New pg 1 5-5-22
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
New PSA
baseball
coach
excited
Bob Hetu has been wearing out his own path over the highways of southern New England recently.
From Putnam to Hartford to Fairfield County. From Fairfield County to New London County and then up the 395 corridor. And from there to Providence and Worcester and back to Putnam. All in the name of building the baseball program at Putnam Science Academy, set to launch this fall and ready to play home games at Dodd Stadium next spring.
“We are really excited about this,” said Hetu, PSA’s head coach who has coached at the amateur level for more than 30 years and who counts major leaguers George Springer, AJ Pollack, and Charlie Morton among the 78 draft picks he has coached at some point in his career. “We’re a year-round program that is going to quickly be on par and competitive with anybody in New England. It will take us time to grow our numbers and be with the size of the other elite programs…but we’ll immediately be competitive with them.
“And we’re looking for those blue-collar kids who want to grind and who have something to prove and want to get after it.”
The international feel of PSA’s other athletic teams will carry over to baseball as well, Hetu said, as he expects student-athletes from Taiwan, Japan, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico.
The Mustangs will work out Monday-Thursday in the fall and play some games. But since that is a huge showcase time for summer clubs, the fall portion of the season will be focus heavily on strength and conditioning, skills and discipline. PBR, a showcase company, will also come in and evaluate all of PSA’s players and give them exposure on social media.
Come winter, the team will move indoors and train in Hartford at the Connecticut Baseball Academy, which Hetu co-founded and will give players access to all of the latest technology and tools vital for their growth.
“It’s a great facility,” Hetu said. “We have eight indoor cages, plenty of indoor mounds, a speed/strength area. And we have all the analytical stuff that has become so mainstream and such a major part of player development.”
CBA has HitTrax and Rapsodo, both of which allow players – batters and pitchers alike – to enhance their performance through immediate quantitative and visual feedback.
“Pro guys want the same analytics, so colleges are using the same systems,” Hetu said, “and the college coaches like the summer premier clubs that have those too. And we’ve got them, too.”
And once the weather warms up, that indoor training at CBA will continue, but the Mustangs’ focus will shift to its schedule of roughly 30 games. PSA will be a member of the Tri-State Wood Bat League with teams like Winchendon, Marianapolis, Pomfret, Springfield Commonwealth, St. Thomas More, and MacDuffie. PSA will also square off with teams such as Andover, Avon-Old Farms, Salisbury School, Bridgton, Brunswick.
“We’ll have Top 10 opponents on our schedule,” Hetu said. “It’s definitely an exciting time at PSA.”
By Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
..
Boxcar pg 1 5-5-22
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Boxcar Museum reborn
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — It seemed like in a year of work — at the outside — that the Gertrude Chandler Warner Boxcar Children Museum would be refurbished. That was almost four years ago.
Bill Pearsall, town historian and president of the Aspinock Historical Society, said it best at the April 30 rededication of the top-to-bottom refurbished museum: “you know how it goes with restorations: You take one board off and find five need replacing.”
Greg Morissette of Trackside Restorations of Palmer, Mass. seconds that. Morissette put more than 5,000 hours of work into the boxcar. He had it down to the frame. The floor and all the walls are brand new. He also replaced some of the steelwork, the belt around the car. Morissette, received a plaque in special thanks to him and his team for donating three years to restoring the boxcar, according to Pat Hedenberg.
“Without Greg we would not be here,” she said.
Hedenberg and Mayor Barney Seney both noted that without donations and volunteer help, the boxcar would still be languishing. She acknowledged the Putnam Lions Club, the Putnam Rotary Club and community members for their help.
