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There is nothing like home sweet home.
The Woodstock Academy Centaurs may want to consider changing their home venue a few feet and one floor.
The wrestling room on the South Campus is located just above the gymnasium floor that the Centaurs have wrestled on for the majority of the season.
But it has provided for four of the five wins the Centaurs have accumulated in dual meets.
All four of those wins came in the past week as The Woodstock Academy downed the St. Bernard-Norwich Tech cooperative Jan. 18 in the wrestling room and followed that up with victories over Pomfret School, Wilbraham-Monson Academy and Southbridge, Jan. 20.
Centaurs coach Wes Jenkins said, while the location is not exactly a long-distance phone call away, it seems to affect his team positively on the mental side.
“It put us on our direct home turf, not that the gym isn’t, but it put us in our own room where we’ve done a lot of work, there is a lot of pride and we just weren’t going to be beaten there,” Jenkins said.
The Centaurs downed the Griffins, 49-0, dropped Southbridge 54-18 and handled Wilbraham-Monson, 48-29.
“The (Wilbraham-Monson) match was the tough one, but key wins by our veterans and Jacob Straub helped seal the win,” Jenkins said.
Abe Cooke, Daniel Ntamwemezi, Tyler Mathieu and Ben Holden each had two pins for the Centaurs (5-8) in the three matches.
Patrick Barrows set the tone for The Woodstock Academy wrestling team Jan. 18.
The 195-pound wrestler was the first on the mats for the Centaurs against St. Bernard-Norwich Tech.
“(Saints’ wrestler Zach Jackson) was much stronger than Pat was, but Pat was just more clever,” Jenkins said.
Barrows didn’t waste any time. He countered a Jackson takedown attempt, flipped him on his back and got him into a headlock, recording the pin in just 53 seconds.
The Centaurs used that momentum to build a big early lead and hung on for just their second dual match victory in 10 matches, 42-36, in the wrestling room at South Campus.
Jenkins said the location change, from the South Campus gym, to the wrestling room, was a plus for his team.
“It put us on our direct home turf, not that the gym isn’t, but it put us in our own room where we’ve done a lot of work, there is a lot of pride and we just weren’t going to be beaten there,” Jenkins said.
Barrows gave the Centaurs the 6-0 lead but it quickly mushroomed to 24-10 after Ntamwemezi recorded a pin and both Kellen Horst and Adam Schimmelpfennig won by forfeit.
Aedan Noel suffered a tough loss in between those forfeits was also a source of motivation.
“He didn’t win, but I thought he was the hero of the day,” Jenkins said.
Noel lost to Logan Starr, 9-4, but seven of those points by Starr came in the third period.
The Saints (3-12) did get as close as six, 30-24, late in the match.
Mathieu stemmed the tide with a pin at 145 pounds.
“Honestly I was concerned in the first 30 seconds because he was wrestling really slow,” Jenkins said.
To make matters worse, Mathieu chose bottom late in the first period.
Jenkins began to chew him out for the choice, telling Mathieu he had to move, not just languish on the bottom.
“He hit a beautiful switch, throws a half (nelson) immediately, runs the kid to his back out of nowhere,” Jenkins said.
Mathieu won in just 1 minute, 42 seconds.
A double forfeit brought up Holden who pinned Josh Brown just 1:41 into their match to put it out of reach of the Saints.
“Beating a team by forfeits is never as fun or as satisfying as actually having a legitimate win,” Jenkins said.
In this case, both teams surrendered three forfeits making the match even.
“Head of School Chris Sandford was there and he sent me a text later that said, ‘See a lot of growth.’ That’s been our season. I’m excited,” Jenkins said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director

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Arthur Lemieux,
Air Force vet
PUTNAM — Arthur Lemieux, 87, of Moosup, died Jan. 13, 2018, at Matulaitis Rehabilitation and Skilled Care Center after an accident at home in November. 
He was born in Dudley, son of the late Philias and Suzanne (St. Cyr) Lemieux. 
He was a carrier at the Putnam Post Office and served as president of the local NALC Chapter.
He served in the U.S. Air Force.
He leaves his wife, Lillian; son Philip, daughter-in-law Cheryl; stepchildren Dean Verranault, Cheryl (Stanley Jr.) Klick, Tim Verranault, and Michelle Gutierrez; grandchildren and great-grandchildren; brothers John Lemieux, and David (Jane) Lemieux; sisters Jacqueline (Donald) Wallen, and Rose (Paul) Bernier.  He was predeceased by his first wife Ann (McKenna); brothers Joseph Lemieux, Robert Lemieux; sisters Theodora Perrone, Helen Dawicki, Theresa Turenne, Beatrice Seraphin, and Rita Czernicki.  A memorial service will be scheduled in the near future.

