Past Issues of the Putnam Town Crier
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
The Last Green Valley, Inc. and its project partners have launched phase one of a $12.2 million program to help landowners in the Southern New England Heritage Forest conserve their land while improving vital habitat for important bird species.
The program is an unprecedented three-state effort made possible through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Joining NRCS and The Last Green Valley, Inc. (TLGV) as lead partners are the Mass Conn Sustainable Forest Partnership/Opacum Land Trust and the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District.
This program will provide technical and financial assistance to forest landowners with property within the Southern New England Heritage Forest (SNEHF), who wish to conserve their land by granting an easement to NRCS through the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP). The HFRP is a voluntary conservation easement program for private woodland owners that is new to the region. The deadline for first-round applications is July 20.
Preserving the Southern New England Heritage Forest is critical for important bird species and other wildlife. With 1.49 million-acres of unfragmented forest corridor stretching along the Connecticut and Rhode Island border to the Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts, the Southern New England Heritage Forest is still 76 percent forest cover and one of the last viable wildlife corridors from northern New England to the coast in southern New England.
The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor accounts for almost half of the Southern New England Heritage Forest. As the last green oasis in the coastal sprawl between Boston and Washington D.C., the program is vital to ensuring the national heritage corridor and the larger Southern New England Heritage Forest continue supporting threatened bird species and other important wildlife and plant species.
NRCS will pay the landowner 75 percent of the fair market value of the enrolled land to promote the recovery of endangered and threatened bird species and improve plant and animal biodiversity. NRCS will also pay for all transaction costs, including a title search, boundary survey, hazardous materials search and appraisal. NRCS will draft a restoration plan for the property that focuses on improving habitat for a specific bird species and will provide 75 percent or more of the funds for the first round of any restoration work that is required.
The funds provided in phase one are a portion of the larger $12.2 million program. NRCS is providing a $6.1 million grant which is being matched by $6.1 of significant contributions from the project’s numerous partners, including the three lead partner organizations and 16 additional organizations.
While the application deadline for the first round of this competitive program is July 20, we advise potential applicants to contact the lead partner in their state as soon as possible. There are preliminary steps that must be completed, and the partners are available to provide technical assistance:
For Connecticut Projects – Bill Reid, 860 774-3300; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For Massachusetts Projects – Ed Hood, 508-347-9144 (leave a voice mail with your contact info); This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For Rhode Island Projects – Kate Sayles, 401-934-0840; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Application materials are available on The Last Green Valley’s website, www.thelastgreenvalley.org
Supporting partners for this project include: MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Providence Water, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Hull Forest Products, Thames River Basin Partnership, New England Forestry Foundation, Eastern CT Conservation District, Norcross Wildlife Foundation, RI Division of Forest Management, RI Woodland Partnership, Harvard Forest, Yale Sustaining Family Forests Institute, Audubon Connecticut, Mass Audubon and Audubon RI.
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Centaur
softball
has shot
at States
Woodstock Academy softball coach Jay Gerum was concerned about the remainder of the season.
The Centaurs qualified for the state tournament with its eighth win of the season May 7 at Bacon Academy. But the schedule looked pretty daunting from there on.
His fear was realized a bit May 9 when Stonington shutout the Centaurs, 8-0.
“It’s scary how good the Eastern Connecticut Conference is and how tough the schedule is. Our league preps you for the state tournament, and you want competitive non-league games, but you also want the chance to make the tournament. We couldn’t find many non-league games and scheduling Shoreline Conference teams didn’t do us any favors,” said Gerum.
But May 11, Gerum breathed a sigh of relief.
His Centaurs shutout one of those Shoreline foes, Valley Regional, 2-0, in Deep River.
“I’m feeling a little better than I was two weeks ago,” Gerum said.
That’s because the Warriors had beaten Haddam-Killingworth whom the Centaurs (9-7) play May 18.
Add to that, Hale Ray’s 15-0 loss to Griswold - the Centaurs play the Little Noises next week - and the Centaurs might have a good chance to reach double digits in wins.
“If we get to that 10 or 11-win mark, you’re in the upper half of the bracket, playing a lower bracket team. We might even have a chance for a home state tournament game,” Gerum said.
