In Town Focus
In Town Focus — October 2025
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Women’s Breakfast, Camera Club, Men’s Breakfast, Civic Club, and SBHS News
Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/page/3/)
Women’s Breakfast, Camera Club, Men’s Breakfast, Civic Club, and SBHS News
Colonel John Conley, former resident of Simsbury and North Granby, passed away peacefully at his home in Mays Landing, NJ, on Friday, August 22, 2025 surrounded by his family, after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 69.
In February, the committee of residents leading Granby’s Greater Together Community Fund (GTCF) at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving commenced its mandate to co-lead a participatory grant-making process in the community.
Granby Homes for Senior Citizens, which operates Stony Hill Village, will hold its annual Friends of Stony Hill Village meeting on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 6:30 p.m. in the community room at 259 Salmon Brook Street.
Instruction in Granby Public Schools is guided by our Vision of a Graduate: we aim for every student to become a resourceful learner and an effective communicator who contributes positively at the local, national and global levels. Our curriculum is based on state standards that outline the knowledge and skills students should acquire during their K–12 education in order to graduate ready for college and career.
Having started my career as an emergency veterinarian, I still have a soft spot for toxin cases. There are a few household toxins that I saw many times at the ER and still see at Salmon Brook Vet. Over the next few issues, I will highlight some of the most common toxins we see, what they do and how we treat them.
The Granby Police Department has achieved all three tiers of state accreditation through the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POSTC). In Connecticut, the state’s police accountability legislation requires all law enforcement units to attain multi-tiered state accreditation by the end of 2026.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Salmon Brook Historical Society (SBHS), and one of the least known, but most enduring, symbols of that legacy is thriving quietly on the SBHS Main Campus at 208 Salmon Brook Street. Known informally as Granby Oak II, this majestic tree was grown from an acorn gathered in 1980 or 1981 by longtime SBHS board member Dave Laun.
Area Fall Fairs, Lifelong Learning Options, Wild and Scenic River happenings, NEAM Events, and United Methodist Church history
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.
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.
Charmaine Glew entertained the group with her South America travels.
Ken Kuhl gave a fascinating presentation on canal structures throughout history for the September meeting of the Granby Men’s Breakfast Group.
The vibrant spirit of community and volunteerism was alive and well at the 2025 Granby Grange Agricultural Fair, held on Sept. 6, at the historic Granby Grange Hall.
The Friends of Granby Public Libraries (FOGPL) closed the books on another highly successful annual sale in late July, raising more than $13,938.26 to support the town’s libraries.
Each September we try to predict the intensity of the peak autumnal display. It’s more than a coin toss, as foliage reports take rainfall, sunshine and temperature into consideration.
At the Sept. 2 Board of Selectmen meeting, First Selectman Mark Fiorentino congratulated Jessica Diglio-Tsaptsinos on her appointment to the board of education.
Track in Granby has had a successful 2025. The boys team had a record of 11-2. The girls team record was 10-3.
Kathleen Anne Estrada-Bernard, 72, of Granby, Connecticut, passed away on August 21, 2025, in Hartford, surrounded by her loving family. Born on December 6, 1952, in Mount Kisco, New York, Kathleen lived a life filled with laughter, compassion, and warmth.
How would Granby officials respond to a town-wide emergency? Imagine an extended drought where brush fires were popping up all over town and the fire department was stretched thin. What if homes, businesses and a school burned? What if water was in short supply and wells were running dry? What if Granby needed to open and run shelters for those displaced by the fires?
Red leaves, orange pumpkins, and bittersweet vines.
Do you cry when the leaves fall?
It is with great excitement that Kelly Lane School welcomes its new principal, Kim Loveland, who joined the school this fall. Stepping into her 11th year as an elementary principal, she brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to fostering a supportive and thriving school community.
I hope you try this recipe while the farmstands are full of produce. While visiting my husband’s cousin in Italy in August, she served us the most delicious caponata as an appetizer. There are lots of variations but this recipe is closest to the one we had. Enjoy!
“At Valley Brook Community Church, serving children, their families and the community is important,” said Chelsea Smith, children’s ministry director, “so when we realized a playground would help us do just that, we started the process by dreaming and praying.”
Two food drives held this summer at the Granby Stop & Shop benefited both the Granby and Hartland Food Banks, which work together to share resources to feed the hungry.
Last month we shared photos and crew notes on some of the crew, and we are delighted to introduce the rest!
Closed bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) at the Granby Land Trust’s Dismal Brook Wildlife Preserve in North Granby.
At its Aug. 18 meeting, the Granby Board of Selectmen (BOS) unanimously approved a revised long-term Lease and Use Agreement with the Friends of Holcomb Farm, marking an exciting new chapter for the farm and the Granby community.
Who remembers the Blizzard of 1978? Or the 24 inches of snow Granby received in early 2011? Or the 2011 October snowstorm when we lost power for over a week? How about Superstorm Sandy in 2012?
A rare leucistic ruby-throated hummingbird was spotted by Granby resident Denise Canora in her expansive flower garden, which is frequented by a steady flight of birds, butterflies and other pollinators.