William O’Keefe Jr.,
WWII vet
PUTNAM — William J. O’Keefe Jr., 96, of Liberty Highway, formerly of Riverside Dr., N. Grosvenordale, died Jan. 17, 2018, at home. He was the husband of the late Jeannette L. (Langevin) O’Keefe.
Born in 1921 in Westerly, R.I., he was the son of the late William J. and Bernice (Boothman) O’Keefe Sr.
William was an honorably discharged Army veteran of WWII, serving with Company E 273rd Infantry Division.
Mr. O’Keefe worked for many years as a meterman for the former Northeast Utilities and Connecticut Light & Power.
He was a life member of the American Legion Post 67 in N. Grosvenordale. William was an avid reader, enjoyed playing cards with his friends and going out to dinner with his late wife.
He leaves two daughters, Nancy Laflamme (Paul) of Putnam and Debbie O’Keefe and her companion Tom Britton of Rogers; two grandsons, Christopher Laflamme (Colleen) of Killingly and Aaron Laflamme (Laura) of Concord, N.H.; great-grandchildren, Rylie, Tegan, and Ashlyn Laflamme. He was predeceased by his siblings, Gertrude Leite, Bernice Rivers, and John O’Keefe.
The Mass of Christian Burial is at 10 a.m. Jan. 27 in St. Joseph Church, 18 Main St., N. Grosvenordale, with burial in W. Thompson Cemetery.  Donations: Hospice of NE CT, P.O. Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 104 Church St., Putnam.

Irving Post,
Korean war vet
PUTNAM — Irving Post, 88, of Park St., died Jan. 20, 2018, at home.  He was the husband of Dorothy (Thomas) Post.  Born in 1929 in New York City, he was the son of the late Philip and Ester (Goldfeld) Post. Irving was a graduate of Plainfield High School and Putnam Technical School.
Irving was a veteran of the Korean war serving with the U.S. Army where he received the Korean Service Medal with three bronze stars and the United Nations Service Medal with two overseas bars. He was honorably discharged on Feb. 26, 1953.
Mr. Post worked for many years at General Dynamics Electric Boat as a machinist and quality control inspector. After which he became a security officer at Foxwoods Resort and Casino, retiring at the age of 83.
Mr. Post was a member of the American Legion Post 21 in Danielson and the VFW Post 4908 in E. Killingly. He was an avid New York Giants football and San Francisco Giants baseball fan.
He leaves his wife of 52 years Dorothy Post; children, Lynn Krajewski (David) of Danielson, Steven Post of West Palm Beach, Fla., Robert Post (Darlene) of Lakeland, Fla., Laurie Hall (Tom) of Sterling and Lee Post and his fiancé Cindy of Putnam; a sister, Clair Hartling of Mystic; 10 grandchildren; great- and great-great grandchildren. He was predeceased by a daughter Linda Post.
A Celebration of Irving’s Life will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 27 in the Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam, followed by a Service of Remembrance in the funeral home at 5 p.m. ending with military honors. Donations: Hospice of NE CT, P.O. Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260; or the Providence VA Medical Center, 830 Chalkstone Ave., Providence, RI 02908.

Harry John Atsales,
Korean war vet
BROOKLYN — Harry J. Atsales, 89, of South Main Street died Jan. 12, 2018, at Day Kimball Hospital. Born on June 2, 1928, in Putnam, he was the son of the late John and Antonia (Angelopoulos) Atsales.
Harry was a graduate of Killingly High School after which he joined the United States Army and served in the Korean war. He worked for American Screw Company, Willimantic; Kaman Aerospace, Norwich; and Rogers Corporation, Woodstock. He then became the owner and operator of his own landscaping and cleaning service.
Harry was a “Jack of all trades.” He had the uncanny ability to fix everything and enjoyed woodworking. An avid watcher of “60 Minutes” and other news programs, Harry could often be seen meeting with friends for coffee where they would discuss politics and current events. He enjoyed rooting for his favorite sports teams, the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots, fishing, playing cards, and sewing.
“The Chief,” as he was lovingly called, will be remembered for his intelligence, charm, sharp wit, and generosity.
He leaves his daughter, Stacey Ruoppo (Mark) Mark of Thompson; his sister, Marcia Dionis (John) of Danielson; two grandchildren, Althea Marie Ruoppo and John Harry Ruoppo; nieces and nephews; and his close friend Robert Briere.  Harry is predeceased by his son John Harry Atsales, four brothers, Theodore, James, William, and Andrew; and four sisters Virginia, Georgia, Katherine, and Sophia.
Services were private. Gilman Valade Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St. Putnam.

