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WOODSTOCK — The Town of Woodstock Memorial Day ceremonies, May 31, include:
8:15 a.m. Meet at Palmer Auditorium
Bus #1: 9:00 a.m. Elmvale, 9:30 a.m. East Woodstock, 10 a.m. North Woodstock, 10:30 a.m. Center Cemetery, 10:45 a.m. Woodstock Hill.
Bus #2; 9:00 a.m. Bradford Marcy, 9:30 a.m. Bungay, 10 a.m. Barlow, 10:30 a.m. Quassett, 10:45 a.m. Roseland Park
* Honor details include the firing parties, flag bearers, wreath bearers and buglers.
A short ceremony will be held at the Veterans Monument on the Woodstock Town Green at approximately 11 a.m.
Please observe all COVID-19 protocols.
Observers are welcome to attend cemetery rites where prayers will be offered, memorial wreaths will be placed, a rifle salute rendered, and “Taps” played to honor veterans at rest at each site.

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Service recognized
POMFRET — The town of Pomfret recently presented its 2021 Service Recognition Awards:
12 Years
Garry Brown ---  Food Pantry, Established the Pomfret Food Pantry in 2009.  Volunteer work running the pantry, Veterans Representative –working with veterans, Municipal Agent for the Elderly. Always modest & behind-the scenes.
13 Years
Richard Dunn: Constable, Head Constable – Always willing to take on volunteer assignments.  Stepped-up as head constable, handling event coordination, training, uniform inventory, and scheduling.  Volunteered annually to assist in hanging street flags for Memorial Day.
15 Years:
Laurie Bell: Pomfret Librarian – Dedicated to library.  Completed building improvements, expanded programming, increased the number of patrons.  Taken on fund-raising and led effort for building expansion securing grant funding.
Elaine Nelson:    Friends of Pomfret Library, Windham County 4H  Camp– Always a willing volunteer.  Has worked tirelessly for Windham-Tolland 4H camp.  Started the Friends of Public Library fund-raising group that provides programming at the library. Manages annual book sale for library.  Endless volunteer hours in many capacities.
Bonnie Ryan: Selectmen’s Assistant – Service to various administrations in whatever capacity needed.  Served as clerk for Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, and Planning and Zoning Commission and as administrative assistant to First Selectman. Invaluable institutional knowledge and organizational skills managing grants, scheduling, Human Resources, and ability to readily adapt to multiple administrations.
20 Years
Peter Mann: Served on the Board of Finance, Board of Selectmen, Economic Planning & Development Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission, and served as secretary for Pomfret Senior Housing Authority, and a Justice of the Peace.  Volunteered annually to assist in hanging street flags for Memorial Day.
25 Years
Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Cartier: Registrar of Voters, on numerous Boards, Commission and Pomfret Times – Served on Board of Education, Senior Advocate Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and as a Justice of the Peace.  25 years as a co-founder and co-editor of The Pomfret Times.
Barbara Gagnon: Recreation Director – 25 years of dedicated service.  Greatly expanded  recreation programming and services and oversight of Recreation Park working  weekends and evenings to oversee programs.
Glenn Postemski: Director of Public Works – dedicated employee for 25 years. Demonstrated great fiscal oversight of department budget. Valuable knowledge of town roads, bridges, Ordinances, and State regulations.  Committed to safety of town roads in all types of weather, Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night kept Glenn from ensuring safe passage for all Pomfret residents.
30 Years
Johnson Electric/Paul &JoAnn Johnson: Annually decorated Holiday Tree on the Town Green with lights, donated  bucket truck service for street flags for Memorial Day.  Many years of valuable community service.
33 Years
Muriel Mrakovich: Recreation Commission – Serving as volunteer secretary for the Recreation Commission for thirty-three years.
35 Years
Cheryl Grist; Town Clerk & Treasurer – Dedicated employee serving under Nora Johnson as Assistant Town Clerk and Assistant Treasurer and elected as Town Clerk/Treasurer upon Nora’s retirement.  Also serves on Pomfret Street Cemetery Committee and as Justice of the Peace.  Dedicated to the town and its citizens. “It is an honor to serve.”
40 Years
Beverly ‘Bev’ Champany: Recreation Commission, Planning & Zoning Commission – Original organizer of Positively Pomfret Day for Town’s 275th anniversary.  Served for 40 years on the Recreation Commission volunteering for many events and continues as a member and on the Planning & Zoning Commission
45 Years
Joseph Stoddard: Numerous Boards & Commissions including Board of Finance, Inland Wetlands, Economic Planning & Development and Justice of Peace – Community service in almost all volunteer aspects of town government – Joe served tirelessly on many boards and commissions and continues to do so today.
50 Years
Walter Hinchman: Planning & Zoning, Town Historian, many years the Moderator – Community service for years Walter has maintained strict oversight of the Planning Commission and its transition to the Planning and Zoning Commission.  Always available to moderate Town Meetings and consistently did so in a fair and impartial way.  Dedicated in his service to the town.
Pomfret Lions Club: Founded in 1954; Pomfret’s primary service organization for 67 years; various fund- raising events provides support for many causes in the local area and especially Pomfret; 100% of money raised is donated.  Donations to Pomfret organizations include Seely-Brown Village, Pomfret Libraries, Windham County 4-H, Boy Scouts, Little league, PCS Awards, Hospice DKH, Memorial Day events, Pomfret Recreation, Scholarships for secondary schools, TEEG and Eye Screening at PCS.  Club has participated in various community service initiatives, such as building the Lions Pavilion at the Town Recreation Park.  Our motto is “We Serve” and Lion members take great pride in serving Pomfret.    

