4-H pg 7 3-14-13

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caption:


Fund-raising
The Heart of Our Camp 4-H Lodge renovation fund-raising effort kicked off recently.Foundation President, Jane Rider, and Dave Conrad, from Citizens National Bank, one of the major donors, point the fund-raising thermometer in the right direction.  Courtesy photo.


4-H raising
Lodge funds
POMFRET — March 1,  a group of teen campers, Windham County 4-H Foundation members, camp staff and invited guests gathered at the 4-H Lodge to kick off the public portion of the Heart of the Camp capital campaign. 
Opening remarks were made by Jane Rider, Foundation president, and Heather Logee, Youth Program director.
Special guests were then introduced:  Dave Conrad, representing Citizens National Bank, one of the major donors, shared a story about how he first started attending 4-H camp in New York when he was an adolescent.
Bea Buell, 97, a representative of the founding families, was a 4-H counselor before the camp in Pomfret was even built. 
She shared remembrances of how excited they all were when the property was located and purchased so that the 4-H camp program would have a permanent home. 
Others present including current foundation members, camp staff and current campers shared reflections on how camp and 4-H has inspired them. 
A mailing is going to more than 3,000 former campers and 4-H friends, asking them to support the lodge renovation project with a donation.  
Contributions to the lodge renovation project are welcome.  Checks may be made out to the Windham County 4-H Foundation and mailed to 326 Taft Pond Rd., Pomfret Center, CT 06259.  Check out our website at www.4hcampct.org  for more information about camp programs and our lodge renovation project or call the Foundation office at 860-974-3379.

Obituaries pg 8 3-14-13

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Keith Cassell,
carpenter
DANIELSON — Keith A. Cassell, 42, of School Street, died suddenly, March 5, 2013, in an auto accident. He was the husband of Danielle (Thompson) Cassell. They were married Sept. 4, 1999.
He was born March 18, 1970, in New Haven, son of Carolyn (Gervasio) Gregory of Clinton, and Dale Cassell of Milford.
Keith was a skilled carpenter working construction for many years. He enjoyed gardening, working around the house, fishing and crabbing. He loved spending time with his family and dirt biking with his son. He was very Intelligent, a great handyman.
Keith was a graduate of Hand High School in Madison and of Johnson & Wales Culinary Institute with a degree in management and culinary arts. He was an excellent guitarist and played in several bands while in high school. Keith was an avid lifelong New York Yankee fan.
He leaves his wife Danielle Cassell of Danielson; his mother Carolyn; his father Dale (Sally) Cassell; children Gage Cassell and Scarlett Cassell of Danielson; sisters Robin Page of Silverthorne, Colo., Holly Cassell of Encinitas, Calif.; a nephew Joseph Knight.
The Funeral Service was March 11 at the Church of the Nazarene Church, Willimantic, with burial in Grove Street Cemetery, Putnam.  Donations: “The Cassell Children”, c/o First Niagara Bank, 250 East Main St., Clinton, CT 06413.  Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

 Edward R. Fleury
PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Edward R. Fleury, 62, of Pawtucket, died March 4, 2013, at Rhode Island Hospital, Providence.
Edward was born April 19, 1950, in Pawtucket, son of Mae (Wolchesky) Fleury and the late Edward Fleury.
He leaves in addition to his mother Mae; a daughter: Darlene DeRoy of Rhode Island; a son Douglas Fleury of Baltimore; brother Paul Fleury of Orange Park, Fla.; two grandchildren; two nieces April and Dawn, cousins.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held at Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

Sophie F. Majercik
WILSONVILLE — Sophie F. Majercik, 94, ended her long life’s journey on March 7, 2013.  She was the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Macek) Majercik.  Sophie was born in Webster, raised in Wilsonville, and spent most of her life in the Webster and Dudley area.
Sophie – also known as “Sherry” to some of her friends in years gone by – worked in several factories in the area including The Record Corporation of New England (Webster Record) and Stevens Linen from which she retired in the mid-1980s.
Sophie was an avid reader and enjoyed visiting the Pearle Crawford Library for many years – bringing home baked goodies to the staff there.  She had fond memories of weekends in New York City and trips to Niagara Falls and Montreal.  Sophie’s best memory was of the year she lived in San Francisco, during the 1940s.  She was young, carefree, and fell in love with the City by the Bay. Sophie was a strong, independent, hard working woman who was also loving and kind.  As a single parent, she struggled to provide a safe, secure environment for her child and she succeeded beyond measure.  It is a testament to her courage, caring, and dignity that she excelled at what she considered her most important job – being a good parent.
She leaves her daughter, Lee Ann Majercik of Webster, and Lee Ann’s companion, Walter W. Swett Jr. Sophie was also aunt and great-aunt to many nieces and nephews.  She was one of 11 children and the last surviving sibling.  She was predeceased by her brothers, Anthony Majercik, Andrew Majercik, Joseph Majercik, Paul Majercik and John Majercik; sisters, Mary Stefanik, Elizabeth Labbe, Clara Majercik, Susan McGuiness and Anna Zabka.
Calling hours will be held from 10 a.m. to noon March 9, at Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, 48 School St., Webster.  No funeral service.  Donations: Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609.

