler Clinic completed a second session of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to Suffield Police and first responders from the region. A previous training session had occurred on March 6. Both trainings were conducted in the Amiel P. Zak Community and Training Room at Suffield Police headquarters. As of March 29, over ninety percent (90%) of the staff of the Suffield Police Department have received this training, provided free of cost. This includes police officers, public safety dispatchers, uniformed Animal Control Officers, and civilian administrative staff.
Do you know how many volunteers we have at the Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Association (SVAA)? If you guessed 92, you would be correct. Sounds like a lot, but there’s always room for more. Volunteers are comprised of EMT’s, advanced EMT’s, paramedics and administrative support. In addition to the volunteers, there are three full-time employees, which include an Office Manager, a Paramedic, and the Ambulance Chief, Art Groux.
At a recent Rotary meeting I was listening to the achievements already accomplished by our SHS Student of the Month. It left me with confidence that the young lady would proceed to accomplish “big things” in life. A friend who attended suggested that it was too bad that we so often lose track of many successes achieved by the people who often go on to achieve major successes in their chosen fields. The friend noted that perhaps the Observer could provide information about the many people whose stories and accomplishments would either bring pride with the thought that “I knew that kid was going to make it”, or perhaps a “wow” recognition when you utter out loud “I didn’t know our neighbor did that.”
At the editorial board meeting people were excited about such an endeavor but aware that it was not an undertaking we could do on our own. Limiting such a series to those whose accomplishments the editors were aware of would inevitably but unfairly leave out the stories of many with equal or even more impressive successes.
The Town of Suffield would like to remind residents that they may, free of charge, bring their unwanted electronics to the Suffield Landfill, 2715 Mountain Road. Hours are: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Accepted materials include, but are not limited to: computers, laptops, iPods/PDAs, printers, copiers, fax machines, scanners, monitors, TVs, cell phones, tablets, ebooks, video games, game consoles, VCR/DVD players, cameras and stereo equipment, remotes, keyboards, computer mice, modems, microwave ovens, and small appliances. Unaccepted materials include: NO smoke detectors, NO ballasts, NO propane tanks, NO paint, NO household hazardous waste (NO lighter fluid, liquids etc.), and NO appliances containing freon (air conditioners, refrigerators, and dehumidifiers).
I had the pleasure of a tour of Kent Memorial Library recently and I left feeling so excited about the changes taking place that I wanted to share some of the highlights. Clearly every resident is anxious for the long-awaited reopening given the ongoing environmental saga the town’s endured. But after seeing it first-hand, I truly cannot wait for all of us to once again utilize this inspiring building. Facilities Director Julie Oakes and Highway Foreman Mark Cervione were my tour guides as we entered the new all-abilities accessible entrance, lovingly named in honor of Suffield’s Mary Anne Zak whose family provided an enormously generous donation towards the project. The entrance is an inviting and impressive space welcoming patrons.
“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us, snow is exhilarating; there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”
– John Ruskin
“Tut, Tut, looks like rain”
– A.A. Milne
“It always rains on tents. Rainstorms will travel thousands of miles, against prevailing winds for the opportunity to rain on a tent.”
– Dave Barry
“I say it’s so hot, the hens are picking up worms with potholders.”
– Julie Trotter
“Don’t knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in a while.”
– Kin Hubbard
“The weather is like the government, always in the wrong.”
– Jerome K. Jerome
“A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.”
– Marcel Proust
Cinco de Mayo – May 5
“Cinco de Mayo has come to represent a celebration of the contributions that Mexican Americans and all Hispanics have made to America…Latinos have fought in all of America’s wars, beginning with the Revolutionary War. Many Latinos are fighting and dying for our country today in Iraq, just as several of their ancestors fought for freedom in Mexico over a century ago.”
– Joe Baca
National Teachers’ Day – May 8
“Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.”
– Malala Yousafzai
“Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.”
– Solomon Ortiz
“If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.”
– A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.”
– C. S. Lewis
“A good teacher must be able to put himself in the place of those who find learning hard.”
– Eliphas Levi
“Education is improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.”
–Marian Wright Edelman
“The test of a good teacher is not how many questions he can ask his pupils that they will answer readily, but how many questions he inspires them to ask which he finds it hard to answer.”
– Alice Wellington Rollins
“Teaching is the one profession that creates all other professions.”
– Unknown
International Nurses Day – May 12
“Sometimes I inspire my patients; more often they inspire me.”
– Unknown
“Nurse: just another word to describe a person strong enough to tolerate anything and soft enough to understand anyone.”
– Unknown
“To do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through; that is to be a nurse.”
