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Awards

Members of the Quest Martial Arts in Putnam attended a tournament recently, taking home many awards. Courtesy photo.

 

 

PUTNAM — Students from Quest Martial Arts in Putnam attended the Ed Vargas scholarship Tournament in Meriden, taking many awards:

Colby Babbitt 3rd in Forms, 2nd Sparring, 3rd in Breaking 

Nicholas Boligan 3rd in Forms, 1st in Sparring, 

2nd in Breaking

Mathew Card 2nd in forms, 3rd in Sparring 3rd in Breaking

Arianna Garnsey 1st in Forms, 1st in Sparring, 

1st in Breaking

Jeff Gibbs     3rd in Forms,Sparring and Breaking

Diedrea Hanshaw 3rd in Forms, 1st in Sparring, 

3rd in Breaking

Sebastian Hanshaw    3rd in Forms, 1st in Sparring, 

3rd in Breaking

Jacob Mainhart 1st in Sparring

David May 1st in Sparring

Molly McKeon 1st in Forms, 2nd in Breaking

Kyle Pazienza 2nd in Forms,1st in Sparring, 

3rd in Breaking

AlishiaThompson 1st in Forms, 2nd in Sparring, 

3rd in Breaking

Isabella Selmecki 1st in Forms, 1st in Sparring, 

3rd in Breaking

Scott Selmecki 3rd in Forms, 3rd in Sparring, 

2nd in Breaking

Zach Rainville 2nd in Sparring

Watts Herideen-Woodruff 2nd in Forms, 

2nd in Sparring, 2nd in Breaking

 

 

By Ron P. Coderre

I initially met Joan Scraba when I was a seventh grade student at St. Mary School.  At the time I was proud to know her, but looking back, I was probably just another kid to her.

The time was the spring of 1954, she was a 21-year-old, first-time mother and I was a basketball player for the St. Mary’s Crusaders coached by Joan’s husband Stanley Scraba.  The occasion was a spaghetti dinner at their apartment on Livery Street (pre-Flood of 1955) in honor of the team.

Despite the newborn baby, Susan Scraba, who had just been brought home from the hospital, Joan and Coach Scraba were hosting seven junior high school players as a reward for the recently completed season.  As I recall, the spaghetti dinner was plentiful and delicious and went off without a hitch.

Over the years I came to know Joan Scraba much better.  Everything she did in life, she did just like the spaghetti dinner.  No problem.  No obstacles.  Joan Scraba was a humble person, always with a smile and a welcoming hello, whatever the situation.

Sadly the news of Joan Scraba’s death in Stuart, Fla., on Sunday, February 8 reached Putnam.  It was shocking to those of us who knew and appreciated her. 

The memories of accompanying a gang of developmentally disabled teens and adults from the Dempsey Center to the Scraba cottage on Lake Alexander were just like the spaghetti dinner.  Joan was waiting, smile on her face, sandwiches piled high waiting to be devoured, swimming area roped off and no matter how boisterous or noisy the group, the ever-present smile was there.

As I moved on to adulthood our relationship changed but Joan never did.  Whether it was walking into the Delaney or Archambault Insurance agencies as an alderman, Joan Scraba was pleasant and always had time an interest in the kid who played for St. Mary’s and was at the spaghetti dinner.

Later in life, my phone would ring and it would be Stan and Joan Scraba calling from Florida or the lake, just to talk.  Positive and upbeat the conversation would always end with the pair saying, “Say hello to your sister Dee and tell Donna we said hi.”  Dee and the Scrabas became friends when she toured them through the Pentagon, a deed they never forgot.

Joan Scraba like many other s had her down moments in life.  She lost her eldest son Stanley Thomas in a tragic automobile accident.  Although I’m certain she hurt inside, she maintained her positive upbeat nature.  The loss of her husband in 2013 was surely heart breaking for her and probably partly to blame for her demise.

She was proud in a non-boastful way of her children, Susan and Paula, who forged exemplary careers in education and Mark, Christopher and Sean, who like their dad are proud military men.  But despite all the things she had to be proud of, with Joan Scraba it was always about you and your family.

She was a great wife, mother, grandmother, employee and even a public servant.  It was however, never for her benefit.  It was always about helping her family and helping others.  There will never be a statue in the square of Joan Scraba but those who knew her will have a portrait of her etched in their minds that will remind them of a good woman and citizen.

 

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By Ron P. Coderre

Three are in.  Three are out.  

