Students pg 5 1-8-15
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POMFRET — From Dc. 2 through 17 students and faculty at Pomfret School were “at” school, but not, in the conventional sense,”in” school. In place of structured class time and homework, students were instead tackling one of 27 innovative exercises in learning that saw plenty of overlap between academic disciplines.
Caed Anthony-Jones of Pomfret Center, a member of the Pomfret class of 2015, participated in a course entitled “Pomfret Mini Golf Course,” in which the students designed, engineered, and built two miniature golf holes, complete with fake turf and a so-called water hazard.
Colby Breault of Putnam, a member of the Pomfret class of 2015, participated in a course entitled “Once Upon a Time: Creating Children’s Books,” in which students were responsible for the entire creative process, from developing the characters and storyline to illustrating and reading their finished stories to area schoolchildren.
Rebecca Bullied of Pomfret Center, a member of the Pomfret class of 2017, participated in a course entitled “Form and Function in Living Systems,” a combination art and science project that had students selecting an organism in an ecosystem and drawing a series of macro- to micro-sketches that progressively zoom in on their subjects.
Abigail Byrnes of Woodstock, a member of the Pomfret class of 2015, participated in a course entitled “Y Yoga,” in which students explored (and practised) the “history and evolution of yoga as it travelled over time from East to West.”
Kailey Castle of Pomfret Center, a member of the Pomfret class of 2017, participated in a course entitled “Stopping Time: Physics and Photography,” in which the students studied and recreated the iconic Edgerton photo experiments done at MIT in the 1930s, recording a variety of phenomena shot at shutter speeds down to a thousandth of a second.
Alexander Chase of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret class of 2015, participated in a course entitled “Y Yoga,” in which students explored (and practised) the “history and evolution of yoga as it travelled over time from East to West.”
Davis Chase of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret class of 2017, participated in a course entitled “Form and Function in Living Systems,” a combination art and science project that had students selecting an organism in an ecosystem and drawing a series of macro- to micro-sketches that progressively zoom in on their subjects.
Brody Childs of Eastford, a member of the Pomfret class of 2016, participated in a course entitled “Stopping Time: Physics and Photography,” in which the students studied and recreated the iconic Edgerton photo experiments done at MIT in the 1930s, recording a variety of phenomena shot at shutter speeds down to a thousandth of a second.
Evan Cunningham of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret class of 2017, participated in a course entitled “Saving Private Ryan: World War II, History, and Hollywood.”
Benjamin DiIorio of Pomfret Center, a member of the Pomfret class of 2016, participated in a course entitled “The P-Files: The Truth is out There,” an in-depth examination of the appeal and prevalence of conspiracy theories in the American culture.
Sydney Fisher of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret class of 2016, participated in a course entitled “Building C.O.U.R.A.G.E. (Conversations On Understanding Racial and Gendered Experiences),” in which students were assigned the challenges and responsibilities of developing, scheduling, and marketing a conference/retreat that will explore issues of race and gender. The event will be hosted by Pomfret School in the summer of 2015.
Nickolas Fulchino of Pomfret Center, a member of the Pomfret class of 2015, participated in a course entitled “Identity of the American Indian: Examining American Indians’ Struggle for Cultural Preservation.”
Abigail Horst of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret class of 2015, participated in a course entitled “Building C.O.U.R.A.G.E. (Conversations On Understanding Racial and Gendered Experiences),” in which students were assigned the challenges and responsibilities of developing, scheduling, and marketing a conference/retreat that will explore issues of race and gender. The event will be hosted by Pomfret School in the summer of 2015.
Gillian Horst of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret class of 2018, participated in a course entitled “The P-Files: The Truth is out There,” an in-depth examination of the appeal and prevalence of conspiracy theories in the American culture.
Olivia Kremer of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret class of 2017, participated in a course entitled “Gol: A Global Passion,” in which students investigated the history and culture of the game of soccer, and explored the phenomenon of its tremendous popularity worldwide.
Genevieve LaBeef of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret class of 2015, participated in a course entitled “Once Upon a Time: Creating Children’s Books,” in which students were responsible for the entire creative process, from developing the characters and storyline to illustrating and reading their finished stories to area schoolchildren.
