Learning pg 7 12-4-14
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Learning
Recently Putnam Elementary School hosted its 2nd Annual “Kindergarten Literacy and Math Morning.” This event was for all kindergarten students and their families. The PES Café was filled with 26 reading and math games for students and families to play together. Putnam Elementary School Principal, Laura Williams said, “The goal of this event was for all families to have fun in school while playing games designed to work on kindergarten literacy and math skills. By the looks on the students’ faces, the goal was definitely achieved.” Each family also received a take-home bag of activities for the families to play at home together. Courtesy photo.
Obituaries pg 8 12-4-14
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Leo J. Bissonnette,
WWII vet
DANIELSON — Leo Joseph Bissonnette, 95, of Danielson, died Nov. 23, 2014, in Jackson, Mo. He was the husband of Janine (Marceau) Bissonnette. They were married Aug. 8, 1981, in St. James Church.
He was born Feb. 10, 1919, in Danielson, son of the late Edward and Rosanna (Pepin) Bissonnette. He had made his home in Danielson all of his life. He was a very religious man and was a member of St. James Church. He won several awards including Mechanic’s Illustrated Golden Hammer award for building a homemade compressor made from discarded parts. For several years he donated them for the St. James Bazaar Raffle.
Leo had worked as a department supervisor for Hamilton Standard from 1939 to 1949 and was a developing engineer at Pervel Industries in Plainfield for 42 years, retiring Aug. 1, 1984.
He was a WWII veteran of the U.S. Army, serving within the Field Artillery and also assisted command officers as a French interpreter. He was honorably discharged Sept. 29, 1945.
Anyone that met Leo was entertained by his innumerable jokes, wit and charm.
He leaves in addition to his wife Janine; his stepchildren, Philip Snurkowski of Danielson, Michael Snurkowski of Alabama, Kathleen Majchier (Vincent) of N. Franklin, Laura Hinkebein (Kenneth) of Jackson, Mo.; nieces, Andrea Sherman, Carol Reynolds and Marie “Ella” Tetreault of California; seven grandchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife Sophie in 1971, siblings: Albert, William, Arthur, Ernest John, Archie, Joseph, Laura, Gertrude, Theresa, and Valade.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Nov. 29 in St. James Church with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery, Danielson, with military honors. Donations: St. James Church.
Joseph E. Eno
PUTNAM — Joseph E. Eno, 59, of Putnam, died Nov. 30, 2014, peacefully at home.
He was born Aug. 21, 1955, in Putnam, son of the late Clarence and Lorraine Eno. Joe was employed by the State of Connecticut for 24 years. He was an avid fisherman.
He leaves his two sons Jarrod J. Eno and Seth D. Eno; two sisters Patricia Gilbert and Lisa Eno Kelley; four grandchildren; nieces and nephews.
The funeral and burial were private. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Leah Jodoin
DANIELSON — Leah A. (Henault) Jodoin, 93, of Danielson, died Nov. 21, 2014, at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.
She was the wife of the late Rudolph Jodoin.
They were married July 3, 1946. He died in 2006.
She was born Oct. 5, 1921, in Dudley, daughter of the late John and Alma (Maynard) Henault.
A graduate of Bartlett High School, in Webster, Leah worked for American Optical and Prym in the assembly packing department for 38 years.
She loved cards, bingo, traveling, knitting, cooking, UConn women’s and Connecticut Sun basketball teams.
She leaves two grandchildren Roger N. Jodoin Jr. of Wauregan, Linda M. Jodoin of Westerly; a great grandson Kamden Klimas; nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her son Roger Jodoin, he died in 1998, and brother Roger Henault.
A Chapel Service was Dec. 1 at Holy Cross Cemetery, Danielson.
Donations: Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation, PO Box 29543, San Francisco, CA 94129. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Theresa M. Reddy
PUTNAM — Theresa (Horan) Reddy, 93, of Elvira Heights, died peacefully Nov. 25, 2014 at home.
