KILLINGLY — Three men were arrested Feb. 3 after police executed two narcotics-related warrants at 105 Maple St., third floor.

Arrested were: Alberto Quadra, AKA: “Black”, 37, Alexis Sanchez AKA: “Budda,” 36, and Luis Torres, 36, all of 105 Maple St., 3rd floor.

They were charged with possession of crack cocaine, possession of crack cocaine with intent to sell and operating a drug factory.

Executing the warrants, members of the Troop-D Quality of Life Task Force, the Statewide Narcotics Task Force-East Office, and the members assigned to the Killingly Resident Troopers Office and Troop D Troopers found approximately 52.6 grams of “crack” cocaine and 29 individually pre-packaged rocks of crack cocaine ready for street sales. The estimated street value of the crack cocaine was approximately $4000.  Also found were digital scales, packaging equipment, and approximately $1500. 

Members of the CT State Police are committed to combating drug activity in the “Quiet Corner” and anyone with information regarding the illegal sale of narcotics and /or synthetic marijuana are encouraged to call the  anonymous Tips Hotline at 860-779-4950 or message the QLTF Facebook page.

 

Boys’ Wrap-up

Down the 

stretch – some

fading, some

making a run

By Ron P. Coderre

In a week that’s turned into a do-or-die situation for some, high school and prep schools played a full slate of games.  The results, for some determined whether they would move on to the post season, while others would be preparing to pack up the equipment and uniforms for the season.

Plainfield, with a pair of victories, is the only team that definitely knows it’s moving on to the CIAC Tournament.  On the other end of the spectrum, Tourtellotte and Ellis Tech are simply going through the motions, as the two teams are eliminated from postseason play.

Caught in the middle are Woodstock Academy, Putnam and Killingly.  The Centaurs, needing two wins in their final three games, are on the bubble.  Killingly needs three wins in its final five games, while Putnam is in a perilous situation, requiring four victories in its final five contests.

Putnam Science Academy lost its only game of the week.  The Mustangs at 21-4 should still be in contention for the National Prep Tournament but must play extraordinary basketball in its final five games.

Pomfret School, at 10-7, is poised to get into the NEPSAC-B tournament.  Marianapolis V1 has to be considered the biggest disappointment of the preps and is in jeopardy of moving on following the regular season.  The Little Golden Knights picked up a pair of wins this week, raising their record to 8-6.  Hyde-Woodstock despite going 1-1 on the week will most likely finish the season below the .500 week.

Plainfield on a Roll

The Plainfield Panthers picked up two wins last week, one of the nail biting variety and the other a laugher.  The Panthers, 12-4 overall and 5-3 in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Medium Division, managed a satisfying 76-75 win over Montville to open the week.  Knotted at 61 apiece at the end of three quarters, Plainfield, which was led by the trio of Steve Jankowski (19), David Carpenter (18) and Liam Jacobs (16), managed to slip by, outscoring Montville 15-14 in the final stanza.

In its other contest Plainfield scored 15 points in each of the four quarters to easily beat Tourtellotte 60-29.  The J & J boys, Jankowski and Jacobs paced the win with 16 points apiece.  Hapless Tourtellotte fell to 0-17 and 0-10 in the ECC Small Division.  The Tigers were 0-3 on the week, also losing to St. Bernard 55-26 and Griswold 55-33.

Woodstock Academy, which a mere two years ago was the toast of the town following its Class L title, is struggling to make the tourney this season.  The Centaurs, who were handed one of the most rugged schedules in the history of the program, are 6-11 on the season and 3-6 in the ECC Large Division.  Last week the Centaurs were able to pick up one win in three contests, beating East Lyme 72-60.  The Acads had four players in double figures led by Luke Blodgett with 18 points and Adam Converse with 17.  Oliver Simon chipped in 15 and Bryce Jarrett added a dozen.

In its other two contests Woodstock was felled by Ledyard 82-38 and Waterford 79-42.  The losses left Centaurs coach Greg Smith and the Woodstock faithful scratching their heads, wondering where they can find two more wins to qualify for the postseason.

