named

parade

marshal

PUTNAM —  WWII veteran Robert Harris, will be this year’s Memorial Day Parade marshal May 26.  

Harris served as a Seabee aboard the USS Frank E. Evans and USS Harry E. Hubbard in the Pacific Theater in the 40th Naval Construction Battalion. He was stationed in Pearl Harbor and Okinawa.  

Harris served from 1944-47 and received the China Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal along with the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with Star. 

Harris, 87, lives in Putnam and was born in Plainville, Mass.

The Town’s Memorial Day observance will take place May 26 with the parade step off at 10 a.m. and will conclude with a memorial program at Rotary Park.  In case of inclement weather, notification will be on WINY 1350 AM the morning of the parade.

The parade will feature a lineup of marchers which will include town officials, a National Guard Unit, local veterans groups, VFW and American Legion poppy queens, several civic and fraternal organizations and youth groups. Patriotic music will be provided by local bands and the Putnam High and Middle School Bands. To accommodate older and disabled veterans, who wish to be in the parade, transportation will be available by calling the VFW at 860-928-9897.

Following the parade a speaking ceremony will take place in Rotary Park.  The key note address will be given by veteran Bernard Ducat, who served in the U.S. Air Force 1966-1970. During his tour of duty in Vietnam, Ducat was awarded the Air Force Gallantry Cross, Good Conduct Medal and Presidential Unit Citation.

All marching units and on lookers are asked to gather at Rotary Park on Kennedy Drive immediately following the parade for the Memorial Day observance ceremony. The program will be lead by Master of Ceremonies, Ronald P. Coderre, a U.S. Air Force veteran. The VFW Chaplin will be announcing the remembrance of deceased soldiers in the state of Connecticut during duty in 2014.  Lillium Florist will be at the ceremony to distribute roses to family members of deceased veterans. Following the ceremony, the Putnam Police Department will host a free picnic in Rotary Park.  Refreshments include hot dogs, chips, drinks and cookies for as long as they last.

Earlier in the week, local veterans will place American flags at the graves of Veterans interred in the St. Mary, Grove Street and Nancy Drive, Munyan Road and  Rt 21 cemeteries.  There they will remain until Veterans Day in November.

The traditional wreath laying and military tributes at Putnam cemeteries, bridges and monuments will be conducted by a National Guard firing squad plus officers and color guards from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, starting at 10 a.m. May 25. The Putnam Police Department is providing security and escort services for all Memorial Day observance activities.

 

 

Baseball Wrap-up

Plainfield

cracks

top 10

By Ron P. Coderre

In a week filled with highs and lows, the performance of the Plainfield Panthers brought pride to the Northeast Corner of Connecticut with three huge wins.  The Panthers of coach Jason Chiavaras in a spectacular week brought back memories of the Plainfield teams of old under legendary coaches John Schiffner and Mitch Pietras.

Putnam  also enjoyed a good week highlighted by a no hit – no run performance by Josh Allard.  Marianapolis was perfect on the week at 3-0, raising its record over the .500 mark at 7-6.  The Clippers and Golden Knights engaged in a contest at Dodd Stadium, although due to the fact that Marianapolis plays in prep competition and Putnam on the high school circuit, the game was not official for the record books.  The Clippers prevailed 5-4 when they scored the tie breaker in the seventh inning.

The remainder of the schools, with the exception of Ellis Tech, which won its only game of the week, posted “goose eggs’ going winless.

#17 Plainfield Drops #1 Waterford

Plainfield proved to the rest of the world that it belonged in the Top 10 in Connecticut by beating three rugged opponents last week.  The biggest victory was a 5-3 win over the #1 ranked team in the State, Waterford High School.  The Panthers rode the arm of starter Kyle Boarman who went five innings in picking up the win and a strong two- inning relief effort by Mike Esposito.  In addition to his stellar relief job, Esposito contributed a key double.

In its first game of the week, Plainfield got by Killingly 7-2 behind the tosses of Jordan Federer who captured his third win against no losses.  Garet Griffin with a pair of two-baggers and Federer with a double and triple were the main offensive cogs in the Panther machine.

The Panthers closed out the week by eking out a 4-3 victory over the New London Whalers thanks to a Federer home run.  It may have been a hangover from the victory over Waterford but Plainfield garnered enough steam with a seventh inning run to edge past the Whalers to raise its record to 12-0.   