Matthew Ouellet of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret class of 2015, participated in a course entitled “Stopping Time: Physics and Photography,” in which the students studied and recreated the iconic Edgerton photo experiments done at MIT in the 1930s, recording a variety of phenomena shot at shutter speeds down to a thousandth of a second.
Seoyeon Park of Pomfret Center, a member of the Pomfret class of 2017, participated in a course entitled “Music and Myth,” in which students studied the history of the storytelling power of symphonies, operas and movie scores—myths set to music—from Wagner’s “The Ring of the Nibelung” to the more contemporary soundtrack from “The Lord of the Rings.”
Rebecca Pempek of Putnam, a member of the Pomfret class of 2016, participated in a course entitled “Form and Function in Living Systems,” a combination art and science project that had students selecting an organism in an ecosystem and drawing a series of macro- to micro-sketches that progressively zoom in on their subjects.
Shuonan Peng of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret class of 2017, participated in a course entitled “Music and Myth,” in which students studied the history of the storytelling power of symphonies, operas and movie scores—myths set to music—from Wagner’s “The Ring of the Nibelung” to the more contemporary soundtrack from “The Lord of the Rings.”
Lucy Richards of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret class of 2015, participated in a course entitled “Y Yoga,” in which students explored (and practised) the “history and evolution of yoga as it travelled over time from East to West.”
Cristiano Rovero of North Grosvenordale, a member of the Pomfret class of 2016, participated in a course entitled “Saving Private Ryan: World War II, History, and Hollywood.”
Molly Schroder of Woodstock, a member of the Pomfret class of 2015, participated in a course entitled “Reading the Landscape of Pomfret,” in which students worked to piece together a narrative, from both natural history and ecology, of the transformation of the 500 acres comprising the Pomfret Campus. Information was obtained through both observation and what archived documents revealed.
Connor Shea of Putnam, a member of the Pomfret class of 2015, participated in a course entitled “Unheard Voices: Stories in LGBT History and Evolution of Acceptance.”
Aaron Soucy of Thompson, a member of the Pomfret class of 2017, participated in a course entitled “Teaching the Kids Next Door,” a collaborative teaching project in which the students created a lesson plan, incorporating math, writing, and science, for second- and third-graders at the nearby Rectory School.
Kayta Tsemo of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret class of 2018, participated in a course entitled “In Their Own Words; Project: Pomfret,” in which participants were tasked, as digital, photo- and social media journalists, with documenting the twenty-seven stories of Project: Pomfret.
Now in its second year, Project: Pomfret is an experimental retooling of the 121-year-old school’s academic matrix. It was harvested two years ago from the self-examination that resulted in a new strategic plan for the School. The experience is based on the principles of project-based learning (students engage to the fullest when they can experience and solve real-world problems). The goal: to make the learning viable and real.
Head of School Tim Richards, himself the parent of a Pomfret student, made a point of thanking the faculty for their hard work. “The recent Project: Pomfret period,” he said, “echoes loudly and clearly that this kind of work—thinking, learning, playing, and creating together in such unique and collaborative fashion—has the potential to be extremely and powerfully transformational for students and teachers alike.”
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Donation pg 7 1-8-15
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Donation
Right before Christmas, the Putnam Rotary Club donated educational games to TEEG and the Putnam Family Resource Center. Courtesy photo.
Obituaries pg 8 1-8-15
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Robert P. McElroy,
Korean war vet
POMFRET — Robert P. McElroy, 82, of Blossom Dr., died Dec. 29, 2014, in UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester. He was the husband of Gail (Sutherland) McElroy who he met when she was 12. They were married for 59 years.
Born in 1932 in Boston, he was the son of the late Frederick and Irene (Talbot) McElroy.
