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Salmon Brook Historical Society News

The Research Library in the Preservation Barn is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon or by appointment by calling 860-653-9713. Research Fee $25 per hour.

Progress, in town and at home

It sometimes seems impossible to make even a dent against invasives, but a dedicated bunch of volunteers are making big progress in visible public places. Property lines mean nothing to invasive plants, so every step we take at home benefits our neighbors as well.

Meet me at the Center

Please visit granby-ct.gov/senior-services or check your Center Life Newsletter for a complete listing of health services, support groups, clubs and ongoing activities.

A study in contrasts: Dana McSwain

If you’re lucky enough to have encountered Dana McSwain over the 18 months since she and her husband Winston moved from Cleveland to Granby, then you’ve been warmed by her radiant smile. Perhaps you’ve seen her walking Simon and Pippi, her standard poodle puppies.

Coach Terri Ziemnicki honored with prestigious award

Granby Park and Recreation Department’s Recreation Supervisor Terri Ziemnicki is the 2024 recipient of the Thomas R. Monahan Award, one of the highest awards given by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association.

Memorial Day Parade planning is underway

Granby’s Memorial Day Parade is one of the town’s biggest events of the year. The American Legion Shannon-Shattuck Post 182 partners with organizations throughout the area to honor those who paid the ultimate price — like Philip Shannon and Glen Shattuck for whom the post is named.

Saluting Jim Hall: a community treasure

In Granby, the American Legion Pancake Breakfast is synonymous with the opening day of fishing season—a maple-syrup-covered tradition anglers and breakfast lovers anticipate all year. On the second Saturday of April, you’ll find Jim Hall at the grill flipping the hundreds of pancakes served at the main fundraiser for the Shannon-Shattuck Post 182.

May 7 is the Granby Road Race: Family Day

This year’s Granby Road Race on Saturday, May 7, sponsored by Burkentine Builders, promises to be a day of fun for the whole family. New this year is a kid’s fun race, generously sponsored by Command Corporation.

Local teacher and author publishes new book

Sylvia Crunden has published her second book titled Bullying is Never Okay! that focuses on how children can deal with the issue of bullying. It teaches children how their body feels, the different emotions they feel and several ways to solve the problem of bullying.

Morning Greeter

Softly with us as we walk along
Beckoning quietly the early dawn
Carefully viewing our passage by
Announcing our presence with its graceful cry.

Remembering My Mother

As I remember my mother on Mother’s Day, I think of all she taught me by her actions.

Spotlight on Joe O’Grady

Joe O’Grady joined the Friends of Holcomb Farm as its Farm Manager in 2014. Together with his partner Emma and their two children Juniper and Willow (who both were born right in the old farmhouse, as we suspect were Tudor and Laura Holcomb, more than a century prior), they have quickly emerged as important, active members of the Granby community.

Upcoming Events

April 29–May 30: Kate Emery Art Show for the benefit of Fresh Access. Head to the Lost Acres Vineyard for some wine and to enjoy Emery’s latest work in the show titled The Land That Feeds Us: Body, Mind and Soul.

Explore Granby extended through the fall

The Granby Conservation Commission has announced an extension to the Explore Granby open spaces scavenger hunt through October. This event, first conducted in 2020, is an effort by the commission to encourage Granby residents to explore the town’s beautiful trails and open spaces.

Senator Murphy backs cellular-agriculture development

Senator Chris Murphy supports increased federal funding for cultivated-meat research, according to a letter he wrote to his constituent, Jon Hochschartner of Granby. Hochschartner has encouraged Murphy to take such a stance by demonstrating outside the senator’s Hartford office, among other things.

Kate Emery’s art show to benefit Holcomb Farm

The Land That Feeds Us: Body, Mind and Soul is the theme of an exhibition of oil paintings by Farmington-based artist Kate Emery that will be on view at Lost Acres Vineyard in North Granby from April 29 through May 30.

Memorial Services Planned

Erik Bergersen, aka Berf, died on January 20 and will be buried in East Hartland cemetery on June 4, at 11 a.m. Family and friends are welcome to attend.

Pomeroy-Brace Fund gives $200,000 in grants to local nonprofits

Seth Pomeroy Holcombe and Lucy Eaton Holcombe were longtime residents of North Granby. Both were active in their community, enthusiastically supporting the culture and history of the town they loved. Seth and Lucy served on many boards and committees, and shared a passion for Morgan horses, giving a home to many horses over the years and founding the Granby Horse Council. To continue their lifetime of giving back, the Holcombes established the Pomeroy-Brace Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving to support organizations serving the residents of Granby.

What it was like: A child’s perspective of a natural disaster

On Sept. 21, 1938, a major hurricane wreaked havoc along the eastern seaboard, especially in New England. Connecticut lost over 680 lives from this storm and Hartford was flooded so badly that the Park River was buried under the city so such an occurrence would not happen again. After the 1938 hurricane, the Granby school district, along with many others, had students record what they remembered from the storm. Below are excerpts of how students who attended the one-room schools in Granby described the 1938 hurricane.

A Society of Volunteers

Originally published May 1987: If the words “Historical Society” evoke an image of grim reverential silence and dull stodgy people—you have not visited the Salmon Brook Historical on a Thursday morning.