Bow Wow pg 1 10-31-13
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Bow Wow Halloween
Heinz Greiter, 21 months, of Southbridge, takes in all of the Trick or Treat festivities in downtown Putnam. More photos on page 6. Linda Lemmon photo.
Old pg 1 10-31-13
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WOODSTOCK — Another hurdle was cleared for the rare historic sawmill, Chamberlin Mill, when the IRS recently granted tax exempt status to Chamberlin Mill, Inc. This non-profit organization was established in 2012 by citizens interested in saving a rare historic sawmill on the Still River in Woodstock as a cultural asset for the region. Tax exemption is seen as a critical step in the on-going preservation effort. Chamberlin Mill board member Lyn Smith said, “The tax exempt non-profit status is crucial to fund-raising efforts that will stabilize this important cultural resource. The mill will serve as an educational opportunity across a wide range of interests, including industrial and New England history, post and beam construction, and the environment.” Jean McClellan, president of Chamberlin Mill, Inc., added, “We are very lucky to have found our way through the tax exemption approval process. Incorporation, a year ago, was the easy part. Then we waited 10 months for the IRS to take a look at our application. In the end, review of our application was expedited with the support of Rep. Joe Courtney’s office. Once on the fast track, approval was swift. If it had not been expedited, we could have expected many more months of waiting. We are extremely grateful to Rep. Courtney’s office, and eager to move forward with next steps for saving the mill.” Chamberlin Mill is the last standing structure in Woodstock that can give an idea of early water-driven small industries. All that remains of the other old mills that were sprinkled along dammable rivers and brooks are foundations, or suggestions of foundations. The fate is the same for most small, early New England mills. The Chamberlin structure is considered rare well beyond Woodstock. Nicholas Bellantoni, state archaeologist, has written that he considers Chamberlin “one of the most important small-scale industrial sites I have ever seen in New England.” Dave Haines, president of the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills, calls it “a gem.” Since at least the late 1700s, there has been a mill at the Chamberlin site. Early deed research conducted by historian, Myron Stachiw, indicates that there was a grist mill as well as a sawmill in early years. From about 1800, for over two centuries, the mill was passed down in one family, from Abijah Sessions to his descendants, who included four generations of Chamberlins. The structure that we see today dates to the later part of the 19th century, though there is evidence of earlier mill configuration in the foundation. Since The Nature Conservancy acquired the property in 2008, it has been working with the Woodstock Historical Society, Woodstock Historic Properties Commission, and other interested citizens to find a way to preserve the mill. Chamberlin Mill Inc. was formed for this purpose. To date, a structural conditions assessment and feasibility study have been completed for the mill, funded by matching grants from The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. Also, through another matching grant from the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills, the mill has been shored up for the immediate future. A cadre of devoted volunteers has worked to secure and maintain the site, to inventory and remove relevant material, and to research the history of the mill and its environs. Significant long-term stabilization and restoration work lies ahead. Funding for this work will be the primary focus of Chamberlin Mill, Inc. for the next few years. While it will be perhaps five years or more before the mill is fully stabilized, it has already begun serving an educational purpose. In the past few years, the mill has been host to a national tour of the Society for Industrial Archaeology, students from the Yale school of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and other interest groups. It has also participated in The Last Green Valley’s Walktober program, and held several public events. Chamberlin Mill, Inc. hopes to provide many more educational opportunities in the future. It also hopes to restore at least some of the original equipment found in the mill and now in safe storage. It is actively looking for replacement parts for an 1873 Lane # 1 Circular Saw. To find out more about the mill, its history, events, and opportunities for getting involved, check out Chamberlin Mill, Inc.’s website: www.chamberlinmill.org.
Woodstock pg 1 10-31-13
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caption:
They're Off
The middle school boys and girls are off and running during the Quinebaug Valley Junior Conference. Courtesy photos.
Special to the Putnam Town Crier
The Woodstock boys and girls middle school cross country teams pulled off a clean sweep in the Quinebaug Valley Junior Conference championships held last week at Stonebridge Road Field in Woodstock. Both squads outraced the 12-team fields. The boys edged The Rectory School 44 to 45 and the girls far outpaced second-place Griswold 26 to 67.