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WOODSTOCK — Four free poetry readings will be held this summer at Roseland Park’s outdoor amphitheater.  This series will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. June 6, July 25, Aug. 15 and Sept. 26.  These readings are for people ages 14 and up. Wine will be served.  Folding chairs or camp chairs are recommended for a more comfortable time.  Besides featured readers there will be an open mic segment at each event as time allows.
This is the second year for these events and the series was expanded due to its great popularity.  COVID-19 guidelines will be met. This event is being sponsored in part by Sharpe Hill Winery, Linemaster Switch Corporation, Brunarhans, Inc., CR Premier Properties, St. Onge & Brouillard law firm, Weiss, Hale and Zahansky Strategic Wealth Advisors, the Woodstock Airport, Ashford’s Xtra Mart, bankHometown and Charter Oak Credit Union. For info: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Some of the summer’s featured poets will include National Beat Poet Laureate for 2020, Paul Richmond; Candace Curran, twice named as Western Massachusetts Poets’ Seat Laureate;  finalist in the Montreal International Poetry Contest and Woodstock resident Karen Warinsky; New Jersey author and founder of the non-profit collaborative, ARTS By The People, Paul Rabinowitz;  T’Challa Williams, co-founder of Hartford’s L.I. T.,  which presents monthly literary events for youth; Pomfret author and organizer of the Quiet Corner’s branch of the Connecticut Poetry Society, Christine Kalafus;  UConn assistant professor and author Brian Sneeden; authors Robert Eugene Perry,  Dina Stander, Gerald Yelle, David Wyman, author and professor emerita, UMass, Amherst Janine Roberts, and Heidelberg University student Jayce Porter.

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Rotary Website Launches
The home page of the new Rotary Volunteerism website, designed to connect organizations in need with volunteers who’d like to help.



Local Rotary Clubs are boosting volunteerism in northeastern Connecticut. The Rotary clubs of Putnam, Killingly/Brooklyn and Plainfield are launching a new volunteerism website,  www.volunteernect.org. The site is now live, and is actively recruiting local organizations to enroll and promote their volunteer opportunities.    
Missy Meyers, Putnam Rotary Club vice president and site organizer, said the idea for a volunteerism website bloomed after the COVID-19 pandemic made the Volunteer Expo impossible. The 2019 Volunteer Expo successfully put together more than 50 organizations and more than 250 attendees signing up to help their local communities. When a safe Expo event became impossible in 2020, the Putnam Rotary Club was not deterred, creating a dynamic plan to take the event virtual, which also meant it could be sustained for years to come.
Meyers said, “This is such a great opportunity for local organizations to solicit for volunteers in real-time throughout the year, and for potential volunteers to seek out ways to help in a manner that suits their lifestyles. The website is so dynamic, giving volunteers the option to search postings by type of cause, dates of events, or by organization. There’s something for everyone, all in one place!”
The Putnam Rotary Club developed the website plans in conjunction with the Killingly/Brooklyn and Plainfield clubs, and all praise the work of consultant Rae Dykeman of NOMAD Digital Consulting for the attractive and user-friendly site. “Rae did a fantastic job putting our thoughts into reality and making the website enticing and easy to use for everyone involved,” said  Meyers. Funding for websitedevelopment was provided by Putnam Rotary Club member Jay Sinha, in memory of his brother Mithilesh Sinha.
All three clubs hope to attract participating organizations and volunteers from across eastern Connecticut. Organizations interested in participating can go to www.volunteernect.org to get more information or begin enrollment. Once a good number of organizations are enrolled, the section for volunteer engagement will open up. Questions are directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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