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Dear Members and Friends,

May Walks at Valley Falls Park
We are delighted to be able to continue our well-attended series of spring walks in Valley Falls Park. Come join us, bring friends, it’s a wonderful way to welcome spring and learn about the treasures of Valley Falls Park.
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May 7th, 7:30 AM – “The Birds in Valley Falls Park”, led by Denise Animani.  Denise will share again her wealth of knowledge about our feathered friends. We’ll meet at the pavilion in Valley Falls Park early enough to get a good glimpse of the wonderful array of spring birds who frequent or fly through the park in the spring.
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May 7th, 1:00 PM – “Valley Falls: A Look Back in Time”, led by local historian, Jon Roe. Did you know that there are three sites at Valley Falls that are on the National Register of Historic Places? Or that a 1740 sawmill that was located in Valley Falls Park is thought to be the earliest mill in Vernon? Or that the Park was once part of a magnificent country estate, or “gentleman’s farm”? Come join us and find out all the details!  
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May 21st, 10:00 AM – “The Trees of Valley Falls Park”, led by Nicholas Cranmer, MS candidate, UConn Department of Natural Resources and the Environment. Nicholas will take you on an easy walk around the pond, pointing out notable trees found in the Park and how to identify them. 
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Annual Meeting – September 2021
Held last September, our Annual Meeting was well attended. Members and guests enjoyed a talk by local historian, Jon Roe about the nefarious “Count” Munchow, one of the prior owners of Valley Falls Farm. Jon provided an entertaining update on the whereabouts of the Count after his hasty exit from Vernon in 1915.

Board of Directors Members also elected the Officers and Directors of the Friends for a two-year term until June 30, 2024. Officers are Karin James (president); Maryann Levesque (vice-president); Nancy Steffens (secretary); Bob Letendre (Treasurer). Directors are Ann Letendre, Joe King, Ginny Gingras, and Jean Merz.
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Welcome New Board Member, Bruce Dinnie
We are very pleased to welcome Bruce Dinnie as our newest Board member. As the former Director of Parks and Rec for the Town of Vernon, Bruce knows and understands the value that Valley Falls Park and its environs add to the community.
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Artist Day 2021 – A Great Success!
Art, music, history, and a wonderful crowd of about 80 people were present at the Farm for Artists Day, 2021. Originally planned for August 22nd, the event had to be cancelled due to the arrival of Hurricane Henri that very day.
We decided to take a chance on the weather for the fall and rescheduled to October. The day was perfect, the artists enjoyed the change of season for their artwork, and the full venue of activities took place without a hitch. 
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Grant Award!
We are excited to announce the receipt of an $8,000 grant award from Connecticut Humanities. Five other Vernon area non-profit organizations also received an award. The funds will enable these organizations to resume or expand services curtailed by COVID-19 restrictions over the past two years.
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Heritage Center Progress Report
We continue to make progress towards the opening of the Heritage Center. Sixteen exhibit panels are in production at the print shop as we speak.
We are fortunate to have Barry Ford of Ford Folios as our graphic designer and a woodworker. In keeping with our “mantra” of exhibiting only items found on the Farm, he made the frames for the panels out of old boards found in the buildings. 
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Welcome, Laurie Bajorek!
We are VERY pleased to have a new addition to our staff! As an intermediate step towards hiring an Executive Director, the Friends have contracted Laurie Bajorek as Interim Administrative Director. Laurie will assume responsibility for the many administrative and executive tasks that need doing as we continue to grow the organization, engage in succession planning and update our strategic plan.
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Friends of Valley Falls · PO Box 2008 · Vernon, CT 06066-1408 · USA

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