Carol R. Hilliker
PUTNAM — Carol Rosemary (Nichols) Hilliker, 78, of Sabin St., died Jan. 17, 2018, at Day Kimball Hospital.  Born in 1940 in Killingly, she was the daughter of the late Sidney and Lorella (Derosiers) Nichols.
Mrs. Hilliker worked for many years at the John Dempsey Center as a healthcare worker. Carol also served as the Republican Registrar of Voters for the Town of Putnam. She was den mother for the Cub Scouts St. Mary Pack 25 in Putnam in the 1980s, and also worked for the Putnam school district in the cafeteria at the time.
Carol loved sitting on her front stoop where she enjoyed having a good conversation or argument, especially about politics. A good yard sale was never missed, while she loved opening up her basement for a yard sale of her own. Being a kid at heart herself, she loved to share candy with her grandchildren and have a good laugh.
She leaves a son, Robert Bazinet (Catherine) of Pomfret Center; two grandchildren, Asa and Iris Bazinet both of Pomfret Center; her siblings, Sidney Nichols of North Carolina, John Nichols of Providence, Rosie Moore of South Carolina, Mary Duhaime of Putnam, and Theresa Duquette of N. Grosvenordale. She was predeceased by two sisters, Dorothy Place and Lorella Holt.
Cremation services by Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam. A celebration of Carol’s life is being planned at a later date. Please feel free to contact her family at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Gerard E. Cotnoir
PUTNAM — Gerard E. Cotnoir, 63, of Pomfret St., died Jan. 16, 2018, due to complications from A.L.S. He was the husband of Barbara (Smith) Cotnoir.  Born in 1954 in Putnam, he was the son of Gerard Cotnoir of Putnam and the late Leona (LaVigne) Cotnoir. Mr. Cotnoir earned his bachelor’s in English from UConn.  He went on to work as an I.T. Manager for MAPFRE Insurance Company.  He was the chairman of the District Authority, chairman of the Putnam Water Commission, and was the Democratic Registrar of Voters.  He enjoyed running, biking and photography.
In addition to his wife, he leaves his son, Joshua Roos (Jennifer) of Oxford, Mass.; his grandchildren, Zachary and Haley; his sister, Michelle and her husband Gary and their son Gerry of Concord, N.H.; his brother Marc Cotnoir (Laura) and their daughter Nicole of Woodstock; his brother, Ernest Cotnoir (Madeline) and their children Emma and Carly from Putnam.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Jan. 23 in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: ALS Foundation, CT Chapter, 4 Oxford Rd., Milford, CT 06461 or online to www.alsact.org/ Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.

Inge ‘Bette’ Fillmore
DANIELSON — Inge Elizabeth “Bette” Fillmore, 79, died Jan. 16, 2018, at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, following a brief illness.
Bette was born June 11, 1938, in Frankfurt, Germany.  She immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 14 where she then lived in Randolph, Maine, for much of her young adult life. She went on to attend Gorham State Teachers College and received a degree in education.
During her time in Gorham, Bette met her husband Jerre. They were married for 50 years. Upon relocating to Danielson in 1967, Bette became an English teacher at Killingly Intermediate School. Her career then took her to Plainfield Central School where she spent her last 20-plus years of teaching. She was a teacher, advisor, and friend to the National Honor Society from 1988-2004. She also loved helping and organizing the Killingly summer school program. She was an accomplished educator with a love for grammar. She had a love for cooking, sewing, and watching her grandchildren play sports. For the last six years of her life, she loved spending time traveling with her best friend Ed, catering, the Caddy Shack, playing Hand and Foot and having a cold beer after 9 holes of golf with Judy.
She leaves her brothers, Peter Burke (Sandra) of Bangor, Maine, and Robert V Burke (Nathalie) of Quebec, Canada; Her two sons, Jerre Fillmore (Robin Fillmore) of Danielson and Mark Fillmore (Laura) of Danielson; four grandchildren Kasey Tocchio (Matt), Kyle Fillmore, Hannah Fillmore and Connor Fillmore of Danielson; special friend Edward Wiezbicki of Plainfield and his family. Bette is predeceased by parents Katharina and Vincent Burke of Randolph, Maine, and her husband Jerre Fillmore.
A Celebration of Life was Jan. 20 at the United Methodist Church, Danielson. Donations: Plainfield Central School National Junior Honor Society, 75 Canterbury Rd, Plainfield, CT 06374; or K.I.S (memo-KIS Students in need), Attn: Ms. Esch, 1599 Upper Maple St, Dayville, CT 06241. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St, Putnam.

