By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s sporty RPC shoutout is sent along to Thompson resident John LaChance.  A former standout athlete at Putnam High School, LaChance is best remembered for running back punts and kickoffs for the Clippers.  Today, LaChance can be found at Quinnatisset Country Club whenever the sun is out.  He blew out another candle on the cake on March 3.

Paul Brooks, who came to Putnam Science Academy last year to work on his academics and basketball skills, has proven that the year he spent in the Antique City was the correct decision.  Following his postgraduate year, Brooks decided to attend Worcester State University.  The Arlington, Mass., native was one of the main reasons for the success of the Lancers this season.

In a recent announcement from the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) office in Westfield, Mass., Brooks was named the 2013-2014 MASCAC Rookie of the Year.  In garnering the honor, Brooks had picked up the conference Rookie of the Week honors three times during the season.

The 6-foot, 9-inch freshman center certainly had the statistics to back up and justify his selection.  He finished the season third in the MASCAC in field goal percentage at 50 percent, while averaging seven points and 4.8 rebounds a contest.  Brooks also averaged 1.96 blocks per game, which ranked him in the top five in the country in Division III.  His performance helped WSU to the top seed in the conference with a 9-3 regular season mark.

“We’re very happy for Paul for what he’s achieved this season on the college level.  His performance is something we can show our players as they strive to find the right level of basketball when they leave our program,” said coach Tom Espinosa.

Massachusetts Man Named Woodstock Lacrosse Coach

In a recent announcement from the Woodstock Academy Athletic Department the school selected Jacques Charles as the coach of the Centaurs lacrosse program.  Charles comes to Woodstock with impressive lacrosse experience as a player and a coach.

Most recently Charles served as the boys’ varsity lacrosse coach at West Springfield High School, where he coached from 2005 to 2012.  During his tenure his teams made the postseason tournament four times, won their league title three times and were sectional semifinalists twice.  In 2010 the Charles coached Terriers posted a 15-1 regular season record and were 17-2 overall.  That year he was recognized by being named the US Lacrosse Coaches Council High School Coach of the Year.

Charles was a three-sport athlete at Williston Northampton Academy, lettering in soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse.  He attended Roger Williams College where he played lacrosse.  He’s employed at ATTAIN Physical Therapy and Fitness where he serves as the director of Administrative Operations.  He lives in West Springfield.

Running Agrees with Thompson Lady

As a high school student Kim Merulla Rosebrooks was a cross country runner at Tourtellotte Memorial High School. Like most students, following her graduation she got away from the sport as other events in her life took precedent over running.

Last year the running bug hit Rosebrooks once again and she prepped for a run in the 2013 O’Putnam 5K, which she completed in satisfactory time by her standards.  But what followed is what changed her running life, as she now is once again seriously into the sport.

Rosebrooks found a trainer and began putting herself through the rigorous preparation of getting back to where she was when she was a young runner.  In the space of one year she’s gotten to the point where she was ready for a half-marathon.  On Fe. 23 with the support of her husband Earl Rosebrooks and her family, she took on the Hyannis Half Marathon.

For all intents and purposes she attained her goal as she completed the 13-plus mile run in slightly more than two hours with a time of 2:02.  The Quinebaug resident took on her second O’Putnam 5K on March 9 with a much different mindset than she approached it in 2013.  Running is now her game.

Another Former Mustang Grabs Headlines

Last season Jemal Mosely was a mainstay of the Putnam Science Academy Mustangs.  Following his postgraduate year he accepted a scholarship to the University of New Haven, a member of the Northeast -10 Southwest Division.  As a freshman he’s seen significant action but hasn’t played up to the standards he set for himself.  All that changed recently.

In the rugged Northeast – 10 Tournament Mosely has come to life.  In a quarterfinal victory over St. Michael’s Mosely was a catalyst in an 83-65 victory, scoring nine points with a three-for-three performance from the floor.  Proving that his showing against the Purple Knights wasn’t a fluke, Mosely helped the Chargers beat favored St. Anselm’s 85-58 in the semifinals.  Coming off the bench once again, he posted five points including a halftime buzzer-beating 32-foot bomb in front of the St. A’s bench.

New Haven moved into an all - Southwest Division and all - New Haven Championship game against Southern Connecticut State University, which is ranked #6 in the country in Div. II.

From The Annals of Putnam Sports History

March 1914: The Putnam High Schools boys won the Quinebaug Valley League championship, beating Killingly three out of four games.  (Information contributed by Willie Zamagni)

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: Count your blessings, think about them every day.

(If you have sports items worthy of publication please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

 

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By Ron P. Coderre

The 2013-2014 girls’ basketball season came to an abrupt halt as the three remaining high school teams and the lone prep school squad was eliminated from post season play, effectively closing the curtain on an entertaining season.

Tourtellotte Memorial High School, seeded #8, lost in a Second Round contest to #24 Lyman, while Plainfield and Putnam fell hard in First Round games.  Pomfret School lost to Tilton Academy in the NEPSAC Class B Championship contest held in Dedham, Mass.