Killingly appears to be waking up from its season long snooze, as the Redmen posted two wins last week.  The Redmen unleashed an offensive barrage beating Stonington 81-68 before edging Montville 69-64 in overtime.  Freshman Chace Wood hit a pair of free throws at the end of regulation to force the overtime.  Brendan Turner with 15 points and Owen Guillot and Ben Desaulnier with 13 apiece were in double digits for Killingly.  The Redmen are 5-10 and 3-5 in the ECC Medium Division.

Putnam, which is 4-11 overall and 4-4 in the Constitution State Conference-East, picked up an 83-46 win over Windham Tech but fell to Amistad Academy on the road 64-52.  Freshman Dan Porcic poured in 21 big points to lead the Clippers to the win over the Techsters.  Shawn Audet (10), Jacob Guertin (14) and Matt Harmon (12) were also in double digits.  The Clippers trailed throughout in the loss to Amistad.  Audet (10) and Guertin (14) were the only players to hit double figures for Putnam.

Ellis Tech dropped to 3-14 and 1-8 in the CSC-East when it was beaten 78-57 by Norwich Tech.

PSA Suffers Unusual Loss

Putnam Science Academy, which was ranked 3rd in the Nation in prep school basketball, jeopardized its position when it was beaten by St. Andrew’s.  The loss dropped the Mustangs to 21-4, a record envied by most other teams; however the Scientists must play well down the stretch if they wish to be in the Nationals at Albertus Magnus College in March.

Pomfret School split a pair of games last week to go to 10-7 on the season and 6-2 in the NEPSAC-B.  The Golden Griffins opened with a convincing 88-64 victory over Westminster.  Cam Winston had a monster game as he tickled the twine for 29 points.  Maguire “Moose” Crouse also had a big game with 25 points and Obim Okeke added 15.  Later in the week Pomfret lost to Loomis Chaffee in a squeaker 61-59.

Marianapolis, which can’t seem to get untracked, lost to McDuffie School 75-71 in overtime.  Ryan Bernstein was solid in defeat, posting 23 points.  Tom Horwat contributed 15 and Dominique Senat added 18 for the 8-11 Golden Knights.

The Marianapolis V2 squad enjoyed a perfect week, beating the Putnam Science Academy junior varsity 52-36 and prevailing over Rocky Hill 64-44.  Ryan Hourihan paced the 8-6 Little Golden Knights with 15 points in the win over the PSA JV.  Justin Kunkel had 11 points in the win.

Hyde-Woodstock lost a heart breaker to The Wheeler School 61-59 before bouncing back to take the measure of Providence Country Day 76-65.  The Wolfpack is 6-11 on the year.

 

..

 

 

Caption: Photos courtesy of Len  Samborowski. 

 

Trip of lifetime

to Antarctica

By Len Samborowski 

Between the 7th and 18th of January I traveled to Antarctica. Stepping foot on Antarctica was a childhood dream. Thank you “White Fang.” Those Jack London literary images led me, during my time in the Army, to Alaska and the Yukon. I was 26. To complete the arc from Barrow to Usuahia took me another 34 years. It was worth the wait.

7 Jan.  2015 – 

The flight from Bradley to Miami takes 3 hours and then another 8 down to Buenos Aires where I meet up with the guides and passengers of the National Geographic / Lindblad “expedition.” We sleep over at the Caesar Park hotel, in an upscale (think Boylston Street in Boston) section of Argentina’s capital. 

Next morning, another flight, destination Ushuaia, the southernmost city in South America. We spend a few hours in the area. On a bus we ride through the Alberto de Agostini National Park, stop by the southernmost golf course, and roll past the “train at the end of the world.” We board a tourist catamaran and explore the Beagle Channel running between Navarino and Tierra del Fuego Islands. In the Beagle Channel we spot petrels, sea lions and thousands of Rock Shag, a type of marine cormorant. As we pass by the small islands we’re introduced to guano shading: white guano means the birds are feasting on fish; pink guano equals krill and green guano, algae. Pink guano is the healthier ecological choice.

By late afternoon we board the National Geographic Explorer. This will be our home for the next nine days. There are 147 passengers and 85 crewmembers aboard the Explorer. 

9 Jan. to 11 Jan. – At Sea

While the scenery through the Drake Passage is spectacular, so are the people. Everyone seems accomplished and well traveled. My travels around three continents pales in comparison to the adventurers onboard. Most have visited five continents and many are completing the “seven-fecta” with this sojourn to Antarctica. 

