Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/page/14/)
Members of the Board of Directors and staff members took a moment to celebrate the accomplishment of attaining accreditation renewal through the Land Trust Alliance.
When the Board of Directors of the GLT accepted the 210-acre Dismal Brook Wildlife Preserve, given to the GLT by Jamie Gamble, in North Granby, they knew it would require a good deal of maintenance and loving care and there needed to be someone available to take care of issues as they arose. Luckily, they knew just the people for the job—Bob and Karen Saunders.
This award recognizes an individual who provides exceptional property stewardship support to the GLT. In this case, that involves caring for a single extraordinary tree that requires thoughtful care and ongoing attention.
The 2025 Mary Edwards Friend of the Land Trust Award—the GLT’s highest honor—was given to Will Hart and his sister Sarah Koeniger, who donated 44 acres of land—now known at the Hart Family Preserve—to the trust earlier this year.
The GLT recognized and honored outgoing GLT Board member Paula Johnson for her incredible dedication and generosity to the Land Trust.
The Granby Horse Council (GHC) is announcing its 2026 scholarship award of $700 to a senior enrolled in their high school or home school program. Membership in the GHC is not required.
You can now take a video tour of the Granby Land Trust’s (GLT) Emery and Hart Family Preserves in North Granby. Starting at the GLT’s Seth and Lucy Holcombe Preserve trail head located off Silver Street (these two preserves connect to the Seth and Lucy Holcombe Preserve trail system) you will virtually explore the Emery and Hart Family Preserves located on the Silver/Loomis Street ridgeline.
Hear from Mike Walsh, Mark Fiorentino, Mike Guarco, Monica Logan, Rick Orluk,
Eric Lukingbeal, and Joe O’Grady.
Fall is in full swing here in Granby, and it’s time to adjust for the cold weather and plan for leaf cleanup. The chill in the early morning air slides away as the sun comes out, and there’s lots to see and do around town. Fall brings more program offerings, completed projects from public works, and updates from the building department. Read on for news and upcoming events from various departments at Granby Town Hall.
Photos by Lynette Simpson
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.
Registration is required for all library programs, except as noted. To learn more about upcoming programs, sign up for the library’s monthly eNewsletter. For the most updated information on dates and programs, refer to the library’s online calendar.
The Farmington Valley Quilters Guild will present From Fabric to Fabulous on Sept. 20 and 21 at the Kingswood Oxford School’s Hoffman Field House on Trout Brook Drive in West Hartford.
As the Salmon Brook Historical Society prepares to celebrate 80 years of preserving Granby’s history in 2025, it proudly reflects on the progress it has made—and the strong foundation it continues to build for the future.
By the time you read this, Chris Fisher’s photography exhibit at Lost Acres Vineyard will probably be closed, so you will have to go to the libraries in East Granby (September), Simsbury (October) or Avon (November) to experience it, but it will be well worth the drive. He started taking pictures on a seven-week summer Eurail trip in 1971 and hasn’t stopped since!
Seventy years ago, the state of Connecticut and the town of Granby experienced the worst flood in its history.
Collaboration and Community, Meet the Farm Crew!, and Upcoming Events
The Granby Public Library wrapped up another unforgettable Summer Reading Program, this year themed Mystery and Mayhem. More than 500 patrons of all ages took part in the excitement—solving riddles, cracking codes and getting lost in thrilling whodunits, all while earning raffle tickets for a chance to win great prizes, all for reading.
More than twenty-five years ago a group of people gathered with a desire to help more people know and grow with God. That group included Pastor Clark Pfaff and his family and dozens of families from the Granby and the greater Farmington Valley area.
In 2023 when Gabrielle Galiatsatos decided to expand her flower-growing hobby to better serve the community, she told her neighbor Michelle Neidermeyer, part owner of Lost Acres Vineyard with her husband Kevin Riggott, about her “crazy idea.” Neidermeyer enthusiastically offered the use of a segment of the Vineyard property and within a week, wood was delivered for the raised beds and a massive tulip bulb order was placed.
Granby Open Farm Day 2025 is September 6th.
For the second year in a row, Shirley Murtha has won an award in the Connecticut Press Club’s 2024 annual competition. Her article, How the loss of insect populations affects bird life, placed second in the Green/Environmental category.
How electricity is supplied to our town of Granby is not something everyone thinks about. But for Reinhard Maier, Granby resident for 37 years, the field of electricity is his bailiwick. He holds certification from the state of Connecticut as a licensed professional engineer with more than 50 years of experience in the electric power generation industry.
The Granby UNICO held its annual golf tournament June 6 at the Simsbury Farms Golf Club, which offered a challenging and fun day filled with raffles and prizes. A delicious buffet and beverages followed for all participants.
The Carroll Sisters Trio is set to release its much-anticipated second album, Radiance, as part of Granby’s beloved Salmon Brook Music Series on Sunday, Sept. 28, 4 p.m. at the Granby Congregational Church.
Dr. Douglas Tallamy may be doing more than anyone in our time to illuminate the crucial and imperiled interdependence of insects, birds, bees, plants, and the rest of us.
Golfers of all skill levels are invited to hit the links for a great cause at the St. Therese Catholic Church Charity Golf Tournament taking place Saturday, Sept. 20 at the beautiful Airways Golf Course in West Suffield.
A great spangled fritillary butterfly sips nectar from a native ironweed plant (a valuable late-season nectar source for a variety of pollinators) on the Mary Edwards Mountain Property in North Granby.
The board of directors of Citizens for a Better Granby (CBG) has named Heather Lockwood of Granby as the new managing editor of The Granby Drummer. She will begin her duties on July 1 and succeeds Jen Bell who is rejoining the CBG board.
At the May 18 annual meeting of Holcomb Farm, I was asked to share a few thoughts with the many volunteers of the Friends of Holcomb Farm.