January 2020 Vol. 60, No. 4 e Official News Magazine of the Connecticut State Grange Connecticut State Grange NEXT ISSUE . . . Articles Due Jan. 15 CONNECTICUT GRANGER Published Monthly George Russell State President Riverton Grange No. 169 [email protected]Happy New Year! Happy New Year! I hope everybody made it through the holiday season and is ready for another Grange year. Let’s hope our New Year’s resolution is for your Granges to have a net gain in membership! This year the Membership Committee is preparing to put on some workshops throughout the year. The committee’s first workshop under the Leaders and Learners program will be presented by Carmen Brickner in April. This is planned for Ekonk Community Grange Hall in Sterling, Conn. the workshop is open to all Grange members and also non-members. There will be a registration fee for this conference which will include lunch. The Membership Director will have more details on this workshop at the event gets closer. The Northeast Leaders’ Conference, hosted by the New York State Grange, will be on March 27-29. So save the date. We should have more information on this conference at the beginning of January. I had the priviledge to attend a reception at Ekonk Community Grange for Brianna Gervais, our National Grange Female Junior Ambassador. There was an excellent turnout of State Officers and National Overseer Phil Prelli. The Sterling Selectman, school principal and teachers and all of the speakers that night had encouraging words for Brianna on her long journey this coming year. We know she will be a great representative of the Connecticut State Grange. The Connecticut State Grange has a Youth Travel Fund for the Juniors and Youth to use for travel expenses. If your Grange, or an individual, would like to donate to this fund, please make a check out to the Connecticut State Grange Foundation and mark your donation for the Youth Travel Fund. It can be sent to the State Grange Secretary at P.O. Box 3, Winchester Center, CT 06094. On Jan. 18, 2020 I will be attending the annual Launch Meeting for the New England Grange Building on the Big E grounds in West Springfield, MA. At this meeting we will have a report from the Building Manager and the Store Manager and will go over improvements that are needed for the building. We will begin to make plans for the 2020 Fair season. Also that day the Northeast Connection will meet and discuss the merger of the Leaders’ Conference, Youth Conference, and Lecturer’s Conference. The State Lecturers and Youth Chairmen are encouraged to attend this meeting. STORRS, Conn. — Connecticut Department of Energy and Envi- ronmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) at UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) discovered an emergent disease in deer population in Con- necticut. In October of 2017 DEEP offi- cials detected an unusual die-off of White Tail deer in central Connecti- cut. DEEP submitted carcasses to the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) to establish possible causes of death. Emergent disease in CT Deer Necropsies were performed and tis- sues from the deer were analyzed by pathologists at the UConn labo- ratory. Anatomic changes observed in these tissues alerted pathologists to a disease never before recognized in Connecticut, “Epizootic Hem- orrhagic Disease of deer” (EHD). …continued on page 3
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January 2020Vol. 60, No. 4 The Official News Magazine of the Connecticut State Grange
Happy New Year! I hope everybody made it through the holiday season and is ready for another Grange year. Let’s hope our New Year’s resolution is for your Granges to have a net gain in membership! This year the Membership Committee is preparing to put on some workshops throughout the year. The committee’s first workshop under the Leaders and Learners program will be presented by Carmen Brickner in April. This is planned for Ekonk Community Grange Hall in Sterling, Conn. the workshop is open to all Grange members and also non-members. There will be a registration fee for this conference which will include lunch. The Membership Director will have more details on this workshop at the event gets closer. The Northeast Leaders’ Conference, hosted by the New York State Grange, will be on March 27-29. So save the date. We should have more information on this conference at the beginning of January. I had the priviledge to attend a reception at Ekonk Community Grange for Brianna Gervais, our National Grange Female Junior Ambassador. There was an excellent turnout of State Officers and National Overseer Phil Prelli. The Sterling Selectman, school
principal and teachers and all of the speakers that night had e n c o u r a g i n g words for Brianna on her long journey this coming year. We know she will be a great representative of the Connecticut State Grange. The Connecticut State Grange has a Youth Travel Fund for the Juniors and Youth to use for travel expenses. If your Grange, or an individual, would like to donate to this fund, please make a check out to the Connecticut State Grange Foundation and mark your donation for the Youth Travel Fund. It can be sent to the State Grange Secretary at P.O. Box 3, Winchester Center, CT 06094. On Jan. 18, 2020 I will be attending the annual Launch
Meeting for the New England Grange Building on the Big E grounds in West Springfield, MA. At this meeting we will have a report from the Building Manager and the Store Manager and will go over improvements that are needed for the building. We will begin to make plans for the 2020 Fair season. Also that day the Northeast Connection will meet and discuss the merger of the Leaders’ Conference, Youth Conference, and Lecturer’s Conference. The State Lecturers and Youth Chairmen are encouraged to attend this meeting.
STORRS, Conn. — Connecticut Department of Energy and Envi-ronmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) at UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) discovered an emergent disease in deer population in Con-necticut. In October of 2017 DEEP offi-cials detected an unusual die-off of White Tail deer in central Connecti-cut. DEEP submitted carcasses to the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) to establish possible causes of death.
Emergent disease in CT DeerNecropsies were performed and tis-sues from the deer were analyzed by pathologists at the UConn labo-ratory. Anatomic changes observed in these tissues alerted pathologists to a disease never before recognized in Connecticut, “Epizootic Hem-orrhagic Disease of deer” (EHD).
