NECASA
coordinates
2 alliances
As a part of the history of Northeast Communities Against Substance Abuse’s (NECASA) efforts in northeastern Connecticut over the past 25 years, the organization has undertaken a new effort in the past several years to establish Drug Endangered Children’s (DEC) alliances.
NECASA has started collaborative groups in Windham and in Killingly/Brooklyn.
The collaborative alliances include representatives from: Connecticut State Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Connecticut Department of Children and Families, Statewide Narcotics Task Force, Connecticut Judicial Department-Adult Probation, Connecticut Department of Correction- Parole and Community Services, Windham Schools, Willimantic Police Department, Killingly Schools, Brooklyn Schools, United Services, Perception Programs, Generations Family Health Centers, Community Health Resources, Windham State’s Attorney’s Office
The purpose of these groups is to ensure that children who are at risk because of drug use in their living environment are referred for services and receive support and community services. A key focus is that Children + Drugs = Risk. Anecdotal information from DCF shows that referrals have increased in response to the increased training.
The work of these groups has focused on the training of personnel on the issue of drug endangered children and on reporting requirements. Ultimately it is the goal of the groups to have all personnel trained and to have the alliances able to collaborate and coordinate in the best interest of the children and families. Trainings were completed in 2014, including all Windham, Killingly and Brooklyn Schools, Willimantic Police and Perception Programs, United Services and Community Health Resources.
WOODSTOCK — Woodstock Academy beat Hall/Southington Jan. 3 by the score of 4-2 in ice hockey
Woodstock goal period 1
Connor Bavosi assisted by Ryan Black and Austin Beaupre
Period 2 scoring
Woodstock, Nathan Deluca from from Ryan Black
Woodstock, Will Liscomb from Jordan Lamothe
Hall, Kyle Cubbage unassisted
Woodstock, Jon-Luc Cournoyer assisted by Doug Gerrity, Ryan Black
Period 3
Hall, Jacob Herz assisted by Caelan Booth
Winning goalie for WA Cal Wilcox
Final shots
WA 36
Hall 24
Dec. 30 the team lost in a close one, 6-5, against Staples co-op.
The game ended up being the shootout with both teams tallying over 40 shots. Woodstock took a quick to nothing lead on goals from Ryan Black and Will Liscomb. At the end of the first. Woodstock was leading 2 to 1.
The second period Woodstock again scored first on a goal from Jordan Lamothe with A nice assist by Ryan Black.
Staples answered with three goals to finish out the second and taking the lead going into the third. By the score of 4-3.
Staples opened the scoreing in the third taking a 5 to 3 lead.
At the Seven minute mark of the third. Woodstock got a goal from Zack gagnon, assisted by will Liscomb.
With time running out and the goalie pulled Woodstock tied 5 to 5 with 24 seconds left on a goal from Zack Burnham.
Just one minute into overtime Staples scored the game winning goal for a final of 6-5
By Ron P. Coderre
Three holiday tournaments brought the Christmas break to a conclusion as the high schools and preps prepare for the second half of the schoolgirl basketball season.
Tourtellotte was crowned the 2014 Citizens National Bank Clipper Classic champion, while Woodstock Academy picked up the first title in the newly initiated Woodstock Academy Centaur Holiday Classic.
Killingly and Plainfield posted victories over the break, while Putnam dropped to 3-3 on the season after losing to the Redgals. Ellis Tech was inactive.
The Marianapolis Lady Knights returned to campus early to play in the Buckingham, Browne and Nichols Tournament, where they split a pair of games.
Lady Tigers Sprint Past Tech
in Clipper Classic
After getting by a determined Killingly team in the opening round of the Clipper Holiday Classic, Tourtellotte enjoyed a relatively easy path to the title, disposing of Windham Tech 54-26. The Lady Tigers jumped out to a 13-6 first quarter advantage and built its halftime lead to 31-15 in cruising to the championship.
The trio of Deanna Lazzarra, tournament Most Outstanding Player, and Jess Dodd and Allie Ablondi, tournament all-star selections each poured in a dozen points in leading the way for the 5-1 Lady Tigers.
