obit pg 8 9-8-22
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
PUTNAM — Alf Ulrik Anderson II, 71, of Walnut Street, died Aug. 28, 2022, at home. He was the loving husband of Suzanne (Yovan) Anderson.
Born in 1951 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Alf U. Anderson I, and Hilda (Anderson) Anderson. Alf attended Harvard E. Ellis Technical Vocational School and went into the Army National Guard.
Alf worked in the National Guard Combat Engineer #242. He was a C101 Combat Engineer for 18 years and was a skilled maintainer for 35 years in the Connecticut Military Department.
Mr. Anderson worked as a caretaker for The Army National Guard Armory in Putnam. He worked for the Putnam Parks and Recreation Department from 2008 – 2013.
He was married to Rosalie Bohman (Caswell) from 1969 – 1980. He married Suzanne in 1989 and spent his final days with Suzanne.
He enjoyed deep sea fishing, the beach, reading and exploring nature. He was known as “Alfie” by his friends and family and could be seen riding around Putnam on his scooter. He liked collecting coins and tumbling rocks, camping and gardening. He was a member of the VFW Post 1523 Men’s Auxiliary.
He leaves his wife Suzanne and son Cory Anderson; his children Sheila Frost (James), Sherry Anderson, Alf U. Anderson III (Heather); his siblings, Edward Anderson and Joyce Gould (Frank Robinson); his grandchildren, Erica, Caroline, and Kyle; and his great-grandchildren, Hazel and Floyd. Services and arrangements were entrusted to the Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St, Putnam. Donations: Putnam Public Library, 200 School St., Putnam, CT 06260.
.
school pg 9 9-8-22
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
caption:
Ryan Dunnigan, PSA coach
captions, page 10:
Kel Merckel
Mani Lopez
The ringing bell signaling the end of class is a giveaway sign that school is back in session.
And at PSA, so too are the squealing sneakers, the blowing whistles, and the pinging of bat on ball.
Students moved into the dorms the last weekend of August, and within hours of doing so they were meeting up with old friends and new teammates on the courts and fields.
“This is always an exciting time of year,” said Tom Espinosa, the school’s dean of Athletics and coach of the defending national champion boys’ basketball team. “Everybody is starting to figure out the routine of the school day and getting to know their peers and teammates. And the gym and the fields are always busy.”
There is plenty to be excited about again this year for the Mustangs’ athletic teams. In addition to the boys prep basketball team reloading and chasing championship No. 4 with six returnees, the girls basketball team brings back five players from its Final Four team and has enough to lead coach Devin Hill to say it is the most talented team he has had in his four years.
“So many of us played together last year, and a lot of us played AAU together this summer,” said guard Jada Mills, who returns for her second full season (third overall). “We’re obviously a long way from where we need to be and want to go, but we’ve got a lot of chemistry and work well together already.”
The boys’ soccer team, while younger than in years past, nevertheless has some incredibly skilled players (new and returning) and excellent leadership from the top of its roster. The Mustangs opened its preseason with a 1-1 draw against Woodstock Academy last week and will play its first regular-season game this Saturday against High Mowing in New Hampshire.
“I think we’re going to have an amazing team,” said returning midfielder Tomas Melon. “We’re going to score a lot of goals. We have a lot of speed in our forwards. And we’re still missing people, who will join us in the coming weeks. So it’s going to get even better.”
And creating as much buzz as anything on campus this first week has been the official addition of the baseball team, coached by Bob Hetu and Brandon Fowler. The plan was to be out on the field this week, after the team spent last week hitting in their new outdoor batting cage.
“We’re just trying to get to know each other,” Hetu said. “We’re trying to get to know their swings, looking at their mechanics and style of their swings so we can know what they can do. And then as we get on later in the fall, we’ll make adjustments and improvements. We all come here to get better.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
..
veteran pg 9 9-8-22
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
caption, page 11:
Boys’ Soccer Captains
The Woodstock boys’ soccer team will be led by senior captains, from left: Wyatt Robbie, Brian Jameson and Noah Page. Marc Allard photo.
Boys’ Soccer Preview
Veteran squad
returns for
Centaurs
Call it the rite of passage. But it’s one of the things that Woodstock boys’ soccer coach Paul Rearden enjoys about high school soccer.