Born in 1921 in Avoca, Penn. she was the daughter of the late John and Bridget (Blake) Horan from County Mayo, Ireland. Theresa visited Ireland often and was very proud of her Irish heritage.
Theresa graduated from high school and moved to New York City to work for Whelan Cosmetics. This is where she met the love of her life, Robert. They married on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, 1946, in St. Mary Church in Avoca.
They started their family and her greatest joy was being a wife, mother, “Nana” and great grandmother. She filled these roles with love, wisdom, grace and kindness.
Theresa believed it was important to give of herself, volunteering at Day Kimball hospital for 35 years, the Red Cross for 20 years and at the Daily Bread and the Angel Shop. She also served on the DKH Woman’s Board and was a member of the Daughters of Isabella and the League of Catholic Women.
She enjoyed travelling with her husband, the Broadway Theater, reading and cooking. Her chicken soup “saved many a life”.
In addition to her husband, she leaves her three daughters, Roberta Reddy of Brooklyn, Maureen Landry (David) of Putnam, and Theresa Reddy of Massachusetts; grandchildren and great grandchildren. Theresa is predeceased by her three sons Patrick, Kevin and Shawn Reddy, and her siblings Martin, James and Patrick Horan and Mary Jeffers.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 1 at St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: Wounded Warrior Project, 370 7th Ave., Suite 1802, NY. NY 10001. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes.
Daniel J. Morris,
Korean war vet
PUTNAM — Daniel J. Morris, 85, of Battey St, died Nov. 25, 2014. He was the husband of Alice (Dennette) Morris.
Born in 1929 in Killingly, he was the son of the late Richard and Rose (Sullivan) Morris.
Mr. Morris was a veteran of the Korean war serving with the U.S. Army where he received the Korean Service Medal with three bronze stars, United Nations Medal, and the Presidential Unit Citation.
On Oct. 6, 1962, in St. Mary Church of the Visitation Church, he was united in marriage to Alice I. (Dennette) Morris.
Mr. Morris worked for many years at American Optical as a material handler and was a member of the American Legion Post #13.
In addition to his wife, he leaves his son David Morris of Putnam; his brother Richard Morris Jr. of Florida; his sister Patricia Levesque of Putnam; and his three grandchildren Shannon, Jaryd, and Myriah.
The Funeral was private. Donations: American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Ruth P. Seifert
POMFRET — Ruth P. Seifert, 92 of Pomfret, died Nov. 27, 2014, at the Pierce Memorial Baptist Home, Brooklyn. She was the wife of Otto Seifert. They were married in 1943. He died in 1972.
She was born March 31, 1922, on the family farm in Abington in the town of Pomfret; she was the third child of Frank R. and Gladys A. (Hall) Paine. They were hard working, devoted parents. Ruth attended grammar school grades, one through eight, in the two-room school house at the Abington Four Corners of routes 44 and 97, and was a graduate of the Putnam High School in 1940. Ruth was a member of the Abington Congregational Church.
She worked for the Dr. Murray Estate in Pomfret, as a waitress and maid. She also worked 10 years at the American Optical as a seamstress. She retired in 1984. She and her family enjoyed traveling in the North Woods of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. She had a great love for nature.
Predeceased by her son Curt R. Seifert in 2002, and her siblings Howard, Frank, Maurice, Oliver, Mildred Seifert and Gladys Paine. She leaves her sisters Emma Ellsworth and her husband Robert of Pomfret, Lois Molnar of Ashford, sisters-in-law Ruth Paine of Plainfield; Joyce Paine of Brooklyn.
A graveside service will be in the spring in Abington Cemetery. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
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Baseball pg 9 12-4-14
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By Ron P. Coderre
This week’s RPC column is dedicated to Pomfret native Paul Nelson. As a young man he went to Putnam High School when the Pomfret kids were a big part of Clipperland. As a Clipper, Nelson was a stalwart on the athletic field for Putnam. Today Nelson spends his time golfing, skiing and feeding his cows for the Pomfret Lions Cow Chip Bingo.
