Winner pg 8 12-16-21
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Winner
Dan Ramos, right, of the Putnam Fire Department, accepts the Tri-State Firefighters Meet's top trophy for the Oldest In Service for the department's 1992 KME Pumper. Courtesy photo.
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Track pg 1 12-23-21
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caption, page 2:
Relay
Woodstock sophomore Talia Tremblay, above, helped the Centaurs to a first-place finish. Photo by Magdalena Myslenski/Woodstock Academy. At right, senior Keenan LaMontagne gets ready for the shotput. Teammate Christian Menounos watches. Photo by Josh Welch/Woodstock Academy.
Track teams
open very
short season
The indoor track regular season for both the Woodstock Academy boys’ and girls’ track teams will essentially be over before the holiday season comes to an end.
The Centaurs have enjoyed their association with Southern Worcester County schools that allowed them to participate in team competitions on a regular basis through the winter months.
But the pandemic changed things and the Massachusetts option is not available, at least, for this season.
Woodstock participated in the first of three ECC developmental meets Dec. 18. The teams will have two more, Dec. 23 and Dec. 30.
“That’s the regular season,” said coach Josh Welch. “There is the possibility of another date in January (Jan. 8 at UConn), then there is a long gap to the first week in February with the ECC championship.”
But in those ECC meets, there are restrictions. For example, in some of those meets, there is a 1-mile competition and in others, it’s the 2-mile, same with relays.
“The only chances we will have to qualify (after the developmental meets for state competition) are in meets outside our conference and who knows what will happen in the ECC (championship),” said Welch.
Meanwhile The Centaurs are scheduled to compete on Jan. 14 and 22 and Feb. 1 in several meets at the new indoor track facility at Bethel High School.
“These are invitationals that we typically don’t see so to be invited to compete in a new $10 million indoor track facility with a 200-meter track, dedicated sprint lanes and all this other stuff, including a fast surface, is great. We will see competition that we will see in Class L,” Welch said.
One of those invitationals is for only pentathletes and distance competitors.
“That’s great for some of our kids like (junior) Bella (Sorrentino) who was eighth in the state last year and her sister, (freshman) Mia, looks like she is headed in that direction too so that’s exciting for those kids. For some our distance runners, Bethel was great competition for us in States and so was E.O. Smith and some other teams that we will see out there and not in the ECC’s,” Welch said. The Class L state championship comes up on Feb. 12 in New Haven.
The Centaurs have approximately 60 student-athletes out for the two programs.
“I would always love to see more. When we go up against Norwich Free Academy and East Lyme with our 25 girls, that will be about half what those teams may produce. It’s tough to tell where we will line up there and makes it tough to figure out relays but the numbers have been steady between mid-50’s and mid-60’s,” Welch said.
On the boys’ side, Welch is excited about two promising throwers: Senior Keenan LaMontagne is hoping to use the work indoors to close in on some school outdoor records especially in the discus.
“It’s just shotput indoors but it’s a great opportunity to get him in and training. His father is coaching throwers for us which is awesome and he will get a lot of lifting in and will get to throw the shot which will make him a more well-rounded thrower. He could be up there in the shotput competition in Class L this year,” Welch said.
Lamontagne finished third Dec. 18 in the shotput with a throw of 43-feet, 6-inches and qualified for the states. Jared Eaton is a first-time indoor track athlete as a senior and is already throwing over 40 feet in the shotput. Eaton also qualified for state competition as he finished fourth in the shot and took first in the high jump.
Senior Ian Hoffman is a promising mid-distance runner and showed off his pole vault talents by finishing first Dec. 18.
With distance runners Seamus Lippy and Vincente Bastura likely to get some points for the Centaurs in the championship meets. Bastura was second in the mile in the first developmental meet. Junior Liam Wilcox will also be helpful in the high and long jump for the Centaurs this season.
On the girls’ side, the Sorrentinos are talented athletes who compete in multiple events.
Bella Sorrentino participated in gymnastics last winter. Bella Sorrentino was torn because she felt like high school would be her last hurrah in gymnastics as it will likely be track that she pursues in college.
“Obviously, I told her, I would say to come and do my sport but you have to go where your heart is and she decided to come and do this. It’s awesome. Her heptathlon last year was a big encouragement for her to see what she could do. She’s a Swiss Army knife, I can put that kid in anything and she will score points,” Welch said.
Sorrentino and her sister, Mia, who is working on the shotput, high jump and pole vault, are not the only newcomers Welch is excited about. Freshman Julia Allard is already running sub-13 seconds in the 100-meter.
Allard holds the Woodstock Middle School record in the event, but will still have to come down a bit to repeat that feat at The Academy which is 12.3 seconds. Allard is also learning how to hurdle this winter.
Allard was first in the dash Dec. 18, qualifying for the States, and was second in the 55-meter hurdles.
Senior Linsey Arends, the ECC cross-country individual champ, returns to run the mile indoor in which she is already the school record-holder with a 5 minute, 21 second effort. She’s working to get the outdoor record come spring, but will have to drop 18 seconds off her time.
“The way that she showed increased strength and speed in cross-country, especially ECC championships, she is a lot quicker and tougher than when she ran 5:21,” Welch said.
In her first meet Dec. 18, she placed second in the mile, qualifying for state competition with a 5:41 finish
Lauren Brule and Julia Coyle will both help in the mid and longer distances this winter and Jill Edwards will score points in the jumps, hurdles and relays.
Talia Tremblay, a sophomore like Edwards, is looking strong in both the 300 and 600-meter sprints. Tremblay was impressive Dec. 18, finishing first in the 600-meter. Ava Coutu placed second in the 300-meter.