I sit with a different group during each meal and a meet a cast of characters worthy of a James Michener novel. There are the two guys from Iceland that rode their motorcycles from Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia. A youngish 70-year-old woman who has more than 2,500 hrs in Cessnas and seaplanes. Lawyers and doctors galore. Authors, therapists, investment bankers, school teachers, ex and active duty military, jewelry makers, amateur philosophers and casino operators. Except for the average age of the ship (estimated at 65+) this could be an ideal Noah’s ark. 

 As we sail south I spend many hours on the bridge. The ship is piloted by Oliver Kruess. He’s a ship Master for over 100 polar expeditions. Unlike other expeditions, the Explorer and Captain Kruess, allow an open bridge policy, that is, anyone can visit the ship’s control room and watch the orchestrated voyage along the peninsula of Antarctica. Although packed from port to starboard with radar, radios, and navigation systems, the captain is truly the most important instrument on the bridge. Kruess stands majestically at the helm and maneuvers the 367-foot cruise ship around ice floes as easily as Julian Edelman sliding past Seahawk defenders. 

Kruess steers the 6,400-ton ship and lectures his rapt audience. Without breaking routine he points out humpback, minke and killer whales, sooty shearwater albatross and white-chinned petrel. He explains the difference between new and young ice, and the subtle distinctions between brash, frazil, shuga and slush ice. If Yo-Yo Ma had a sea worthy doppelganger it would be Oliver Kruess. 

12 January – On the Continent

It’s 8:50am. I made it! My boots touch down on the coldest, windiest, driest, highest continent – Antarctica; an ice mass bigger than the U.S., a place where no government or sector principle of sovereignty is recognized. In other words, no one’s in charge and it seems to be working just fine.

We come ashore at Brown Bluff, on the northern tip of the peninsula in Hope Bay. Walking was difficult. It’s hard to get a solid foothold. It’s 18 degrees; warm enough to make the snow slick. Every few feet I sink into a mushy hole up to my knees. It is a tough trek. I am breathing heavy as I crest the top of a hill. Our guide asks us passengers to take a moment and soak in the experience. It is overwhelming. Hard to describe really, a feeling of the supreme power of nature and a realization of our insignificance and yet importance as a part of it all.

Penguins

During my six days on Antarctica I saw tens of thousands of penguins; Chinstrap, Adelie and Gentoo penguins, part of the Pygoscelis Genus. Funny birds, clumsy on land yet agile and powerful in the water. Penguins don’t sneak up on you. You can smell them before you can hear them, and hear them before you see them. 

Penguins are social creatures, loyal to their chosen mate and family, hardworking and nest focused. Their social organization is called a rookery. A rookery is interesting: Daddy penguins piling rocks to build a nest (security), adult penguins feeding fledglings (nurturing), mature birds chasing fledglings around the rookery (discipline?), fledglings huddled together in small groupings called a cresche (teen center?). There appears to be a definite order and design to the honking, smell, and first glance chaos of the penguin rookery.

Magic

Perspective – it’s a funny thing, keeps changing on you all the time. Travel to Las Vegas in your 20s and the sparkle and lights capture your interest. Ascend an ice-covered hill in Antarctica at age 60 and the electric lights don’t seem as electric anymore. The new neon is the sun’s reflection on the snow and brash ice. The real illumination emanates from the beneath the iceberg and radiates out and up until you’re blinded by the brilliance and power of the solitude.  

15 Jan. 10:45am, in the midst of Leggamand Bay

The Explorer stops at 670 06’ South, 660 44’ West. We can’t move any further south as the ice is too thick. We take the Zodiacs to the edge of the ice pack and climb onto the white. Behind us, many miles behind us, is civilization. In front of us is an endless expanse of white. 

By my calculations I’m 7,900 miles from my home in Woodstock. I could walk another 1,900 miles south and encounter less people than I would meet during a trip to the grocery store. 

I walk toward the edge of our landing area. I’m alone with my thoughts. The wind is blowing. It’s cold but my head and soul is on fire. I’m standing on Antarctica. Wow! 

Len Samborowski has lived in Woodstock since February of 2007. A 30-year Army veteran, he retired from the military in 2006. Len is currently an assistant professor of management at Nichols College in Dudley.