Fall Isn’t Only For Football
TriTown American Legion Baseball sponsored a fall baseball team composed primarily of players from the Jr. team sprinkled with a few talented players from the Danielson area. The team, which was coached by Dan Durand, Mike Carignan, John Foucault and John Dovonvan enjoyed a successful season finishing in second place in the weekend league that was made up mostly of teams from Massachusetts.
The Towners played their home games at the Tourtellotte Memorial High School Field, which was in great condition thanks to the grooming of Romeo “Mush” Blain and his capable staff. Members of the TriTown team included Jacob Guertin, Nicholas Foucault, Josh Allard and Zach Cutler from Putnam, Jared Carignan and Jared Durand of Ellis Tech, Joe Donovan and Ryan Gadoury of Tourtellotte and George Murphy of Marianapolis. Also on the team were Eli Majek, J.P. Dufault, Evan Tremblay, Justin Soucy, Conor Hanlon and Noah and Logan Putnam.
Despite the fact that many of these young men were involved in their high school soccer and cross country programs, the coaching staff reports that each weekend an average of 12 to 15 players was on hand for the games.
“I’ve been involved coaching youngsters for 15 years. This summer and fall was by far the most fun and enjoyment I’ve had working with these players. All this thanks to the TriTown American Legion Baseball program,” said coach Foucault.
Baseball News from the Deep South
John Smutnick, a guy who just doesn’t want to give up playing baseball, reports from Avon Park, Fla., (the Putnam of the South) that he recently concluded two weeks of play in the 2014 Roy Hobbs Baseball World Series. The games were played at the spring training sites of major league teams in Fort Myers.
During the first week of competition Smutnick was a member of the Rhode Island Silver Foxes in the 65’s Division. The highlight of the initial week was playing against former Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill “Space Man” Lee. One of Smutnick’s teammates was Joe Castigleone, the radio voice of the Red Sox.
The second week Smutnick was part of the Springfield Ohio Midwest Nine, which competed in the 60’s Division. During the two weeks of play, more than 30 teams from the United States and Canada were involved in the competition. The teams that Smutnick was part of finished a respectable 3 – 3. He was voted by his teammates as his team’s Most Valuable Player after posting a .500 batting average. He played shortstop and was one of his team’s rubber armed pitchers.
Now that the Roy Hobbs Baseball World Series is over, Smutnick is retiring to the more sedate competition of softball and golf. On the links, he’s playing every day with many of his cronies from Quinnatisset Country Club.
World Baseball Coaches’ Convention Right Around the Corner
January may seem a distance off in the future but for baseball lovers it can’t come soon enough. Despite cold temperatures and snow, Thursday, Friday and Saturday January 15, 16 and 17 the Mohegan Sun will once again host the World Baseball Coaches Convention, the brainchild of Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker, former Red Sox catcher Roger Lafrancois and Andy Walker.
The trio has worked hard in putting together another all star lineup of presenters. Among those who will be on hand are Jack Morris, retired ace of the Detroit Tigers and former Red Sox lefthander Bruce Hurst. Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo and Atlanta Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer will also present. Top collegiate coaches John Szefc of the University of Maryland and Georgia’s Scott Stricklin will also present on a variety of aspects of college baseball.
Adding a local flavor to the Convention, organizers have lined up three players from Eastern Connecticut as presenters. Nick Ahmed, former UConn standout and current Arizona Diamondback’s shortstop, Eric Campbell former Norwich Free Academy and Boston College and current New York Mets utility infielder and Dominic Leone of the Seattle Mariners will all share their knowledge of the game.
The clinic also offers attendees access to almost 100 exhibitors featuring the latest baseball products. This is three days of learning and networking that baseball junkies shouldn’t bypass. To register or learn more, visit www.BaseballCoachesClinic.com or call 860 674-1500.
Catching Up Wwth College Athletes
The college basketball season is now in full swing with preseason tourneys taking place in many exotic locations such as Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Local colleges are enjoying their local versions of the preseason and getting into their conference schedules.
