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caption:

Ribbon Cutting
The Boxcar Children Mural was dedicated Dec. 4. From left: Pat Hedenberg of the boxcar museum, PBA President Thomas Borner, mural director Elaine Turner, Mayor Barney Seney and Town Administrator Elaine Sistare. Linda Lemmon photo.



By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Magic descended onto South Main Street.
Dec. 4 the artists, sponsors, town officials and a thrilled public gathered along the Boxcar Children Mural on South Main Street for a dedication of the mural, ribbon cutting and all.
Elaine Turner, the project’s coordinator and director, called it a “magical wall.”
“Barney (Mayor Barney Seney) said ‘Can you get your people to do something with that wall?’” Turner’s first thought was “my people?”. She reached out and so did Seney and others. It turned out that the “people” came from all walks of life and from all over: sponsors, artists, smooshers (smooshing the background colors onto the 290-foot length of the wall). From towns from all over, from schools from all over, and even as far as Tennessee.
All types of artists used outdoor latex paint from Sherwin Williams and Turner said the entire masterpiece acknowledging Putnam’s “favorite daughter” Boxcar Children book author Gertrude Chandler Warner was also sealed. And it will last for decades. Currently she’s considering hanging out at the mural to keep the skateboarders off it. Turner is hoping the coming of winter will give that problem a rest.
Seney told the maybe 50 gathered on the sidewalk that he’s “always looking” for projects to make Putnam better. The parking lot along South Main, next to the boxcar museum was repaved and the long length of weeds dividing that parking lot and South Main became a beautiful swath of grass. Sidewalks had gone in along South Main and Grove streets and the retaining wall along the spiffy new sidewalk needed help. Elaine Sistare, town administrator, used her engineering background to get the wall fixed. It was then painted white.
Seney said “I said to Elaine (Turner) ‘I’ll give you a canvas. What can you do with it?’” Then he joked “You know what they say in the military: If it doesn’t move, paint it.”
He praised the renaissance of Putnam, with all its art and high energy. He also praised the Putnam Business Association (PBA) as a “strong backbone” for Putnam.
PBA President Thomas Borner, whose artist wife Kathy painted one of the Boxcar Children Mural panels, said he was “very proud of what we’ve accomplished here.”
The entire project was funded by sponsors.

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The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs.  The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 860-963-0000.
Nov. 20
Mark A. Taber, 54, Ballou Street, Putnam; operating under the influence, failure to have tail lamp lit.
Nov. 21
Lillian Auger, 53, Cloran Street, Putnam; second-degree breach of peace, disorderly conduct, third-degree criminal mischief.
Nov. 25
Jonathan Bain, 21, Perrin Road, Woodstock; evading the scene of a motor vehicle crash and failure to maintain lane.