The information enclosed in each issue of The Connecticut Granger is for information purposes only. The Connecticut Granger assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The information contained about each individual, event or organization has been provided by such individual, event organizers or organization without verification by us. The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Connecticut Granger. Therefore, The Connecticut Granger carries no responsibility for the opinion expressed therein.
This postcard, recently delivered to the Winchester Center Post Office at the Grange Hall, apparently was sent to a Camp Berger Camper in 1968 or 1969. The postmark indi-cates it was mailed in Naugatuck. While we don’t know why it arrived in Winchester over 50 years late, we do know that occasionally equipment is moved in post offices and mail lost long ago resurfaces and gets sent on its way. It reads, “Hi- What nice weather you’re having - looks like a terrific week to be at camp. Quiet around here! No one to tell me to go to bed last nite so I woke up on couch with TV turned on at 6 AM! Remember to get newspaper stories. Love, Mom & Chris”
the Connecticut Granger
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Emergent disease found in CT deerSamples were referred to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia where the presence of EHD virus (EHDV) was established. EHDV causes a hemorrhagic disease in deer that is transmitted by midges, insects of the Culicoides spp. These insects also transmit the virus causing Bluetongue disease in domestic ruminants (goats, sheep and cattle). Bluetongue has not been found in Connecticut. There is a sustained expansion of these dis-eases in the United States linked to the geographical expansion of the transmitting vectors, in this case to northern latitudes.
DEEP and CVMDL have joined efforts over the years on discover-ing, detecting and reporting dis-eases affecting wildlife that, given environmental and ecological con-ditions, may spill over into livestock and human populations in the state of Connecticut. This particular common effort, detecting EHDV in Connecticut, has
initiated further studies at CVMDL to identify which species of Culi-coides are responsible for transmis-sion of the virus here in Connecti-cut. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) in New Haven is supporting this effort by providing CVMDL with Culicoides insects trapped across the State of Connecticut. CVMDL, part of the Department of Pathobiology in UConn CAHNR, is on the frontlines of research and testing to keep humans and ani-mals safe. For more information visit http://cvmdl.uconn.edu or call 860-486-3738. –Connecticut Veter-inary Medical Diagnostic Laborato-ry (CVMDL)
Hopefully everyone is keeping warm. I bet a lot of you can remember the monologue that Frank Warner used to do where he had to come early and light a fire in the Grange wood stove. I think you will find that most of our halls are warm and cozy this winter. And, with timers on our thermostats we can set them ahead and no one has to come early. Why not visit a neighboring Grange this winter. There are a lot of good Lecturer’s programs being presented and a lot of good friends that would love to have you visit. On nights when you don’t go out why not work on one of our contests or projects? Why not write a letter to a soldier? Tell them how much we appreciate what they are doing. Tell them about your town or our state. Mention your grandchildren and how much you appreciate keeping our country safe for them. If you don’t have an address you can go online to www.anysoldier.
com and get one. If you don’t use a computer, get the letter to me and I will see that it gets to a soldier in harms’ way. In December I mailed Christmas cards from Beacon Valley Grange to a Chaplain in Iraq who will distribute them to soldiers who don’t receive mail from home. This would make a good community
service program for your Grange. Snow may be hazardous and it seems to turn dirty looking pretty quickly, but, when it is fresh it looks pretty and would make a great picture for our photo contest. Hope everyone is having a happy and healthy New Year. Hope to see you around the State.
Gervais congratulated
On Nov. 26, State Representative Brian Lanoue recognized Ekonk Jr.’s Brianna Gervais for her achievements at National Session saying, “One of the best parts about being a state legislator is recognizing the many high-achieving students in the 45th District. Today, Senator Heather Somers and I presented a legislative citation to Sterling Com-munity School student Brianna Gervais who was selected as National Junior Grange Female Ambassador at the 153rd Annual National Grange Convention in Minnesota.Brianna earned a first place finish and Best of Show for her creative writing entry, “My Hero,” about her cousin, Lillian Sharpe, who is battling leukemia ... Great job, Brianna! Keep up the great work. You make us all proud!”
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N. STONINGTON GRANGE #138Corr: Nancy R. WeissmullerJan. 10: “... the moon up above”Jan. 24: Snow date for Jan. 10. Welcome to our two new members, Carl Johnston and Arlie Chapman. We delivered food to help 12 needy families in our town have a happy Thanksgiving. Thanks to Elisha and Morgan Riley and Jason Miner for their help with the shopping. Sue has taught us a great deal about the flowers and the trees in our two November meetings. The entire floor was again covered with her map of the world showing forests around the globe. I wrote this poem after the beautiful Memorial Service by our State Chaplain. It is my hope it will bring you the peace I felt after writing it.
The CandleWhen we become a candleUpon the Altar there,Our friends will stand around usWith heads bent down in prayer.They’ll think of all the memoriesWe shared throughout the years.Their hearts will ache in sorrow,Their eyes will fill with tears.But tell them not to grieve for usFor in the Grange above,We’re with our friends from long ago,Surrounded by their love.