M. ‘Greta’ Guertin
WOODSTOCK — Margaretha “Greta” Guertin, 96, of Woodstock died Jan. 16, 2018, at Matulaitis Nursing Home. The wife of Camille A. Guertin, they were married Oct. 18, 1946, in Pomfret. He died in 2008.
Born March 9, 1921, in Woodstock, she was the daughter of Charles and Clara (Vieweg) Bennett. She was a 1938 graduate of the Woodstock Academy. She made her home many years in Putnam moving to Woodstock in 1983. 
She worked for more than 22 years at Lumbertown as a bookkeeper. She had worked also as a bookkeeper at Putnam Woolen Mill and worked as a credit manager at Sears (mail order) in Putnam.
An avid bowler, she bowled at Willimantic and Brooklyn, enjoyed knitting and playing the organ. She was a former member of the Woodstock Seniors and served as treasurer and a member the executive board.
She leaves her daughter, Joan Mayo of Woodstock; grandchildren: JoAnn Aldrich of Woodstock; Paul Mayo of Putnam; Cynthia Mayo of Putnam; great-grandchildren: Donald, Erica, William; Kyle and Nathan; eight great-great-grandchildren; her brother Herman Bennett of Barberton, Ohio.
Visitation is from 1 to 2 p.m. Jan. 28 at Smith Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam, with the Funeral Service at 2. Burial will be in Barlow Cemetery in the spring. Donations: Bungay Fire Brigade, 1256 Rt. 171, W. Woodstock.

Carol A. Henderson
MOOSUP —  Carol (Daskowski) Henderson, 78, of Goshen Rd., died Jan. 9, 2018.  She was the wife of the late Robert Herbert and the late Edward F. Henderson.  Born in 1939 in Putnam, she was the daughter of the late Anthony and Blanche (Valliere) Daskowski.
Mrs. Henderson was a homemaker who enjoyed doing crafts, visiting the ocean, playing cards, dominoes and shopping.
She leaves her sons, John Young of Richmond, Maine, and David Young of Moosup; her daughters, Cynthia Reschke of Webster, and Sandra A. Young of Detroit, Maine; 12 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and her former husband, Wilfred Young. 
Visitation is from 9 to 10 a.m. May 12 in Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale with a Funeral Service in the funeral home at 10.  Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery.

A. Savickaite Vaitkus
GURNEE, Ill. — Anna Savickaite Vaitkus (aka Ona Savickaite Vaitkiene), 93, died Jan. 14, 2018, in Gurnee. Anna was born in 1924 in Lithuania, daughter of Kostas and Ona Savickas. Sister to Liucija (d), Izabele (d), Sister Paula (Sisters of Immaculate Conception, CT), Cesius, and Kostas (d). Anna was a WWII refugee who fled with her family to a displaced persons camp in the American sector in Hanau, Germany. There, she met and married Walter Vladas Vaitkus, an American soldier of Lithuanian descent, and emigrated to America. After arriving in the U.S., Anna and Walter settled in Worcester where Walter had a dental practice. They raised three children, Onile, Linas and Paul. Anna and Walter spent their retirement years in Juno Beach, Fla., until Walter’s death in 2009.
She leaves a daughter, Onile Sestokas (Anthony Kestutis); sons Linas (Zivile Julie ) and Paulius (Beverly); granddaughters Lina Scroggins (Steven), Laura Humphries (Andrew), Rima Rindler (Tim), grandsons Vytas, Linas, Kristijonas, great-granddaughters Klara, Rita, Ila, Ellle. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Feb. 10 at Matulaitis Nursing Home, 10 Thurber Rd., Putnam, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in the Matulaitis Nursing Home Chapel at 10:30 AM. Burial will be beside her husband in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Putnam.Donations: Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 600 Liberty Highway, Putnam, CT. 06260-2503. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.