Lady Tigers Are Final Team to Fall

The Tourtellotte Lady Tigers, the only local team to make the Second Round of the CIAC postseason tourney, fell hard at home to the lower seeded visiting Lyman Bulldogs 57-37, concluding a productive season at 15-7.  The record was the best in many seasons for the Carla Faucher coached ladies.

The first half between the two teams was evenly matched as they were knotted 24-24 at intermission.  Lyman however, dominated the second 16 minutes of play outscoring Tourtellotte 33-14 for the final margin.

Jess Dodd was Tourtellotte’s lone standout as she posted 18 points, 10 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.  The usually high-scoring Ali Ablondi was bottled up by the Lyman defense as she was limited to five points.  Although held scoreless Nicole Dion contributed eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Putnam fell with a thump at the hands of Housatonic Regional 64-25 to close out the season at 9-12.  Senior Cynthia Briere with 10 points was the lone Lady Clipper to reach double figures.

Plainfield was eliminated by Coginchaug 63-45, closing out its season at 12-9.  The Lady Panthers placed two players in double figures as Adrienne Lorange captured game-high honors with 15 points and Julie Jordan chipped in 10 markers.

Pomfret Outgunned by Tilton

Pomfret School’s hopes of bringing home a NEPSAC Class C Championship trophy were dashed by Tilton Academy 71- 39 as the Lady Griffins were unable to upset the #1-seed Tilton.  Mary Redmond and Alyzae Davis, who have been consistently in double figures all season, paced the offense with 14 and 10 points respectively.  Redmond also was the top rebounder in the loss with 10 caroms.  Pomfret closes the books on a very good season at 16-6.

      Scoring Leaders: Janicha Diaz – Hyde-Woodstock – 15.5; Meagan Bianchi – Killingly – 14.6; Ali Ablondi – Tour. – 14.1; Juliette Lawless – Pomfret School – 14.1; Alyzae Davis – Pomfret School – 13.6; Mary Redmond – Pomfret School – 12.9. Three-point Leaders: Ali Ablondi – Tourtellotte – 42; Mary Redmond – Pomfret School – 42. RPC’s Super Standings: Pomfret School – 16-6; Tourt. – 15-7; Marianapolis I – 15-7; Plfd. – 12-9; Putnam – 9 - 12; Marianapolis II – 5-10; Hyde-Woodstock – 5-11; W. Academy – 3-17; Killingly – 2-18; Ellis Tech – 0-20.

 

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LEGAL NOTICE

Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Docket No. CP14-96-000

Notice is hereby given that Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC (“Algonquin”), on February 28, 2014, filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) an application, pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (“Application”) to construct, own, operate and maintain proposed facilities necessary to provide up to 342,000 dekatherms per day (“Dth/d”) of firm transportation service to meet immediate and future supply and load growth requirements for Yankee Gas Services Company, NSTAR Gas Company, Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation, The Southern Connecticut Gas Company, The Narragansett Electric Company d/b/a National Grid, Colonial Gas Company d/b/a National Grid, Boston Gas Company d/b/a National Grid, Bay State Gas Company d/b/a Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, Inc., Norwich Public Utilities, and Middleborough Gas and Electric.  The project is referred to as the Algonquin Incremental Market Project (the “Project”) and will create additional capacity from the Ramapo, New York receipt point on Algonquin’s system to various Algonquin city gate delivery points in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts by expanding its existing pipeline and compressor station facilities within New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.  Specifically, Algonquin proposes project facilities that will consist of the following activities in those states: the construction of approximately 37.6 miles of take-up & relay, loop and lateral pipeline facilities; modifications to five existing compressor stations resulting in the addition of 81,620 horsepower of compression; modifications to 24 existing metering and regulating (“M&R”) stations; construction of three new M&R stations, and the removal of one existing M&R station.  These proposed Project facilities will provide additional access to growing supply areas, which should provide the Northeast markets with additional economic supplies of natural gas.  

Algonquin will need to acquire permanent and temporary property interests from a limited number of landowners for the proposed facilities. The Project is expected to have minimal impacts on landowners, communities and the environment. 

Notice of the Application will be mailed to affected landowners, and local, state and federal governments and agencies involved in the Project.  An electronic copy of the Application and supporting documents are on-file in the public libraries and/or local offices in communities impacted by the aforementioned facilities.

For further information on becoming an intervenor in the FERC proceeding and/or to obtain FERC’s pamphlet entitled “An Interstate Natural Gas Pipeline on My Land?  What Do I Need to Know?”, visit the FERC website (www.ferc.gov) or phone FERC’s Office of External Affairs at (866) 208-3372.

Algonquin is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Spectra Energy Partners, LP.  Algonquin owns and operates an interstate natural gas pipeline system extending from points near Lambertville and Hanover, New Jersey, through the states of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts to points near Boston, Massachusetts.     

For more information, please contact:

Edward C. Harney

Right of Way Project Manager

Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC

70 East Johnson Avenue,  Cheshire, CT  06410

866-873-2579 (toll free)

 

March 13, 2014

March 20, 2014