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Visiting

Miss Connecticut, Acacia Courtney, recently visited Putnam and northeastern Connecticut. She's shown here with Ronald P. Codederre. Courtesy photo.

 

 

 

 

By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC column is dedicated to Gordon Marks.  You might be wondering, “Who is Gordon Marks?”  We were wondering the same thing until we met him at the Clipper Classic last week.  Marks retired to Woodstock recently following a career with the State of Connecticut.  His claim to fame is, he went to high school in Bridgeport with Putnam Mayor Tony Falzarano, when both guys weighed a solid 175 pounds and were terrific athletes.  Now you know Gordon Marks.

A beautiful young lady visited Putnam Dec. 30 and created quite a stir.  Acacia Courtney, the reigning Miss Connecticut, was in town as the guest of Joanne Gerardi-Voccio promoting the initial upcoming Miss Windham County Pageant and spreading goodwill.

She started her day as a guest on WINY radio with morning host, the popular Gary O.  She was then toured through the Antique City, where she met a variety of dignitaries and business owners, ending her tour with lunch at the Courthouse Bar & Grille as the guest of owners James and Sheila Frost.  She also spent time with a number of members of the Putnam Business Association discussing the growth and revitalization of Downtown Putnam and encouraging support of the upcoming Pageant.  She graciously posed for photos with the line of individuals who wanted an opportunity for a souvenir of her visit.

There’s much more substance however, to Miss Courtney than simply beauty pageants.  When she isn’t touring the state as Miss Connecticut, she’s a junior at Fordham University majoring in communications and media studies with a concentration in journalism.  She’s also a big fan of horse racing with her ultimate goal of becoming a horse racing broadcaster.

“I hope that someday you’ll see me on NBC or one of the major networks reporting live on a major thoroughbred racing event,” she proudly told us.

Because she has a love of horses, she’s founded and is the president of Racing For Home, Inc., a 501 c 3 non-profit organization that rescues and retrains ex-racing thoroughbreds for new careers after their racing days are over.

A Top-15 finisher in this year’s Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, N.J., Miss Courtney also espouses other causes, especially the way we approach healthy eating in our society.  Working with Meatless Monday and Move It Monday, she’s spoken to hundreds of students about the disconnect between the farm and the plate.

The poise that Miss Courtney demonstrates in social situations is evidence that the Miss Connecticut and Miss America pageants are more than simply beauty contests.  It’s a certainty that when she completes her education she’ll be racing toward her next goal until the day she achieves her ultimate goal.  It’s no doubt she will be on a major network in the future doing what she enjoys, being around horses and reporting on thoroughbred racing.

Putnam is honored that you took the time to stop by our thriving little town.

Local Tourneys Name 

All Star Units

The high school holiday boys’ and girls’ basketball tournaments are in the record books.  It’s nice to note that the Centaur Holiday Classic in Woodstock got off the ground successfully, while the Clipper Classic in Putnam sponsored by The Citizens National Bank for the 14th consecutive year continues to thrive.  

Of note was the fact that the Woodstock Academy girls under successful veteran coach Willie Bousquet brought a championship to the fieldhouse.  The best sight of the holiday tournaments was the full house, standing room only crowd on hand for the double overtime Putnam versus Killingly championship game in the boys’ tourney.  Regardless of the outcome (Killingly won or should I say Putnam let the victory slip through its fingers) seeing the old Putnam bandbox gym filled to overflowing was a great Christmas present.  

The Clipper Classic girls’ competition crowned Tourtellotte’s 6-foot center Deanna Lazzarra as the tourney Most Outstanding Player.  Selected to the All – Tournament team were Lazzarra’s teammates Allie Ablondi, Abby Poirier and Jess Dodd, along with Marissa Shirshac of Windham Tech and Meagan Bianchi of Killingly.  The tourney All – Academic team was composed of Christina Kopacz of Tourtellotte, Drew Johndrow of Killingly, Oralee Collazo of Windham Tech and Stacey Belliveau of Putnam.

In the Centaur Holiday Classic senior Rebecca Messier of Woodstock was the All – Academic selection.  The Centaurs senior forward Galina Gruder was chosen the tourney Most Outstanding Player and her teammate Abby Willis was an All – Tournament team selection.

The Most Outstanding Player in the Boys’ Clipper Classic was Killingly’s Derek Grzysiewicz.  He was joined on the All – Tournament team by his teammates Owen Guillot and Alex Torcoletti.  Also on the All- Tourney unit was the Putnam trio of Dan Porcic, Jeremee Perez and Shawn Audet.  The Clippers’ Steve Dakai and Guillot of Killingly were named to the All – Academic Squad.

Sick Call

Shawn Audet, Putnam’s senior guard, is on the disabled list for the next four to six weeks, leaving the Clippers without the player who was their leading scorer through the first five games of the young season.  Audet, the nephew of former Putnam football and basketball standout Trevor Smith, broke his finger during football season.  Rather than improving, the finger got worse and became infected, which forced Audet to have surgery to rectify the situation.  As might be expected the young man is disappointed that he’ll be out of action but is hoping to be back for the end of the season.

College Watch

In a recent game Quinnipiac University tipped off against the University of Maine, the Bobcats of coach Tom Moore prevailed over the Black Bears 81-64.  The contest had a definite northeastern Connecticut flavor with four hoopsters with local connections on the hardwood.

Quinnipiac big man and ex-Marianapolis standout Ousmane Drame was the game’s high scorer with 20 points, while his teammate Chaise Daniels formerly of Putnam Science Academy, had two points.  The Maine Black Bears featured ex-PSA Mustang Shaun Lawton who had 11 points and 6-foot, 9-inch Elijah Ejiga, who starred at Hyde-Woodstock, chipping in two points.  The coach of Maine is former Rhode Island College coach, the popular Bobby Walsh.

In a 66-60 loss to St. Peter’s, Drame registered seven points and Daniels four on a 2-for-2 performance.  The Bobcats are 6-5.

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: “You’ve got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going ‘cause you might not get there.”  Yogi Berra

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