Rotary installs more ‘Trail’ music
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Simple fact: You can’t have too much creativity.
Members of the Putnam Rotary Club last week added four more instruments to the River Trail near Simonzi Park.
Three or four years ago the club put a colorful set of musical instruments on the trail. This year, using Rotary grant funds, the club’s budget and about $5,000 left over from former President Amanda Kelly’s year, four more delightful metal instruments joined the original ones.
Rotarian Karen Osbrey, who has spearheaded the effort for several years, said ordering the Musical Gardens pieces required patience. It took a couple months of checking, but finally the four she had picked out went on special — no shipping.
That wait turned out to be a good thing because one of the instruments, in the form of a dragonfly, wasn’t even available originally.
This spot was chosen by Kelly, right next to the original set. A set has already been installed by the club at Pomfret Community School and at the public schools playground area in Thompson. The intent is to put one in each of the club’s five service area towns. Incoming President Martha Paquette would like to put one in Roseland Park in Woodstock next year, if all the renovations are finished there. That would leave Eastford.
Rotarians Doug Porter and Woody Durst helped install the instruments. Whatever challenge presented itself, they worked through as a team to get it done.
Passers-by were trying them out, even before all four of the instruments were finished.
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Top, from left: Rotarians Karen Osbrey, Doug Porter and Woody Durst. Above: Assembling the flowersExpanded photo array Wed. night on our FB page. Linda Lemmon photos.
Local Food Share is on the map
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
Over the years, the Danielson Veterans Coffeehouse has quietly been feeding thousands in the Quiet Corner.
Not so quiet anymore.
Bruce Hay, the Food Share leader, said the effort is drawing attention. The list of visitors for the Food Share coming up Thursday, May 7, is impressive.
Megan Sullivan from the Hometown Foundation is coming to see the operation. The foundation donates turkeys to the Food Share every November.
In addition, the Brooklyn Walmart is coming to see how they can help and is bringing volunteers. And some representatives from the Webster-Dudley Food Share are also coming to see a fine example of what they can do.
In addition to the Brooklyn Walmart volunteers, student Emerson Jollay is coming to volunteer and is bringing some volunteers with her.
They will all be joining the seasoned crew of volunteers — mostly veterans.
Hay said he and coffeehouse President Fred Ruhlemann last week collected a donation from the Webster Lions.
Right along, other food share groups have checked in with the local Food Share for guidance and advice.
This week’s Food Share, according to Hay, will offer cereal from TEEG’s recent cereal collection and cereal from Midwest Food Bank New England, baby food, mac and cheese, vitamin water, Celsius drinks, iced tea, Powerade, granola bars, dried beans, witch hazel, candy, popcorn, chips and snacks, miscellaneous cans. They will also have two pallets of soda from Windham Pepsi.
Trucks come early, one from Connecticut Food Share and one from Midwest with the rest of the food. Hay never knows what is on the trucks. He assesses the food as it’s taken off the trucks and puts his crew to work with military precision, filling bags and boxes. He expects that there will be some frozen food on one of the trucks Thursday.
The line is opened for the drive-through Food Share at 9:30 at the Farmers Market Pavilion on Kennedy Drive.
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Leave the driving --- and the fun to us
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — It’s like the family sitting around the dinner table. Checking in with each other, talking about their day, and loads of laughter.
But it’s more like a portable dinner table — it’s the town’s new senior/vet bus program. The town’s Senior Transport Program offers free bus rides for residents over 60. There’s an application on the town’s website to collect all the pertinent facts and then it’s just a matter of making a reservation.
James Callaghan, director of the Recreation Department, which also has the Council on Aging under its wing, said the pilot program, funded by a state Senior Resources grant, is getting there. Thirteen riders kicked off the program in March, he said, and the number doubled in April. It’s for seniors age 60 and older that don’t have access to transportation to get to appointments, errands, events in town.
Driver Kathy Card, asked what she likes about driving seniors, said, “Well I’m a senior as well, but I love them. I have so much fun with them.” She’s been a bus driver before and was hired as the first driver. A second driver is in the pipeline. The grant pays the drivers’ salaries.
She adores listening to her senior passengers. “There’s something about them. I feel like a kid with them.”