“You can see the progression. You can see the kids who you hope will grow into the leadership roles do so which happens every year. We have two of the captains last year still with us so it’s great for leadership,” Rearden said.
This will be a veteran team for Rearden. He has 16 seniors on the pitch.
That presents its own set of headaches as the progression of the team could be hampered a bit with the younger players fighting for playing time.
“It’s going to be tough next year with all of us graduating but I think we have a lot of potential this year. We’ve been playing together for four years so there should be good chemistry,” Page said.
There are also the inner battles being waged for playing time as the youngsters are pushing the veterans.
“For sure, especially in the midfield, because we have a lot of midfielders. We have a lot of young kids like (sophomores) Garrett (Bushey) or John (Bennett) coming in. Garrett plays on my club team and I know him really well. He’s a good player. People are going to be fighting for playing time,” said senior Wyatt Robbie.
The Centaurs lost 10 players from last year’s 7-9-1 team that included leading scorer Ty Morgan (8 goals), Ryan Odorski (4 goals) and Beltran Velasco (2 goals).
Rearden, however, doesn’t think the offense will take much of a hit.
“(Sophomore) Austin (Byer) looks really sharp as does Jeffrey (Phongsa). Max (Ferreira) looks fit again after being injured at the end of last season when he (5 goals) just started scoring goals regularly. We still have them and a couple of young lads coming up who I’m hoping will weigh in with a couple (of goals),” the Centaurs coach said.
The strength of the team exists in the middle with Bushey, Phongsa and Page able to distribute the ball.
Seniors Jack Marshall and Gabe Viau will also patrol the middle. “I think we will have a lot of knowledge in the middle as well as some young boys. I think we’ve definitely improved over last year,” Page said.
Robbie will be a leader on the defense.
“I think it will be part of the strength of this team. We have a lot of midfield and defensive-minded players and a lot of chemistry,” Robbie said.
Seniors Ethan Craig and Baden Eaton will help Robbie keep opponents away from senior goalie Brian Jameson.
“I’m excited about that,” Rearden said of his keeper’s return.
Last year was a kind of return to reality. The Centaurs had only played local teams in the 2020 season.
“The COVID year, with all due respect, didn’t give (his team) a true representation of what games would be apart from the Windham games. So, last year was an eye opener especially the first away game at Ledyard. Now, that they have that in mind, they know what’s expected,” Rearden said.
He’s hoping for more than seven wins this season. “We have to,” Rearden said. “With the talent that we have here, the core of this squad is strong individually. We just have to mesh together. They’re all getting along great. They came in and have done a couple of weeks of real hard work on the conditioning. There is great chemistry here, it’s just putting it together on the field.”
Schedule: Thurs., Sept. 8 at Ledyard, 6 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 10: vs. NFA, 11 a.m.; Tues., Sept. 13: vs. Waterford, 4:15; Fri., Sept. 16: vs. Fitch, 4:15; Tues., Sept. 20: at Bacon, 4:15; Fri., Sept. 23: vs. E. Lyme, 4:15; Tues., Sept. 27: at Stonington, 6:30; Thurs., Sept. 29: at Berlin, 6; Mon., Oct. 3: vs. Valley Regional, 4:15; Wed., Oct. 5: vs. Windham, 4:15; Thurs., Oct. 13: at NFA, 4; Mon., Oct. 17, vs. Bacon, 4:15; Wed., Oct. 19: at Fitch, 4:15; Mon., Oct. 24: at Granby, 4:15; Wed., Oct. 26: at E. Lyme, 5; Sat., Oct. 29: vs. Ledyard, 11.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
..
donation pg 11 9-8-22
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Donation
Chapter 543 Daughters of Isabella in Putnam donated several diapers to the Daily Bread Food Pantry in Putnam to be distributed to local families in need. The Daughters of Isabella is a charitable organization of Catholic women founded on the principles of Unity, Friendship and Charity. The group hosts benefit activities, fund-raisers, and social interactions to encourage community support. From left: Maureen Desilets, Suzy Lazarou (regent), Priscilla Dowd and Ellen Knight. Courtesy photo.
.