Recent Stories

The Arts

Grad Night 2016 art contest winners announced

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​Granby Parents for a Safe Graduation has announced the winners of the 2016 art competition. The first place entry will be used to design the invitation for the Granby Memorial High School’s safe graduation party. The winning design is featured on the complementary grad night t-shirts which all seniors will receive. The grad night party is free to all graduating seniors and will be held this year on June 13 at the Farmington Valley YMCA in Granby.​GMHS Principal, Dr. Mary Gadd, […]

Great Outdoors

Granby Horse Council awards scholarship

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By Joan DavisThe Granby Horse Council is proud to announce that James Novak of Granville, Mass. is the recipient of the 2016 Granby Horse Council scholarship. James has been riding horses since he was 7 years old. He is a senior at Westfield High School and will be attending Findlay University in Findlay, Ohio, in August. He is enrolled in the equestrian program with a focus on Western riding and training, specializing in reining.​  The council offers a $500 scholarship annually […]

Town/Govt

BOE, town watch state budget woes closely

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By Kim BeckerThe Hartford Courant reported that the state legislature and the governor have reached agreement over the state’s budget and response to a nearly $1 billion fiscal shortfall. This is necessitating across-the-board cuts, and as many as 2,500 state workers will likely lose their jobs. Of greatest immediate concern to towns and cities across the state are proposed cuts to municipal grants, education cost-sharing grants, and assistance with transportation and special education cos […]

History

Passport to Connecticut Libraries “eminently rewarding”

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By Virgil PaggenNot long after I moved with my family to North Granby, I happened upon the Frederick H. Cossitt Library, a small outpost in comparison with the West Hartford library I previously frequented. It didn’t take long for Margaret Vastoff, librarian, to acquaint me with all that Cossitt offered; it quickly became a valued resource.Among the 50 states, Connecticut ranks 48th in size; only Delaware and Rhode Island are smaller. However, with more than 260 public libraries, I found t […]

School & Sports

Third and fourth graders learn more about their own interests

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​By John R. NiebWith enrichment clusters, third and fourth graders in the Granby schools can learn more about their areas of interest. Enrichment clusters are collaborative learning environments where students can investigate and learn about areas of interest that they have and want to learn more about. They are a multi-week cooperative learning experience for students.“They provide a process for students who may be gifted in different ways to show their strengths and learn from and […]

People

A new way to donate to the Community Fund

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The Granby Community Fund is introducing a new way for donors to contribute to favorite local organizations. Online shoppers may go to smile.amazon.com, where they will find the exact same low prices and selection as Amazon.com, with the added bonus of one-half percent of the purchase price being donated to the GCF.Whether shopping for graduation, wedding, holiday, baby or birthday gifts, a percentage of your purchase will help the following Granby non-profit organizations: Granby Parents for a […]

Fun & Rec

Gran-Bee is a grand success

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By Kim BeckerOn April 22, the Granby Education Foundation presented one of the town’s favorite family-friendly community events, the Gran-Bee. Twenty eight teams competed to see which one knew the most trivia (see panel for sample questions). With families and kids of all ages playing along, each Swarm was cheered as the finalists flew to the top.With Scott Kuhnly, Granby’s First Selectman, confidently emceeing, team Bee S, sponsored by Tony Bussman Painting Co., dominated the hive t […]

School & Sports

Wells Road community bonds through One School One Book Program

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By Kim BeckerIn late February, dollar signs and other weird symbols appeared on the walls of Wells Road School. In March, Mrs. Frost, the media specialist, came to a school assembly dressed in a lemon costume. It definitely wasn’t going to be an average school day!After seeing a One School One Book program in action during a school visit, Dr. Anna Forlenza-Bailey, school principal, suggested to the staff that Wells Road should try the program, too. With a generous grant from the Granby Edu […]

Town/Govt

​Town to continue recycling and waste reduction efforts

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By Shirley MurthaTo continue encouraging residents to recycle and reduce landfill waste, the Board of Selectmen approved the Town Manager’s request to appropriate $18,722 from the Solid Waste Fund to be used in four major areas.1. Hazardous Waste Collection: Granby manages this initiative independently. It was previously managed in collaboration with the Metropolitan District Commission and the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority.2. Compost Bins: Encourages residents to reduce the town’ […]

School & Sports

Students explore the wonder of natural sciences at Valley Pre-School

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By Jodi D’AngeloFrom learning how plants store energy to make food, to examining skulls to determine what different animals eat, each month unveils another chapter of the natural world at Valley Pre-School.“My goal is to inspire curiosity, develop observation skills, expand the horizon of a young child’s view, and create an ongoing connection with the natural world,” said Nannie Brown, the natural sciences teacher at Valley Pre-School. Although Brown retired as a lead teacher at the scho […]

In Town Focus

MS support

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The Granby Multiple Sclerosis Support Group meets at the Senior Center at 1 p.m., on the second and fourth Monday of each month. For more information, please contact Meaghan at 860-428-2463.