Days are getting shorter, and nights are getting colder, and what better for a cold, crisp night, than a Quilt? It was all about quilts at the Greenfield Hill Grange on Nov. 9 but specifically, the quilts of our Chaplain, Karen Macdonald. The Grange hosted an afternoon Tea Luncheon and Karen presented many of her colorful creations. The afternoon was not a demonstration on HOW to quilt, but more of a show-and-tell. You see, Karen is amazingly creative, and her all hand-sewn quilts go far beyond the traditoinal star or log cabin. Each quilt has a story that it embodies, or an inspiration behind it. One features the 12 moons of the year, another the peril of the bees, as they are merely “hanging by a thread.” In another, blacks and oranges are vibrantlyt stitched to celebrate Halloween. She even has a quilt to honor her family and one that remembers a beloved cat. Karen talked about how she uses a lot of small pieces of fabric, some even smaller scraps, to make up the designs. All cotton, of course, as anyone that quilts knows this is choice fabric. Her intricate details in the topstitching that holds the top, bottom and the batting together are magnificent. Karen Macdonald is a fourth-generation Connecticut quilter. She learned from her mom when she was in high school. She belongs to the Connecticut Piecemakers Quilting Guild. For over 20 years, Karen has also been a member of the quilting group at the Southport Congregational Church. She is a professor at Sacred Heart University and teaches in the occupational therapy department. She especially likes making unusual quilts that are originally designed. What a warm way to welcome winter! Our luncheon featured coffee, tea, cider, and croissant sandwiches, and salad. Thank you to the chefs and volunteers and especially our guests, that “stitched together” such a delightful afternoon. – Lori Golias Burany, L.A. Steward, Greenfield Hill Grange #133
A warm afternoon
the Connecticut Granger
MOUNTAIN LAUREL POMONA #15Corr: Todd GelineauJan. 5, 2020: Regular Meeting at Winchester Grange, 2:00 P.M. Bad weather forced the postponement of the December meeting of Mountain Laurel Pomona. This postponement followed the cancellation of the August installation due to the absence of many officers. Hopefully January 5 will be clear of weather obstacles and we’ll be able to install our officers... at last! The Christmas grab bag will not be held at this meeting as it was cancelled when the December meeting was postponed. We look forward to seeing all of you at Winchester Grange in January and hope you had a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
WHIGVILLE GRANGE #48Corr: Debbie Brown Just wanted to remind everyone that in the winter months, Whigville Grange No. 48 meets at the Burlington Town Hall, located on Route 4. It is confusing but we won’t be meeting at the Grange Hall until May.
WINCHESTER GRANGE #74Corr: Todd GelineauJan. 14: A New Year - Ref. by Randy & Kim CarlsonJan. 28: An Ice Month (Country Store), Ref. by Todd Gelineau Winchester Grange was delighted to welcome two new members at our December meeting. They began their Grange journeys with the Welcome Ceremony
conducted by Master Peter Keefe. We are currently working on two very different projects. With the completion of the siding repair on the south side of the building, our attention has turned to the front of the old firehouse and the trim around the garage doors. Soon this will be repaired/replaced giving the hall an even “spiffier” appearance. As you all know, it is very hard for Grangers to part with anything that still has some use left in it. Winchester Grange has 200 or so chairs that have been continuously used since the “new” Grange hall was dedicated in 1952. Almost 68 years later, those chairs are in need of replacement. A member of our Executive Committee is in the process of collecting samples of new chairs for us to look over and then we will decide how we will finance their replacement.
Hall maintenance is a constant concern for our members and it can only be done a little bit at a time. We currently carry a loan from the State Grange which has enabled us to fund the replacement of the Grange boiler (a number of years ago) and the repaving of the Grange parking lot/driveway just last year. Donations of any amount will be greatly appreciated and applied to whichever project(s) the donor prefers. Feel free to send them to Winchester Grange, P.O. Box 155, Winchester Center, CT 06094. Winchester Center has always looked beautiful at all times of the year but with the improvements at the Grange hall and the restoration being done across the Green at the Chapel, Winchester Center will continue to be beautiful for many years to come.
Bethlehem Sunday meetingOn Nov. 24, Bethlehem Grange held its first Sunday afternoon meeting for the colder months. It was a small crowd but thanks to the efforts of Barbara Robert, we made floral arrangements to be taken home for the holidays. She supplied the pots, oasis for holding the flowers, and a variety of flowers and other plants as well as decorative elements to be added. It was fun and everyone enjoyed the activity. Thanks Barb, for the thoughtfulness and your creativity. Some were made for a few people unable to attend. In the associated picture, you can see one of the arrangements made that day.
We have given out dictionaries to all the 3rd grade students in Sharon, Cornwall, Warren and Kent for 16 years. This picture was taken in Kent where Andy Olson presented the dictionaries for the students.
Taghhannuck presents dictionaries
the Connecticut Granger
NUTMEG POMONA #16Corr: Joanne Cipriano Nutmeg Pomona’s next scheduled meeting is March 22nd. We will be meeting at Cheshire Grange Hall and will be conferring the Fifth Degree and having our annual inspection. It’s not too early to be lining up your candidates. The December meeting and Christmas Party had to be postponed because of a winter storm. Master Donny is planning a make-up meeting.
BEACON VALLEY GRANGE #103Corr: Joanne Cipriano We were able to hold our December meeting and Christmas Party as scheduled. Good time had by all. Our January schedule is: January 10th program “Trash or Treasure” in charge of Gary Frankel- refreshment to be served by David Knapp. January 18th “Open Mic” Ron Fischer is in charge. As always we invite everyone to attend and enjoy some good music and snacks. All free of charge. Time 2 to 5. We are looking for some fundraisers. Any suggestions?
