After speaking with Mick Ferraro of the New England Mountain Bike Association, we contacted Jan Bolland Tanner of Benidorm Bikes to get her thoughts on mountain biking in the Farmington Valley, including her picks for the best trails at various levels. Benidorm, Spain, is where Jan won a gold medal at the road cycling world championships in 1992.

On the second floor of the Simsbury fire station on Hopmeadow Street (Main Station), you’ll find the studio for WSIM, which has been broadcasting at 103.5 FM since 2015. Most of the time you’ll hear a very eclectic rotation of music, but there are also six live shows, and in an emergency it’s where you’ll listen for news and updates. When microbursts tore up parts of town in August 2024, it was a crucial link.

Simsbury resident “Brynn” Oliver, age 23, diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 5 months turned her world of disability upside down: Athlete. Teacher’s Assistant. College grad.

He met me with a smile. “I’m so glad you stopped.” As if answering my unspoken question, he turned to show me the picture pinned to his backpack. “I do it for them,” he said. That night, Stephen Lewis, whose name I later learned, was walking in honor of Branden F. Oberleitner, BCO, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, KIA Fallujah, Iraq, 5-3-03. “Because he deserves to be remembered,” he added.

With moments that ranged from a soul-stirring “Call Him Up” by the Gertrude Banks Gospel Choir to a reflective version of U2’s MLK from Combined Ensembles, Simsbury High School’s Choral Collage was pure musical bliss.

"Mountain biking isn't punk rock anymore," says Mick Ferraro of the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA). "It's a very mainstream sport now. You show up prepared, you go on group rides, you hang out afterwards. The vibe is: I'm here to raise my cortisol levels, talk to people, be outside, hear the sounds, maybe see a bear. It's 'let's have fun.'"

Keep moving! The motion is the lotion! Whatever exercises an individual enjoys and can fit in their day is the right exercise. For those who have the ability, walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise. Bonus: it doesn't cost a thing (except for a good pair of footwear and the right clothes for the season) and you can do it whatever time of day you prefer.

With a love of singing and comforting others through song, the all-volunteer members of Threshold Choir attend the bedsides of people on the threshold of the end of life – those who are in hospitals or hospice.