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Fall season
comes to end
at Woodstock
Academy
The final event of the fall athletic season for Woodstock Academy student-athletes took place last week.
The annual Fall Sports Awards Night honored many of those who participated on the fields and in the gym this past season.
The highlight of the night was the Coaches’ Awards which were given out by the coaching staffs of the programs.
Those who received Coaches’ Awards:
Boys’ Cross-Country: Varsity – Christian Menounos, Colton Sallum; Junior Varsity- Carter Mydlarz
Girls’ Cross-Country: Varsity- Julia Coyle, Olivia Tracy; Junior Varsity-Brooke Roireau
Cheerleading: Varsity- Jenna Forcier, Chyanne Machamer
Volleyball: Varsity- Cassidy Ladd, Liliana Bottone; Junior Varsity- Alexa Delmonaco; Freshman- Izabella Bernstein
Field Hockey: Varsity- Avery Crescimanno, Corinne LaMontagne; Junior Varsity- Kaylyn Converse
Girls’ Soccer: Varsity- Macy Rawson, Kaylee Saucier; Junior Varsity- Vayda Payne
Boys’ Soccer: Varsity- Eli Susi, Hunter Haynes; Junior Varsity- Tyler Odorski
Prep Soccer 1: Alvaro Medrano Jr., Max Maneke; Prep Soccer 2: Kevin Thomson, Jack Buyers; Unified Soccer: Athlete- David Rahall, Partner- Noah Sampson
Football: Varsity- Zach Majewski, Dylan Phillips; =Junior Varsity- Griffen Bloom
In addition to the Coaches’ Awards, those who received postseason national, state and league recognition were also honored.
Those who were named All-American, All-State, and ECC All-Stars included:
Prep Soccer All-American: Kelvin Da Costa; Class MM All-State and ECC Div. I All-Star in Boys’ Cross-Country: Christian Menounos; Class MM All-State and ECC Div. I All-Star in Boys’ Cross-Country: Colton Sallum; Class L 1st team All-State and ECC Division I All-Star in girls’ soccer: Freya Robbie; Class M 2nd team All-State, Junior Select All-Star game selection and ECC Honorable Mention in Field Hockey: Grace Pokorny; Class L 2nd team All-State and ECC Div. I All-Star in volleyball: Liliana Bottone; Class L 2nd team All-State and ECC Div. I All-Star in volleyball: Sophie Gronski; ECC Division I All-Star in football: Jacob Lizotte; ECC Division I All-Star in football: Lucas Theriaque; ECC Division I All-Star in football: Henry Wotton; ECC Division I All-Star in football: Sam Clark; ECC Division I All-Star in girls’ cross-country: Julia Coyle; ECC Division I All-Star in girls’ cross-country: Olivia Tracy; ECC Division I All-Star in girls’ soccer: Leah Costa; ECC Division II All-Star in boys’ soccer: Garrett Bushey; ECC Division II Honorable Mention in boys’ soccer: Eli Susi; ECC Division I Honorable Mention in girls’ soccer: Juliet Allard; ECC Honorable Mention in field hockey: Corinne LaMontagne; ECC Division I Honorable Mention in football: Dylan Phillips; ECC Division I Honorable Mention in football: Teddy Richardson; ECC Division I Honorable Mention in boys’ cross-country: Charlie Caggiano; ECC Division I Honorable Mention in volleyball: Dorisabel Mojica.
Those who were named ECC Scholar-Athletes included: Girls’ Soccer – Taylor Lamothe; Volleyball – Emma Kerr; Football - Hunter Larson; Boys’ Cross -Country – Charlie Caggiano; Girls’ Cross-Country – Kira Greene; Field Hockey - Abby Converse; Boys’ Soccer – Addison Tyimok.
And those who received ECC Sportsmanship Awards included: Girls’ Soccer – Kayla Leite; Volleyball – Reegan Reynolds; Football – Eric Mathewson; Boys’ Cross-Country – Joel Koleszar; Girls’ Cross-Country – Greysen Dery; Field Hockey – Talia Tremblay; Boys’ Soccer – Hunter Haynes.
The boys’ cross-country team was selected as the Best Dressed team in attendance at the event while the girls’ soccer team was honored for having the top grade point average among the fall teams.
Girls' Hockey Preview
Chemistry now a strength for Woodstock girls’ hockey team
Last season, it was a case of getting to know one another.
The girls’ hockey program was in its first year as a cooperative program encompassing schools from the entire ECC.
This season, the team won’t have that issue to deal with.
“We have a lot of returners,” said Eric Roy. “We’ve had offseason workouts all summer long and were in the gym. Some of the girls played on spring and summer teams. This is now a team that has been together for a full year, going on two. There are no chemistry issues, they all like one another and get along. It’s one big, happy family.”
The Centaurs finished 3-17-1 a season ago in its first year, not only as a cooperative program, but also as a member of the Connecticut High School Girls’ Hockey Association.
“I, definitely, can see us exceeding the three-win total and competing for a shot at the state playoffs which is 12 teams and I can see us in the top 12,” Roy added.
The Centaurs ranks were buoyed last year by additions from East Lyme, Ledyard, Fitch and Wheeler.
Those connections remain in place with senior Mia Williamson from East Lyme serving as one of the captains alongside Ledyard junior Juliette Hammer.
Woodstock will be represented by Ellary Sampson.
The sophomore will serve as assistant captain.
“I’m very proud of that. It’s a very big honor having all my teammates be so supportive of me,” Sampson said.
She added that she, Williamson and Hammer have a good working relationship.
“We’re very close friends since we did play together last year and we’re getting even closer as the year goes on,” Sampson said.
Sophia Gouveia returns from Wheeler and Sky Patterson from the Marine Magnet School at Fitch is also back in a Centaur uniform.
New additions this year hail from Norwich Free Academy, Killingly and a new Ledyard player.
“It was huge this offseason when (athletic director) Sean (Saucier) reached out to the ECC and a bunch of athletic directors were on board. There were more with eighth-graders who will be huge fillers for us next year. It’s great to see the name of the Woodstock Academy program getting out there and girls wanting to come and join us,” Roy said.
The team did get a pair of welcome additions this season.
The Centaurs lost goalie Liz Morgis to graduation but Woodstock junior Renee Porter and NFA freshman Genevieve Nash are ready to fill the void.
“Genevieve heard this offseason that we needed a goalie so she tried it out, put in the work all summer long going to camps and has taken a great liking to it. I like what I’m seeing. She works hard. She was a defenseman before and now to see her in pads is pretty cool,” Roy said.
Porter will be the starter.
“What I’ve seen out of her is incredible. She works hard and has made some saves at practice that leaves jaws dropping,” Roy said.
The team also has some key personnel back up front.
The top three scorers return with Woodstock sophomore Maci Corradi (13 goals, 4 assists last season), Williamson (3, 10) and Gouveia (6, 6).
“They all work well together since they have been playing together for a couple of years. We have very even lines this year. We have three lines that I think will be very good this year,” Sampson said.
Sampson and Hammer both had eight points last year with sophomore defender Riley Faber adding six.
Sampson is listed as a center but Roy calls the sophomore his “Swiss Army Knife” as she can play just about anywhere on the ice.
“I love playing wherever (Roy) wants me to play. It’s good to have (several) positions because that’s probably going to be my future in hockey,” Sampson said.
Paige Hinckley from East Lyme is another sophomore forward as is Woodstock’s Grace Lescault and Ledyard’s Stella Morrison. Freshmen Mia Auger from Woodstock Academy and NFA’s Ireland Wilford will also see varsity ice time.
“Mia Auger has a lot of skills and mixes in well with everyone so I don’t think goals will be hard to come by like last year,” Roy said.
On the defensive side, in addition to Hammer and Faber, will be Patterson, sophomore Avery Nielson from Woodstock, Chloe Cesolini, a freshman from Killingly, and Woodstock freshman Kaylyn Converse.
“We have a good ‘core-4’ led by Hammer on defense, Riley (Faber), Avery (Neilson) and (Sky) Patterson. They are all returning and I’ve already told them that they have a lot of ice time coming their way and, we as coaches, trust them with it. They are great stay-at-home defenders, like to protect the goalie and players like Hammer and Patterson are feisty. If you get near our goalie, they will let you know not to do it again,” Roy said.
The challenge on the defensive side is to get them to move past the blue line a bit more and get involved in the offensive rush.
What has to go right for the Centaurs?
“We have to stay gritty,” Roy said. “Toward the end of last year, we got a little more gritty. You could say we were a soft team in my first year here but with the additions of Auger, some of the other new freshmen and now Williamson and Hammer as our leaders who are feisty and in your face, the atmosphere has changed in the locker room.”
The Centaurs will not have it easy to start.
They travel to Simsbury to play the first game of the season on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
“We have a lot of the tougher teams early and my thought there is to catch them before they get in their groove and maybe we can steal a couple of wins from the upper-tier teams,” Roy said.
Simsbury finished in the top six a year ago in the CHSGHA.
“This is a good benchmark right away. Right off the bat, we will know where we are,” Roy added.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