Mr. McElroy was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean war. He worked as a manager of online telecommunication systems and software for several companies such as Barden Corp., American Chain & Cable, Young & Rubican Advertising and Continental Insurance Co. He also taught computer classes for IBM. He was a coach for the Ridgefield Little League Association and was the president of the Ridgefield Speed Skating Association. He enjoyed playing the piano, listening to classical music and “tinkering.” He also enjoyed volunteering at Westview Health Care Center, St. Joseph Living Center, and the Norwichtown Rehabilitation. He always made sure that his family came first.
In addition to his wife, he leaves his sons, Kevin McElroy (Lynell) of Danbury, and Kenneth McElroy of Pomfret; his brothers, Richard McElroy (Eloise) of Woodstock, John McElroy of Randolph, N.J., Joseph McElroy (Glenda) of Sunlake, Ariz., and William McElroy (Marilyn) of Danielson; grandchildren, Caitlin McElroy, Kelly Jean McElroy, Jonathan Sakolski and Russell Sakolski. He was predeceased by his brothers, Frederick, Francis, and James McElroy; and his sisters Mary Victory and Irene Kernan.
Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Jan. 10 in Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., with a funeral Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 a.m. in Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret. Donations: The activity funds at Westview Healthcare Center, St. Joseph Living Center or to a charity of your choice.
Jean Drouin
PUTNAM — Jean-Yves “Frenchie” Drouin, 67, died Dec. 29, 2014. He was born Aug. 3, 1947, in St. Zacharie in the Province of Quebec, Canada, to Henry and Jeanne D’Arc Drouin. He lived 51 years of his life in Putnam.
He was a long time resident of Putnam well known for being a hard working carpenter. Many buildings in Putnam and surrounding towns have had some sort of work done by JYD. If you look around, you see porches, additions, roofs, garages and other works of art built by the great handy man.
When he wasn’t working, he enjoyed riding with his wife Michelle on his Harley Davidson motorcycle, They put on thousands of miles together, with his most frequent destination being the Dunkin Donuts on Woodstock Ave. He was a regular at Habitat for Humanity Restore and most of the local flea markets. You could always find him hunting down yard sales. He had a good eye for a bargain.
After his daughter moved to North Carolina, Jean became a big NASCAR Fan and was able to attend a few races at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. He was able to race a race car around the track himself.
He leaves his wife, Michelle Drouin; his daughter, Crista Drouin Deckert, his son in law, Robert Deckert and granddaughter Peyton of North Carolina; his stepdaughter Amber Vitner and stepgrandson Kaleb Doulette of Oklahoma; two sisters and four brothers: Marie-France Drouin of Thompson, Manon Hawes of Danielson, Jean-Paul Drouin of Canada, Denis Drouin of Putnam, Gaetan Drouin of Florida, and Christian Drouin of Florida).
A final gift of Love was given by Jean and his Family through Life Choice Tissue Donation.
Visitation is from 4 to 6 p.m. Jan. 7 in Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St. with a Funeral Service at 6 in the Funeral Home. Donations: Habitat for Humanity of Southeastern Connecticut, 377 Broad St. New London CT 06320.
Bruce Mazzarella
DANIELSON — Bruce R. Mazzarella, 58 of Westcott Rd. died Jan. 2, 2015 at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam.
Bruce was born June 1, 1956, in Putnam, son of the late Henry and Alma (Bourque) Mazzarella. He married Gracia (Orinoco) Mazzarella on Oct. 30, 2004, in Killingly.
Bruce was devoted to his family and friends. He built a tree house, a water slide, a potato gun and a zip line, he enjoyed hosting cookouts, and loved riding his snowmobile and Harley. Bruce worked with The Providence and Worcester Railroad and Reali Plumbing & Heating. He co-owned Northeast Technical Service with Michael Racicot. His last employment was as a plumber with MCR Refrigeration. He was a past member of the Elks #1706 in Danielson.
He leaves his wife Gracia Mazzarella; two daughters: Lacey Ann Mazzarella of Danielson and Tiffany Marie Mazzarella of Eastford; brother Dennis Mazzarella (Karen); grandson Nicandro Anthony Mazzarella.
Funeral will be at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 7 from the Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. t St. James Church, Danielson. Donations: American Cancer Society, 825 Brook St., I-91 Tech Ctr, Rocky Hill, CT 06067 .
