July 2026 Newsletter

Congratulations to the Simsbury High School Class of 2026!

A special shoutout to our incredible interns, JP Budlong and Victoria Izarra! Thanks to both for their hard work and dedication throughout their two years with Simsbury Community Media. JP and Victoria were the recipients of the SCM Dominique Avery scholarships and were able to meet Dominique at the award ceremony. Well deserved!

We're so proud and can't wait to see all that JP and Victoria accomplish!

(Award Ceremony)

(2026 Graduation)

The Simsbury Woman

Chaotic

Joy

Exercise With Mary

This month’s edition of The Simsbury Woman featured Simsbury High School English teacher and Granby-Simsbury Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year, Michelle Henry It was a great opportunity to learn about her teaching perspectives and her work with students on the “Make Us Count” documentary.

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In the latest episode of Chaotic Joy, host Barbie Nadal-Cristofaro sits down with special education teacher Trish Dahlquist!

Join Mary Root for her latest episode of Exercise with Mary, as she guides us through working our muscles using everyday items

Celebrating America's 250th!

With local dignitiaries, sponsors and guests looking on, Simsbury's 250th Celebration Committee planted a Liberty Tree on the grounds of the Historical Society,on July 8. (The first Liberty Tree was planted in Boston prior to the Revolutionary war, as a place colonists could covertly gather to strategize against the British.)The planting was followed by a staged reading of the Declaration of Independence, by impersonators of the four CT signers: William Williams, Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington & Oliver Wolcott. (Huntington and Wolcott were portrayed by SCM Board Members Paul Henault & Kevin Beal.) The reading came exactly 250 years after the original Declaration was signed in Philadelphia. The crowd was then treated to a concert of patriotic music from the Simsbury Community Band. Don't miss next month's newsletter for news of Simsbury's birthday parade for America!

Juneteenth

We're honored to bring this year's four town Juneteenth celebration at Simsbury Meadows to the community. Our full production crew captured every moment of the event: from the speeches and performances to the concluding fireworks! A huge thank you to our incredible volunteers, Bob Braunlich, Emily Palmateer, Dave Lescoe, and Caroline Blazer, whose dedication and hard work behind the scenes made this production possible. This team worked alongside our staff to make sure this important celebration was documented and available to watch for years to come. We're grateful for our volunteers who show up to help tell Simsbury's stories.

(Highlight Video)

(Full Show)

Documentary + Panel

Ted Talk With

Michelle Henry

AG William Tong Interview

Simsbury Community Media was proud to partner with SHS students on the "Make Us Count" project, a powerful documentary and oral history of the AAPI community in Connecticut. "Make Us Count" features more than 40 interviews with students, community members, and state leaders including Attorney General William Tong. The project was student-led with the guidance of English teacher Michelle Henry. The students brought historical, legal, and personal storytelling together for a screening that drew hundreds.

Events Around Simsbury

Hometown Heroes

Awards

File of Life Discussion

HJMS Film

Festival

Welcome Back Ava!

We're excited to welcome Ava Canning back to Simsbury Community Media as a summer intern!

Ava first joined SCM as a volunteer, creating community event shorts, and later completed her Capstone project developing SCM's monthly newsletter, earning her the 2025 SCM Scholarship.

Now entering her sophomore year at Syracuse University studying Business Management, Ava will spend this summer assisting with SCM's marketing and social media initiatives.

Welcome back, Ava! We can't wait to see what you accomplish!

Call in for the Emotion Roadmap!

Want to hear your questions answered live on air by motivational speaker and life coach Chuck Wolfe? Tune in to The Emotion Roadmap LIVE on SCM's Youtube Channel, airing live July 28th at 5pm, EST.

Caroline is in our volunteer spotlight!

Caroline has quickly become one of our most active volunteers. In just a few months she's already covered numerous town events including the Henry James Film Festival, the 2026 Juneteenth Celebration, and most recently, the Simsbury 250th parade. She's also helped out with editing in the studio and covering town meetings! We're so grateful to have her with us at SCM!

Thank you, Caroline!

Catch Up On Town Meetings!

Zoning Commission

Board of Finance

Board of Selectmen

Some Simsbury Town events coming up include:



07.13: 10:00am - 10:45am Youth Yoga with Elise Cusimano

07.14: 10:00am - 11:30am Morning Knitting Group @SPL

07.15: 6:00pm - 8:00pm Kenway's Cause Fundraiser

07.17: 10:00am - 12:00pm 2026 Friend's Summer Used Book Collection

07.21: 6:00pm Weekly Line Dancing

07.23: 10:00am - 12:00pm Inspired Hands Embroidery

07.27: 2:00pm - 3:00pm Sensory Friendly Art Workshop

For more events..

CLICK HERE

Looking to get involved with your community? Learn how to become a volunteer at SCM! Meet great people, learn new skills, and help keep our community informed!

Your Town. Your Voice. Your Media.

Simsbury Community Media is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible.

This newsletter was drafted by the SCM Team
(Cole Manasia, Keith Bress, Shannon Leary)