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Refreshed Shed
Community gardeners who painted the shed at the garden include, from left: Matthew Baum, Carly DeLuca, Cheryl Gaudreault, Andrew and Noah Larson, Cathey LaBonte, John Dunay, and Paul Grenier. Photo by Cheryl Gaudreault.


By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — You might do a double take if you’re passing by the Dr. Robert R. Johnston Community Garden of Rhodesville on Smith Street.
The work-a-day shed was repainted by gardeners.
According to Carly DeLuca, director of Economic and Community Development for the town, the idea to finally give the shed a new coat of paint came from Paul Grenier. Grenier, the chair for both Economic and Community Development Commission and the Redevelopment Agency, is one of the charter members of the long-time community garden.
DeLuca said, “He spearheads a lot of the work done at the garden. Matt Baum suggested doing some monthly activity and we thought this was a good start! John Dunay was extremely helpful in prepping the shed and bringing his tools. Cheryl brought snacks and Cathey, a graduate from Rhode Island School of Design, brought her expertise as a painter. I had a lovely helper in Mr. Noah Larson, our youngest gardener, who is just 3 years old! He turns four next month, though — we talked about what type of birthday cake he wants.”
The project was funded by an anonymous gift giver. DeLuca said she received an anonymous letter with a $200 Audubon gift card. The letter said: “I just recently heard about the community garden on Smith St. Yet another great reason to live in Putnam! Please accept this gift card to purchase items for the garden. I’m sure your budget doesn’t cover everything you need or want. Hope you have a great year!” DeLuca bought the paint and supplies with the gift card.
She added, “It’s a good way to build community with people that have shared interests, but you may not normally spend time with. We see a range of ages and backgrounds coming into the garden.”

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