Mark L. Salce
PUTNAM — Mark L. Salce, 56, of Bibeault St., died Jan. 4, 2015, in Day Kimball Hospital . He was the husband of Susan (Morey) Salce. Born in 1958 in Southbridge, he was the son of Yvette (Gagnon) Gravel of Southbridge and the late Luigi Carmine Salce.
Mark worked for A & M Tool & Die as a machinist for 34 years. He enjoyed golf and watching the New England Patriots and the Red Sox. He loved to play poker with all of his friends Mark was a member of Cargill Council 64, Knights of Columbus Putnam and Creation Church
In addition to his wife, he leaves his son, Christopher Salce of Putnam; his daughter, Shawna Salce of Putnam; his eight siblings, Matthew Salce (Missy) of Killingly, Michael Salce (Debbie) of Westfield, Mass., Anthony Salce of Woodstock, Jennifer Duhaime (Rob) of Belchertown, Mass., Satina Salce of Quinebaug, Luigi Salce of Oxford, Mass., Jennifer Reynolds of Woodstock, and Jeff Salce of Quinebaug; his brother-in-law, James Morey (Alma) of Putnam; stepmother, Jane Salce of Quinebaug.
Cremation arrangements are entrusted to the Gilman Funeral Home, Putnam.
Kristin S. Reynolds
WOODSTOCK — Kristin Serafin Reynolds of Woodstock, died Jan. 3, 2015, at Hartford Hospital. She was born May 16, 1940, in New London, daughter of the late William and Esther (Olson) Serafin.
In 1959, Kris met the love of her life, Joe, and they married on Oct. 28, 1961. After teaching first grade for several years, The Christmas Barn was opened in 1965. Kris has had many life-long friends.
Besides her husband, she leaves her two sons, Jay and Mark, both of Woodstock; grandchildren: Kyle, Jotham, Morgan, and Hannah; sister Dorothy Taylor of Quinebaug; nieces Kristine DeMello of N. Stonington and Susan Krysinski of Thompson. She was predeceased by her sister Sally Larzelere.
A celebration of Kris’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Jan. 8 at the East Woodstock Congregational Church. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
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Sports pg 9 1-8-15
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Visiting
Miss Connecticut, Acacia Courtney, recently visited Putnam and northeastern Connecticut. She's shown here with Ronald P. Codederre. Courtesy photo.
By Ron P. Coderre
This week’s RPC column is dedicated to Gordon Marks. You might be wondering, “Who is Gordon Marks?” We were wondering the same thing until we met him at the Clipper Classic last week. Marks retired to Woodstock recently following a career with the State of Connecticut. His claim to fame is, he went to high school in Bridgeport with Putnam Mayor Tony Falzarano, when both guys weighed a solid 175 pounds and were terrific athletes. Now you know Gordon Marks.
A beautiful young lady visited Putnam Dec. 30 and created quite a stir. Acacia Courtney, the reigning Miss Connecticut, was in town as the guest of Joanne Gerardi-Voccio promoting the initial upcoming Miss Windham County Pageant and spreading goodwill.
She started her day as a guest on WINY radio with morning host, the popular Gary O. She was then toured through the Antique City, where she met a variety of dignitaries and business owners, ending her tour with lunch at the Courthouse Bar & Grille as the guest of owners James and Sheila Frost. She also spent time with a number of members of the Putnam Business Association discussing the growth and revitalization of Downtown Putnam and encouraging support of the upcoming Pageant. She graciously posed for photos with the line of individuals who wanted an opportunity for a souvenir of her visit.
There’s much more substance however, to Miss Courtney than simply beauty pageants. When she isn’t touring the state as Miss Connecticut, she’s a junior at Fordham University majoring in communications and media studies with a concentration in journalism. She’s also a big fan of horse racing with her ultimate goal of becoming a horse racing broadcaster.
“I hope that someday you’ll see me on NBC or one of the major networks reporting live on a major thoroughbred racing event,” she proudly told us.
Because she has a love of horses, she’s founded and is the president of Racing For Home, Inc., a 501 c 3 non-profit organization that rescues and retrains ex-racing thoroughbreds for new careers after their racing days are over.