“I would love to see what we can do in the ECC championship meet. I think we can put some pressure on some of the bigger teams, who knows who will have what at this point and who will be healthy, but I think we have enough talent to take some top spots in a handful of events and be in the running,” Welch said. “We’re also pushing the team aspect. Maybe an athlete like Linsey doubles up to help us with points. We’re trying to build that team culture because we will need it in outdoors.”
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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Belding pg 1 12-23-21
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By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Belding Heminway mill is again looking at an auction.
A Superior Court judge this month ordered the auction of 107 Providence Street and 94 Providence Street. The auction is set for noon Jan. 8 at the mill.
After a five-year journey through state Superior Court Judicial District of Windham, with defendant 107 Providence Street Associates LLC seldom responding, ICB Enterprise Initiative LLC was successful in court and the auction was set.
According to court documents, the legal action began in April 2016 when Donat Charron and Muriel Charron sued 107 Providence Street Associates LLC for a default on the balance of $300,000. The complaint said the principal balance due was $182,592.19, plus interest plus Putnam taxes of over $8,000 and Water Pollution Control Authority sewer and water fees of more than $3,000.
In 2018 the town of Putnam held a tax auction on the property. The winning bid was $66,409.88 by Eggoman LLC. The auction rules allow the owners of the property six months to pay the outstanding taxes. If they are not paid, the winning bidder is the new owner of the property. The day before the six-month mark, ICB Enterprise Initiative LLC, the successor to Donat and Muriel Charron, paid the taxes and fees. The auction was retroactively cancelled.
In May 2019 the court allowed ICB Enterprise Initiative LLC in as the substituted plaintiff.
Earlier this year the lawsuit was amended to correct incomplete Exhibit information.
Originally the lawsuit was against 107 Providence Street Associates LLC plus tenants Biosensory Inc. DSM Design LLC, Schoolhouse Design Inc. and Engineered Construction International Inc. The tenants were removed from the lawsuit in June as they “no longer had an interest in the property.”
That left 107 Providence Street Associates LLC. Putnam Tax Assessor’s records show the co-owner as Ellis Paine of 44 Canterbury Road, Brooklyn. ICB Enterprise Initiative LLC, according to Secretary of State records, lists three principals Isabel Chandana Balachandran, Kallippatti Sundaramurthy Balachandran and Thiruveni Balachandran.
After 107 Providence St. failed to respond, Judge Jack W. Fischer issued a judgment of foreclosure by sale. The debt listed in court papers, as of Sept. 20, 2021, is: Debt - $380,212.07; attorney fees – 2,475 for a total of $382,687.07.Appraisal fees are $1,500; title search $225. The fair market value is listed as $620,000.
According to The Putnam River Mill Heritage & River Trails map history, Belding Mill was originally known as the Powhattan Mill. The brick four-story mill was built by George M. Morse in 1872. “It has “segmental arch” windows with brick sill and Mansard roof with round-headed dormers. Freight doors open to each level in the central hoist tower. Owner Morse ran 20,000 spindles and 416 looms for cotton manufacture here in 1884. Viewed from the bridge, the 115-foot-long, 10-foot-high dam retains much masonry from its original construction, including an arched opening on the west side to drain the pond. The dam provided Powhattan with 15 1/2’ head and 200 horsepower augmented by a steam plant behind the mill. The Belding-Corticelli Thread Company bought Powhattan in 1918 and operated it until its closing. East of the mill, along Powhattan and Mohegan Streets, stand 20 double-entry, wood frame, workers’ dwellings also built in 1872.”
It was the town’s largest employer from 1900 to 1950, according to the Putnam Economic and Community Development office.
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Paying pg 1 12-23-21
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caption:
Wreaths Across America
Veterans are framed by the wreaths they placed in Putnam's Wreaths Across America tribute. More photos on page 4. Linda Lemmon photo.
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The raw weather was no match for solemnity and patriotism Dec. 18.
Wreaths Across America took place at noon across the nation, and in local towns, including in Veterans Memorial Park in Putnam.
The tribute, which started in 1992 and took off in 2007, said Michael Rocchetti, senior vice commander of American Legion Post #13, is a remembrance of Putnam area veterans, past and present, as well as MIA and POW service members.
Rocchetti gave the audience a brief history of wreaths and of Wreaths Across America. The wreath, he said, is evergreen which symbolizes everlasting life and its circle shape represents God — no beginning and no end, he said.
Hans Lowell, commander of the Albert Breault VFW Post 1523, challenged all those in attendance to “sit down with anyone who served. Include them in your holiday festivities.” He added “Reach out to someone in the military. Find out how they’re doing and include them in your holiday.”
Ronald P. Coderre, former commander of American Legion Post 13 and District 4, recalled the history of the tribute in Putnam, with kudos to the late Town Administrator Doug Cutler, and said the mission of the wreaths is to “remember, honor and teach.”
Deputy Mayor and veteran Roy Simmons also inspired, leaving with the quote from Bill Clinton: “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.”
Marc Coderre, senior chaplain of the legion, did the invocation; Emily Lajoie (U.S. Army National Guard specialist), sang the National Anthem. The honor guard included: Frank Tremont, Michael Vassar, Walter Larochelle and Russ Waters. Taps was played by Tyler Eddy. The riflemen were Curt Prochowski and Chas MacKenzie.
Wreaths were placed by Brian Maynard (U.S. Army), Fred Veltheim (U.S. Marine Corp.), Alan Joslin (U.S. Navy), Barbara smith (U.S. Air Force/Space Force), Thomas Lajoie (U.S. Coast Guard), Peter Trama (U.S. Merchant Marines) and Victor Kratz (POW/MIA/U.S. Army). A wreath was also thrown into the Quinebaug River.
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