HARMONY GRANGE #92Corr: George WardJan. 10: Meeting is Tentatively Scheduled, Refreshments at 4:00, Meeting at 5:00. Lecturer’s program later. Harmony Grange had a very successful Christmas Fair on Dec. 7, at the Grange Hall with good attendance. Weather was cool but
pleasant for a fair. The food that was prepared was well liked and our raffle table had many items which could be used for Christmas presents. The baked goods table had many good choices. The jewelry table, as usual, had many customers. Many thanks go to the Grange members and non-members who spent many hours setting up the tables that held the items for sale and for the actual work during the fair. A special thanks go to the kitchen staff for preparing the food and selling it to the customers. Without this help, we would not be able to have a fair. Our Grange was saddened by the death of Valerie Barrachina, a former member of Trumbull Grange and Chairperson of the Executive Committee. She was the wife of deceased Henry Barrachina and both were long-time Grange members. Harmony Grange has three new members and we are planning the Welcoming Ceremony to be conducted by a State Grange officer. We welcome Grange members to visit at our meetings. Because of the uncertainty of the weather and hall conditions during the winter months, we recommend you call our President/Master or Secretary for meeting details. Because many members do not drive at night, we hold meetings in the afternoon.
HIGGANUM GRANGE #124Corr: Richard Prescott Higganum Grange #124 met in regular form for its December meeting at the Higganum Grange Hall. A quorum was present. All required reports to the State Grange have been made. Our building is ready for the winter and all planning therefore has been made. We’ll have a representative at the town Economic Development Committee’s next meeting regarding the Farmer’s Market. Attendance at the meeting regarding the future use of the old elementary school is vital. The future use of
this building is important to the economic growth of Higganum’s town center. Almost all our dues have been collected. We are financially sound, going into the new year. Five members reported almost 80 hours of community service during November. We need a viable and visible community service project for 2020. The idea of sponsoring and coordinating a town “Easter Egg Hunt” in April was presented. This idea has possibilities. We’ll discuss it in detail at the January meeting. A coffee and cake get-together followed the business meeting.
GREENFIELD HILL GRANGE #133Corr: Jim & Lori Golias Our Halloween party was a lot of fun. Mary, Queen of Scots was there as well as a few vampires, a zombie, a witch, and a Patriots fan. The Italian buffet was delicious. In November our Grange hosted a quilt talk luncheon. It was a warm way to welcome winter. Our Grange celebrated friends and family at our traditional Thanksgiving dinner meeting. Everyone brought their favorite side dishes and there were TWO turkeys. Later that month, we also hosted a Holiday Boutique with crafters and vendors. Our big project this season was having our upstairs repainted as the ceiling paint was in really bad shape, chipping and peeling. Save the date, our Valentine Dinner will be on February 8, 2020 (with snow date February 9). Menu to be determined. (continued on page 7)
the Connecticut Granger
Continued from page 6 ... Call Jim 203-259-8023 for reservations. Happy Holidays and may you be blessed with health and happiness in 2020.
LYME GRANGE #147Corr: Lois Evankow
Nutmeg Pomona Feb. 7: CWA Projects AnnouncedMar. 7: March Winds - Snow and RainApr. 4: Hopefully our water will not have a problem this year. We were lucky. The weatherman sent us a nice evening for our potluck supper and meeting. A discussion was held about the future of our Grange and Hamburg Fair. As it now stands, the Grange
owns the Fair. People want to separate it from the Grange. I’m sure there will be a lot of legal discussions and choices made to have this happen. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and welcome to 2020- Otherwise all is well and calm in Lyme.
Help us ask policymakers to protect paper options Legislation pending in the U.S. House and Senate would reinstate the printing and mailing of the annual Social Security Statement that enables wage earners who are not yet retired to verify their earnings and understand their projected benefits. This important tool was eliminated in 2017 for Americans under 60. The Know Your Social Security Act (H.R. 5306 and S. 2989) would reinstate the mailings until an individual decides to opt in to e-delivery of the information. Studies show that citizens strongly prefer the printed Statement and many individuals in rural areas have unreliable internet connectivity. The statement has also helped millions of citizens better plan for their retirement and is considered to be the most important financial planning tool that most Americans will ever see. The National Grange participates in a broad coalition of interests known as the Coalition for Paper Options and we encourage members to support this legislation by going to the National Grange website and clicking on the link provided there, sending a message to your legislators in favor of this new legislation. You may also physically mail a letter to your representatives. Thanks for your help on this important initiative.
The Membership Commit-tee will be organizing several events in 2020. The goal of the events has many branches. First we want to help community members to suc-cessfully approach people of all ages to invite them to join the Grange so some of the classes we are offering are primarily focused on helping membership. Another branch is to get our community friends to come into the local Granges and see what we are up to. The hope is to host as many classes as possible in the Granges across the state. Not all
Conn. State Grange Leading & Learning Events
of the classes will be convenient to you but for a reasonable cost there will be many fun and educational opportunities for our membership and friends of the Grange. It is, in my opinion, very important for us to share our relevance in our state and one of the best ways is by do-ing things that the communities are interested in. As we move through 2020 I will begin to update you on what is happening, where and when so you can start talking it up and
making your reservations. Thank you for your hard work in 2019. It is my hope to give you even more tools in 2020. Our first event under the Leading & Learning program will be presented by Carmen Brickner. Carmen is dedicated to working with individuals and organizations willing to create healthy relationships and develop the culture, skills and processes necessary for sustainable innovation and success. The program will be offered at Ekonk Community Grange in Sterling. There will be limited seating, with first priority given to Grange members. Details on the date and registration will be provided in the January Granger and will be sent out to all Granges.