 Mildred C. Reynolds
THOMPSON — Mildred C. Reynolds, “Millie”, 90, of Thompson, died March 10, 2013, at Day Kimball Hospital, Putnam, after a brief illness.
Millie was born April 20, 1922, in Oxford, Mass., to Arthur and Fannie (Miller) Cunningham. She lived in Thompson for most of her life. Millie married Robert Reynolds on June 6, 1942. Together, they operated their dairy farm in Thompson. They traveled extensively in their retirement. Bob died in 2003. Millie loved her family, her church, her friends, her garden, and quilting.
Millie leaves her son: Ted Reynolds of Thompson; daughter: Donna Lynch (Brian) of Thompson; grandson Sean Lynch and Ashley LaBrecque of Griswold; granddaughter, Alissa Lynch of Boston.
Calling hours are from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 15 at Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam. A Memorial Service will be at 11 a.m. March 16 at the Emanuel Lutheran Church, 83 Main St., N. Grosvenordale. Donations: Day Kimball Hospital, PO Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260.

Scrapchansky pg 9 3-14-13

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By Ron P. Coderre
It’s like “déjà vu” all over again as the famous Yogi Berra would say.  It was almost exactly one year ago that an announcement came out of Woodstock Academy naming Mike Scrapchansky as coach of the Centaurs baseball team.  This year the announcement is being made by the administration of Killingly High School.
Principal Andrew Rockett recently announced the appointment of Scrapchansky as the new diamond mentor for the Redmen.  He succeeds longtime coach Dan Vogt who stepped down in December 2012.  In actuality, Scrapchansky succeeds Michael O”Keefe of Hamden, a former minor league player, who was hired on February 21.  O’Keefe unexpectedly told the school recently that he had had a change of heart and resigned for personal reasons.  
Scrapchansky comes home to Killingly High School, his alma mater, with a solid baseball background as a player.  He’s a 1987 Killingly High School graduate, who earned four varsity baseball letters as a speedy, strong-armed center fielder and better than average hitter with the Redmen.  He was honored by being named Class L All-State in his junior and senior seasons.  He moved on from Killingly to have four solid seasons at the University of Hartford, where he graduated in 1991.  While at UHart he served as the team captain in his senior season and was named a Div. I COSIDA Academic All American.  During his tenure at Hartford one of his teammates was former Houston Astros all-star Jeff Bagwell.
While in high school, Scrapchansky also roamed center field for the Danielson American Legion baseball team.  It was during a Legion game on the “old” Plainfield High School diamond that Scrapchansky incurred a serious eye injury when he ran head-on into the stone wall in the outfield while chasing down a fly ball at full speed.  Although Scrapchansky was able to eventually return to the diamond, the injury most likely prevented him from furthering his career on the professional level.
The new Killingly baseball coach has had a “vagabond-type” high school coaching career.  In 2012 Woodstock under Scrapchansky was a disappointing 4-16 overall and 2-8 in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Large Division, playing all its games on the road due to the construction of the artificial turf football field which wreaked havoc with the baseball diamond.  He also had a two-year stint as varsity coach at Hyde School – Woodstock.  And prior to his Hyde experience served as an assistant at Tourtellotte Memorial High School under legendary Coach Tom Auclair.  Scrapchansky has also witnessed the game from another perspective, serving as an umpire for 10 seasons on the Eastern CT Board of Approved Umpires.
The coaching “merry-go-round” continues to spin, not only at Killingly but at many of the other area high schools.  Getting individuals who can devote long term tenures to coaching positions is akin to pitching a perfect game.  It occurs infrequently.  Only time will tell if Killingly has grabbed the “brass ring” in hiring one of its own, Mike Scrapchansky.
Serving as the team’s assistant is another Killingly grad, Jack Weaver.