The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs. The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 963-0000.
July 28
Ronnie Virola, 32, Hazel Street, Hartford; failure to obey traffic control signal.
July 29
Robert Langlois, 23, Valley road. N. Grosvenordale; first-degree failure to appear.
July 30
Andrew Berti, 26, Maynard Street, Putnam; third-degree assault, third-degree strangulation, unlawful restraint.
David Thomas, 34, Rt. 2A, Preston; fourth-degree larceny.
Matthew Greene, 28, Church Street, Putnam; sixth-degree larceny, third-degree identity theft.
July 31
Robert O’Connor, 22, Marshall Street, Putnam; sixth-degree larceny, third-degree burglary.
Michael Dexter, 30, Grove Street, Putnam; disorderly conduct.
Aug. 1
Rory Smith, 37, Powhattan Street, Putnam; violation of conditions of release.
Aug. 2
Jeremy Gagnon, 33, School Street, Putnam; operating under suspension.
Aug. 3
Michael Fenner, 51, Pinecrest Ridge, Woodstock; operating under the influence, failure to drive right.
Wade Phillips, 43, Fairview Street, Ansonia; disorderly conduct.
Suzanne Laccorn, 50, Goldmine Road, Chepachet; creating a public disturbance.
Legal Notice
Water Pollution
Control Authority
Town of Putnam
NOTICE OF
PUBLIC HEARING
SEWER SYSTEM
IMPROVEMENTS
The Putnam WPCA will meet in the Pempek Conference Room, Putnam Town Hall, 2nd Floor, 126 Church Street, Putnam, Connecticut, on August 14, 2014, at 6:15 p.m. for the purpose of holding a public hearing on a proposed project for the Quinebaug Regional Technology Park – Phase I, consisting of $617,200 of improvements to the Town sewer system, including the construction of a sewage pump station and force main, relocation of an existing force main, and installation of 1,000 feet of sewer line. Following the public hearing, the WPCA is expected to consider and act upon a resolution entitled: “RESOLUTION OF THE WPCA OF THE TOWN OF PUTNAM APPROVING THE PLANNING, ACQUISITION AND CONSTRUCTION OF IMPROVEMENTS TO DEVELOP THE QUINEBAUG REGIONAL TECHNICAL PARK PHASE I FOR COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING WATER, SEWER OR OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND THE $7.735 MILLION BOND RESOLUTION IN CONNECTION THEREWITH”.
A copy of said proposed resolution is on file to public inspection at the office of the Putnam Town Clerk, and a copy of the plans and specifications is on file open to public inspection at the Office of the Putnam Water Pollution Control Authority.
Dated this 30th day
of July, 2014.
James Shaw,
Chairman
Putnam Water Pollution Control Authority
Aug. 7, 2014
Legal Notice
Town of Putnam
Zoning Commission
The Town of Putnam Zoning Commission will hold a meeting on August 20, 2014, at 7:00 P.M. at the Town Hall located at 126 Church Street, Putnam, CT. A public hearing will be held one each of the following:
Docket # 2014-04: Putnam Taxi, LLC — Request for text amendments to the Town of Putnam Zoning Regulations Article III, Section 304, Table III-1 Schedule of Uses and Districts to amend the Transportation Table. Article VIII, Definitions to add under M - Motor Vehicle in Livery Service under T -Taxicab or Taxi. Article IV, Section 601 Table VI-1 Parking Schedule. The proposed text amendment may be viewed in it entirety at the Zoning/Land Use Office at the Putnam Town Hall, 126 Church Street, Putnam, CT, during regular Town Hall business hours.
Docket # 2014-05: Putnam Taxi, LLC — Request for a Special Permit of Exception to operate a taxi/livery dispatch office at 119 School Street, Town Assessor’s Map 015, Lot 013., Zoned R-7.