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By Hank the Burro Hello Grange friends! There’s been a lot of holiday fun this December. We went to Cheshire Grange’s Neighbor’s Night in early December, where it was nice to catch up with our Grange friends and have some amazing refreshments. We then attended the Past Deputies Meeting where I got to pose with a pretty centerpiece. I came home from the past deputies meeting with a candle from the grab bag and a homemade Christmas tree ornament that now hangs around my neck. I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! To catch up on all my latest adventures, just follow the link to my Facebook page, and then click the “Like” button once you are on the page to see our updates in your FB timeline. http://www.Facebook.com/CTGrangeHanktheBurro
Riverton Grange wants to thank everyone who took part in this years Festival of Trees. Together you helped us bring in over 500 pounds of food and raise over $400 to go to the Pleasant Valley Food Bank. Congratulations to the Barkhamsted Daisy’s and the Barkhamsted Lions for being voted this years winning trees. The Daisys in Troops 40191 and 40125 brought in well over 200 pound of the food collected and deserve to be recognized for that! So what else were we up to that weekend? Our 1st Annual Rock-A-Thon! In addition to hosting our Annual Festival of Trees and having the Barkhamsted Rec Dept there Saturday afternoon offering crafts for children, our Grange members rocked for accessibility Saturday.
Riverton Grange’s Annual Festival of Trees
the Connecticut Granger
by Burton EllerNational Grange Legislative Director
Battle of the Burgers The non-meat burger was un-furled this fall amid massive me-dia fanfare. Everyone from major investors, venture capitalists, food companies, grocery stores to restau-rants and burger chains jumped on board to try the meat imitator prod-ucts. More recently, some backlash has developed in the form of media campaigns and legislative efforts. Recently a full-page ad in the New York Times asked, “What’s hiding in your plant-based meat?” indicating the “ultra-processed imitations” were filled with mysterious non-plant in-gredients. Burger King shot back, “the Impossible Burger has none of the noxious slaughterhouse contam-inants that can found in almost all ground beef.” Additional ads followed in theWall StreetJournal and USA Today. Introduction of bipartisan legislation soon followed that would stop food companies from using the word “meat” to market plant-based products. Traditionally, organiza-tions such as the American Heart Association and the American Can-cer Society have advised eating less meat and proceeded foods. But re-cent studies published by the Annals of Internal Medicine argue that eat-ing red meat is only minimally risky for most people and recommends that most people can continue eating meat at current levels.
So Let’s Conduct Real Research The National Grange joined near-ly 100 research, academic, agricul-ture and food groups in urging Sen-ators to support and cosponsor the America Grows Act (S. 2458) by Sen-ator Durbin (D-IL). The bill would significantly increase our nation’s investment in agricultural research and development with an expected return on investment of $20 to $1.
Are Regenerative Agriculture and Sustainable Food Synonymous? Regenerative agriculture is a new name for the emerging use of many
View from the Hill old tried and true farming and land practices. Many of these practices became victims of large-scale farm-ing amid the push for more produc-tivity. Soil productivity appears to be responding to soil-health and land management practices that emulate nature. Some of the more popular practices are: Cover cropping; Crop rotation; Conservative tillage; Reduc-ing use of fertilizers and pesticides; Cattle grazing to naturally stimulate plant growth; Health Care
Drug Price Disclosure The House has unanimously passed the Public Disclosure of Drug Discounts Act, H.R. 2115. Begin-ning January, 2020, the Secretary of Health and Human Services must publically disclose information on Pharmacy Benefit Managers’ rates, fees, rebates, discounts, and other price concessions with health plans and pharmacies in a manner that also prevents disclosure of confiden-tial information. Rebate and discount transparency is a top priority for the National Grange. H.R. 2115 will need to be reconciled with a plethora of health care bills moving through the Senate. Support Health Equity Guidelines The National Grange joined sev-eral organizations that represent di-verse communities across the coun-try to urge Congress not to overlook underrepresented segments of our population during the health care policy-making process. There are socio-economic health determinate disparities such as rising health care costs, under-resourced hospi-tals, insurance coverage gaps, lack of addiction care services, underrepre-sentation in clinical trials for cures, lagging innovation, and more where the health care industry needs to fo-cus on diverse communities Urban-Rural Health Gap Widens According to the Centers for Dis-ease Control and Prevention, rural residents are far more likely to die from preventable diseases than peo-ple living in cities and that gap con-tinues to widen. Major diseases in this category include cancer, heart
disease, and chronic lower respirato-ry disease. Issues complicating rural health improvement include ciga-rette smoking, obesity, substance use disorder and concentrated poverty. The “Pelosi Plan” to Lower Drug Prices The Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019, H.R. 3, (dubbed the “Pelosi Plan”) passed on party line votes by committees with jurisdiction and is on its way to the House floor where it could pass on a party line vote in De-cember. The bill is extremely expen-sive for tax payers and its “pay for” could deem it dead on arrival in the Senate.