Killingly, still fuming over its overtime loss to Tourtellotte in the tourney opener, took its revenge out on host Putnam. Killingly showed no mercy in pummeling the Lady Clippers 61-21. Nine players hit the scorebook for Killingly led by Meagan Bianchi, Morgan Harriott and Karissa Slowik with 11 points apiece. In its only other game, Killingly was dropped by Ledyard 58-42 despite 11 points apiece from Bianchi and Slowik. Killingly is now 2-6 on the season.
Galina Gruder, the Centaur Holiday Classic Most Outstanding Player, led the way with 11 points as Woodstock waltzed past Griswold 46-20 to capture the first-ever Academy holiday tourney. Rebecca Messier with a pair of three-pointers and 12 points was the game-high scorer. The victory lifts the Acads to 3-4 on the young season. Later in the week the Lady Centaurs were swept away by New London 70-29. Woodstock is 3-5 after eight games.
Plainfield entertained its fans in a home contest, rolling past Old Saybrook 54-25. A solid second period defensive effort in which the Lady Panthers held OS to two pints was the difference in the contest. The L’Orange sisters Madeline with 14 points and Adrienne with 13 markers paced the Plainfield offense. Against Eastern Connecticut Conference Large Division foe Norwich Free Academy Plainfield fell short by a 68-35 margin. Julie Jordan, with 13 points, was the team’s lone scorer in double figures. The Lady Panthers sport an early season 4-4 record.
Marianapolis Splits Pair
at BB&N Tourney
The Marianapolis girls’ V1 basketball team of coach Lauren Moore traveled to Cambridge, Mass., for the Buckingham, Browne and Nichols Tournament during the holiday week. The Lady Knights were taken to school in the opener by Nobles & Greenhough 61-29. Rachel Aho had nine points and 10 caroms for Marianapolis, which never generated any offense in the contest.
The Lady Knights came back the following day with a solid 52-37 victory over host BB&N. Jordan Frye with 17 points and five rebounds was the top offensive threat for Marianapolis, which also had 13 points and five steals from Caroline Soucy. Aho posted a double-double with a dozen points and a dozen rebounds for the 4-4 Lady Knights.
caption:
Visiting
Miss Connecticut, Acacia Courtney, recently visited Putnam and northeastern Connecticut. She's shown here with Ronald P. Codederre. Courtesy photo.
By Ron P. Coderre
This week’s RPC column is dedicated to Gordon Marks. You might be wondering, “Who is Gordon Marks?” We were wondering the same thing until we met him at the Clipper Classic last week. Marks retired to Woodstock recently following a career with the State of Connecticut. His claim to fame is, he went to high school in Bridgeport with Putnam Mayor Tony Falzarano, when both guys weighed a solid 175 pounds and were terrific athletes. Now you know Gordon Marks.
A beautiful young lady visited Putnam Dec. 30 and created quite a stir. Acacia Courtney, the reigning Miss Connecticut, was in town as the guest of Joanne Gerardi-Voccio promoting the initial upcoming Miss Windham County Pageant and spreading goodwill.
She started her day as a guest on WINY radio with morning host, the popular Gary O. She was then toured through the Antique City, where she met a variety of dignitaries and business owners, ending her tour with lunch at the Courthouse Bar & Grille as the guest of owners James and Sheila Frost. She also spent time with a number of members of the Putnam Business Association discussing the growth and revitalization of Downtown Putnam and encouraging support of the upcoming Pageant. She graciously posed for photos with the line of individuals who wanted an opportunity for a souvenir of her visit.
There’s much more substance however, to Miss Courtney than simply beauty pageants. When she isn’t touring the state as Miss Connecticut, she’s a junior at Fordham University majoring in communications and media studies with a concentration in journalism. She’s also a big fan of horse racing with her ultimate goal of becoming a horse racing broadcaster.
“I hope that someday you’ll see me on NBC or one of the major networks reporting live on a major thoroughbred racing event,” she proudly told us.
Because she has a love of horses, she’s founded and is the president of Racing For Home, Inc., a 501 c 3 non-profit organization that rescues and retrains ex-racing thoroughbreds for new careers after their racing days are over.