In a hotly contested contest Quinnipiac University was felled by the University of Hartford 54-50. Former Marianapolis standout Ousman Drame continues his solid play for the Bobcats, as he posted a double-double, 11 points and 10 rebounds, prior to fouling out late in the game. Ex- Putnam Science Academy big man Chaise Daniels was held scoreless by UHart in seven minutes of action.
In a contest at Worcester Polytechnic Institute a pair of former area stalwarts squared off. WPI bested Worcester State University 70-52 in a cross-Worcester rivalry. Ian Converse, the ex-Woodstock Academy great, now a sophomore at WPI contributed four points in the win. On the opposite bench, 6-foot, 9-inch Paul Brooks, ex-PSA big man had eight points and led the Lancers in rebounding.
Late Season Stats
Plainfield’s Steve Jankowski continues to lead local quarterbacks in passing yardage with 1506 yards in the air. Killingly’s Kyle Derosier has amassed 1385 yards. Raif Santerre of the Quinebaug Valley Pride, is by far the rushing leader with 1401 rushing yards, while Killingly’s Michael Elsey leads area receivers with 612 receiving yards.
Once More for Old Time Sake
In the late 1940s Bill Kelleher was a standout running back and track star at Putnam High School. He later went on to a track career at UConn, where he eventually became track coach under the legendary Bob Kennedy. Today Kelleher is an assistant track coach at Wesleyan University.
Each year Kelleher quietly attends the traditional Thanksgiving Day football game between Killingly and Putnam (Quinebaug Valley Pride). The weather may have snarled Kelleher’s plans this year but don’t be surprised if he finds a way to be in attendance. Happy Thanksgiving, Bill as you reminisce about your days on the Putnam gridiron.
RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day …Never buy an article of clothing thinking it will fit if you lose a couple of pounds.
(If you have news worthy sports information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
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Gaudreau pg 9 12-4-14
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By Ron P. Coderre
During her years as a student and basketball player at Pomfret School, family and friends of Megan Gaudreau had numerous opportunities to watch perform for the Lady Griffins. Recruited by St. Michael’s College in Burlington, Vt., it’s become more difficult for her followers to attend her games that are more than four hours from northeastern Connecticut.
On Tuesday, November 25, Gaudreau and her Purple Knight teammates invaded the Assumption College campus in Worcester for a contest against the Lady Greyhounds of coach Kerry Phayre. Both teams are members of the highly competitive Northest-10 Conference. The game provided many of Gaudreau’s followers a rare opportunity to see her in collegiate action closer to home.
As her dad, Michael Gaudreau said, “We consider this a home game following all those long trips to Vermont.”
Unfortunately for the large contingent of Gaudreau followers, they left the Laska Gymnasium disappointed as Assumption walked off with a relatively easy 82-60 win over St. Mike’s. Gaudreau, who is captain of the Purple Knights ladies, did perform admirably scoring six points, grabbing five rebounds and assisting on four baskets, which was higher than her 3.8 points, one rebound and two assists per game average following the team’s first four games.
RPC had an opportunity to sit down and chat with Gaudreau, who is in her junior year, following the disappointing loss. When asked about the outcome she said, “We know Assumption has a good team but we didn’t perform up to the level that our team is capable of playing. Every game in the Northeast-10 is a tough game because there are so many good teams and players in the conference. The speed of the players and upbeat tempo of the game is much faster than I experienced at Pomfret.”
The number of good players the team faces each game is the major difference Gaudreau notes between prep school and college. In prep school players were probably the best on their team but in college they’re teamed with many players who were the tops of their respective high school or prep teams.
Although Gaudreau doesn’t shoot the rock as much as she did at Pomfret, coach Shannon Kynoch relies on the Brooklyn native to be “solid” on both end of the court. Her role is to be the glue on offense and defense as the team’s vocal leader. A better than average passer, Gaudreau has become a distributor on offense and occasionally firing a trey, which she made two – of –five in the Assumption game.
Although St. Michael’s was beaten by the Lady Hounds the large contingent of Gaudreau’s faithful enjoyed watching her play. Included in the crowd were her parents, Mike and Sharon, her uncle Scott and her good friend Bucky Lohbusch, along with another dozen of her friends and family.