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caption, page 1:
Custom Cap
Waylon Latour, 6 months old, of Putnam is wearing the cap his grandmother Linda Latour made for him. More photos on page 4. Linda Lemmon photo.
captions, page 4:
Family Portrait. Fom left: Easton Lane, Peyton Cooper, Brayden Marrish, Ella Hynes and Levi Lane, cousins, and the dog, pose with a pumpkin stack cutout.
On page 1, top corner: Laurel Patenaude, 2, of Eastford, next to one of Gene Lariviere's giant pumpkins.
Coca-Cola mural celebration and the Hale YMCA's Swim with Pumpkins photos on page 8.
Lisa Kretchman, pumpkin carver.
Lillian St. Jean, left, and Ryan St. Jean of Brooklyn
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Thousands and thousands of people came to downtown Putnam for the Great Pumpkin Festival … … and the food … and the music … and the Kids’ Zone … and the scarecrow contest … and the celebration of the recently restored Coca-Cola mural and more!
Emcee Gary Osbrey, president of the Putnam Business Association which spearheaded the effort to restore the Coca-Cola Company “ghost sign,” welcomed the folks jammed into the alley off Main Street. The idea had been discussed for years, he said, but this year “we made it happen,” he said. A tip, Osbrey said, it’s a good idea to ask the owner of the building the mural is on for permission. Tom Borner said yes. He also said helped with a grant through the Putnam Area Foundation. Connections, serendipity and hard work paid off. The mural was restored to The Coca-Cola Company specs by Gagnon Signs. Doug Gagnon said his three children helped with the project. Osbrey said he appreciated the creative vision of Jennerate and its owner Jennifer Brytowski who won the bid on the project. He also thanked Rich Mello and Keith Baumgartner who represented Coca-Cola Beverage Northeast. The project was funded by The Coca-Cola Company and the Putnam Area Foundation.
Sheila Frost, co-owner of The Courthouse Bar and Grille with her husband James Frost, said the mural, which sits behind their restaurant, is a piece of Putnam history. “This is really awesome.”
Beyond the alley, more than 70 vendors took part in the Great Pumpkin Fest. Music came from John Price, Wayne Sinclair and the Flat Hammock Band, Jesse Liam and Jason Altieri.
The winners of the very competitive and ever-popular Scarecrow Contest include: 1st Place - Centreville Bank, “Voodoo Witch”; 2nd Place - Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties, “There’s No Place Like Home”; 3rd Place - NorthStar Home Loans “The Bird Lady”. Best in Park - Northeast Flooring & Kitchens “Caesar Sally and Chef Sam.” Best in Show Youth Service Club - Cub Scout Pack 21 “Spooky Stories with Pack 21.” Most Creative - Bill’s Bread & Breakfast, “Under the Sea.” The judges were: Tom and Kathy Borner, Amy Favreau, Steve Raheb, and Kristen Willis. Featuring Scribe Barbara Chubbuck.