– Rawsi Williams
Mother’s Day – May 13
“Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.”
– C.S. Lewis
“Being a mom might mean that my hands are full, but so is my heart.”
ByArt Groux, EMS Chief, Emergency Management Director |
On Saturday, April 7, the Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Association recognized their annual award winners for 2017-2018 at a dinner at Crestview Country Club. The following are this year’s award recipients. Hero Awards
Civilians: Jim Rogeness, Tahycha Velavquez, Jeremy Schussler, Marian Beland, Bree Berner, Marilyn Rice, K9 Sapphire, K9 Ted E Bare
Suffield EMS Members: Ken Shaffer, Laura Steinmeyer, Bill Borchers, Bob Lowell, Lisa Shelanskas, Ted Hansen, Don Miner, Laura Steinmeyer
Suffield Public Safety Partners: Officer Justin Fuller, Dispatcher Mildred Webster, Officer Rob Dabkowski, Dispatcher Lorraine Morelli, Officer Tom Kieselback, Dispatcher Lauren Mayhew, Police Chief Rick Brown, Fire Lt. Kevin Seger, Fire Captian Mike Thibedeau, Firefighter Colby Tyler
Years of Service Milestones
5 Years: Kathy Dunai, Joan Perrone, Suzanne Sussman, Rev. Scott Seabury
10 Years: Dawn Santaniello, Barbara Daley, Karen Doyon
By invitation of Captain Christopher McKee and in support of National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, I spent three hours with Suffield Police Dispatcher, Lorraine Morelli. This visit demonstrated to me the seriousness and expertise of police dispatchers. Between calls, she was able to offer basic explanations of all the technical equipment used by the dispatchers. I felt fortunate to be observing an expert at work. Dispatcher Morelli sits in front of three sets of double screens. Above these are security cameras which display police station doorways, cells, and other vital access points. She has three computer screens in front of her and three “mice” to operate them.
The State mandated Revaluation of all real estate is in full swing. The Town has partnered with Vision Government Solutions (Vision) for this project. A revaluation is undertaken every five years to secure a more equitable distribution of the tax burden and to bring the assessment level up to date. State Statutes also require that properties are fully inspected once in every ten assessment years. In many situations, a completed data mailer signed by the owner can count as an inspection.
The Memorial Day ceremony and parade will be held on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, beginning with the parade at 9 a.m. The parade will form at 8:45 a.m. on Ffyler Place and march up Mountain Road to Main Street to the Veteran’s Memorial. A Memorial Day program will take place at Veteran’s Memorial immediately following the parade to honor our fallen heroes. The Officer of the Day is Lieutenant Colonel William E. Moryto, USMC. Music will be performed by Joseph Migliore and the Suffield High School band as well as the Suffield Middle School band led by Amy Wilson and Corey Killian. All Suffield veterans are welcome to participate in the parade in uniform if possible.
The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) and its members, including the Suffield Woman’s Club, recite this ‘prayer for the day’ written by Mary Stewart in 1904 at each meeting. Also known as ‘the Collect for Club Women’ (but appropriate for everyone) it reminds us that we may disagree on some topics, but that doesn’t preclude us from being kind to each other. I believe if we ask each other why we disagree or how did we come to that conclusion or belief, we would gain a greater, deeper understanding of our fellow human beings. And wouldn’t that little step help seed a kinder world. A Prayer for the Day
Collect for Club Women
Keep us, O God, from pettiness;
Mark Zuckerberg’s grilling in Congress about how Facebook treats personal information about data privacy and his responsibility to users caused me to also give this some thought. For some people, any amount of lack of privacy is bad on principle. I am closer to the other extreme: what does it matter if Facebook knows my preferences in books, movies, clothing, political leaning, food, group activities, friends, age, name, etc., etc. My major life dependencies, such as bank account, are secure. So what’s the big deal?
As of this writing, the Board of Finance is in the process of reviewing various department budgets and capital requests in order to propose the FY 2018/19 budget for the Town Meeting on May 8. A public hearing was held on April 25, and the budget proposal outlined below may include changes as a result of that meeting and outside factors such as adjustments to state aid that we have seen in the past. What was presented at the public hearing is an operating budget of $58,009,479, which represented an increase of $2.3M over 2017/18. Due to the use of $2M from the Fund Balance and other changes in revenues, the budget represents an estimated tax increase of 0.86%. State aid, including payments from the Airport Authority, represents $12.2M which is a decrease from the $14.4M we received just two years ago.
This photo, judged Best in Show in the recent photo contest at Kent Memorial Library, was titled “Autumn at 467 South Main Street” by its creator, Robert W. Lyons, who reported that it was taken a few years ago.
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