D. ‘Dottie’ Vanasse
PUTNAM — Dorothy Dottie (Heath) Vanasse, 64, passed away into the arms of the Lord Jan. 13, 2018. She has reunited with her daughter Grace Elizabeth (Vanasse) Sliva in Heaven.
Dottie had a tremendous spirit and faith in God. She fought a battle with cancer and never gave up. She walked the Relay For Life event for 15 years as a breast cancer survivor. She was a gentle and angelic soul who had sincere compassion and love for family and friends and also for those she didn’t even know. She was born Sept. 15, 1953, in Putnam, the youngest child of eight to Albert and Elizabeth Heath.  Dottie was employed at  Fiberoptics in Pomfret for many years until her early retirement due to ill health. She leaves behind the love of her life Dennis ( Jim ) Vanasse Sr. her husband of 47 years;  two sons,  Dennis J. Vanasse Jr. (Catrina) of Putnam, Michael Vanasse (Tina) of Newport News, Va.; two sisters, Barbara Messier of Putnam and Ethel May Heath of Brooklyn; two brothers, Al Heath and Phillip Heath, both of Putnam; 10 grandchildren: Kayla, Cassandra, Jaya, Ashleigh, Hannah, Alec, Zack, Alex, Nathan, and Xavier. She was predeceased by siblings Martha Ritchie, Beverly Benoit, and Robert Heath.  A Memorial Service will be from noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 27 at the East Putnam Fire Department on Rt. 44. Donations: American Cancer Society, either by phone or mail. Phone: 1-800-227-2345 Mail:  American Cancer Society P.O. Box 22478 Oklahoma City, OK 73123.

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By Shawn  Bates
Putnam Middle School
Boys
The Wolfpack split last week’s home games the first game of the week was a loss to Pomfret 49-35. Karson Bates led the scorers with 13 points and was followed by Alonzo Henries with 7 points and Carter Morissette with 7.
The second game of the week Putnam would edge out Ashford 52-50 at home. Putnam would trail the whole game until the final minutes were they would take the two- point lead to win at home.
The scorers were Alonzo Henries with 17, Karson Bates with 12, Carter Morissette with 9 and Cooper Livingston with 8. The Wolfpack played their final home game Jan. 22 against Canterbury.
At the half way point the boys are in second place in the QVJC Small with four games remaining in the season.   Coach Coderre said there is no reason why the Wolfpack shouldn’t win out to secure the first place and first-place seeding in the Tournament that will be held at Putnam Middle School this year.
Girls
Like the boys the girls also split this week the  first game of the week the ladies faced Pomfret for a 39-27 win on the road in Pomfret.   Elisha Clinkscale would lead all scorers with nine points in the win. On Jan. 18 on the road in Ashford the ladies would record their first loss of the season.
The ladies played Jan. 22 against Canterbury away and at 4:15 p.m. Jan. 25 at home against Parish Hill.
Putnam High
Boys
With only one game on the schedule it may have been one of the most anticipated on the calendar for the Clippers. This game always brings out the best of both teams and always seems to go down to the wire each time and this game did not disappoint. The Tourtellotte Tigers would jump out to a 12-9 lead in the first quarter with some scrappy play. But Putnam would apply their in-your-face defense that would get them the lead going into the locker room at 21-17 at the half.
The second half would be more of the same for both squads with the Tigers cutting down the half time lead and eventually tying the game tied to close out regulation time at 37-37. The next four minutes of overtime would only net the Clippers 1 point and the Tigers would get some clutch points from Spencer Fulone and Connor Weiss,  each netting four points for the team’s 10 points in overtime to give the Tigers the Winw 48-38. Sebastian Ramos would lead the Clippers with 15.
Girls
 The Lady Clippers, coming off a strong performance recently, would face two ECC foes last week. The first game was away at Tourtellotte where the Lady Tigers would squeak out a tight back-and-forth battle to end the game 33-35.
The second game of the week found the Lady Clippers hosting the Panthers from Plainfield in a rematch from the first game of the season where Plainfield would walk away with a 51-38 win. The ladies came out and held the Panthers within a couple points for two quarters and in the third Putnam would end the third with a 29-26 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Chloe La Pierre, performed in the clutch, scoring five point of the team’s 12 points in the fourth to edge the Clippers 38-33. Madison Kelly for Plainfield was the leading scorer with 17. For Putnam Alex Hutchins and Kaleigh Lyons would each net eight points.

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caption:

Waiting
The Center for the Arts at Woodstock Academy is waiting for new chairs. Photo by Eric Chalupka.

WOODSTOCK — The Center for the Arts at Woodstock Academy is in the process of getting a “face lift” with the installation of over 1,000 new seats.
For the past 43 years, the theatre has been the home of Opera New England of  Northeastern Ct. Inc. d/b/a Performing Arts of NECT,  as well as  The Community Cultural Committee Inc. d/b/a The Three C’s., presenting Entertainment. This Spring students will be treated to  New Haven Symphony Orchestra featuring Chris Brubeck, a new opera, Freedom Train by Theatreworks USA from New York, and Nugget and Fang. 
Woodstock Academy will present The Marshall Tucker Band on March 16 to kick off their Save a Seat  campaign.  Named Seats may be purchased for $200 by linking onto:
www.woodstockacademy.org/saveaseat.