Past Issues of the Putnam Town Crier



Pomfret School's Head of School Honors
POMFRET — The Pomfret School Head of School Honors List for the fall 2023 term includes: Lucas Canavan of Pomfret Center (2024); Sean Farrell of Pascoag (2026); Maxtin Hart of Pomfret Center (2024); Rowan Lehmann of Putnam (2027); Fergus Litowitz of Pomfret (2025); Ella Sousa of North Grosvenordale (2027).

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The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs.  The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 860-963-0000.
Dec. 5
Roger Rioux, 55, homeless/Putnam; breach of peace.
Dec. 6
Robert Robinson III, 37, Church Street, Putnam; risk of injury, disorderly conduct.
Dec. 8
Caillou A. Morin, 20, Woodstock Avenue, Putnam; operating a motor vehicle with no insurance, operating a unregistered motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle with no license, failure to wear proper face protection, operating with no headlamps.
Dec. 10
Jeffrey Biadasz, 44, Webster; third-degree criminal mischief.

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Woodstock Academy senior Reegan Reynolds was pictured alongside Leila MacKinnon and Lennon Favreau last year as captains of the girls’ basketball program.
This year, she is all by herself.
“It is a responsibility for sure,” Reynolds said of her being the sole captain. “I grew up looking up to (Favreau and MacKinnon) all the way through high school, they were my leaders. I looked up what they did and now, it’s my responsibility to do that. It’s a step in a different direction but I’m ready.”
It’s not a bad thing. There is only one other senior, Kerry Blais, on the roster.
Behind the two, are only two juniors who saw significant varsity playing time last year.
It means something that any coach would welcome.
“The future is bright,” coach Will Fleeton said. “We will return the bulk again next year and they will be a year older, and hopefully, bigger, stronger and faster, more comfortable and more knowledgeable.”
Despite all the youth, the Centaurs posted 13 wins last season, making it to the ECC quarterfinals where they lost to New London and the Class L state tournament where Masuk ended their season in a first-round game.
“I think we can do better,” Reynolds said. “We all understand how each other plays. We’ve been working a lot in the offseason and a lot of the girls have been playing together so I think we’re ready.”
The top four scorers from a year ago all return led by junior Eva Monahan.
The 6-foot forward averaged 9.2 points per game and was named an ECC Division I All-Star.
In addition to Monahan up front, Reynolds, Sophia Sarkis (6.6 points per game, 19 3-pointers), Vivian Bibeau, Sidney Anderson, Allison Camara, Macy Rawson and Payton Leite will all see time up front.
All are 5-foot, 7-inches or better.
“The team, as a whole, has good size for high school basketball,” Fleeton said.
In addition, the Centaurs have starting guards Kaylee Saucier (8.6, 25 3s) and Isabel D’Alleva-Bochain (7.8, 16) back along with Abby Converse and Maddie Bloom. Those who may play forward roles also rotate in at the guard positions.
The quality of the guard play certainly has Reynolds excited.
“They get us open looks down low and get open shots (of their own). I think we won’t really have a problem with the press break this year. Our guards are great. They can do anything,” Reynolds said.
The spread-out scoring is a positive according to Fleeton.
“We always strive to score a bit more and with everybody back, maybe we can pick up where we left off as far as the scoring goes,” Fleeton said. “I like to see the eight and nine-point averages spread out among players. It gives us the leeway to have a different high scorer every night and I feel like you have a better team when that happens versus having the go-to player who has the pressure of having to score 15 points a game for their team to win.”
The team, as a whole, will have something new to deal with as will all high school boys' and girls' basketball teams in the state.
There will be a 35-second shot clock.
“I’m excited. It’s long overdue. I don’t know how things will shake out this year and I won’t say I’m not ready for it but I’ve been waiting for it and planning around it,” Fleeton said.
The Centaurs have dealt with the shot clock over the past couple of seasons.
“We’ve never really had any trouble with it ... but the minute we speak about it, trouble shows itself so I think it’s more mental than physical. It is the style of game that we want to play, some other teams may like the slowdown-type of game, so I don’t think it will hamper us at all,” Fleeton said.
Another rule change takes away the one-and-one free throws and changes everything to two shot foul opportunities to avoid more contact under the basket.
“I think we just all have to stay healthy,” Reynolds said when asked what has to go right for the Centaurs this season. “In the past years, we’ve had some illness and injuries, and I think if we all stay healthy and stay united, we will be good.”
The Centaurs opened on Tuesday against ECC Div. I foe, Norwich Free Academy (the game ended too late for this edition).
Since it is a divisional game, it meant a bit more and was a little more important than a season opener may typically be.
“We want the challenge but I don’t know if it’s a good opener because as the opener, a lot of times for both teams, it could be a little ugly out there. It is what it is. I guess we might as well hit the ground running. Why delay the inevitable?,” Fleeton said of the game against the Wildcats.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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Donation
“When the members of the Putnam Democratic Town Committee heard the awful news of the broken pipe that damaged the presents that the Putnam Family Resource Center had been collecting, we wanted to help,” said J. Scott Pempek, DTC chairman. The committee gave a $600 check to Shannon Haney of the resource center. In addition, committee members are donating new toys in the coming days.  Courtesy photo.

