Recent Stories

Op-Ed

Wake Up Granby!

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Dear fellow residents of Granby. The time has come for everyone to stand up for all that this town offers: open spaces, scenic rivers and streams, a park, lands for agricultural products, professional services, and lots of good restaurants, just to name a few.

News from the Registrars

Early Voting Opportunities

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Connecticut will debut early voting at the end of March, for four days, for the Presidential Preference Primary. The legislature made a special exception to consecutive days this year to avoid Good Friday and Easter Sunday, so the days are March 26, 27, 28 and 30.

Town/Govt

TOWN COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHTS

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The following are highlights from recent commission and committee meeting minutes. To read the full reports, please visit the Town of Granby website, choose Agendas and Minutes and choose the board or committee.

Town/Govt

Town advisory committee to manage participatory process to allocate grants

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The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has established a Greater Together Community Fund for each of the 29 towns in the Greater Hartford region, which includes Granby. The Hartford Foundation has since provided each Community Fund with $180,000, with $70,000 being maintained in the Funds’ endowments and the remaining $110,000 to support current grantmaking efforts.

School & Sports

Board of Education welcomes familiar face

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The Granby Board of Education is pleased to welcome a new member who is a familiar face to the school community. Karen Richmond-Godard, a former Granby Memorial High School teacher, will fill the remaining two years of a four-year term vacated by Whitney Sanzo.

Focus on Education

Granby Public Schools are Full “STEAM” Ahead

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On Feb. 9, Wells Road and Granby Middle School students joined the Granby Men’s Breakfast Group to share their passion for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education and to highlight some of the engaging projects underway in our Library Makerspaces and Coding and Computer Science Clubs. I

Town/Govt

Ethics exploratory committee seeks input

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A group of citizens is seeking input from the community regarding establishing an ethics committee for the town of Granby. It has posted a survey on its website: www.granbytaxpayers.orgAn article in last month’s Drummer asked for participation, but there has been a relatively small response. The majority, 69 percent of respondents, answered “yes.” Comments included, “thank you for this” and “pleased if there were a forum to pose inquiries on legitimate topics […]

Verse

Volunteers needed for annual book sale

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By Kathleen MackThe Friends of Granby Public Library (FOGPL) are gearing up for the 2017 Annual Used Book Sale at Holcomb Farm, but your help is needed!As always, the success of the 35th Annual Used Book Sale will be due entirely to the generosity of donors and volunteers. This year, the Friends are looking for volunteers who can help in a variety of ways, such as: collecting sturdy boxes (boxes with covers, like copy paper boxes is a plus), sorting and boxing donated items at Holcomb Farm throu […]

Verse

GEF has grand plans for the Gran-Bee

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By Kim Becker“Hiving” a hankering for trivia? “Bee-ing” grumpy about the winter weather? The “buzz” that has people thinking Spring is the 14th Annual Gran-Bee on April 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Trivia questions on topics ranging from Granby, music, and history plus jokes, and silly costumes make a fun family event.Want to “bee” a part of it? There is still time to register your swarm, um, team of friends, colleagues, or civic […]

Verse

Generous neighbors provide food for friends

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By Andrea BoyleThe Farmington Valley VNA would like to publicly acknowledge and thank every individual, family, community, civic and student group, business, and association for their recent outpouring of generosity toward the Granby Food Bank Program and call attention to several of those groups.The Granby Ambulance Association, the Gables Homeowners Association, and the Farmington Chapter of UNICO were kind enough to take up collections of food and funds at their annual holiday parties. A $500 […]

School & Sports

Granby students promote investment in public school education during “A Day on the Hill”

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Granby students joined over 200 public school board members, superintendents and students from Connecticut Public Schools to meet with legislators during the annual Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) “A Day on the Hill” event to voice their opinions about the importance of investing in public school education.“Public school systems throughout Connecticut are facing very serious consequences if the Governor’s proposed budget passes as is,” stated R […]

Events

Granby Camera Club

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The Granby Camera Club will meet on Monday, April 3, at the Granby Senior Center at 7 p.m. Jay Harder will lead a program on taking panorama photographs. The scavenger hunt words for this month are colors, sweet and favorite. To learn more about the club, visit www.GranbyCameraClub.com. […]

Events

46th annual Granby Road Race is May 6

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By Scott WoodamanRace ChairmanThe Granby Road Race celebrates its 46th year on Saturday, May 6, at 8:30 a.m. at Granby Memorial Middle School. Seven years ago, the Granby Road Race merged with the Farmington Valley YMCA as the organization’s premier fundraising event in memory of David Schupp, Jr.  Granby is fortunate to have one of the oldest road races in Connecticut right in its own backyard. The Granby Road Race is a 5K and 10K race that is run on road and trails. B […]

Events

April Happenings

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Lunch for the Mind, Fifteen Minutes to Live: Wednesday, April 19, 12:30 p.m. Presented by Jason Scappaticci, lecturer from Manchester Community College. Understand the events surrounding the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. The sinking turned public opinion in many countries against Germany and contributed to the American entrance into WWI. Register by calling 860-844-5350. Cost is $5, bring your own lunch, desserts and beverages provided.Medication Management: Thursday, April 27, 1 p.m. Presented […]

Town/Govt

LAFD: It’s brush fire season!

