Putnam wins $1M grant 
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The state of Connecticut awarded the town of Putnam $1 million for rehabilitation of the town’s St. Marie Greenhalgh sports complex.
It is to be matched by $200,000 by the town.
Recreation Department Director James Callaghan said in April that the town applied for a $1 million state Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grant. If the town is successful in getting the grant, it would kick in $200,000, Callaghan said. A good bit of the funds would be used to replace or refinish the track there. 
Callaghan said “An engineering firm has been out and they took borings from the track to see how extensive of a replacement or refurbishment we need.”
He added there are some side projects they would also like to do including, fencing, seating (the stands). Down the road, he said the announcer’s booth, concession stand and the scoreboard as well could use an update.
He said the grant application was supported with letters of support from WPTP, the football program, the school district and the American Red Cross since the Relay for Life is held at the complex. 
In his announcement May 28, Governor Ned Lamont said: “Our small towns are an important part of what makes Connecticut such a special place to live and work. By partnering with each town, we can help get these infrastructure projects completed so these towns can continue to thrive, remain competitive, attract businesses, and improve the quality of life for our residents.”
STEAP grants are provided through a program managed by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM) that delivers grants to small towns for economic development, community conservation, and quality-of-life capital projects.