Patricia Hedenberg,
Chairperson
Aug. 7, 2014
Aug. 14, 2014
Legal Notice
Town of Putnam
Zoning Board
of Appeals
The Town of Putnam Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a meeting on August 19, 2014, at 7:00 P.M. at the Town Hall located at 126 Church Street, Putnam, CT. A public hearing will be held on each of the following:
Appeal # 2014-005; Round The Clock Repair Services LLC — Request for a Certificate of Approval of Location. The applicant is also appealing the decision of the Zoning Enforcement Officer for the sale of vehicles. Property located at 33 Industrial Park Road, Town Assessor’s Map 038, Lot 036. Zoned Industrial.
Appeal # 2014-006: Round The Clock Auto Centre, LLC — Request for a Certificate of Approval of Location. The applicant is also appealing the decision of the Zoning Enforcement Officer for the sale of vehicles. Property located at 33 Industrial Park Road, Town Assessor’s Map 038, Lot 036. Zoned Industrial.
Joseph Nash,
Chairman
Aug. 7, 2014
Aug. 14, 2014
caption:
The 1984 Team
Top: The 1984 Putnam American Legion Silk Sox, champions of Zone IX, with coaches Tom Auclair and Willie Bousquet. Above: Members of the 1984 Putnam Silk Sox American Legion Baseball team assembled at the TriTown Post-Season Banquet, where they were honored. Pictured, left to right: Lou Thomas, Coach Tom Auclair, David Austin, Commissioner John W. Sherman, Sr., Ron Baron, Scott Belanger and Chris Mayhew. Courtesy photos.
By Ron P. Coderre
The book The Boys of Summer written by Roger Kahn in 1972 about the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers is often referenced when teams of the past get together for a reunion. On July 25 members of the 1984 Putnam American Legion were together celebrating the 30th Anniversary of their Zone IX championship. The ’84 Boys of Summer and their legendary coach Tom Auclair were the invited guests at the TriTown American Legion Baseball Post-Season Banquet.
On hand for the festivities were former players Lou Thomas, Chris Mayhew, Scott Belanger, Ron Baron and David Austin as well as coach Auclair. Also up all the way from Port Aransas, Texas, was John W. Sherman Sr. who was the Zone IX Commissioner in that fabled summer of ’84.
A trip back down memory lane to the summer of ’84 is a revelation of what turned out to be a miracle season for the team known as the Silk Sox. When the team assembled for the start of the ’84 season it featured seven returning players from the previous season when they had posted an 11-14 record.
The returnees were Jim Lebeau, Thomas, Rusty Greene, John Sherman Jr., Mayhew, Don Masse and Ron Jolicoeur. Newcomers included Rick Latour, Belanger, Jay Sylvia, Nick Serban, Mike St. Jean, Baron, Austin, Bob McKenzie and Neil Senecal. Auclair’s assessment of his team, which started the season with four key players injured, was, “We should be alright if we can get everyone healthy.”
Obviously they healed early as they opened the season with a 14-game winning streak, riding the strong pitching arms of Austin, Greene, Mayhew, Lebeau, St. Jean and Serban. In the 14-game stretch they beat Taftville four times, Moosup three times, Danielson three times, Willimantic and Jewett City twice each before being derailed by Moosup 12-3 in the 15th game of the season. Three games later after wins over Danielson and Willimantic they lost for the second time by a 5-3 score to Willi. They closed out the regular season by winning five of the final six contests.
The key game of the season turned out to be an 8-6 win over Willimantic in a contest that stirred controversy not only in the Zone but throughout Connecticut. The controversy stemmed from a rule regarding what was considered a trip to the mound. In the scenario, Auclair was charged with an official trip by umpire Walt Zadora despite the fact he never crossed the foul line and entered the playing field. Following the decision the game was played under protest.
Commissioner Sherman recused himself from making a decision even though he was at the game. His reason, his son was a member of the Putnam team. The protest went all the way to the State Commissioner, who ruled that the game should be replayed from the 8th inning when the incident occurred. The team then went on to victory and eventually to the Zone IX Championship and a trip to Muzzy Field in Bristol. The miracle season came to a conclusion when the Silk Sox lost 3-1 to Middletown and 3-2 to Stamford in the State Tournament.
