Volunteerism pg 1 8-27-15
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captions, page 6
Top: Volunteers, Palmer family members and more toured the Palmer Arboretum Aug. 22. Courtesy photo. Left, Bill Brower, chairman of the arboretum board, points out the original false cypress grove, planted 100 years ago. Linda Lemmon photo.
Arboretum Kin
Relatives of arboretum founder, Minnie Palmer Dean, left to right: Betty Poulin, Beverly Prosser, Stephen Moran and little Robyn Prosser Moran. Linda Lemmon photo.
Volunteerism
lauded at
arboretum
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
WOODSTOCK --- At every turn of the Palmer Arboretum, the handiwork of volunteers thrilled those touring the 100-year old tree-filled jewel.
Bill Brower, chairman of the arboretum board, conducted a enthusiastic tour for relatives of founder Minnie Palmer Dean. Beverly Prosser, who was visiting from the London area with her husband Stephen Moran and child Robyn Prosser Moran, said she was "thrilled so many volunteers have put all the time into the arboretum, to take care of it."
Volunteerism is alive and well at the arboretum. Volunteers from Scout troops and schools and more regularly come to the arboretum to help. In addition, he said, Linda Kaplan, UConn master gardener, continues to install her native plant shade garden. Mary St. Onge and Amy Driscoll, also UConn master gardeners, will be planting a garden of daylilies and daffodils.
In addition, Brower said, Master naturalists Mike Ellsworth, Philippa Paquette, Cheryl Dziura-Duke from the Goodwin Preserve and UConn master gardener, Mary Ellen Ellsworth, are finishing the identification of trees in the arboretum and the trees on the Hill Common. They plan to use the 25 most interesting trees to make a self-guided tour map of the park.
A native shrub planting in the spring area is being planned by David Schroeder, UConn emeritus.
Brower joked that when he joined the board years ago, he read all the back minutes for the arboretum board and each year, for 25 years, they intended to clear the spring area. Finally with the help of volunteers, including Matt Sheldon, the spring area has blossomed. Sheldon created wooden bridges and furniture throughout from downed trees.
Brower said they planted a 100th anniversary tree, a Dawn Redwood this summer.
Betty Poulin, Dean's great-great-great niece, was sent, as a child, by her mother to weed the arboretum. She said "Our family is thrilled with how Bill Brower, Matt Sheldon and so many hard-working volunteers have transformed the arboretum from an overgrown wilderness into the beautiful garden it is today. " She added that the family is "so grateful" for all the volunteers' hard work. "We hope it will allow future generations to continue to enjoy the wonderful natural treasurers the Palmer Arboretum holds."
Minerva (Minnie) Palmer Dean created the arboretum in 1914 and gave it to the town in Woodstock in 1915. She also built the small concert/lecture Hall, Palmer Memorial Hall, in honor of her father, Samuel Palmer, a minister, and her grandfather, Hezekial Palmer, a noted Woodstock carpenter. She offered Palmer Hall to Woodstock but the town refused the gift, said Brower. In her will in 1925 she left the hall and the adjoining arboretum to the town and that hall served as a town hall for Woodstock for many years. The original acreage of the arboretum was 5 acres; it is now down to 2 acres.
Then and Now pg 2 8-27-15
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Then
This is the work done in June on the Pomfret Bridge in Putnam. Putnam Town Crier file photos.
& Now
This is the same area this week.
Collelge pg 3 8-27-15
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College-planning
workshops set
CorePlus Federal Credit Union is hosting two free workshops titled “How to Prepare, Pay & Stay in College” with information about Student Choice, CorePlus’s Educational Loan program.
The seminars are Sept. 15 at the CorePlus Credit Union in Norwich and Sept. 17 at the Comfort Inn on Tracy road in Dayville. Registration and snacks are at 5:30 and the seminar starts at 6 and ends at 7. It’s open to the public. RSVP by calling 860-886-0576 x 3171, at any CorePlus branch, or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
CorePlus Federal Credit Union offers private student lending solutions to help fill the funding gaps that scholarships, grants and federal aid can leave behind. In partnership with Student Choice they are able to offer lower cost financing options. For more information about Student Choice or to apply go to: www.coreplus.studentchoice.org or call 877-689-1172.
Spurred pg 3 8-27-15
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Following more than four years of continued growth, Northeast Opportunities for Wellness, Inc. (NOW) is looking for an executive director.
The new position was formally created on July 8, via unanimous vote of the NOW Board of Directors, and marks a significant milestone in NOW’s ongoing efforts to help Quiet Corner families access fitness, nutrition, and athletics. Since 2009, NOW has sponsored free football, soccer, and basketball clinics, built and maintained athletic fields in Canterbury and Putnam, and launched the “You Play. We Pay.” scholarship program to help local families afford the cost of youth athletics. The group also hosts several popular events and fund-raisers, including the NOW Road Race, the Taste for NOW, Spin For NOW, and a recent Touch-A-Truck event. In four short years, NOW has touched the lives of thousands of children and families, awarded more than $14,000 in scholarships, and established partnerships with two dozen local groups.
With a volunteer board and only a few part-time employees, however, the continued growth has proven to be both a blessing and a burden.
“I suppose you could call this one of those ‘nice problems’ to have,” said NOW President Allan Rawson, whose family founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit. “We’ve grown so much as an organization that in order to handle it all, we could either scale back on what we’re doing in the community, or we could take the next step and hire a full-time employee. We chose to take the next step.”
Once hired, NOW’s first full-time employee will be tasked with both streamlining the nonprofit’s ongoing initiatives and expanding its ability to serve more children and families in northeastern Connecticut. The executive director will also become a key player in some of NOW’s most significant projects, including the potential multi-million dollar renovation of the Putnam Keech Street armory into a regional recreation facility.
As the search for an executive director begins and the organization marks a significant milestone in the life of a nonprofit, NOW Vice President Keith O’Hara said that much like the children it serves, NOW’s first four years have marked a period of remarkable growth and development.
“First we were crawling. Then we got up on two feet, and we’ve been taking some baby steps,” O’Hara said. “And now, before you know it, we’re ready to run.”
Details on the job description and application process for NOW’s executive director position can be found online at www.nowinmotion.org.