In two simple sentences that’s the picture of the girls’ postseason situation with local high school teams.  Tourtellotte, Plainfield and Putnam are comfortably tucked into the CIAC postseason and also their respective conference tournaments.  Ellis Tech, Woodstock Academy and Killingly have either completed their season or it’s just a formality.

In the prep ranks, Pomfret School appears set to get into the NEPSAC-B playoffs, while Marianapolis V1 team is on the bubble at 10-10.  The Little Lady Knights split two games last week and are 4-8 on the season.  Hyde-Woodstock is meandering through the season at 3-10.

The Woodstock Mystery

Needing one more win to qualify for the postseason, Woodstock Academy suffered through a 0-3 week.  The Centaurs opened with a disheartening 47-43 loss to East Lyme.  The Acads fell behind 10-2 following one period of play but came back to lead 19-18 at intermission.  Despite a 16-point effort from Alyson Calabrese, Woodstock was unable to salt away the victory.  Gelina Gruder had 11 in the loss.

Against a good Ledyard team the Centaurs were unable to get the offense in gear as they lost 40-28.  Rebecca Messier had 10 points and Gruder 14 but it wasn’t enough.  In the finale of the season Woodstock went down to the Waterford Lancers 45-26.

Plainfield posted a pair of wins, beating Montville 47-25 and Ledyard 44-41.  Morganne Collins and Madeline Lorange with 11points apiece led the charge in the victory over Montville.  The Ledyard game was close throughout before the Lady Panthers pulled off the win at the end.  Madeline Lorange was the team’s high scorer with 16 points.  She was joined in double figures by her sister Adrienne and Julie Jordan with 13 points apiece.  Plainfield is 12-7 on the season and 5-4 in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Medium Division.

Tourtellotte hit a bump in the road when it was edged by a stubborn St. Bernard team 28-27.  A big fourth-period surge was not enough to overcome the Saints.  Abby Poirier was the lone Lady Tiger in double figures with 13 points.  

The Lady Tigers, who are the ECC Small Division champs at 8-1 and 15-4 overall, came back with a vengeance easily beating Griswold 62-23. 

 Four players posted double digits for the winners, with Poirier once again leading the pack with 18 points.  She was joined by Allie Ablondi (11), Emily Vincent (10) and Jess Dodd (11).   

 Putnam High School sporting a 10-8 overall record and a 9-3 mark in the Constitution State Conference – East, lost its opening game of the week 53-34 to Windham Tech.  

Alyssa Espinosa had 10 points in the loss.  The Lady Clippers rebounded to beat Grasso Tech 55-23 in a strong team effort.

Ellis Tech closed out its season at 1-19 losing three games.  The Lady Techsters were beaten Holy Family Academy 26-19, Norwich Tech 45-24 and MLC 48-8.  

Likewise, Killingly lost three games to finish at 3-17.  The Redgals were felled by Stonington 50-33, Montville 46-37 and Bacon Academy 53-16.

Pomfret Beats Rival Marianapolis

Pomfret and Marianapolis, two teams that are less than 10 miles apart geographically, squared off with the Lady Griffins easily beating the Lady Knights 58-30.  Pomfret was led by its big three, Deja Ross (21), Alyzae Davis (18) and Juliette Lawless (14).  Marianapolis, which lost two of its better players Rachel Aho and Jordan Frye to injuries early in the contest never got its offense untracked.

Pomfret also took the measure of Williston – Northampton 51-47 behind the hot shooting Davis who had 25 points. 

 Lawless chipped in 10 markers.  Sandwiched between the victories was a devastating loss to Worcester Academy 56-50.  The trio of Ross (18), Davis (11) and Lawless (16) was the top point producers for the 11-6 Golden Griffins.

The Marianapolis V1 team split its remaining two games.  The Lady Knights beat St. George’s 57-50 behind a big game from Caroline Soucy who had 27 points.  Elizabeth Sisko added 10 points in the win.  The 10-10 Lady Knights lost to Tabor Academy 70-35 in their only other game.

The 4-8 Marianapolis V2 squad picked up a 39-25 victory over The Williams School.  Sophie Achilles with eight points led a balanced scoring attack.  In its other contest the Little Lady Knights lost to Providence Country Day 45-35.

Hyde-Woodstock went winless in two games to fall to 3-10 on the season.  The Wolfpack was beaten by the Wheeler School 50-14 and by the Southfield School 54-41.

 

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