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By Tim RickisDid you know that Forest/Wildfire season is upon us? Lost Acres Fire Department wants to keep you safe during brush fire season. Because leaves and grass have not greened yet, there is an abundance of dried-out and exposed materials that are ideal for wildfires. It’s also when residents begin yard cleanup, cookouts and campfires, all of which can easily ignite the dried leaves, twigs and grass.Granby requires a permit from the Open Burning Official for open burning, and there […]

People

A bond, a gift and a legacy – the Holcombes and Dr. Werner

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By Peggy LareauA vibrant legacy has emerged from a strong bond between Seth and Lucy Holcombe and their veterinarian and friend, Harry W. Werner, VMD. With an estate gift of over $5 million, the Holcombes of North Granby endowed an academic chair and innovative equine center at the University of Pennsylvania veterinary school (Penn Vet) in the name of Dr. Werner, an alumnus. Dr. Werner operates Werner Equine with his wife and practice manager Susan, based at their mini-farm in North Granby.&ldqu […]

Events

Granby Public Library

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Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Sundays: closed until NovemberCossitt Public LibraryTuesday and Thursday: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 to 8 p.m.Saturday: 12 to 5 p.m.Pre-registration is required for many programs. Call 860-844-5275 (GPL Main Desk); 860-844-5284 (GPL Children); 860-653-8958 (Cossitt) Cossitt Library recently hosted fly tying workshops with Orvis instructors. Visit the library’s new websit […]

Events

Parks & Recreation

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Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Open 24/7 at www.GranbyRec.com for program registration.Telephone: 860-653-8947Website: www.GranbyRec.com. Accepting MasterCard/Visa/Discover. Register for programs at any time of the day or night, find out right away if a program still has space available, check your account to see what activities your family members are signed up for, and print out a year-end receipt for tax purposes.Program/Trip Registration: All programs/trips are based on a first come basis […]

Town/Govt

Poll workers’ discussion held

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The Registrars of Voters hosts monthly poll workers meeting to discuss upcoming legislative initiatives that might impact future elections. In attendance at a recent meeting were: front row (from l.):Paul Willis, Marcia Massey, Laura Wolfe and Joanne Mayornick; back: Patty Sansone, Diane Hernsdorf, Arnie Kittlesen, Jill Ford, Dave Amidon, Bob King, Michael Mayornick and Kay Woodford. Submitted photo Registrars Laura Wolfe and Paul Willis highlight possible legislation that might come […]

Town/Govt

Dates set for budget hearing and referendum

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Public Hearing is April 10; Referendum is April 24The annual Budget Public Hearing will be held on Monday, April 10 at 7 p.m. in the GMHS auditorium. Granby residents will vote on the Town Budget at the Budget Referendum on Monday, April 24, from noon to 8 p.m. at the Town Hall Meeting Room. Residents must bring a valid form of identification (photo ID preferred) to vote. If you are not registered to vote, but own property in Granby and are otherwise eligible to vote, you may receive a ball […]

School & Sports

Safe Grad Night: a well-loved Granby tradition 

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Thérèse MulveyThe 2017 Safe Grad Night celebration is only three months away. It’s time to get FLOCKING and help raise money for the 2017 Safe Grad Night! Granby volunteers have been making this well-loved GMHS tradition happen for over 30 years but it takes donations to make it work.There are options for how you can help and one is the ability to surprise your friends by sending Pink Flamingos to roost on their lawns. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to that? T […]

Events

Sip-N-Spa at the Vineyard

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Celebrate Spring at Sip-N-Spa, April 8, from 12 to 5 p.m. at Lost Acres Vineyard. Start the day at 10:30 a.m. with yoga with Kristal Fiorentino for just $10 then enjoy some wine while Anew Massage and Wellness provides massage therapists, make up, nails, skin care professionals, psychics and more mini sessions for a small fee (about $1 per minute). There is no charge for Sip-N-Spa other than your wine and mini sessions. Come on by and have some fun. […]

Events

We’re Staying Group Meeting

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The We’re Staying Group is meeting on Thursday, April 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Holcomb Farm Workshop. The workshop is the small building on the main campus of Holcomb Farm, 113 Simsbury Road. The group will learn a bit about monarch butterflies, share potluck offerings for dinner, and socialize. Eric Rahn, a master wildlife conservationist, will share information based on his 15 years experience raising monarch butterflies. Group members are men and women, both singles and couples, […]

People

Wellness Day promotes healthy bodies, minds

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By John R. NiebFourth graders learned about having healthy bodies and minds during the third annual Wellness Day, which was held at Wells Road Intermediate School from 1-3 p.m. on February 17.Wellness Day is a collaborative effort between the Granby Public School District’s wellness committee and Sodexo, the district’s food service contractor, to celebrate and promote healthy bodies and minds for the district’s students.“It is an important part of developing student knowl […]

Town/Govt

41 PERCENT OF CONNECTICUT TOWNS HAVE ETHICS COMMISSIONS

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With the June retirement of veteran Town Manager Bill Smith, and in anticipation of the search for a new administrator, an exploratory committee of residents is proposing that Granby re-evaluate the opportunity to form a Granby Ethics Commission (GEC). It would address citizens’ concerns using the recommended structure outlined in the Connecticut General Statutes established by the state Ethics Commission. The neighboring towns of Suffield, Simsbury, Farmington, West Hartford and a number […]

Town/Govt

P&Z APPROVES ZONING CHANGE 

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The application seeking a change of zone for a portion of properties located at 91 and 85R Salmon Brook Street was approved at the February 14 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission. Voting in favor of the change from Residential 30 (R30) to Planned Development Multifamily (PDM) were Paula Johnson, Jonathan Boardman, Christine Chinni, Charles Kraiza, Mark Lockwood and James Sansone. Margaret Chapple opposed.The commission noted that the approval of the zone change is in compliance with th […]