Immigration/AG Workforce The National Grange joined a ma-jority of American agriculture and allied industry groups to urge House Speaker Pelosi and Minority Lead-er McCarthy to move the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R.5038) through the House to ad-dress the labor crisis facing agricul-ture throughout the country. The bill cleared the House Judiciary Commit-tee by a vote of 18-12 the week before Thanksgiving and could reach the House floor before Christmas. Spon-sors of the bill are Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4) with 24 Democrat and 20 Republican cosponsors. The bill does have Re-publican opposition to its provision that allows current experienced farm workers to earn legal status. Paper Please The National Grange and the Co-alitions for Paper Options have been waging a campaign to allow consum-ers the option to continue receiving paper bills, reports, statements, ac-count updates, etc. instead of being forced to receive these electronically. A 2019 Toluna consumer survey indi-cated that 86% of Americans want the right to choose how they receive their communications. The coalition sup-ported 38 House cosigners on a letter to the Secretary of Labor to oppose a proposed rule requiring mandatory electronic disclosures by default. - This report, in its entirety, is available by logging on www.Nation-alGrange.org.
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By Emily Brindles,Hartford Courant, 12/5/19 When a young Martin Luther King Jr. came north to spend a summer working in tobacco fields, he found a whole new world in 1940s Simsbury. It was, according to a number of accounts, a pivotal moment. After being in Connecticut, King “felt an inescapable urge to serve society,” according to a Courant article. King wrote that it was difficult to return from the more integrated North to the Jim Crow-era South, according to a 2011 documentary produced by Simsbury High School students. “After that summer in Connecticut, it was a bitter feeling going back to segregation,” King wrote. But while King’s Connecticut summers are recorded in documents and referenced in at least one of hisspeeches, the history has been archived sporadically and inconsistently. The State Historic Preservation Office is hoping to change that, using $30,000 from the National Park Service’s African American Civil Rights Grant and an additional $20,000 in matching funds.
Disjointed documentation In 1944, as a 15-year-old incoming freshman at Atlanta’s Morehouse College, King and a group of other students came to the Farmington Valley to work in the tobacco fields for a summer. King returned for an additional summer three years later. In letters home, King talked about working hard on the Cullman Brothers farm — but he also talked about eating at nice restaurants and going to church with white people. Morehouse students attended integrated dances at the Simsbury Grange. Catherine Labadia, a staff archaeologist and the deputy state historic preservation officer, said
her office will use the funds to delve into archival materials about those Morehouse students’ summers. Much of the information is floating around in various collections, Labadia said, and there were flurries of research in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Using the grant, the preservation office will hire a cultural resource management firm to collect and organize that information. “I felt guilty that I had to rediscover this information,” Labadia said. “I don’t want that to happen again.” The Morehouse students worked mostly at three locations: two in Simsbury and one field that crossesthe Simsbury-East Granby town line, Labadia said. After establishing exact locations of significance to King and other students, Labadia said, the office will nominate those places to the National Register of Historic Places. “There’s a lot of stuff to go through that just hasn’t been pulled together in the way that our office would like to see it, which is looking for those places,” Labadia said. A register listing is not only a
recognition of historical significance — it also gives places and buildings extra protections and prevents them from being “unreasonably destroyed,” Labadia said. Even within the context of the tobacco field research, Labadia has seen why historic places need protection. The Simsbury dormitory where King most likely spent his summers — a place of great historical significance — used to sit on Firetown Road, according to research from the preservation office. But in 1984, the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company burned down the building for a training exercise.
Historic land, modern uses An additional set of significant buildings, the tobacco barns where the Morehouse students worked, were at risk more recently. Just like the dormitory, the barns weren’t listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which put them at risk when a developer took control of the Simsbury tobacco fields. The state’s largest solar project has carpeted the fieldswith solar panels. The project’s name — the TobaccoValley Solar Project — is a nod to the land’s history. But the project was controversial, in part because of those historic but unprotected barns. The town of Simsbury fought against the project’s impact on the town and the land. The town’s fight eventually led to an agreement that the developer would preserve four of the site’s fivehistoric tobacco barns. The agreed-upon Barn Management Plan also requires the buildings to be “mothballed” for further preservation. However, that’s no guarantee of their safety once
Documenting Martin Luther King’s Time in Connecticut
Integrated events, like dances, for the Morehouse students were held at Simsbury Grange Hall.
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the Connecticut Granger
Three-Cheese Macaronithe developer’s lease on the land expires. Labadia said the preservation office’s research will include those tobacco barns, for eventual registernomination. Labadia said the office also plans to nominate the Simsbury Grange, which held integrated events such as dances that the Morehouse students attended during the summer. “The story is so overwhelming in some ways that it’s easy to get sucked into that,” Labadia said. “But for us, it always come back to place ... that tangible part of history that we can still go see and touch.”
M.L. KingContinued from page 10...
First in the Nation Primary Legislative Experience Fly-In
February 6-9, 2020 Register Online
nationalgrange.org/flyin2020or call Samantha Wilkins at
202-628-3507, ext. 113$20 Registration Fee
Make Your Hotel Reservation:Comfort Inn, 71 Hall Street,
Concord, NH 03301Phone: 603-226-4100
National Grange Block Rate Discount $189
for 2 or 3 nights(Thursday - Sunday)
Reservations must be made byJanuary 6 to get the block rate
discount.