Brooklyn’s Brouillard Runs Away with Female Title
Despite a strong team effort by coach Aaron Murray’s Woodstock harriers, the female race belonged to Brooklyn’s Brooke Brouillard who crossed the finish line with the best time of the day, in either race, at 13:12 for the 2.1-mile event. Brouillard finished exactly one minute in front of second-place finisher Kate Boshka of Woodstock who posted a 14:12 time.
Brouillard, who is the area’s newest running sensation, is the real deal. She was recently coming off another first-place finish, which she accomplished at the junior high school meet of the prestigious Wickham Park Invitational. Her coach Dave Partyka characterizes her as a hard worker with loads of talent. As an eighth grader from Brooklyn she’s currently contemplating her choice of high school for next season.
The champion Woodstock team had its success because it ran as a team, placing runners in second, third, fourth, seventh and 12th place. Running behind Boshka to the finish line were Hannah Matsas (3rd – 14:24), Aria Gianfriddo (4th – 14:43), Eden Law (7th – 14:56) and Megan Gohn (12th – 15:16).
Boys Race Decided by a Single point
Despite getting off to a confusing start as to the direction of the course, the QVJC boys’ race was literally a fight to the finish with Woodstock Middle School edging The Rectory School by the narrowest of margins, one point.
Nick Smith of Rectory was the medalist, finishing first in a time of 13:14, edging Woodstock’s Ryan Wojciechowski by a mere two seconds. The two runners waged a battle over the 2.1-mile layout along with a pair of Rectory runners, Nikkei Rutty (3rd – 13:21) and Yudai Yamakawa (4th – 13:23).
Behind Wojciechowski for Woodstock were Jake Racicot (8th – 13:48), Ryan Pollock (10th – 14:05), Aidan Boisvert (11th – 14:07) and Spencer Collins (15th – 14:19). The team effort provided the margin of victory for Woodstock.
Putnam Middle School Results
Putnam Middle School boys finished 9th in the 12-team event. The team’s top finisher was Connor Holloman, who placed 6th and posted a time of 13:32. He was the lone Putnam harrier in the Top 25. Rachel Hultzman finished 20th in the girls race with a time of 15:27. Like her counterpart Holloman, she was the only Putnam female in the Top 25. The Putnam girls’ team placed 7th in the 12-team field.
In the girls’race the local contenders included: 4. Pomfret: 8 Siegmond Clara, 15:02.5; 18 Bates Joshlyn, 15:27.0; 22 Leah Randolph, 15:52.5; 24 Ashwell Tori, 15:59.4; 26 Sarantopoulos Emma, 16:03.3
7. Putnam: 20 Rachel Hultzman, 15:37.7; 28 Victoria Dias, 16:06.6; 70 Kayleigh Lyons, 17:21.6; 91 Jillian Romagnano, 18:06.2; 94 Anna Farland, 18:12.1
In the boys’ race the local contenders included:
2. Rectory: 1 Nick Smith, 13:14.4; 3 Nikkei Rutty, 13:21.6; 4 Yudai Yamakawa, 13:23.8; 14 Isaac Tang, 14:17.8; 23 Anthony Garcia, 14:40.1. 3. Pomfret: 7 Rogers John, 13:44.4; 12 Bates Eric, 14:13.5; 17 Roethlein, 14:21.7; 25 Casper Cannon, 14:44.8; 29 Alessandro Grant, 15:15.4.
9. Putnam: 6 Connor Holloman, 13:32.8; 34 Michael Ionkin, 15:28.7; 50 Carter LeBlanc, 16:12.5; 54 Andrew Kustov, 16:21.6; 66 Victor Krivosheev, 17:16.4.
Then and Now pg 2 10-31-13
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Then
This is the Putnam High School Class of 1929. Putnam Town Crier file photos.
& Now
This is Putnam High School today. Renovations begin next year.