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After a five-year hiatus, the sport of wrestling will return to The Woodstock Academy this winter.
It has made a host of student-athletes happy.
“I’m really excited to be able to do something this winter. Really excited that wrestling is coming back,” said Centaur senior Lucas Theriaque.
Coach Cahan Quinn had about a handful of interested athletes when the rebirth of the sport was announced last spring. Now there are 20.
It’s a sport of discipline. And it’s not for everyone. Wins and losses will not mean much this season.
“I really just want to see all the kids have a good attitude because it is going to be rough the first year back. It’s a really tough sport and I think they will learn that quickly,” the senior added.
The season has also begun on the road.
The mats that Woodstock used to wrestle on are gone.
The new mats have not arrived.
It has meant that the Centaurs have been working out at Putnam High School with the Clippers wrestling team and that has been a blessing in disguise.
“It’s been great. Putnam has hosted us for the last two weeks and their coaches have been awesome. We have been going against them and each other. It has given the kids a chance to see an established program and it has given them a sense of what a wrestling program should feel like in the future,” Quinn said.
During a recent weight certification, Quinn also decided to give his wrestlers a dose of reality as he showed the recordings of the ECC wrestling championships from last year.
“That way, they will have some sort of understanding what a real match looks like especially at the top tier,” Quinn said.
In addition to Theriaque, Anthony Buckner and Jacob Lizotte are the other two seniors on the squad.
Aidan Angel-Ouimetter and Gunnar Basak are the juniors on the squad, leaving the underclassmen to comprise the bulk of the team.
Sophomores Jacob Say, Dylan Phillips, Olivia DiGregorio, Kaylyn Hall, Owen Hamilton, Jackson Doraz, Andrew Landreville and Aidan Souhaloun will be joined by freshmen Jaden Bowers and Jake Henderson.
Among the assembled wrestlers for the Centaurs, two have prior wrestling experience, one has taken jiu-jitsu and another judo.
“We’re going to have a few forfeits but I don’t think it will be too many,” Quinn said of the prospect of filling the 14 weight classes. “It also depends on the teams we face and if they can fill the brackets. We are missing a heavyweight right now.”
The addition of the two female wrestlers, DiGregorio and Hall, is also a positive.  according to Quinn.
“Hopefully, that number goes up in the future to really make sure the sport is diversified. Connecticut is already doing all-female tournaments so, hopefully, we can get more out and even have a girls’ team in the future if the numbers are there,” Quinn said.
The Centaurs plan on concentrating on dual tournaments with the first on Wednesday on the road in Lebanon against the Lyman Memorial-Windham Tech Cooperative.
The Centaurs are also investigating the possibility of participating in a couple of larger tournament-style events.
The senior’s big advice to his teammates is just to have fun.
Something Quinn is already doing.
“I’m very excited,” Quinn said. “I think this will be a big advantage to the school. It will help make a lot of athletes better. It should really help them with all the other sports they do.”
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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