Recent Stories

Hunting for hungry, hungry hatchlings

In late spring and early summer, many birds take up hunting. This is true even for birds that primarily survive on diets of nuts, berries and seeds throughout the fall and winter. Common birdfeeder species, such as northern cardinal, tufted titmouse and black-capped chickadee, shift from foraging for fruit and seeds to hunting insects, spiders, beetles and caterpillars.
So, what accounts for these seasonal shifts in diet and behavior?

Here, Now

Who knew I was practicing present moment awareness while strengthening my core and increasing bone density? I just thought I was hitting beats 2 and 4 with my drumsticks on opposite sides of my body in Laura Trafidlo’s pound class at the YMCA.

Dr. Michael Ungerleider honored with 2026 McManus Award

On May 6, colleagues, friends and members of the dental community gathered to celebrate Dr. Michael Ungerleider as the recipient of the prestigious 2026 McManus Award. The award recognizes outstanding contributions toward advancing and improving the profession of dentistry through leadership, service, innovation, and dedication to patient care.

Social Services — July/August 2026

The focus of the Social Services Department is to coordinate existing federal, state, regional and local services, to increase community awareness of these services and to develop new programs to meet the needs of Granby residents.

Home Fire Safety

According to National Fire Protection Association Statistics, during the five-year period from 2019-2023, US fire departments responded to an estimated average of 328,590 home structure fires per year. These fires caused an annual average of 2,600 civilian deaths, 10,770 civilian fire injuries and $8.9 billion in direct property damage.

Granby Food Bank

We currently need: Dinty Moore beef stew; Assorted crackers: Ritz, Saltines, Town House; Coffee/tea; Cooking oil; Ketchup/mustard/mayo; Toilet paper, facial tissues; Dishwashing soap

Support the schools’ fine arts programs

I want to give a shout out to the GMHS cast and crew for their fabulous production of The Little Mermaid. They packed the GMHS auditorium on March 12, 13, 14 and 15. What talent we have in Granby! This musical highlighted our talented singers, dancers and set crew students and volunteers. As Director Erin Bakken stated, “This production has truly been a labor of love.”

Membership drive for FOGPL

Inserted in this month’s Drummer you will find the Friends of Granby Public Library’s membership form for this year’s fund drive. We are reaching out to those who would like to be a new member and those renewing their current membership.

Stretching budget to support every student

Each spring, the development of the school district budget brings an important conversation to our community. As superintendent, I understand that our schools represent both one of Granby’s greatest strengths and one of the largest investments our taxpayers make each year. Our responsibility is clear: to provide the best possible opportunities for our students while being thoughtful stewards of public resources.

2026 GAA Annual Scholarship

Graduating high school seniors who are planning to pursue further education in the visual arts are invited to apply for the 2026 Granby Artist Association Annual Scholarship. The scholarship is a cash award of $1,000 given to a graduating senior with advanced artistic skills to be used for upcoming college expenses.

GAA Meet the artist event

GAA and the Granby-Simsbury Chamber of Commerce co-sponsored a reception on March 9 for GAA’s Simsbury Public Library Art Exhibition. More than 90 people enjoyed refreshments and viewed the many works on display by GAA exhibiting members. The next GAA exhibition will be the annual All Members Show at the East Granby Public Library in June.

From Read Across America to Read Across Granby

In celebration of Read Across America Week, members of the National English Honor Society from Granby Memorial High School paid a special visit to Kelly Lane Primary and Wells Road Intermediate schools, spending time reading with elementary students and sharing their love for reading.

Our pages are overflowing!

Once again Drummer contributors delighted us with more material and photos than we could publish in our print pages. Please see the BONUS PAGES online by following this link.

Stony Hill cleanup day is May 9

Community Serve Day at Stony Hill Village will be Saturday, May 9, from 9 a.m. to noon at 259 Salmon Brook Street. Stony Hill is a senior living community managed by the nonprofit Granby Homes for Senior Citizens. Volunteers will work together by helping improve living spaces and outdoor areas.

Drumrolls

Nathan Griswold, of Granby, was named to the fall dean’s list at Western New England University.
Luke Bilodeau, of East Granby, graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison, College of Letters and Science, with a B.A. economics.