ten pg 5 8-4-22
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$10,000+ Raised
July 29 the Mayotte-Viens American Legion Post #13 of Putnam held its annual golf tournament, netting more than $10,000 in support of children and youth programs and the Post’s annual scholarship, according to Commander Michael S. Vassar. Coincidentally Vassar was part of the championship foursome. Holding the traveling championship cup, from left: Darryl Stevens, Tom Downey, Vassar and Brian Rice. The winners fired a blistering 16 under par on the par 71 layout. Courtesy photo.
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obits pg 6 8-4-22
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Joseph ‘Denny’ Morissette
POMFRET — Joseph Denis “Denny” Morissette, 84, died July 23, 2022.
He was born in 1937 in the family farmhouse in Pomfret to Gerard and Marie (Provost) Morissette.
Denny was profoundly involved in his community through his commitment to the fire department, local government, and advocacy for farmers.
He deeply loved his family, friends, and the land he lived on. Denny loved to connect and chat with others and always brought a smile to any room he entered.
He leaves his wife of 61 years, Delores (Tarr) Morissette; his children, Marcel (Lisa) Morissette and Michelle (Lance) Bouchard; six grandchildren, Matthew (Mariette), Jenny, D., Brittany, Dylan and André; siblings, Muriel (Joseph) Mrakovich and Leo (Susan) Morissette; and sister-in-law, Beryl Moreau.
He was predeceased by his son, René Morissette, and family members, Simone Gagne, Gilbert Morissette, and Robert Morissette.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Denny’s honor may be made to the Pomfret Fire District, 67 Hampton Rd., Pomfret, CT 06258, to help continue the work Denny so genuinely believed in.
A Memorial Mass was Aug. 2 in Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret.
Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Alice I. Morris
PUTNAM — Alice (Dennette) Morris, 81, of Battey St., died July 15, 2022, at Day Kimball Hospital. She was the wife of the late Daniel J. Morris for more than 52 years. Born in 1940 in Putnam, she was the daughter of the late Harvey and Bernice Dennette. Mrs. Morris worked as a lens setter for American Optical Company and was an avid reader.
She leaves her son, David Morris; brother, Richard Dennette; sister, Nancy Dennette; her grandchildren, Jaryd, Shannon, and Myriah; and her great-grandchildren, Layla and Makenna. She was predeceased by her brother, Harvey Dennette. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St, Putnam.
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psa pg 7 8-4-22
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Will Lovings-Watts has heard that Putnam Science Academy has a really good basketball program and that the Mustangs have won three national titles.
But it was a call to a close friend in Miami that told Lovings-Watts all he needed to know, that his decision to do a postgrad year at PSA was the right choice.
“I’m good friends with Jayden Brewer who plays at Florida International University with a couple of former PSA guys (Arturo Dean and DayDay Gittens), so I talked to them.
" They told me it’s a great place and it’s definitely going to get me ready for the Division I level. That was great to hear, it really let me know that I’ve made the right decision.”
Lovings-Watts, a 6-foot, 5-inch combo guard out of Jeffersonville, Ind., originally committed to Drake University, but ultimately felt like he was not ready athletically or academically.
He decommitted in June and his coach started talking to him about PSA.
“I’m super excited to get started in Putnam,” Lovings-Watts said.
“I feel like this year will really help me get everything right – my body, my academics – so I can reach the next level.
"That, and bringing another championship to Putnam, is the goal.”
Lovings-Watts, whose favorite player is Kevin Durant, is smooth in transition and getting to the basket, and his shot and athleticism have improved over the last year-plus, according to scouting reports.
He’s got long arms that help him on both sides of the court, and he loves to get after it on defense.
“I take a lot of pride in my defense,” he said.
“I always want to be on the other team’s best player, big or small, so I can make my game more versatile by guarding guards and bigs.”
Lovings-Watts said being so far from home makes him a little anxious but knows “I can call and they’re right there for me and they’ll be whatever I need.
Other than that, I’m just ready to get there and meet great players who play the same game that I love.
“I love the competition. When you’re on the court, there’s the chatter on the court, in the crowd.
"I just love competing and everything around it. I have videos of me when I was in second grade, third grade, playing older kids and just talking it up to them. Basketball has just been in by blood forever it feels like.”
By Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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putnam pg 7 8-4-22
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Javin Catherine Hammond prides herself in the fact that take whatever she is given and make something special out of it.
And that is what the Putnam native is planning to do at Putnam Science Academy as the school’s new director of Dance.
“We’re here and we’re going to build,” she said. “You have to start somewhere. It’s going to have to evolve. The goal is to get some kids who want to go on to dance either professionally or in college, or just want a good education and want to continue dancing during the day and be part of a great team.
“I don’t know how it’s going to evolve but I know there is a lot of opportunity to do different things here and in the world of dance. And I am excited about that.”
Hammond — whose extensive resume includes performance, choreography, competition judging, and education — will teach dance classes at the school and is looking to bring in dancers to form a team. The construction of an on-campus dance studio is in the final stages.
“Putnam Science is known for having these wonderful and elite athletic programs,” she said, “and these athletes can do a basic dance class, at the very least, for an Arts credit. I have awareness of sports science and yoga and stretching, so none of those things can hurt.
“It would be really cool to start a dance team. Can I just walk in and say ‘OK, you dance, you dance, you dance’? No. We probably don’t have that. So, I’m going to have to actively find dancers who want a private-school education but also are interested in going to the next step, whether it’s a college dance program or whatever the case may be.”
And that especially is where Hammond, a former member of the Connecticut Sun dance team and cruise ship dancer, wants to help. She knew early on in her high-school years that she wanted to get into some kind of dance major, but she was the only one there taking that path and her guidance counselors were unequipped to really help her.
“It’s different than guiding a student through the regular admissions process,” said Hammond, who also owns her own studio (Taylor Studios in Danielson) and is the assistant director at another (Cathy Taylor School of Dance in Auburn, Mass., where she started training when she was 3 years old). “But now I have helped my students through that. I have experience sending kids the way they want to go.
“Some dancers right out of high school just want to go and audition, and I know the avenues and what would be a good way to start for each dancer once I work with them. I have connections in colleges. It’s not the end-all-be-all, but it’s to say maybe they’re a good fit for commercial dancing and L.A., or they’re more of theater because they can sing and should go more the New York route. That’s the guidance I wish I had, and that I want to give to young dancers.”
Hammond’s former students have been New England Patriots cheerleaders, Boston Celtics dancers, worked on cruise ships and for professional dance companies and theaters around the world. She also stressed that this endeavor is not an attempt to take dance students away from their studios, but rather an opportunity for them to have a private-school experience and supplement their dancing during the day, then continue at their regular studios in the evening.
Hammond, a mother of three young boys, envisions introductory classes in which students learn the fundamentals of ballet, jazz, and modern dance, and also broader dance-movement classes. And as the program builds, opportunities for specific trainings will become available.
The dance team would do community appearances, perform at PSA basketball games, and eventually go to regional and national competitions. “What I’m going to be doing here is what I’ve been doing for years,” said Hammond, who added she intends to host open houses and offer free master classes in the school’s new studio. “It’s just an extension of all the other dance things that I do and love.”
By Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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