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The newly installed map/guide at Miller Park in Putnam. Plaques with honors and thanks were also installed. More photos on page 4. Extended photo array on Wed. night on our Facebook page, Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger. Linda Lemmon photo.

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Centreville Bank managers working on the kiosk July 2022.


By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — "The town of Putnam is much richer for having him as one of its citizens."
So says the newly installed plaque at Miller Park.
Over the past year, the park has been transformed. Originally the site of the Belding clubhouse, the space at the corner of Kennedy Drive and Providence Street was named for Robert Miller whose service to the town — and beyond — was immeasurable.
Willie Bousquet, the director of the Parks and Recreation Department, said the renovation of the park began in earnest last year when John Miller, Miller’s nephew, came to the town and said the family had come into some resources and wanted to renovate the park. Bousquet said Miller spearheaded the effort.
Last summer a crew of Centreville Bank managers descended on the park and made quick work of reviving the park. They trimmed trees and bushes, trimmed out brush, scraped the huge kiosk and painted.
Miller had talked to former Putnam’s Economic Development Director Delpha Very about reviving the park. Very, head of the Putnam Business Association’s Beautification Committee, was looking for volunteers for beautification projects at a PBA meeting. She said Centreville needed a community project. And Eva-Marie Roberts, the paint studio manager at Chace Building Supply, offered her services.
The maps/guides and plaques were removed for the cleaning and painting and cleaner versions of them were recently reinstalled. Bousquet said eventually he’d like to see the guide added on to with the start of the River Trail at Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center and the end shown into Thompson. The town is still working on a way to extend the trail to Thompson. A connection to Pomfret’s Air Line Trail, at the Breault walkway, is in the planning stages.
Put up most recently is a thank you plaque from the town. It says: “In grateful recognition of their time, resources and dedication to the completion of this park. Centreville Bank, Chase Building Supply, Miller and Extended Family, Putnam Recreation Department, Putnam Economic and Community Development and Aspinock Historical Society.”
Current Director of Economic and Community Development, Carly DeLuca, said “The completion of Miller Park has been a fantastic collaborative effort. The Putnam Parks and Recreation Department as well as Eva-Marie from Chace helped this vision come to life. My predecessor, Delpha Very planted this seed and I am happy to see it come to fruition! The Miller family has been essential to the growth of Putnam and we are so grateful for what they continue to contribute to the town.”
The town fenced off the “under” section of the park on Providence Street, clearing its small lot and painting the garage door there (underneath the kiosk). In addition, a Miller Park sign was created (in “Putnam Blue”) which beautifully encases the electrical works for the park. A solar-powered uplight was put on the American flag and granite fence posts were added to the Kennedy Drive side of the park.

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