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Final Contribution

Steven and Marjolaine Townsend, naming donors, right, make the final $75,000 contribution of a $500,000 pledge to Day Kimball Healthcare's Emergency Department last week. From left: Donald St. Onge, SVP and COO; Gary and Karen Osbrey, Care in a Heartbeat Capital Campaign Community co-chairs; Robert Smanik, president and CEO of Day Kimball Healthcare. The second of three phases of the new Emergency Department is expected to open this week, after state approval. Linda Lemmon photo.

 

 

 By Linda Lemmon

Town Crier Editor

PUTNAM --- Right on schedule, Day Kimball Healthcare officials last week, showed off the second of three phases of a modern, expanded and renovated Emergency Department.

The certificate from the state, allowing the hospital to open the second phase to patients, was expected to have been approved Oct. 15.

Phase Two adds nine more patient rooms including behavioral health wing, construction of temporary waiting room and entrance through December and demolition of existing waiting room for renovation. The third and final phase, expected to open next summer, will add six more patient rooms, a new patient reception area and new entrance with covered drop-off area.

In addition to the tour, healthcare officials received from Steven and Marjolaine Townsend the final $75,000 of the $500,000 the couple pledged to the project. The Townsends presented the final contribution two years early and called the project "exciting." 

Robert Smanik, president and CEO of Day Kimball Healthcare,  said clinical space was gained for Emergency Department use by moving administrative and office support staff to another part of the hospital. 

Donald St. Onge, senior vice president, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer, pointed out that a more efficient layout of the patient space is also a benefit.

In April Phase One opened with a new ambulance entrance, one of two nurses stations, the resuscitation room with two beds and eight private patient rooms. According to Marie Gauvin, project manager, reconfiguring walls and halls will merge the current emergency department space with the new space.  The entire project is 23,066 square feet and renovation of the current space.  Heathcare officials said that the state-of-the-art Emergency Department will allow registration at patient’s bedsides to accelerate care and make the ED process more efficient. They said the establishment of all-private treatment rooms “perhaps the most significant improvement.” It will offer privacy, confidentiality and dignity for individuals. The number of patient rooms will double. 

 

 

Autumn Lullaby

Leaves trapped in the netting of a hammock. Linda Lemmon photo.

 

Football Wrap-up

Hyde lone

team 

to post win 

in tough 

weekend   

By Ron P. Coderre

In a weekend that witnessed local schools suffer through defeat, one team the Hyde-Woodstock Wolfpack defied the odds and posted a big win over Hebron Academy, which traveled to the Nutmeg State all the way from Maine.

The Quinebaug Valley Pride opened the weekend under the arcs at the St. Marie-Greenhalgh Sports Complex and was edged by visiting Prince Tech.  Killingly, Pomfret School and Woodstock followed suit on Saturday, with the Redmen losing on the road to Bacon Academy, Berkshire shutting out Pomfret and Woodstock suffering through a long afternoon at home against a strong New London team.

Murphy and Greenridge Tandem

 Lead Hyde to Victory

Hyde-Woodstock’s Jimmy Murphy continues to impress as he once again led the Wolfpack to victory, a hard fought 20-14 win over visiting Hebron Academy.  This week Murphy had huge support from steady quarterback Marcus Greenridge, who added a pair of scores on runs of 6 and 2 yards to salt away the win for coach Sean Saucier’s charges.  

After Hebron broke out on top 8-0 early in the first quarter, Murphy responded with a 12-yard run to pull Hyde-Woodstock within two points 8-6 and close out the initial stanza scoring.  The Wolfpack took a 12-8 lead to the locker room at halftime thanks to the first of Greenridge’s two scores.

Murphy and Greenridge both broke the century mark on the ground, as “Murph” ran for 107 yards on 14 carries and Greenridge had 102 yards on 15 carries.

The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter with Greenridge once again tallying, this time from 2 yards out.  A Murphy two-point conversion run closed out the Wolfpack scoring insuring the six-point margin of victory.  The win upped Hyde-Woodstock’s record to 3-1 overall and 3-1 in the Evergreen League.  Next week the Wolfpack is on the road at Holderness School in a 2 p.m. contest.

Pomfret School was on the road in the far reaches of western Massachusetts where it was whitewashed by Berkshire 12-0.  The Griffins next game is Saturday at home versus Canterbury School at 2:30 p.m.

Pride, Killingly & Centaurs Fall

The Quinebaug Valley Pride put up a strong effort against visit Prince Tech but dropped a heartbreaker 22-14.  The loss drops the Pride to 1-4 on the season.

This was a game that coach Joe Asermelly felt could easily have been a victory for his team and he took part of the blame for the loss.  Late in the game the coaching staff lost track of the timeout situation and the game clock, causing confusion on the field for the Pride, resulting in the loss of what might have been a positive situation.  Regardless in the end, the Techsters left Putnam with the win.

Following a Prince Tech 7-0 first period advantage, the Pride fought back as running back Raif Santerre bulled over from 5 yards out to knot the score following a Chuck Innes point-after kick.  However, the Pride was unable to stand prosperity and went to intermission trailing 14-7.  

The third quarter belonged to Prince Tech as it scored the only touchdown of the stanza to take a 20-7 lead into the final 12 minutes.  A Jeremee Perez one yard burst was all that the Pride would manage before the final whistle.  Santerre once again broke the century mark on the ground with 144 yards on 30 carries.

The Pride now prepares for O’Brien Tech, which visits the St. Marie-Greenhalgh Sports Complex on Friday for a 6:30 p.m. encounter.

Killingly, much like the Pride was hoping to pick up a victory on its trip to Colchester for a game with Bacon Academy.  The Redmen however, came away disappointed as the Bobcats posted a 35-28 win in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score might indicate.

Bacon took a 28-6 lead to the locker room at halftime as the only score Killingly could muster was an Austin Caffrey 10-yard run for a touchdown.  Bacon controlled the third quarter, scoring the only touchdown during that 15-minute period before Killingly came to life.

Whatever the reason for the resuscitation, Killingly posted 22 final period points narrowing the final margin to seven points but not enough for the victory.  Caffrey scored on a two-yard burst to open the fourth period scoring.  His running mate, Michael Elsey then his paydirt twice on runs of 31 and 57 yards as time became Killingly’s enemy.

Elsey toted the pigskin 19 times for 167 yards, while Caffrey had 11 carries for 81.  Quarterback Kyle Derosier was 7-for-25 in the air for 76 yards, 56 of those yard were credited to his favorite target Vasileous Politis.

The loss drops Killingly to 1-4 on the season and 0-2 in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Medium Division.  They now prepare for the rugged Stonington Bears, who invade Danielson on Friday evening for a 6:30 p.m. contest. 

Homecoming Day for Woodstock was more like Custer’s Last Stand as the New London Whalers put on a show in Woodstock besting the outmanned Centaurs 51-6.  The lone bright spot for the Acads was running back Holden Cote who scored on a four-yard burst late in the game.  The loss drops Woodstock to 1-4 on the season.  

 

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