Chris Levandowski says,“My family’s Granby roots date back six generations, and I’ve lived here for 79 years. One of my passions is the on-going construction of my family genealogy.” She adds that Carol Laun, Salmon Brook Historical Society’s former curator and archivist, aided her search. Sarah Langdon, the society’s present archivist, continues to help. Notable Granby surnames—including Cooley, Goddard, Smith and Wilcox—comprise the family tree.
In 2024, the Connecticut Press Club recognized Levandowski for her article titled Six months and counting for 37 Hartford Avenue proposal. The article won in the press club’s category of “Unfolding News.” Levandowski’s winning submission was the first of a four-part series. The article chronicled a developer’s permit application with Inland Wetlands and Watercourses to build an apartment building at 37 Hartford Avenue utilizing a septic system. The last article of the series described the demise of the development plan.
The Granby Drummer has figured largely in Levandowski’s life since 1981 when she became a volunteer artist and contributing writer. “Over the years I wrote articles for the Drummer covering history, human interest, town landmarks, current affairs and obituaries. I have no idea how many but I submitted almost every month for years!” In 1986 she was co-editor with Betty Hopkins. From 1995 to 2004, she co-edited with three different colleagues (Hank Rau, David Hildreth and Barb Shubert). She now serves as a copy editor as she has for 15 years.
After Drummer operations moved from the Masonic Hall to 11 North Granby Road, her husband Bob Levandowski, a custom cabinet maker, fashioned slanted shelves, installing them around three walls of the room where proofs for the next issue await proofreaders’ colored-pen corrections. He also donated two sturdy tables: round for proofreaders and rectangular for meetings. His creations remain as good as new today. Both Levandowskis’ contributions endure today—serving the Granby community faithfully and without fanfare.