In Town Focus

Women’s breakfast

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The Granby Women’s April 4 breakfast meeting will feature author Janet Barrett who wrote the fascinating book, They Called Her Reckless-A True Story of War, Love and One Extraordinary Horse. Breakfast at the Granby Senior Center starts at 8:30 a.m. with the program beginning at 9 a.m. Cost is $4.

In Town Focus

Legion Pancake Breakfast

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The American Legion will hold its famous pancake breakfast on Saturday, April 14, from 6 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the Post Hall, 244 North Granby Road. The date coincides with the opening of fishing season.

In Town Focus

Granby Camera Club

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The Granby Camera Club will meet on Monday, April 2 at the Granby Senior Center at 7 p.m. Jay Harder will present a program on Macro Photography. The scavenger hunt words are Favorite, Graffiti, and Water.  To learn more about the club go to: GranbyCameraClub.com.

In Town Focus

Valley Pre-School spring tag sale fundraiser

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Valley Pre-School’s annual Spring Tag Sale will be held Saturday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Early birds can begin shopping at 8:30 a.m. for a $10 donation to the school. The sale will held at First Congregational Church/Valley Pre-School, 219 North Granby Road, inside Cook Hall.

Events

May 12 SBHS spring flea market

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The Salmon Brook Historical Society’s annual Spring Flea Market will be held on Saturday, May 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be 40 to 50 vendors showing and selling their wares. Admission and parking is free to the public.

Events

Horse Council blessing of the mounts April 28

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The Granby Horse Council will again sponsor the annual Blessing of the Mounts at the West Granby Methodist Church. The Blessing will take place behind the church at 87 Simsbury Road West Granby, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 28.

Events

April Lunch for the Mind: A historic overview of Granby’s famous street

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Granby history comes alive at the April Lunch for the Mind program as attendees learn about some of Granby’s more colorful residents and their historical houses. Join the Civic Engagement Education Team at the Granby Senior Center on Wednesday, April 18, at 12:30 p.m. as Carol Laun, Archivist at the Salmon Brook Historical Society presents Touring The Street, as Salmon Brook Street was referred to by residents in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Events

Trails Council trail-wide clean-up day is April 14

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The Farmington Valley Trails Council will hold its 9th annual Trail-wide Clean Up Day on Saturday, April 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Rain date is Sunday, April 15). Last year’s event drew more than 200 volunteers at six staging areas across eight Farmington Valley towns that encompass the estimated 22.4 (and growing) miles of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail and the 10.2 miles of the Farmington River Trail.

Fun & Rec

Hands-on maple sugar demo

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About 25 people turned out at the Emery Farm Sugar House on March 18 for a hands-on demonstration of how maple syrup is made. Granby Land Trust Board Member Dave Emery taught his visitors, many of whom were fewer than three feet tall, about the process of sugaring, from sap collection, to boiling, to the filtering and bottling of the finished product. Everyone was invited to taste some Emery Farm maple syrup—served, deliciously, over snow!

Events

GLT hosts annual spring migration bird walks

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Join us for a Land Trust tradition, our Spring Bird Walks led by Land Trust members and expert birders John Weeks and Christine Chinni. These walks, on the mornings of May 12 and 13, will take place on Jamie Gamble’s beautiful North Granby property located at 253 Loomis Street (almost to the Massachusetts line.

Events

Two opportunities to explore new GLT property

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When Lucy Holcombe passed away in January of 2016, she left her beloved, 150-acre property on Silver Street in North Granby, to the Granby Land Trust. Lucy and her husband, Seth, were longtime, loyal and generous GLT supporters and friends.

The Arts

Finding her place at HOME

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Walk into HOME Fine Art and Antiques and you can discover unique and interesting pieces to fall in love with, and that’s just what owner Marti Long wants. The Springfield resident decided to completely upend her working life because of an ad on Craigslist.

Humans of Granby

Cooper Fleming

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Granby Memorial High School Senior

Age: 17

Tell about yourself… I have always lived in the Farmington Valley and  in Granby since fourth grade.

Events

The Friends book sale is coming

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Volunteers needed to sort books
The Friends of Granby Public Library (FOGPL) is gearing up for its 36th Annual Used Book Sale on  Sept 21-23 at Holcomb Farm, and your help is needed! The Friends will be ready to accept your donations of gently used books, free from markings and the smell of mildew or smoke, at Granby Public Library beginning Saturday, June 2.

People

Whipping up gourmet offerings at The Whisk

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Locals looking for catering services, take-home meals or an intimate dining experience have a new option to explore with The Whisk, a business established in Connecticut for over 40 years, that has just relocated to 335B Salmon Brook Street in Granby. Owner, Sarah Cowles-Gentile, is a Granby mother of two.