PHS Wall pg 3 10-31-24
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Wall of Honor recipients at Putnam High School Oct. 26. Five were honored, four of them posthumously. More photos Wed. night on our FB page: Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger. Linda Lemmon photo.
PUTNAM — The Putnam High School community Oct. 26 inducted five into its Wall of Honor.
Inductees includes: William Perry Barber, Class of 1925; William Kelleher, Class of 1949; Roger Franklin, Class of 1956; Harold Alvord, Class of 1962 and Albert Cormier for service to the school. All except Franklin are posthumous inductees. The Wall of Honor was founded in 2017 and with these inductees, there are 30 honorees.
William Perry Barber served two terms as Putnam’s mayor in the 1940s and then compiled an outstanding political and judicial career at the State level.
William Kelleher was an outstanding football and track athlete while at Putnam High School before continuing his education at Brown and UConn where he continued to establish school records in track. He developed a number of athletes who earned All American honors and one Olympic competitor.
Roger Franklin was a graduate of Norwich University where he was commissioned Second Lieutenant. Following active duty he was assigned to serve in various training command and staff positions before retiring as a Colonel in 1992. He served in the Connecticut Labor department for 36 years before turning his attention to local volunteer community services, including over 18,000 hours at Day Kimball Hospital.
Harold Alvord was a military veteran who served in Vietnam where he was injured when his helicopter was shot down. He retired after reaching the rank of Colonel and went on to become Director of Public Works in Norwalk where obligations.
Albert Cormier will be the first inductee who is not a graduate of Putnam High School but was recognized for his contributions while serving as the school’s guidance counselor. He introduced new programs and opportunities and more importantly developed a rapport with students that played a significant role in their high school development and beyond.
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PHS Seniors pg 4 10-31-24
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PHS seniors
team up for
clean-up
In a display of community spirit and civic responsibility, the senior class of Putnam High School joined forces with the Putnam Great Pumpkin Festival Committee to plan a community-wide clean-up effort. The Senior Day of Service event was organized by PHS teacher Shane Donahue for Oct. 17, two days before the festival.
The clean-up initiative aimed to ensure that Putnam put its best foot forward for the influx of visitors expected at the festival. Seniors were divided into four teams, each assigned to different areas of the community. They focused on public spaces, parks, and hiking trails, collecting litter and raking up leaves as they went. Reflecting on the work PHS students completed, senior Maddie Lamothe said “It was rewarding to clean up a space that is utilized by the public.”
School officials said the collaboration between the high school seniors and the festival committee exemplified the strong sense of community pride and civic responsibility that Putnam is known for. By taking an active role in beautifying their town, these young adults demonstrated their commitment to their community and set a powerful example for their peers and younger residents. Their efforts underscored the importance of collective action in maintaining the charm and appeal of Putnam, while also instilling a sense of ownership and pride in the town’s appearance. Senior Whitney Pynn said, “This is an important tradition because it allows seniors to demonstrate the citizen aspect of the PHS Vision of a Putnam Learner”
The Great Putnam Pumpkin Festival is one of the town’s biggest annual events. It attracts thousands of visitors of all ages from across the region, showcasing local crafts, games, and of course, pumpkin-inspired food and beverages from the fabulous local restaurants. Officials said thanks to the cooperative effort of PHS’ seniors and staff and the Great Pumpkin Festival Committee, Putnam looked beautiful for this festive annual tradition. In addition to this project, many Putnam High School students were pleased to give back to their community by fund-raising during the Great Pumpkin Festival for two nonprofit groups, Relay for Life and the Putnam II Leo Club.
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Trick or treat pg 4 10-31-24
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Trick or Treat
Clockwise from top left:
From left: Connor White, Vera Wlaszkiewicz, Izabella White and Elizabeth Cassano had a great time.
Phoenix DeBrito, 5, of Griswold. Expanded photo array on Wed. night on our FB page.
Raquel Curry, 2, was tuckered out.
Vet park pg 5 10-31-24
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Left: Ellis masonry students with Elliott Hayden (left) and Rob Challinor and Alan Joslin (right). Above: Putting in pavers. Below: Drilling holes for flag poles. Expanded photo array on our FB page Wed. night: Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger.
Veterans Park is in the homestretch
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The Veterans Park renaissance is closing in on its rededication Nov. 10.
More than 500 honor pavers are due this week, according to Veterans Advisory Committee Chair Robert Challinor. The company that makes the pavers is in Florida so the pavers were held up a bit.
Once they come in, Challinor and veteran Alan Joslin will put two coats of sealer on the bottom of the pavers and three coats on top. Then the masonry students from Ellis Tech will be back to install them.
Last week 18 masonry students, along with department head Elliott Hayden, made short work of about 150 pavers in the Court of Honor, installed five benches and two trash cans and drilled 12 holes for the Color Guards flags.
Three more granite monuments are due before the Nov 10 ceremony for the park. They will be for Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom. They will follow the same shape and style as the Korean war monument.
In addition, the bronze plaques for the WWII monuments will not be finished in time for the Nov. 10 event. Challinor said they will put banners on those two monuments.
He added he and Joslin will be touching up the bollards that surround the Court of Honor around the flagpole.
Asked if he has had other towns inquire about how to create a veterans park, he said yes. He tells them to make a plan and then execute it. He said the support is “grassroots.” It proves that “the community supports this – it’s not just veterans,” he said. He’s watched the face of the park change. It looks one way during the day and at dusk “it’s not the same park. It’s somber.” And almost any time he goes by, there’s someone visiting the Court of Honor.
“This has been an amazing community effort,” said veteran and mayor Barney Seney.
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