A Top-15 finisher in this year’s Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, N.J., Miss Courtney also espouses other causes, especially the way we approach healthy eating in our society. Working with Meatless Monday and Move It Monday, she’s spoken to hundreds of students about the disconnect between the farm and the plate.
The poise that Miss Courtney demonstrates in social situations is evidence that the Miss Connecticut and Miss America pageants are more than simply beauty contests. It’s a certainty that when she completes her education she’ll be racing toward her next goal until the day she achieves her ultimate goal. It’s no doubt she will be on a major network in the future doing what she enjoys, being around horses and reporting on thoroughbred racing.
Putnam is honored that you took the time to stop by our thriving little town.
Local Tourneys Name
All Star Units
The high school holiday boys’ and girls’ basketball tournaments are in the record books. It’s nice to note that the Centaur Holiday Classic in Woodstock got off the ground successfully, while the Clipper Classic in Putnam sponsored by The Citizens National Bank for the 14th consecutive year continues to thrive.
Of note was the fact that the Woodstock Academy girls under successful veteran coach Willie Bousquet brought a championship to the fieldhouse. The best sight of the holiday tournaments was the full house, standing room only crowd on hand for the double overtime Putnam versus Killingly championship game in the boys’ tourney. Regardless of the outcome (Killingly won or should I say Putnam let the victory slip through its fingers) seeing the old Putnam bandbox gym filled to overflowing was a great Christmas present.
The Clipper Classic girls’ competition crowned Tourtellotte’s 6-foot center Deanna Lazzarra as the tourney Most Outstanding Player. Selected to the All – Tournament team were Lazzarra’s teammates Allie Ablondi, Abby Poirier and Jess Dodd, along with Marissa Shirshac of Windham Tech and Meagan Bianchi of Killingly. The tourney All – Academic team was composed of Christina Kopacz of Tourtellotte, Drew Johndrow of Killingly, Oralee Collazo of Windham Tech and Stacey Belliveau of Putnam.
In the Centaur Holiday Classic senior Rebecca Messier of Woodstock was the All – Academic selection. The Centaurs senior forward Galina Gruder was chosen the tourney Most Outstanding Player and her teammate Abby Willis was an All – Tournament team selection.
The Most Outstanding Player in the Boys’ Clipper Classic was Killingly’s Derek Grzysiewicz. He was joined on the All – Tournament team by his teammates Owen Guillot and Alex Torcoletti. Also on the All- Tourney unit was the Putnam trio of Dan Porcic, Jeremee Perez and Shawn Audet. The Clippers’ Steve Dakai and Guillot of Killingly were named to the All – Academic Squad.
Sick Call
Shawn Audet, Putnam’s senior guard, is on the disabled list for the next four to six weeks, leaving the Clippers without the player who was their leading scorer through the first five games of the young season. Audet, the nephew of former Putnam football and basketball standout Trevor Smith, broke his finger during football season. Rather than improving, the finger got worse and became infected, which forced Audet to have surgery to rectify the situation. As might be expected the young man is disappointed that he’ll be out of action but is hoping to be back for the end of the season.
College Watch
In a recent game Quinnipiac University tipped off against the University of Maine, the Bobcats of coach Tom Moore prevailed over the Black Bears 81-64. The contest had a definite northeastern Connecticut flavor with four hoopsters with local connections on the hardwood.
Quinnipiac big man and ex-Marianapolis standout Ousmane Drame was the game’s high scorer with 20 points, while his teammate Chaise Daniels formerly of Putnam Science Academy, had two points. The Maine Black Bears featured ex-PSA Mustang Shaun Lawton who had 11 points and 6-foot, 9-inch Elijah Ejiga, who starred at Hyde-Woodstock, chipping in two points. The coach of Maine is former Rhode Island College coach, the popular Bobby Walsh.
In a 66-60 loss to St. Peter’s, Drame registered seven points and Daniels four on a 2-for-2 performance. The Bobcats are 6-5.
RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: “You’ve got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going ‘cause you might not get there.” Yogi Berra
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