Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/page/64/)
In 2026, Granby will join communities across the nation in marking a once-in-a-lifetime milestone: America’s 250th birthday. To honor this historic moment—and to ensure future generations hear Granby’s voice—the town is launching the Granby America250 Time Capsule Project, an inspiring community effort to capture who we are, what we value and how we live today.
As Granby prepares to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, the Granby America250 Committee is proud to announce a special initiative that brings history right to our front yards.
Granby’s American Legion Shannon-Shattuck Post 182 and the Granby Lions Club gathered Dec. 16 at the Legion hall for a joint annual holiday party.
This column began in 2019 with a series of Invasive of the Month columns focusing on nine of the most common, harmful, difficult-to-control invasive plants in our area. For those who didn’t laminate, frame or memorize those columns, this one restarts the series with updated information.
Winter is still a great time for birding in Connecticut. It is a season filled with the dark-eyed junco, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch and the Northern cardinal, to name a few.
Emma Hansen, of Granby, was named to the dean’s list at Wisconsin-Madison University during the fall semester.
Caroline Hall, of Granby, has earned highest honors on the University of New Hampshire’s dean’s list for the fall semester.
Samantha Kovaleski, of East Granby, was named to the fall dean’s list at the University of Connecticut.
On Nov. 15, 17 Girl Scouts from Granby, East Granby and Hartland participated in an event to honor veterans who have served our country. The scouts had the opportunity to hear inspiring stories from two women in the military, Senior Airman Ashley Seger of the Connecticut Air National Guard and Claire Cashwell, Commander American Legion Post #59.
Holiday spirit filled the air as more than 100 residents gathered at the Town Hall Complex for the town’s annual Tree Lighting Celebration, an evening that blended music, tradition and community connection.
Tillotson, Timothy Nolan, 73, husband of Cynthia Tillotson, November 6
Dejean, Jacques Bernard, 32, former husband of Katelyn DeJean, November 25
Don Shaw, Jr. took a photograph on Christmas Day that he thought Drummer readers may find interesting—Christmas Day hikers enjoying the Crag Mountain panoramic view from Granby Land Trust’s Emery Family Preserve.
On March 9, we return to daylight savings time, and we will be setting our clocks ahead by one hour. During this time of year, it is a good reminder that we all should be replacing the batteries in our smoke alarms. Change Your Clock / Change Your Batteries. It is also a good time to check the age of your smoke alarms. The life expectancy of smoke alarms is 10 years. If you are unsure as to the age of your smoke alarms, it would be a good idea to replace the unit.
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.
Dr. John Violette, DVM, The Granby Drummer’s “Animal Talk” columnist, wins award; Shirley Murtha’s tribute to Tom Wutka a winner
Granby resident Jason J. Warnke BFA™, CMFA®, CRPC™, CFS® is a Private Wealth Advisor with the OakBridge Group, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. in Avon.
Granby resident Mary Beth LaRosa recently joined the law offices of Nair and Levin P.C. A member of the Connecticut Bar Association, she graduated with a B.A. in Government from Cornell University and a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
The winter snow, slippery ice, bitter cold temperatures, and wind chills are gone.
Albert Einstein famously said that “the person with dreams is more powerful than the one with all the facts.” Clearly, Einstein never encountered Kristin Masini and her daughter Robin Tooker, who in 2022 combined their factual knowledge to make a dream come true on the Granby/Simsbury town line.
The Granby Land Trust is proud to announce that its strong financial health and ongoing effectiveness and reliability have helped it earn a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator. This rating designates Granby Land Trust as an official “Give with Confidence” charity, indicating that the organization is using its donations effectively based on Charity Navigator’s comprehensive criteria that go beyond financials to reflect the work charities do.
One of Granby’s most beautiful places in any season, the Granby Land Trust’s Dismal Brook Wildlife Preserve is 210 acres of diverse habitat – a unique combination of woods, freshwater marsh, open fields and ridgeline.
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.
It’s not every day that a girl from a small town in rural Nebraska, population 400, grows up to be director of finance and operations in a Connecticut town more than 1,500 miles away.
While there is plenty of winter left here in New England, Farm Manager Joe O’Grady has turned his attention to preparing for the growing season. We are thrilled to report that our entire farm crew will return to Holcomb Farm this summer!
The following students were named to the Quinnipiac University dean’s list for the fall 2024 semester: From East Granby: Corriana Howard, Liam Phelan, Benjamin Rickevicius, Erin Russell and Sarah Springer; from Granby: Pippa Large, Erin Panella-Malley, Krystal Rupram and Talin Tran; from North Granby: Jonathan Marlor, Olivia McGovern and Jason Platti.
My grandmother Katie Hurley immigrated from Ireland as a young girl. Though I never had the privilege of knowing her firsthand, my mom always kept her memory alive with wonderful stories, and most importantly, by celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in a big way.
The Friends of Holcomb Farm learned that Auer Farm in Bloomfield might need items for its new Discovery barn, so we invited them to come and take whatever they could put to good use.
A while back I was looking to get more involved in the community, to find a way to lend a helping hand, and I knew there were many great options. This town is full of generous, giving people and organizations that reach out to help others, but it can be a bit overwhelming to know where to start.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Audrey M. Phelps beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, and Friend, of West Suffield, CT who peacefully passed away at home on January 22, 2025 at the age of 89.
For decades, the Cooley Schoolhouse sat quietly on the Clark family property, a relic of a bygone era when one-room schoolhouses were the heart of local education. Weathered by time in history, the building had a second chance. That chance came on August 26, 1980, when a determined community effort brought the schoolhouse to its new home at the Salmon Brook Historical Society, ensuring its legacy would live on.
Registration is required for all library programs unless otherwise indicated. To register, visit granby-ct.gov/Library, and click on “Register for a Program” or call the library at 860-844-5275. To learn more about upcoming programs, sign up for the library’s monthly eNewsletter. For the most updated information on dates and programs, refer to the library’s online calendar.