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Many Granby families will serve turkey with all the trimmings on Nov. 26, but not all. The Drummer would like to see how your “Turkey Day” spread looks so please send in a photo. If you’d like, also send along a recipe for your favorite side dish or dessert.
Some childhood memories have a way of coming full circle. For 16-year-old Alex Farnsworth that meant returning to Valley Pre-School, this time with a hammer, some lumber and a very special project.
The Granby Boys Cross Country team had an outstanding season, finishing the regular season undefeated for the first time in 51 years and winning the NCCC Championship for the first time in 44 seasons!
Along with so many of New England’s songbirds, kestrels are mostly heading south to escape the cold temperatures and diminishing food supply. The smallest of the falcons, Falco spaverius, is unlike most of the other falcons in that instead of seizing their prey in mid-flight, they hover above it and dive to the ground to capture their insect and small rodent meals.
For the third year in a row, columnist Mark Fiorentino received a first-place award from the Connecticut Press Club. In his award-winning article, “Letter to Santa – 2025,” Florentino covered a lot of ground.
On a sunny October afternoon, local writer and gardener David Desiderato showed me around his garden, pointing out the incredible array of native plant species. While many of the plants are going to seed, the white asters and yellow puffs of goldenrod are still blooming and covered in bees.
Some people start their holiday shopping during the January sales. The other extreme are those folks who haunt the stores on Christmas Eve.
Here at the Drummer we encourage Granby-ites to shop early (and often) at local businesses that offer lovely, interesting, fun, adventurous, tasty and healthy options!
Contrary to common myth, poinsettias are not lethal to cats and dogs but the sap can cause eye or skin irritation. Eating parts of the plant can cause drooling, lip-licking and mild intestinal issues.
Even though the plant is only mildly irritating, the ASPCA and other animal advocates recommend keeping poinsettias out of reach of pets.
A cancer diagnosis is scary enough. The treatments can be just as scary; everyone seems to have a horror story from a friend or family member.
Cayden Mele, a sophomore at Granby Memorial High School, earned a spot in the prestigious Junior Gold National Championship Bowling Tournament in Indianapolis in July 2027.
“Nobody is bigger than the G,” says Mike Dombrowski, head coach of the boys’ soccer team at Granby Memorial High School. Dombrowski motioned to the big G painted at the center of the soccer field, explaining that “the G is a symbol that reminds us we are part of much bigger community.”
With the new school year underway, I’d like to give our Granby Public School district families and broader community a window into the work the Board of Education is prioritizing, the impactful issues before us and how you can engage in the conversations that matter to you.
The Drummer is excited to announce three new options to businesses and nonprofits to support our mission, which is to continue to deliver our award-winning local newspaper to every household in Granby free of charge.
The Farmington Valley YMCA, the Granby Police Department and Granby Public Schools are proud to recognize one of their own as he prepares to run one of the world’s most iconic races while raising funds to support local youth.
Early Voting, Civic Club, Men’s Breakfast, Birdseed Sale, Women’s Breakfast, SBHS News, and Camera Club
District 23B Lions Clubs again offers all students in Hartford and Litchfield Counties in Grades 9-12 the opportunity to compete in the Student Speaking Contest. Students attending public, private or charter schools, being homeschooled, members of Leo Clubs or other youth groups are eligible.
Thrills and Chills at Historic Mansion, Fit intellectual stimulation into your schedule, East Granby Library Pro-grams, Holiday Craft Fair, Quilt Show and Craft Fair, Suffield Players plan exciting season, and Tag and Bake Sale
PFLAG Granby will present a free community concert on Sunday, Nov. 1, featuring the music of New England Pride 365. An intergenerational collective of queer artists and allies, the group is composed of vocalists, dancers, actors, musicians and poets who sing for those who cannot. Their repertoire includes music from a wide variety of genres, including Broadway musicals, pop, choral and blues.
Karen Doherty received an Honorable Mention from the Connecticut Press Club for her article, “Ride with the Granby Pony Club,” which appeared in the September 2025 issue of the Drummer.
A Cedar Waxwing perched on a fallen tree overlooking Spring Pond at the McLean Game refuge.
Last month, our introductory column started to re-explore virtues pushed out of our lives. Think of it as re-plowing a field for a new “crop” of thoughts. Per Ben Franklin’s recommendation last month, we’ll start with humility.
In the knitting and crocheting world, there is one word that divides us all: gauge.
In my last column, I covered the many options for flea and tick prevention. Heartworm disease is becoming more common in New England. We are not only seeing a lot of dogs coming from the southern US, where heartworms are endemic, but we also see many home-grown heartworm cases. Annual prevention is a fraction of the cost of treatment—and treatment is painful and can be dangerous in certain cases.
The 2026–27 school year is off to a wonderful start in Granby Public Schools.
Middle school students at the Salmon Brook Ecology Center have learned that the term “brown trout” might be a misleading common name for the species. Their scales include special, pigmented skin cells called chromatophores, which allow brown trout to routinely change colors.
The other day, a friend said to me, “I know this might sound silly, but could you teach me how to attach two boards together?” She wants to build a bookshelf eventually, but needs to start at the beginning. I started to answer quickly and then stopped, recognizing that it wasn’t a silly question at all and I needed to think through how I would teach what exactly goes into attaching one board to another. I can do it without thinking on my own, but I’m fluent in hardware. Her question asked me to go back to the nuts and bolts of building.
The Friends of Holcomb Farm welcomed its newest partner to the Fresh Access program this summer: New Horizons Village.
What a day! On Aug. 30, the Friends of Holcomb Farm welcomed hundreds of neighbors, families and friends to Holcomb Farm for the Holcomb Hoedown—a free afternoon filled with music, dancing, games, animals and plenty of good old-fashioned fun.
As summer comes to a close and families settle into a new school year, the Farmington Valley YMCA is getting ready for a busy fall. From youth programs and afterschool care to community events, fitness and opportunities to connect with others, there is something happening at the Y for everyone.
Please visit granby-ct.gov/517/Senior-Services or check your Center Life Newsletter for a complete listing of health services, support groups, clubs and ongoing activities.