“The summer of ’84 was truly memorable for all of us. Many things have occurred in my life since then, however the experience I had playing for coach Auclair overwhelmingly made me a better person. My four years of Legion ball set the foundation for my approach to athletics for the past 30 years,” said Chris Mayhew.
The intense Auclair was an eye opener for most of the players that he coached. When the team didn’t have a game it was three hours plus of practice with Auclair drilling the fundamentals. In 1984 players had to love the game to play for the Putnam American Legion team.
“After a three-hour practice with coach Auclair, playing a game was the easy part of the season,” said Scott Belanger at the banquet.
“We weren’t necessarily the best team but coach Auclair put the heart in us and made us a team,” said Thomas, who batted .369 during the memorable season.
Today Thomas is a sales executive with Kochek Co. in Putnam. Mayhew serves as a teacher and athletic director for the Woodstock school system and was a moving force in the “Jog For Judy” run in memory of fellow teacher Judy Nilan who was murdered. Austin has taken up his former coach’s mantra and is the baseball coach at Killingly High School.
John Sherman Jr. is an associate athletic director at Indiana State University, while Ron Jolicoeur is one of Chicagoland’s most noted chefs. Bob McKenzie lives in Arizona and Don Masse lives in New Hampshire. Rusty Greene and Neil Senecal have made careers in corrections and Belanger can be seen at Danielson American Legion games where his son is the star centerfielder. Baron continues to play competitive softball and has coached baseball at Marianapolis.
The whereabouts of Nick Serban, Mike St. Jean, Rick LaTour and Jay Sylvia are unknown. Jim Lebeau after graduating from Florida Southern University is in business in Georgia. Three of the players, Austin, Greene and Baron have had stints along the way as the coach of the TriTown American Legion program.
“We were solid t every position. Coach Auclair instilled a sense of pride and a winning attitude in all of us. We had a group that didn’t want to lose,” said Baron as he reminisced with a tinge of nostalgia. In their own way they’ve all given something back to baseball and society, a lesson learned from coach Auclair.
The Summer of ’84 may have been 30 years ago but the men who were part of coach Auclair’s championship Putnam American Legion Baseball team still treasure the memories. They were the last individuals to leave the banquet hall as they gathered together long after everyone was gone. They were discussing their favorite subject, baseball.
By Ron P. Coderre
Last year when the Putnam Science Academy basketball team was driving to a 29-5 record and 5th place in the National Prep School National poll, Mamadou Diarra joined the Mustangs two-thirds of the way through the season. Although his presence was helpful in the success of the team, the full impact of his ability wasn’t totally witnessed.
As the 2014-2015 season approaches coach Tom Espinosa will have an opportunity to see the true ability of the 6-foot, 8-inch Diarra, who has a huge wingspan for an inside player making him an intimidator in the middle. In 12 games last season Diarra averaged five points and three rebounds per game after transferring from Believe Prep in South Carolina. This year the Mustangs are looking for more from the young man from New York.
Diarra, who is 16 years old, will be a junior at Putnam Science Academy. Now that he’s enjoyed being part of a nationally ranked team Diarra has tasted the fruits of a winning program. With the departure through graduation of the core of last season’s team, Espinosa is looking for Diarra to assume a leadership role.
“As a returning player we’re looking for Mamadou to pick up where he left off last season. He has the tools to be one of the best big men in our region. He’s considered one of the best big men in the prep ranks. If he accepts the role of leader he can be an inside force who can change the complexion of a game,” said Espinosa.
Espinosa isn’t the only person who believes Diarra is a top notch player and game changer. In his brief basketball life he’s drawn the serious interest of a large number of mid-major colleges. Among the early suitors are Quinnipiac University, Fairfield University, Norfolk State University, Manhattan College, Rider College, Iona, Monmouth College and St. Peter’s College.
Coach Espinosa is assembling another solid and challenging schedule this year for his Mustangs. The competition and a full season at Putnam Science Academy will give Diarra a big stage on which to perform.
Will he emerge as a marquee performer or play a supporting role? Espinosa’s betting on an Academy Award winning performance.