​Granby Artists Open Studio Tour to Showcase New Members

By Lori Catlin GarciaThe Granby Artists Association will hold their annual Open Studio Tour Saturday, Oct. 15 and Sunday, Oct. 16 at home studios throughout the Granby area. In addition, Lost Acres Vineyard will again host a group of artists on both days of the tour.The group is very excited to showcase the work of three new members this year. Barbara Schmitt is a landscape architect and owner of B Designs. She is also a young, creative chain saw artist and a painter. Her sculptures are whimsica […]

​La Cucina Frutteto (The Orchard Kitchen)

Running a kitchen, raising a family, and dreaming of Italyby Susan AcceturaIf months had mascots, September’s would surely be the apple. Symbolizing the beginning of fall, the gift for the teacher, and all things cool and crisp. This summer has been anything but cool and crisp. The scorching and waterless July turned supple green lawns into flaxen crisps. Blossoms wilted and gardens stalled. This is pure botanical conjecture, but perhaps the lack of rain drove the roots deeper, so when the […]

​Granby Food Bank Acknowledges Generosity

By Andrea Boyle​ The Granby Food Bank Program would like to thank all of the donors who make a significant difference in its ability to offer food assistance to qualified Granby residents.In addition to a number of individual and business donations, the program is extremely grateful to the Granby Youth Lacrosse team members for giving back to the community with a $500 contribution to the Granby Food Bank, and to the sixth grade students at The Bear Paw Store at Kelly Lane School who chose […]

​McLean resident tracks family roots back to the 1700s

By Ellen Meuser​When McLean Resident Michael Gorman heard about the wonderful work that Media Center Coordinator Stephen Root was doing in genealogy, he seized the opportunity to learn more about his family’s history. “It turned out to be even more interesting than we initially thought it would be,” said Michael, as he explained his project that spanned several months to complete.Michael’s mother and father both grew up as a single child, so their family unit was sm […]

Evans Automotive Holds Open House

By Shirley Murtha​A new automotive repair shop—Evans Automotive—held its open house in early August. Partners Steve Couchon and Dean Evans bring different areas of expertise to the business. Evans is the ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certified mechanic, specializing in Hondas and Acuras, having worked at Acura Avon in Canton for 23 years. Couchon brings his management, marketing and finance background to the new business, having owned a very successful house painting comp […]

​New England Dance Centers wins big at national competitions

By Ashley WilliamsOver the summer, the dancers at New England Dance and Gymnastics Centers (NEDC) in Westfield, Mass. and Granby, took home national titles and made their mark on the dance world. The competition teams headed to Star Systems National Dance Competition in Myrtle Beach, S.C. to compete against the best dancers in North America.  New England Dance Centers’ Mini National Dance Champions. Submitted photo The mini gym team, The Wizard of Oz, was named the highest scoring […]

​Habitat wall-raising kicks off house construction

By Don Shaw, Jr.​ On July 16, on an expertly prepared site ready for volunteers, hammers were in full swing building walls for a brand new Habitat for Humanity house under construction at 259 West Granby Road. On Habitat site supervisor Stan’s count—”One. Two. Three. LIFT!”— undaunted by the stifling heat and humidity, a volunteer crew of 12 from Granby’s First Congregational and South Congregational churches raised the home’s first wall.This house is Hartford Habitat&rsqu […]

​Three local cyclists ride 192 miles to raise funds for cancer research

Terry Nolan from West Granby, center, rode 190 miles in the Pan Mass Challenge Aug.6-7, raising $8,000. He is joined at the finish by his wife, Donna; son John; daughter Maria; son Tim; and nephew Chris Nolan. Donna, John, Maria Tim and Chris volunteered at the finish line in Provincetown, Mass., helping riders put their bikes away and serving food to the riders at the finish. This was Terry’s third year riding the PMC. He started three years ago in honor of his brother Rich, Chris’ dad, […]

New pole at Granby Memorial High School symbolizes peace

By John R. Nieb​ The Peace Pole is a recent addition to Granby Memorial High School property to symbolize world peace. It is a hand-crafted monument displaying the message, “May Peace Prevail on Earth” on each of its sides. Some Peace Poles have four sides while others have eight sides. The message is usually in different languages.“There are tens of thousands of Peace Poles in 180 countries all over the world dedicated as monuments of peace,” said Bruno Longhi, a 2 […]

​Squadron Capital owner partners with the Farmington Valley YMCA to change lives this summer

By Brian LissFor parents and kids, summer vacation may mean different things.  Parents are concerned with ensuring that their children are safe, supervised, and engaged in activities that keep their minds and bodies active when school lets out for the summer. Youngsters eagerly anticipate the free time, and simply want to have fun and learn something new. Thanks to the generosity of Granby-based Squadron Capital, LLC, and its president Dave Pelizzon, the Farmington Valley YMCA and Camp Chas […]