A Top-15 finisher in this year’s Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, N.J., Miss Courtney also espouses other causes, especially the way we approach healthy eating in our society. Working with Meatless Monday and Move It Monday, she’s spoken to hundreds of students about the disconnect between the farm and the plate.
The poise that Miss Courtney demonstrates in social situations is evidence that the Miss Connecticut and Miss America pageants are more than simply beauty contests. It’s a certainty that when she completes her education she’ll be racing toward her next goal until the day she achieves her ultimate goal. It’s no doubt she will be on a major network in the future doing what she enjoys, being around horses and reporting on thoroughbred racing.
Putnam is honored that you took the time to stop by our thriving little town.
Local Tourneys Name
All Star Units
The high school holiday boys’ and girls’ basketball tournaments are in the record books. It’s nice to note that the Centaur Holiday Classic in Woodstock got off the ground successfully, while the Clipper Classic in Putnam sponsored by The Citizens National Bank for the 14th consecutive year continues to thrive.
Of note was the fact that the Woodstock Academy girls under successful veteran coach Willie Bousquet brought a championship to the fieldhouse. The best sight of the holiday tournaments was the full house, standing room only crowd on hand for the double overtime Putnam versus Killingly championship game in the boys’ tourney. Regardless of the outcome (Killingly won or should I say Putnam let the victory slip through its fingers) seeing the old Putnam bandbox gym filled to overflowing was a great Christmas present.
The Clipper Classic girls’ competition crowned Tourtellotte’s 6-foot center Deanna Lazzarra as the tourney Most Outstanding Player. Selected to the All – Tournament team were Lazzarra’s teammates Allie Ablondi, Abby Poirier and Jess Dodd, along with Marissa Shirshac of Windham Tech and Meagan Bianchi of Killingly. The tourney All – Academic team was composed of Christina Kopacz of Tourtellotte, Drew Johndrow of Killingly, Oralee Collazo of Windham Tech and Stacey Belliveau of Putnam.
In the Centaur Holiday Classic senior Rebecca Messier of Woodstock was the All – Academic selection. The Centaurs senior forward Galina Gruder was chosen the tourney Most Outstanding Player and her teammate Abby Willis was an All – Tournament team selection.
The Most Outstanding Player in the Boys’ Clipper Classic was Killingly’s Derek Grzysiewicz. He was joined on the All – Tournament team by his teammates Owen Guillot and Alex Torcoletti. Also on the All- Tourney unit was the Putnam trio of Dan Porcic, Jeremee Perez and Shawn Audet. The Clippers’ Steve Dakai and Guillot of Killingly were named to the All – Academic Squad.
Sick Call
Shawn Audet, Putnam’s senior guard, is on the disabled list for the next four to six weeks, leaving the Clippers without the player who was their leading scorer through the first five games of the young season. Audet, the nephew of former Putnam football and basketball standout Trevor Smith, broke his finger during football season. Rather than improving, the finger got worse and became infected, which forced Audet to have surgery to rectify the situation. As might be expected the young man is disappointed that he’ll be out of action but is hoping to be back for the end of the season.
College Watch
In a recent game Quinnipiac University tipped off against the University of Maine, the Bobcats of coach Tom Moore prevailed over the Black Bears 81-64. The contest had a definite northeastern Connecticut flavor with four hoopsters with local connections on the hardwood.
Quinnipiac big man and ex-Marianapolis standout Ousmane Drame was the game’s high scorer with 20 points, while his teammate Chaise Daniels formerly of Putnam Science Academy, had two points. The Maine Black Bears featured ex-PSA Mustang Shaun Lawton who had 11 points and 6-foot, 9-inch Elijah Ejiga, who starred at Hyde-Woodstock, chipping in two points. The coach of Maine is former Rhode Island College coach, the popular Bobby Walsh.
In a 66-60 loss to St. Peter’s, Drame registered seven points and Daniels four on a 2-for-2 performance. The Bobcats are 6-5.
RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: “You’ve got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going ‘cause you might not get there.” Yogi Berra
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