She also thanked for their generous help and donations: Willie Bousquet from Parks and Recreation, along with Travis Sirrine and the highway crew; Bill Chaput from Chaput Electric; Marcy Dawley and Chase Graphics; Delpha Very, director of the Putnam Economic and Community Development; State Rep. Rick Hayes, Rob Baumuller, National Seating & Mobility – ramp (which had to be taken down and then put back in place); Priscilla Colwell of the Putnam Library for furniture; Jeff Rawson personally and Rawson Materials for the pea stone; the mayor; the late Don Steinbrick for his donations, Sean Sullivan and John Gee for the new window and door; Tsanjoures Builders; the late Owen Tarr for donations and Ruth Warner, whose family donations still continue supporting the boxcar.
Morissette and Fred Hedenberg cut the ribbon. Fred Hedenberg spearheaded the idea of a museum decades ago.
Morissette said the original boxcar was built in 1904 and it was all wood. It was part of the New York New Haven Hartford Railroad. In 1937 the wood frame was replaced with a steel frame (from Carnegie). In 1954 it was condemned but it was converted into a work car. It was used to store salt, he said, “That’s why it survived.”
The museum will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 15 (closed on Labor Day weekend).
caption, page 1:
Photo Opportunity
Katie Parlow, 10, of Putnam jumped right in for a photo opportunity at the reopened Boxcar museum. The photo op graphic was donated by Chase Graphics. More photos on page 6. Linda Lemmon photo.
captions, page 6:
clockwise from top left:
Fred Hedenberg cuts the ribbon while Greg Morissette, left, and Pat Hedenberg and Bill Pearsall, right, look on.
Accenting the refurbished Gertrude Chandler Warner Boxcar Children Museum is a trash can with artwork by local artist Elaine Turner. Her three nephews, Russel, Eric and Henry Larson helped her by roughing in the graveyard, the schoolhouse and the mystery house. They also helped by picking their favorite Boxcar Children books as models for the artwork. The single photo is Russel, the double photo is Eric on the left and Henry on the right.
Warner's desk.
Pat Hedenberg signs the ribbon that was cut. The ribbon will be placed in the time capsule the Aspinock Historical Society is working on for this year.
Greg Morissette's plaque of appreciation
.
Very pg 1 5-5-22
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
caption:
Cleanup
More than 200 volunteers beautified Putnam April 30. Linda Lemmon photo.
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The day sparkled and after Beautification Day finished, so did the entire town.
The annual event drew more than 225 volunteers including businesses, nonprofits, organizations, schools, individual and families, according to Delpha Very, director of Economic and Community Development. She added that even police Chief Christopher Ferace and his grandson picked up litter.
Prizes: Centreville Bank for Most Unusual Item (boat parts);
Best Before and After went to NorthStar Home Loans. Very said: “NorthStar Loans and family worked with Northeast Flooring and others in cleaning up the Riverfront Commons area behind the stores. I told them this would be a really tough area and they ended up cleaning up the entire area; it was truly amazing. I had checked out that area days before and vowed I would never make anyone tackle that and…they did!”
Most Spirit went to Putnam Science Academy. That team consisted of 60 students, faculty, coaches and administrators. They helped not only with trash pickup but also helped the Day Kimball Healthcare Woman’s Board spruce up the Dr. Grinsell pocket park on Providence Street. “It was very, very good,” said Gabe Sacconi, a member of the boys’ soccer team. “It was a beautiful day and we were all together, and everybody was having fun, and laughing. We helped a couple of women from the hospital, we cleaned a garden, and we cleaned up trash. It was a good opportunity for us to do it and learn how we can help make things better.” Said Alissa Lynch, PSA’s assistant head of school for Student Services: “It was great to see people out there as a community to help clean up and we were glad to be part of that. And we were certainly honored to win the Most Spirited Award. We can’t wait to do this again.”
The bane of the annual effort is nips. Thousands and thousands of nip bottles litter Putnam. Very said: “We didn’t count Nips because it is just a frustrating task. The State passed legislation last year that instead of assigning a $.05 return on each nip, they would reimburse the towns every six months for that same amount paid by the distributor. Putnam received its first check in April of over $18,000 to be used for litter control, clean up and such specific tasks. That comes out to an average of approximately 2,000 nips sold/day in Putnam. But to be fair, we are an epicenter for shopping for other communities.”