There’s nothing better than comfort food during those cold win-ter months. And if the dish is easy to make, all the better! Food Network has a Mac and Cheese Recipe that is a little different, will impress the potluck crowd, and is perfect for dinner too!
INGREDIENTS: 1 large egg 1 12 -ounce can evaporated whole milk Pinch of cayenne pepper Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 1/3 cups grated muenster cheese (4 ounces), plus 4 deli-thin slices (1 ounce) 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces) 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (1 ounce) 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (4 cups) 4 cups medium pasta shells (9 ounces)
DIRECTIONS: Whisk the egg, evaporated milk, cayenne, nutmeg, and salt and black pepper to taste in a bowl. Toss the grated cheeses in a separate bowl. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until almost falling apart, about 7 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the pasta to the same water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Preheat the broiler. Combine the egg mixture and the grated cheeses in the empty pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the chees-es melt and the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and add the cauliflower. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth and light (you can also use a regular blender). Stir in some of the reserved pasta water until creamy. Toss the pasta in the sauce; season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a shallow casserole dish and top with muenster slices. Broil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Photographs are a treasured part of Grange history. Many of them, unfortunately, do not come neatly labeled on the back with names, dates, people or places. These photographs have a history to tell... but about whom or what? Please help us sold the mystery of faces and places as we look through the Window to the Past. You can contact us by calling (860) 626-5074 or on the web by emailing: [email protected].
No answers were received for last month’s Window picture.
Last Month
This Month
the Connecticut Granger
What the Grange has done for Women,and Women for the Grange
Miss Caroline A. Hallfound the place in social economy the present evolution of public sentiment affords her. the work she wrought during the Civil War had given her prestige, and accelerated the development of a public sense of recognition of her capabilities, outside the range of household economy, but the prejudice born of centuries of misconception of her powers made necessary an extraordinary effort on the part of Miss Hall to win the concession that has proven the very saving of the Order. The first recognition given to women in the Connecticut State Grange, was the creation of a committee on Household economy in 1886. the first report from this committee was presented by Mrs. Sherman Kimberly, at the second annual session of the State Grange held in Unity Hall in Hartford. December eighth of the same year. In this report much emphasis was placed upon the necessity of true economy in the home as a help to the thrift and prosperity essential to the highest development of life and character. Thus to woman has been given a leading power in home economics. That greater achievements might accrue from a definite responsibility, a standing committee on woman’s work was appointed January eleventh, 1889. Activity on the part
of this committee marked the work of the year, and was effective in uniting in closer bonds of fraternity the members of the Order. Through their efforts young people were encouraged to form reading circles, sick and suffering Patrons were given sympathy and help; sufferers from drouth in Nebraska, and flood in Pennsylvania received financial aid and in various ways woman’s love and interest, wrought for the strength, prosperity and stability of the Order, which was one of the first deliberative bodies to accord her actually equal rights. Women are appealed to in the Grange, especially by the “Declaration of Purposes,” more than men, and have given it more spontaneous fealty and honest fraternity of spirit. Thus they have become more firmly grounded in its tenets and more thoroughly espoused to its perpetuity. It has been the work of woman in the Grange to educate public sentiment to a proper observance of Arbor Day, thus stimulating interest in beautifying home and public grounds with trees, shrubs, and vines, and instilling into youthful minds a love for all beautiful things in nature. Not less important has been the movement for the protection of our feathered songsters from ruthless destruction. Five Granges in the State have honored women with highest official position- that of Master - whiel Woodstock No. 150, organized with its four leading offices filled by women, to the lasting advantage of the Grange. Thus woman with her finer instincts has brought to these official positions, that grace and dignity, that elevates and adorns the offices; that power of personal magnetism necessary to develop highest possibilities in the
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the Connecticut Granger
strength, harmony, and efficiency of the Order. Prominence should be given to another notable fact; viz., that those Granges where women have predominated numerically or intellectually are strongest in all things that make for success. Realizing that upon the plastic
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Women and the Grangemind of childhood are engraved those truths and principles that shall bear fruit in later life, many and varied forms of entertainment have been arranged for the children, that shall awaken interest and love for Agricultural pursuits. The Grange has accorded to women presiding positions over flowers, fruit, and grains,
representing Flora, Pomona, and Ceres. To her it is given, to impress lessions of hope, love and patience, symbolized by nature’s lovely floral gifts; to give attention to the tillage and cultivation of the soil, necessary to prolific fruitage fo golden deeds; to scatter seeds and encourage husbandry, that shall result in an abundant harvest gathered unto the Heavenly garner.
Eye on CommunicationsGLEANINGS FROM YOUR STATE PUBLIC RELATIONS TEAM
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Eye on CommunicationsGLEANINGS FROM YOUR STATE PUBLIC RELATIONS TEAM
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Eye on CommunicationsGLEANINGS FROM YOUR STATE PUBLIC RELATIONS TEAM
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Eye onCommunicationsGLEANINGS FROM YOUR STATE PR TEAM
Facebook Tips & TricksTerri Fassio, PR Co-Director Does your Grange have a Face-book Page? How often do you update the Page? If you don’t post frequently enough, your Grange will not look as reliable or authentic -- after all, how much faith do you put in a brand that hasn’t updated its Facebook Page for several months? Also, frequently up-daters have better chances of appearing in timelines, and garnering responses. But, don’t post too often! People might get sick of having their feeds flooded with your content. Here’s a few tips and tricks for posting on your Grange Face-book Page. 1.) Leverage Facebook’s tools. You can schedule posts to load in the future, and backdate historical posts. Establish a Facebook posting calen-dar/schedule to track when you share posts. Also - don’t forget the weekends. Just because we have the weekends off doesn’t mean our fans aren’t on Face-book. It’s all about maintaining consis-tency. 2.) Monitor and respond to com-ments on your page. You can monitor and respond to comments via the ‘No-tifications’ tab at the very top of your page. While it may not be necessary to respond to every single comment you receive, you should definitely monitor the conversations happening and com-ment where appropriate, and at least click the ‘Like’ button on all comments posted.