Ranked 17th in the New Haven Register Top 10 Poll entering the week, Plainfield will definitely gain recognition for its fine play, especially with the win over Waterford.  The impressive week should project the Panthers into the Top 10.

Putnam recorded two wins in the week with one being a forfeit victory over Whitney Tech.  The victory on the field however, was a dandy as Allard (3-1) threw a no-no at a very good Norwich Tech nine.  Allard was masterful throughout, while his mates responded by slapping out 12 hits to support his stellar performance.  Senior Luke Sarsfield, who is wielding a hot bat of late had a double in the win as did Tylor Genest.  Allard helped his cause with a triple.  Putnam   is 7-3 as they enter the second half of the season.

Ellis Tech (5-6) moved closer to .500 with 9-0 whitewashing of Bullard Haven.  Marianapolis raided its record to 7-6 and 3-1 in the SENE with a trio of victories.  The Golden Knights swept a doubleheader from Williams School 4-3 and 7-0 in a pair of five-inning games.  Griffin Kelly was the first game winner while Eric Goudreau captured the nightcap on the hill.  Kelly and Goudreau had key doubles in the first game victory.  Dylan Horn and Jack Hanrahan were the main offensive threats in the second game.  In its only other game Marianapolis rolled over St. Thomas More 14-2 behind the tosses of Dalton Bodreau.  Devin Springfield and Goudreau homered for the Golden Knights.

Killingly, after falling to Plainfield, lost to Waterford 7-1, New London 7-1 and Montville 8-4 as the Redmen fell to 2-10 overall and 0-5 in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Medium Division.  Tourtellotte plummeted to 3-10 on the season and 1-6 in the ECC Small Division as it was beaten 13-1 by Griswold, 7-4 by Lyman and 12-0 as they were no-hit by St. Bernard.

Woodstock Academy lost a heart breaker to Norwich Free Academy 7-6 despite a double and triple by slugging Trent Appleton.  The Centaurs were up 6-3 entering the last of the seventh but surrendered four runs to NFA as they were unable to hold the lead.  In its other game Woodstock was shutout 6-0 by Ledyard, dropping the Centaurs to 4-7 and 0-6 in the ECC Large Division.  Putnam Science Academy saw its record fall to 1-3 when the Scientists were handed a 21-5 defeat at the hands of St. Thomas More.

RPC’s Super Standings: Plainfield 12-0; Putnam 7-3; Marianapolis 7-6; Ellis Tech 5-6; Woodstock Academy 4-7; Pomfret School 3-1; Tourtellotte 3-10; Killingly 2-10; Putnam Science academy 1-3.

 

 

 

caption:

 

Visitor

Senator Chris Murphy visited eastern Connecticut recently and talked about the national scenic byway program, which includes Rt. 169. Left to right are Pomfret Selectman Barry Jesserun, Pomfret First Selectman Maureen Nicholson, Murphy and Jean Barton, a Pomfret business owner. Courtesy photo.

 

 

 

 

Senator Chris Murphy was in eastern Connecticut last month making several stops to meet with constituents last week.  On one of his stops he met with representatives from towns along the Route 169 Scenic Byway corridor to discuss the future of the byway.  Officials and interested parties from Pomfret, Woodstock, Norwich, Brooklyn, and Canterbury were on hand along with John Filchak of NECCOG.

  One of the biggest selling point of northeastern Connecticut is the Route 169 National Scenic Byway that runs from the Connecticut-Massachusetts State Line in Woodstock, all the way down to Norwich. While it follows parallel with State Route 12 and I-395, this Route offers a more scenic north-south drive of the original New England with fields, scenic vistas, historical landmarks and infrastructure, and unique rural culture.

The Route 169 National Scenic Byway is 1 of 2 Nationally Recognized Byways in Connecticut (Merritt Parkway) and it is the mission at NECCOG to work with the Last Green Valley and towns to preserve this landmark, while also allowing it to be an asset in boosting economic development and tourism for the region. The Last Green Valley represents the last sections of southern New England that have been preserved through the rapid development that occurred throughout the last two centuries, and it is the mission of NECCOG to continue to provide collaborative efforts in preserving the byway. With plenty of sites, restaurants, hotels, and nearby activities, this is a route worth protecting.