caption, page 11:
Winners
Grant awardees hold their checks high during the Founders Celebration Event held by the Northeast CT Women and Girls Fund. Courtesy photo.
NEW LONDON — The Northeast Connecticut Women and Girls Fund recently awarded $11,500 in grants to six local non-profit organizations.
The NECT Women and Girls Fund is an endowed fund of the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut (CFECT). It was established in 2012 to build financial resources to fund non-profit agency programs that support women and girls in need in northeast Connecticut.
2016 Northeast CT Women & Girls Fund Grant Awardees:
• Arc of Quinebaug Valley, Inc. Positive Choices/Healthy Relationships - To offer a Positive Choices/Healthy Relationships curriculum to women with intellectual disabilities. $2,400;
• Girl Scouts of Connecticut 2017 Campership Program - To offer scholarships so that girls whose families may not otherwise be able to afford it can enjoy a positive camp experience. $500;
• Northeast Opportunities for Wellness NOW Safe Coaching Program - To train youth coaches in child abuse prevention. $600;
• Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment Group (TEEG) Someone To Look Up To - To provide one-to-one female mentors for girls involved in the Juvenile Review Board. $3,600;
• United Community and Family Services, Inc. (UCFS) Plainfield Area Women’s Parenting, Depression and Substance Use Support Groups - To alleviate transportation barriers and to provide attendance incentives for female participants in three behavioral health therapy groups. $1,400;
• Westcott-Wilcox Elderly Residential Housing, Inc. Strength in Movement - To offer education and physical activities to elderly residents to help them make positive choices about exercise in order to age in place safely. $3,000.
“We are delighted to award grants to deserving non-profits for the third year in a row,” said Pam Brown, a founding donor and chair of the grants committee. “Every year, we see the difference that we are making in our local communities and are grateful to the many generous donors who make our grant-making possible. "
This year, we extend a special thank you to an anonymous donor who provided a $10,000 contribution to our grant-making efforts.”
Grant awardees included the ARC of Quinebaug Valley; Girl Scouts of Connecticut; Northeast Opportunities for Wellness; TEEG; United Community and Family Services; and Westcott-Wilcox Elderly Residential Housing.
The event, which celebrated the company and contributions of fellow founders, visionaries and donors, also announced the appointment of three new tri-chairs of the Fund – Laura Moorehead, Paige Billings Mador, and Tonya Brock. Laura Crosetti, a founder and original tri-chair, was lauded for her support and commitment to the Fund.
New tri-chair Laura Moorehead thanked attendees and awardees for their support and community work; and announced plans for 2017, including the return of the Fund’s premiere fund-raising event, The Sassy Chapeau Fashion Show, in May, 2017; a robust schedule of educational programs; and a new awareness-raising event, Communities Standing Strong, planned for a future date.
Then
This is the railroad station in downtown Putnam in 1927. Photo courtesy of Susan Calaman.
& Now
This is the same building today. Putnam Town Crier file photo.
Winter
White
The snow is gone and the birch trees next to the Quinebaug River provide the white at Rotary Park. Linda Lemmon photos.
Academy gets
$15M loan
to buy Hyde
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
WOODSTOCK — As one of the oldest college preparatory schools in America, the Woodstock Academy is building on the future of quality education with the assistance of a $15 million Community Facilities Loan through USDA Rural Development, according to Woodstock Academy officials.
The loan funds will be used to purchase the nearby Hyde Campus facilities, which will increase the number of classrooms, faculty and administrative space, gymnasium and student spaces to accommodate the thriving educational institution and provide for future growth.
Congressman Joe Courtney, Connecticut 2nd District Representative, and USDA Rural Development Southern New England Director, Scott J. Soares presented Christopher Sandford, academy headmaster, with a “big check” confirming the funding of the USDA Community Facilities loan on Jan. 18.
In October Woodstock Academy and Hyde-Woodstock school officials announced that the academy will be purchasing the 127-acre Hyde campus down the street. Due diligence was finished in December and Woodstock Academy intends to take possession in June and be ready for a two-campus academy by fall.
At the time Sandford said, the campus “has a number of highlights, including: a gymnasium with a basketball court, locker rooms, wrestling room, and fitness center; a 1,018-seat auditorium; three dormitories; a dining hall; a turf field that allows for night games; an eight-lane track; residential houses; classrooms; and offices. The facilities at the Hyde School’s campus provide all of the strategic priorities outlined by both our faculty/staff, and the Board of Trustees. This acquisition provides increased opportunities now, while realizing major long-term construction savings.”
Holly Singleton, associate headmaster, said in October the addition of 25 classroom spaces will provide most faculty his/her own classroom and create more specialized education spaces, thereby having a significant impact on educational programming.” The academy intends to continue its capital campaign for a new science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics center. The campuses are 2.2 miles apart and shuttle buses will run between the campuses during the day. Time between classes will increase.
Sandford said one of the most exciting aspects for the local community is the space the school will have to form additional partnerships. Current ideas include summer activities and camps, senior programming and fine arts programming in what will become the academy’s new performing arts center. Sandford said the Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut and its Community Cultural Committee will still have access to the auditorium and the academy is hoping to expand cultural offerings in the region.
The Hyde campus has 250 dorm rooms which would allow for expansion of the student population, Sandford said. Currently the Academy has 1055 students. Of that 92 are international, 21 are paid and 942 are from the sending towns. Sandford said the academy is not looking at that big an increase in (international) students, “but it does provide us with more flexibility.” Asked if the tuition for sending towns might increase, Sandford said “if there is (an increase) it would be a small one.”
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