Past Issues of the Putnam Town Crier
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Trash: How’s it going?
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — More than a week in for the new Casella Waste trash/recycle program, and Casella officials say the process has been relatively smooth.
Marc Morgan, Casella’s strategic account manager – Municipal Services, said it went pretty well on the trash side.
One issue, hopefully worked out now, is that the company went from a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday schedule to a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday schedule as of May 1. Those who had had their trash picked up on Fridays were moved to either Wednesday or Thursday. The company managing the app incorrectly told some of those customers that their day was Thursday. It was Wednesday and they did not get their trash out that day. Morgan said it affected six streets and he believes it’s all corrected now.
The trash is picked up by a side arm on the trash truck. Morgan said folks may see two people in the truck cab for “perhaps a few weeks” because the second person is adjusting the carts (bins) if they are not placed properly for the arm. “In some cases cart placement is not quite right; not in the right place. They should not be backwards or sideways, which can damage the lid,” Morgan said. Some customers were left a tag detailing proper cart placement.
Morgan said that in the weeks before the new program started, Casella was driving the collection routes, making sure they matched up with the app. They were also checking streets and heights and one ways.
The company makes almost 3,000 stops. “All in all, I think it went well,” he said.
Last week Casella added the recycle portion of the program.
What belongs in the 95-gallon recycle cart (bin): Cardboard (broken down into 2-foot squares, max), boxboard, junk mail, periodicals and office paper (paper bags, envelopes, catalogs). Also, plastic bottles, jugs, tubs and lids including empty kitchen, laundry and bath containers and clamshells. Also aluminum and steel cans, foil and empty food and beverage cans. And finally, glass bottles and jars (empty food and beverage bottles and jars). All containers should be clean and dry.
Do not bag recyclables.
What’s not accepted? No items 2 inches or smaller, plastic bags, bagged recyclables, clothing/textiles, tanglers (hangers), scrap metal items, batteries, medical waste, food waste/liquids, electronics, hazardous materials or explosives, plastic wrap, films or tarps, wood, waste, or tires, disposal items, waxy boated paper items, ceramics or baking glass.
For recycling tips and resources, visit casella.com/RecycleBetter.
Morgan said the reasoning for making sure cardboard is no larger than 2 feet is so that it will not get stuck.
The side-arm truck will pick up the cart up and flip it upside down once into the hole at the top of the truck. No shaking, no multiple emptying motions. One motion. Anything in the cart needs to fall freely into the truck.
For that same reason, Morgan said, they often see things like vinyl Venetian blinds, mop handles and scrap metal or cardboard that is too large and they get stuck.
He added, “If you have to jam it in there, chances are it’s not going to fall in.”
Place the trash cart and the recycle cart on a flat surface at least 3 feet apart, with the front facing the road. Morgan said many people put the trash cart on one side of the driveway and the recycle cart on the other side of the driveway. The carts should be clear of snow, landscaping, mail boxes and utility poles.
Morgan said in Putnam the same truck will be used for trash and for recyclables. The truck will do its route picking up trash, go unload it and then return to collect the recyclables. So if you see your trash gone but the recycles are still in the cart, hang on, they’re coming back for it.
If you have any questions for Casella the phone number for service is 860-423-4527.
What About Bulky Waste?
The town’s Bulky Waste Collection will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 18 at the Putnam Armory. No charge — you just need to show residency. Two more are planned --- Aug. 17and Oct. 26 at the Putnam Middle School.
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Witnesses sought
PUTNAM — The Putnam Police Department is looking for anyone who might have witnessed the accident May 7 at the corner of Kennedy Drive and Bridge Street.
Putnam Police, Putnam Fire Department and Putnam EMS responded to a 2-car motor vehicle crash where it was reported one operator was trapped. Police said the operator of a 2014 Nissan Maxima identified as Jordan Hidalgo was traveling south on Kennedy Drive at a high rate of speed and attempted to turn right onto Bridge Street. Hidalgo failed to negotiate the right turn due to excessive speed, lost control of his vehicle, and collided with a 2024 Toyota Tundra stopped at the red traffic signal on Bridge Street.
Once Putnam Fire Department personnel extricated the female operator of the Toyota, she was taken to Day Kimball Hospital by Putnam EMS for non-life-threatening injuries. Hidalgo was treated at the scene for minor injuries and his passenger did not complain of any injury.
Both vehicles were towed.
Hidalgo, 19, of 46 Sabin St., Putnam was issued an infraction for traveling unreasonably fast and improper right turn. Anyone who may have witnessed the accident is encouraged to contact Officer Chip Carney at (860) 928-6565.
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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.
May 9
Ethan Palmer, 23, Centennial Street, Putnam; third-degree assault.
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Putnam Police Attain Tier 1
At last week’s Police Officer Standards and Training Council meeting the council formally recognized that the Putnam Police Department has met the required standards and was awarded Tier 1 State Accreditation status. Chief Chris Ferace and Captain Justin Lussier received the award. Ferace credited and complimented Captain Lussier for his work, enabling the department to meet the Tier 1 standard. “This accomplishment was not an easy task; it required a complete re-write of our General Orders and Department Policies to meet the accreditation liability standards. We are a small department; we do not have the extra personnel to re-assign or dedicate to this complex task. Fortunately, Captain Lussier was up to the challenge and completed this project in addition to his day-to-day responsibilities.”
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Sharing is a good thing in most instances. Sports isn’t one of them.
On Saturday, the Woodstock Academy baseball team downed East Lyme, 2-0, to claim, at least, a share of the ECC Div. I title.
The Centaurs still need a win over Waterford or Fitch to claim it outright.
Coach Connor Elliott said: “It was our first goal coming into the year ... win the regular season championship."
Brady Ericson made this one possible as he allowed only a pair of harmless singles and struck out eight. In the 7th Maxx Corradi singled to lead off the inning and was sacrificed to second. Keon Lamarche followed with a base hit and an error on the play allowed Corradi to score. David Bunning came on to pinch run for Lamarche and came across on a Riley O’Brien single to account for the two runs. The Centaurs are now 6-0 in ECC Div. I.
Six players were honored in Senior Day prior to the game with Maloney High School and Elliott praised them all.
Woodstock handed Maloney a 7-1 loss. Corradi had a pair of doubles, scoring a run off of it in the first and driving in another in the fourth. Matt Hernandez also had a pair of RBI singles to back the pitching of O’Brien.
The righthander improved to 4-1 on the season as he pitched a six hitter through six innings and struck out four.
Earlier in the week, it was a rare occurrence at the Bentley --- a ball hit over the fence in left by Lamarche.
The Centaurs were leading Lyman by just two runs in the bottom the fifth. The home run by Lamarche helped guarantee the Centaurs their third straight victory by shutout, 4-0 over the Bulldogs.
Corradi drew a walk but was thrown out attempting to steal. O’Brien kept the inning going when he was hit by a pitch. Up came Lamarche. The coach’s guesstimate was that it traveled at least 380 feet.
Sophomore Brady Lecuyer was in the right place at the right time. Hernandez singled and Sampson reached on an error in the second. Up came Lecuyer and he hit a two-run double to put the Centaurs up, 2-0. Mathewson went six innings, gave up just two hits and struck out nine before he yielded to Logan Coutu in the seventh.
The Centaurs have four regular games left, but will be on the road, playing North Branford, Waterford, Fitch and St. Bernard.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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