Card is picking up senior Annie Russo in East Putnam. Russo doesn’t drive anymore and she’s heading to a doctor’s appointment and then to pick up some shoes and then to Walmart. Card jumps out of the van, helps Russo into the passenger’s seat and puts Russo’s walker in the back of the van.
“Seatbelts.” And then it’s like two old friends heading down the road. Laughing and joking around. Russo was explaining some of the history of some of the places on the way. Talking about pets and gardening. Both of them have sparkling personalities.
Russo said: “I love everything (about the program). I can’t drive so I can just call and get a ride anytime that Monday, Wednesday or Friday and it’s just great.”
Card has another rider, Jess, who is getting rides to the VA facility in Providence. She said Jess has commented that he feels so comfortable that “his wife would be surprised at how much talking he does” when he’s traveling on the senior bus.
Looking to build more ridership, Card has taken flyers and applications round to all the doctors’ offices and the hospital.
The department is looking to build more ridership. The rides are free.
For information, applications, questions, call: 860-963-6811.
Card said: “It’s just a senior driving around seniors and having a good time.”
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captions:
Kathy Card set to go. Expanded photo array Wed. night on our FB page. Linda Lemmon photos.
Annie Russo, left. On the road.
Legal Notice
Town of Putnam
Notice of Annual Town Meeting
May 13, 2026
and
Adjourned Town Meeting May 26, 2026
The Electors and Citizens qualified to vote in Town Meeting of the Town of Putnam, Connecticut, are hereby notified and warned that the Annual Town Meeting of said Town will be held in the Putnam Middle School Auditorium at 35 Wicker Street, Putnam, CT at 7:00 o’clock in the evening for the following purposes:
1. To choose a moderator for said meeting.
2. To consider and act upon the recommendations of the Board of Finance that appropriation for General Government (including Bonded Indebtedness) in the amount of $10,082,949 and the Library in the amount of $449,769 and EMS in the amount of $400,000 and School SRO and SSO in the amount of $314,439 for a total of $11,247,157 for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027, and to make such appropriations as are advisable.
3. To determine and act upon the recommendations of the Board of Finance that appropriation for the Board of Education with a total amount of $23,734,750 for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027, and to make such appropriations as are advisable.
4. To consider and act upon the following resolution:
RESOLVED: that the Board of Selectmen, acting as agents for the Town of Putnam, be authorized to apply for and receive any State and Federal grants that may become available and appear to them to be in the best interest of the Town of Putnam.
5. To determine the wishes of those present and eligible to vote upon the proposed Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan for the period commencing with fiscal year July 1, 2026, through fiscal year ending June 30, 2031. A copy of the proposed plan is on file in the Mayor’s office and available for public inspection during normal business hours.
6. To determine the wishes of those present and eligible to vote at Town Meetings, the recommendation of the Board of Finance that appropriation of Local Funding budget with a total appropriation of $1,038,000 for capital projects be made for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2031, and to make such appropriations as are advisable.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISION OF SECTION 7-7 OF THE CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUTES; THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN HAS ON ITS OWN INITIATIVE SET ITEMS TWO THROUGH SIX TO THE VOTERS IN A MANNER PROVIDED BY STATE STATUTE. ACTION AT THE TOWN MEETING ON ITEMS TWO-SIX WILL BE LIMITED TO REASONABLE DISCUSSION. THOSE WISHING TO APPROVE ITEMS SHALL VOTE YES ON THE MACHINE VOTE; THOSE OPPOSED, NO.
SAID VOTE WILL BE HELD ON MAY 26, 2026, AT THE FOLLOWING VOTING LOCATION.
DISTRICT 1 PUTNAM MUNICIPAL COMPLEX, ROOM 109
DISTRICT 2 PUTNAM MUNICIPAL COMPLEX, ROOM 112
BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 12:00 NOON AND 8:00 PM
Dated at Putnam, Connecticut, this 28th day of April 2026.
Town of Putnam, Its Board of Selectmen:
Norman B. Seney Jr. Mayor
J. Scott Pempek, Deputy Mayor
Rick Hayes, Selectman
Roy J. Simmons, Selectman
Gloria Marion, Selectwoman
Michael Paquin, Selectman
Michael Bogdanski, Selectman
Attest: Christine Bright, Town Clerk
May 7, 2026
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