Being in the top half of the bracket and getting a first-round state tournament home game may not seem like big deals, but consider this.
The last time the Centaurs had a Class L state tournament home game was in 2003. They were ranked 14th and downed No. 19 Ledyard, 3-2. It was also the last time the program advanced into the second round of the state tournament where it lost to Lyman Hall, 6-0.
Since that time, the softball team has only made the state tournament seven times, including the last three years in a row, but have never been seeded higher than No. 18 in 2016.
It’s a pretty big deal for the Centaurs.
Gerum said the game against Valley Regional was a “championship-style” game with two dominant pitchers.
“We played perfectly and they blinked once, we didn’t,” Gerum said.
That blink occurred in the fifth inning when the Centaurs scored both their runs.
Winning pitcher Mackenzie Leveille drove a one-out single to left and Hannah Wotton came on as a courtesy runner. Haley Armstrong followed with a bunt that was misplayed and allowed Armstrong to reach safely and go to second while Wotton advanced to third.
Cami Corrado then walked, but a pop out left the bases loaded with two outs.
It brought up catcher Julianna Nuttall.
Nuttall struggled at the plate early in the season, but has found her stroke. She came into the game hitting .341 and Gerum moved his catcher into the second spot in the batting order.
Gerum did so out of necessity as much as Nuttall’s resurgence at the plate.
Naomi Rivard, who had been hitting in the No. 2 slot, is sidelined with a shoulder injury and may be done for the season. Maia Corrado is out for the remainder of the year with an ankle injury.
“Julianna is a tough, smart kid who is dependable and has bounced back offensively this season,” Gerum said.
Nuttall wasn’t fazed by the situation even with a 2-2 count, two outs and the bases loaded. She delivered a line drive to left field that scored both Wotton and Armstrong and gave Leveille all the support she needed.
Leveille had a tough outing against East Lyme so Gerum sat her for the Monday and Wednesday games, but decided to go with the freshman in the non-league game against Valley Regional.
Leveille allowed only three hits and struck out six to raise her record to 4-2.
“She’s a freshman, she’s going to have good days and bad days, but she is a great pitcher. On any given day, she’s ready (for varsity). She was on. That was, by far, her best game this year,” Gerum said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Then
This is the corner of Main and Front streets around 1900. Putnam Town Crier file photos.
& Now
This is the same corner today.
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Art contest announced
PUTNAM — The 2017-2018 “Illustrating America” art contest, sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Post 1523, will begin in October. Flyers will be going to Putnam schools with the contest details.
The contest is open to Putnam students in grades 6, 7, and 8. The contest was designed by Auxiliary Member Nicole Panteleakos in order to develop student’s appreciation for America and help them prepare for future art scholarship programs offered by the Post and Auxiliary. Art is judged by the relationship to Americanism, presentation and clarity of idea.
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
POMFRET — June 16 the Captain Noah Grant and Sarah Williams Danielson Chapters of the Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution (CTDAR) will host a ceremony honoring Revolutionary War Patriot Albemarle Stone of Pomfret by installing a DAR Marker at his grave in the Bruce Cemetery on River Road.
The ceremony will feature a presentation of colors by members of the CTSSAR (Connecticut Society Sons of the American Revolution) dressed in Revolutionary War period uniforms including muskets, a history of Pomfret’s contributions to the Revolutionary War by Pomfret Town Historian Walter Hinchman, and remarks by CTDAR State Regent Alice E. Ridgway and CTSSAR State President Damien Cregeau.
A family descendant and DAR member, Candy Stone-Gagne, will present the biography of her ancestor. The public is invited to see this colorful and dignified tribute to one of America’s first veterans. Several other descendants will also be in attendance.
A reception will be held at the Old Town House, 11 Town House Drive, after the ceremony.
Albemarle’s Revolutionary War Sword will be displayed at the reception. Please RSVP to Candy Stone-Gagne at 860-202-8960 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Bruce Cemetery is on River Road near the Pomfret Rod & Gun Club. Follow the signs from Mill Rd and Wrights Crossing Rd off Rt. 101 in Pomfret.