Very said a record number of volunteers came out last year, a reprieve from COVID. She said they weren’t sure what the turnout would be April 30 but “it was amazing with over 225 community members wanting to gather and make an aesthetic difference in our town. These volunteers are to be truly celebrated as they gave up their time to volunteer on a beautiful spring day. As I drove around the streets later in the day checking on collection areas, you could see that their efforts made a significant difference.”
“We are a community of care. We have strong partnerships between the Town of Putnam, the PBA and the people of Putnam. Because of this, events like Putnam’s Beautification Day are another community success story of achievement,” Very added.
..
Legal pg 2 5-5-22
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Legal Notice
Town of Putnam
Notice of Annual Town Meeting
May 11, 2022
and
Adjourned Town Meeting May 21, 2022
The Electors and Citizens qualified to vote in Town Meeting of the Town of Putnam, Connecticut, are hereby notified and warned that the Annual Town Meeting of said Town will be held in the Putnam Middle School Auditorium at 35 Wicker Street, Putnam, CT at 7:00 o’clock in the evening for the following purposes:
1. To choose a moderator for said meeting.
2. To consider and act upon the recommendations of the Board of Finance that appropriation for General Government (including Bonded Indebtedness) in the amount of $8,458,685.00 and the library in the amount of $416,800.00, and Putnam Emergency Medical Services in the amount of $280,000.00 for a total of $9,155,485.00 for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2023, and to make such appropriations as are advisable.
3. To consider and act upon the recommendations of the Board of Finance that appropriation for the Board of Education with a total amount of $19,333,407.00 for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2023, and to make such appropriations as are advisable.
4. To consider and act upon the following resolution:
RESOLVED: That the Board of Selectmen, acting as agents of the Town of Putnam, be authorized to apply for and receive any State and Federal grants that may become available and appear to them to be in the best interest of the Town of Putnam.
5. To determine the wishes of those present and eligible to vote upon the proposed Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan for the period commencing with fiscal year July 1, 2022, through fiscal year ending June 30, 2027. A copy of the proposed plan is on file in the Mayor’s Office and available for public inspection during normal business hours.
6. To consider and act upon the recommendation of the Board of Finance that appropriation for Capital Non-Recurring Fund budget with a total appropriation of $770,000.00 for capital projects be made for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2023, and to make such appropriations as are advisable.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISION OF SECTION 7-7 OF THE CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUTES; THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN HAS ON ITS OWN INITIATIVE SET ITEMS TWO – SIX TO THE VOTERS IN A MANNER PROVIDED BY STATE STATUTE INCLUDING ADVISORY QUESTIONS AS TO WHETHER THE SAME ITEMS ARE “TOO HIGH” OR “TOO LOW”. ACTION AT THE TOWN MEETING ON ITEMS TWO-SIX WILL BE LIMITED TO REASONABLE DISCUSSION. THOSE WISHING TO APPROVE ITEMS SHALL VOTE YES ON THE MACHINE VOTE, THOSE OPPOSED, NO. SAID VOTE WILL BE HELD ON May 21, 2022 AT THE FOLLOWING VOTING LOCATION: DISTRICT 1 PUTNAM MUNICIPAL COMPLEX, ROOM 109. DISTRICT 2 PUTNAM MUNICIPAL COMPLEX, ROOM 112
BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 12:00 NOON AND 8:00 PM
Dated at Putnam,
Connecticut
This second day
of May, 2022.
Town of Putnam,
Its Board of Selectmen
Norman B. Seney, Mayor
Roy S. Simmons, Deputy Mayor
Rick Hayes
Gloria Marion
Michael Paquin
J. Scott Pempek
Jeffrey Rawson
May 5, 2022
..