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A Lock on Love
Just some of the locks in Locked in Love that were installed after the ribbon cutting May 14. The custom locks raise money for Quiet Corner Cares, a sober house for women in Putnam. More photos on page 4. Linda Lemmon photo.
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — “This was a ‘labor of love’ no pun intended,” said Karen Osbrey, chairman of the Putnam Arts Council and the MC for the ribbon cutting for the Locked in Love fund-raiser sculpture on the River Trail.
The heart-shaped steel “tunnel” has wires running between its supports and those wishing to honor someone can purchase a lock and key for $25. The special lock is customized and then the donor can lock the lock on the sculpture’s wire grid. All the money raised goes to Quiet Corner Cares, a sober house for women in Putnam.
Osbrey said Barbara Kenyon of New England Awards and Trophies showed her a pretty little gold lock and said it might make a good fund-raiser idea. The lock spent the next four years in Osbrey’s desk. She said to herself “It needs to be for a special project.” Along comes Karl Kuhn Jr. After speaking with Jenn Brytowski he approached Osbrey saying this was a very popular idea in Europe. Osbrey said she opened her drawer, handed him the lock from Kenyon and said “this is for you, guy”.
Originally they thought of putting the locks on a fence but then thought, “We can do something better than that,” Osbrey said.
Kuhn’s daughter Hayley Kuhn came up with the idea. Seeing the effects COVID was looking to have on the marketplace, Kuhn ordered the steel early in the process.
Osbrey called Kuhn “the visionary and driving force”
Mayor Barney Seney said “This is what community is all about.”
At the end of the ceremony Kuhn said they’ve sold about 150 locks so far and that has brought in about $3,800. The website for buying a beautiful custom lock is: www.lockedinlove.net.
The Major Sponsor is WIN Waste Innovations. Sponsors include: Missy Desrochers, Erica and Larry Groh Jr., CR Premier Properties, WINY Radio, Bousquet’s Appliances, R&R Commercial Painting, Gerardi Insurance Services, Jessica Tuesday’s Chrome N Steel Veteran Riders CT, Bachand, Longo and Higgins, Byrne’s Agency, HJK Renovations, JCS Construction, Northeast Kitchens & Flooring, NorthStar Home Loans, Fluid Coating Technology, Hometown Bank and Putnam Area Foundation.
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