Town/Govt

School Renovation Committee issues final report

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By Shirley MurthaGordon Bischoff, representing the School Renovation Committee that was charged with overseeing the infrastructure changes to the elementary schools following the closing of Kearns, gave the committee’s final report to the Board of Selectmen on Nov. 7. The bottom line of the two-page memo was that the work came in under the original $800,000 budget. Even the additional $40,000 contingency granted by the board when more asbestos was discovered, was not needed.Bischoff praise […]

Town/Govt

Senior Center not just for seniors!

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By Shirley MurthaMisconceptions abound! No, you don’t have to be a senior to take part in any of the Senior Center programs. You do have to become a member, however, but that’s easy. You can go to the center in the Municipal Complex on North Granby Road or send in a check to Granby Senior Center, 15 North Granby Road, 06035. The annual fee is $5 for residents and $10 for your friends who may be non-residents. The membership year goes from September to September. If you wait until May […]

Town/Govt

October 26th, 2016

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By Kim BeckerChristopher Tranberg, the new director of teaching and talent development, presented the district’s standardized test scores for the 2015-16 school year. As the state has refined its curriculum standards in the core subjects, the standardized tests have changed as well. The elementary school levels received Smarter Balance or SBAC testing in grades 3-8 and the CMT/CAPT science test in grades 5, 8, and 10. Eleventh grade students took the math and reading portions of the SAT in […]

Town/Govt

Pollworkers are urgently needed

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This is an historic election year with an unprecedented upsurge in new voter registrations. New pollworkers are needed for data entry, helping at Town Hall and working at the polls in the Community Gym where over 6,000 voters are anticipated during the day – over 400 voters per hour. The registrar’s office is actively recruiting new workers and has set up an extensive list of options for training to try to make it easier to participate. There will be morning, afternoon, evening and w […]

Town/Govt

Amendments made to LAFD tax abatement program

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by Shirley MurthaThe Lost Acres Fire Department recently was granted an update to the rules that enable firefighters to attain tax abatement, a program that has been in effect in Granby since 2008. Chief John Horr presented the reasons for requesting the amendments to the Board of Selectmen, who consequently approved the proposal.A town ordinance allows firefighters with 20 or more years of service to retire and receive the tax abatement as long as they own property in the town and meet all the […]

Town/Govt

BOE kicks off school year with blow to budget

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By Kim BeckerThe Granby Board of Education faces a $115,000 reduction in Open Choice funding from the state as its budget woes continue to trickle down to the local level. Once thought an untouchable funding source, the administration received word in mid-September that state cuts would immediately impact funds earmarked for students from Hartford. This funding is put into Granby’s Quality and Diversity budget, which funds initiatives such as full-day kindergarten and summer school. The bo […]

Town/Govt

Update on the plans for the Holcomb Farm arboretum

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By Eric LukingbealAs was noted in the most recent issue of the Drummer, the notion of an arboretum at Holcomb Farm is now under study. This is not a new idea. Rather it was the idea of Tudor and Laura Holcomb as expressed in the terms of the deed by which they gave their farmland to the University of Connecticut. They stated that an arboretum would be among the uses that they approved. Now, the town owns the land without restrictions.The idea of an arboretum captured the interest of several resi […]

Town/Govt

Residents recognized for service to the town

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by Shirley MurthaPrior to the Board of Selectmen meeting on June 6, several Granby residents were recognized for outstanding service to the town. First up were the Community Service Awards, which are based on nominations by residents and selected by a committee of representatives from the Drummer, GCTV and Selectman Mark Neumann.This year, there were two outstanding individuals who received the award. Cheryl Wickham was recognized for her contributions as a hospice volunteer for the Farmington V […]

Town/Govt

Plan of Development latest draft presented to residents

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By Shirley MurthaUnder the co-chairmanship of Paula Johnson and Eric Lukingbeal, the Plan of Conservation and Development Subcommittee presented its first draft of the 2015 plan to Granby residents on April 21. First developed in 1993 and updated in 2005, the plan is designed “to provide guidance and information to all of the town’s boards, commissions, public officials and residents.” It contains policies, goals and standards for physical and economic development and recommend […]

Town/Govt

BOE, town watch state budget woes closely

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By Kim BeckerThe Hartford Courant reported that the state legislature and the governor have reached agreement over the state’s budget and response to a nearly $1 billion fiscal shortfall. This is necessitating across-the-board cuts, and as many as 2,500 state workers will likely lose their jobs. Of greatest immediate concern to towns and cities across the state are proposed cuts to municipal grants, education cost-sharing grants, and assistance with transportation and special education cos […]