3.) Is your Page’s “About” sec-tion complete? Be sure that your Grange location, email, phone and ad-ditional contact information is up to date. For example, if your Grange has different meeting times and locations in the winter versus in the warmer weather, be sure to change the About section accordingly. 4.) Have you updated the top cover photo recently? Your Facebook cover photo can act like a promotional billboard. Make your page interesting to the viewer by changing the cover photo. Be sure to pick a photo that fits within the size (or crops well to fit). Page cover photos are wide, and dis-play at 820x312 pixels on computers, and 640x360 pixels on smartphones. 5.) Create a Facebook Event for each of your Grange meetings, and for each event your Grange hosts. First, make sure your “Events” tab is one of the first tabs on your Page’s Time-line. This makes it easy for people to find your calendar and see a full list of your meetings and events. Choose a cover photo that’s 1920x1080 pixels. Your event cover photo should be eye catching, since it will show up if visi-tors choose to share your event with others on Facebook. Once your event is all set to go, be sure to invite friends who would be interested in attending. 6.) Claim your Facebook vanity URL. Once your Page has 25 Likes, you can claim your vanity URL, mean-
ing you can direct fans to a URL like “facebook.com/YourGrangeName”. This is short-cut that you can give vis-itors to find your page, and makes it easier for you to promote your page on other marketing materials. 7.) Post a video. With video pro-duction tools and cameras inside every cell phone, anyone can produce video. Video performs especially well with Facebook because it’s quick, entertain-ing, and easily sharable. Experiment with video for your audience, it could be the boost your content has been looking for. 8.) Facebook live. Anyone can now jump onto Facebook and with a click of a button, broadcast to their fans live. There are many creative ways to use live video. Use it for events, meetings, inside looks, Q&As, etc. Experiment with Facebook Live and start interact-ing with your audience in real time. 9.) Check out your Facebook Page Insights. Pay special attention to when the majority of your followers are browsing through Facebook Page. Post to those times to hit them at just the right moment. 10.) As with video, all smart-phones have built-in cameras. Take photos at all of your Grange meetings and events, then be sure to post those eye-catching photos. Attaching photos and graphic images to each update has been proven time and time again to outperform content without visuals. If you or your Grange needs assis-tance with managing your Facebook Page, please contact the Public Rela-tions Committee. We’re here to help! E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]. Does your Grange not have a Facebook Page, and would like one? Contact the PR Committee today to get your Page up and running correctly!
the Connecticut Granger
Connecticut Grange Search-A-Word
This puzzle features all Grange names from our founding from number 1 through 75. The remain-ing Granges will be featured in fu-ture issues. Granges with more than one word in their name have had the words combined into one for the purposes of this puzzle. The puzzle has been verified and all names can be found.
Snow, Misteltoe& Holly
Meriden Grange #29
PeriodicalsPostage
Paid100 Newfield Road, P.O. Box 3Winchester Center, CT 06094
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43 Despite the pessimism seen in the well-known statement from Ecclesiastes that “There is nothing new under the sun”, there are many passages in scripture that talk of new beginnings. The one at the start of this article is only one example. For us Grangers it should remind us also of the Overseer’s charge in the third degree: “Cultivate the habit of looking for better and brighter days instead of mourning over the past.” Few things can drag us down
more than mulling over the things we have done wrong. Nobody is perfect, and very few of us even get close enough to perfect to be able to see it. Yes, we should strive to make ourselves and our world better, but first rid yourself of the vision of what may have gone wrong. In “looking for better and brighter days” do not forget to put your trust in the Lord for guidance. In the book of Proverbs, we read: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” And in the book of Jeremiah we find: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Thus for all of us there is the opportunity for new beginnings, the chance to start over again. But for assured success we should involve the Lord in our plans, repent of our past mistakes, and ask for both forgiveness and guidance. We read in the book of Job: “If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward him. If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents. Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear. You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away. And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning”
Just a reminder that because of the unpredictable weather, we will not meet in January and February. Our next meeting will be March 14th at Cheshire Grange Hall. We will enjoy their Corned Beef Din-ner. Reservations are a must. Call Marge at 203-272-4620. Our December meeting and Christmas Party was fun. Unfor-tunately the weatherman was not very cooperative. The night was a little iffy. In place of the usual potluck dinner we enjoyed ziti and meatballs prepared by Chef Barbara Robert. It was delicious.
Past Masters
CORRECTIONA greeting was omitted from last issue’s Holiday Greeting section. We apologize for the error...Shout out to Ekonk’s Verna Cole
who headed up EVERY Grange supper, plus chaired our Christ-mas Bazaar and helped Boy Scout Troop #36 with their Dec. supper! Great Job Verna!
