LIFE

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.

"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.

On September 11, 2001, Leah Lopez took a late breakfast before heading into New York C ity on a Metro North train that never arrived. "I happened to be on the train an hour later than I woul d have usually been," she says over coffee at LaSalle in Collinsville. "After that I doubled down on what I really wanted to do with my life."

At 6'8", Connor Harris is the tallest player in Banana Ball, not counting the guy who plays on stilts. Banana Ball is baseball with the bunts, mound visits and other boring parts replaced with choreographed dances, trick plays and fan participation (if a fan catches a foul ball, the batter is out). Last year they sold out two games at Fenway Park, two more at Yankee Stadium, and filled many other major league ballparks along with some football stadiums. There's a very long wa

When she started in June, Rev. Ali Hager became the first female pastor in the 267-year history of West Avon Congregational Church. She says delivering her one-hour sermon every Sunday at 10 a.m. is the easiest part of her week, but preparing for it takes about 15-20 hours. In addition to writing the sermon, she works with the staff on the music, the "children's moment," and the Children's Chapel (formerly known as Sunday School).

Pete and Chadam Christensen take the reins at Flamig Farm Chadam (left) and Pete Christensen are now running Flamig Farm in Simsbury. Photos by Carl Wiser Originally posted on May 23, 2025 Written by Carl Wiser Staff Writer Flamig Farm in Simsbury - the one with the backward “EGGS” painted on the big red barn - has passed to the fifth generation: Pete and Chadam Christensen, who take over from their parents, Nevin and Julie. Pete, who turns 26 in May, had other plans when he

On coaching Nykesha Sales, fighting cancer, and what to order at George's Originally posted on April 29, 2025 By Carl Wiser Staff Writer Brian Hurlock at The Blue House Bagel Co. & Cafe. “I always was a positive person, whether I was coaching or officiating or being in the restaurant.” When I met Brian Hurlock he was refereeing a 4th-grade rec league basketball game between Canton and Burlington. He would high five a kid if he made a good play; when he called a foul, he t