IMG 8130 – Woodstock Academy student-athletes who were named All-American, All-State and All-Stars were honored during the Fall Sports Awards Night.  

IMG 8120 – The Fall Sports Awards Night at The Woodstock Academy recognized those who were named ECC Scholar Athletes for their respective teams.

IMG 4305- The Fall Sports Awards Night recognized those who received the ECC Sportsmanship Award for their respective teams.
Photos by Collin Singleton/Woodstock Academy

The cooperative girls’ hockey team will be led by, from left: assistant captain Ellary Sampson (Woodstock Academy), and co-captains Mia Williamson (East Lyme High School) and Juliette Hammer (Ledyard High School).Photo by Woodstock Academy.

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Man arrested
after burglary at
Putnam VFW
PUTNAM — A 32-year-old man was arrested after the State Police Troop D K9 tracked him from VFW Post 1523 on Providence Street.
Police Chief Christopher D. Ferace said police responded to an alarm about 6:30 a.m. Nov. 22 and found it had been burglarized.
A K9 team from Troop D tracked to a Battey Street residence where the suspect and evidence of the burglary were found.
David F. Hallaman, 32, no known address, was charged with third-degree burglary, sixth-degree larceny, third-degree criminal trespass and third-degree criminal mischief.
Charges for the warrants were: second-degree failure to appear, sixth-degree larceny and disorderly conduct.
According to the VFW an empty cash register was stolen and a window was broken.
All accused are innocent until proven guilty.

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