look pg 1 4-11-24
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Looks Like Ice ...
But, no, it's water running over leaves. It's (pretty much) spring and the shoreline is beautiful. More on page 4. Expanded photo array on Wed. night on our Facebook page: Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger. Linda Lemmon photo.
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trash pg 1 4-11-24
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Updated April 10
Trash program in home stretch
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The town’s trash program is accelerating into the home stretch.
The only “opting” remaining is if you had previously opted out of the program and would like to now join. You can do that by calling the Revenue office at 860-963-6800, ext. 804. That office will also be in charge of billing, coming up at the end of June.
The period for opting out or getting a 65-gallon bin instead of the default 95-gallon bin is now closed. Since the 65-gallon bin is a custom size, any requests for them, taken after July, will be put on a wait list.
If you are an eligible household (residential, one- two- or three-family) and have not done anything, by default, you have just signed up for a 95-gallon trash bin and a 95-gallon recycle bin.
Town officials said Casella Waste will begin delivering the bins to eligible homes starting next Tuesday, April 15.
Starting May 1, those not participating in the program will not have their trash picked up by Casella.
Those participating should continue putting stickers on their trash bags and putting the bags into the bins. That applies until June 30.
On July 1, stickers will no longer be valid.
Town officials anticipate that by June 1 they will no longer be selling stickers to vendors.
Bulky waste days are scheduled for May 18 at the Putnam Armory, and Aug. 17 and Oct. 26 at the Putnam Middle School for residents. Bulky waste and household trash may not be dropped off at the Highway Garage on Fox Road.
The garage will continue to accept mattresses, tires, electronics and white goods during normal business hours: 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; and from 9 a.m. to noon on the first and third Saturdays of the month. Closed on holidays.
The Putnam Revenue office will be handling the bills. The bill will be included in the tax bill envelope with half the payment due in July and the other half in January.
A 95-gallon trash bin and a 95-gallon recycle bin will cost $395 per year. A 65-gallon trash bin and the 95-gallon recycle bin will cost $350 per year. Those bills are split in half, as the tax bills are — half due in July and the other half due in January.
Marc Morgan, representing Casella, had said because the company will use automated equipment (an “arm” that picks up the bin and empties it). They are still scheduling. In January Morgan said trash pickup will probably be once a week and recycling pickup will be every other week.
Morgan said the company has an app that will tell you when the next collection day is (trash and recycling). He said the app allows for setting notifications (i.e. “a text the day before reminding you to put your trash out.”). The app can also notify of holiday or weather-related changes to pick up — “if there’s trees down or a bridge out, etc.” And the app is easily updated. That’s a company resource that will be gearing up. He said it is already in use in Mansfield.
Town officials said Casella officials said they hope to have the app ready this month.
Additional information can be found at https://www.putnamct.us/departments/municipal-solid-waste-recycling.
For questions on trash pickup, including scheduling, call Casella at 860-423-4527.
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eclipse pg 1 4-11-24
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Eclipse Fan
Marion Shaw watched the entire eclipse April 8. She said she feels at close to 97, this might be her last one. Photo courtesy of Kevin Shaw.
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Because pg 2 4-11-24
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Typically, I would write about a Holiday prior to the actual Holiday occurring. This is because, typically, I am busy preparing for the Holiday and it is, for lack of a better description, on my mind. But this year, for the first time in my many years, we went out to a restaurant for Easter. And because I didn’t need to plan a menu, shop for food and then prepare it, I didn’t worry too much about Easter dinner until … it was time to eat Easter dinner!
In the more recent past and being in the restaurant business, Easter, for me, was a workday. And it was a very busy workday filled with seating plans, scheduling and staffing. In my longer past, Easter was filled with meal preparations and family festivities. It was fun, but hectic and I often found myself missing out on conversations as loading of the dishwasher or dessert preparations took precedence. But not this year. This year, I simply called up a restaurant and made a reservation. That was it!
In preparing for my Easter dinner, I liked being able to choose an outfit that I knew I wasn’t going to sweat in. Plus, I didn’t need to worry about having floppy or long sleeves that would get wet or stained. I also liked knowing that the bit of mascara I was applying would stay on my lashes and not run down, encircling my eyes so that they resembled a raccoon. I only needed to worry about who would drive and at what time we would leave.
The restaurant was lively and fun. Flowers were blooming at every corner and families were gathering in groups for photos and hugs. Little girls and boys dressed in their Easter finery were plentiful. I was so pleased to be able to enjoy the people watching as we waited for our table to be ready. And it was so wonderful that I didn’t need to worry about seating others. I only needed to follow the hostess as she showed us to our table. I could smell the food as we entered the dining room. And the buffet bounty presented, seemed to go on and on. I went up three times, representing my appetizer, main meal and dessert courses, respectively. And although I was stuffed, my fourth trip was for the one item I, simply, wanted more of. What a treat!
Of course, there was a price to be paid for my ‘easy’ Easter enjoyable meal. The meal wasn’t free, nor was it cheap, but it was still a good value because what we had for food choices in comparison to what I would have spent in time and money to offer my family a fraction of the choices, was, overall, less. And the fact that I didn’t miss one conversation, was…
Priceless! Priceless!
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!
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