caption, page 4:

Donation
From left: John Miller, Aspinock Historical Society president; Pat Hedenberg, chair of the Gertrude Chandler Warner Boxcar Children Museum with Michael Alberts, president and CEO, and Skye Wilcox, Putnam branch supervisor of Jewett City Savings Bank.



JCSB
Foundation
donates to help
boxcar museum
PUTNAM — The Jewett City Savings Bank Foundation awarded a grant of $1,873 to the Aspinock Historical Society.
The Aspinock Historical Society was established in 1972 by Putnam residents to preserve the town’s local and regional history. Currently, it operates as both a research center and a museum, offering guided tours and illustrated lectures on local and national history. The donation will help the historical society replace the railroad ties under the Gertrude Chandler Warner Boxcar Children Museum. The museum pays homage to Putnam native Gertrude Chandler Warner, original author of The Boxcar Children series of books.
“As a result of the Aspinock Historical Society’s dedication, the local community can retell stories and further educate neighbors on the historical importance of the community they live in. We are thrilled to help support the historical society and their dedication to keeping the community’s history alive,” said Michael Alberts, president and CEO of Jewett City Savings Bank.

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When I was a young child, I took swimming lessons … twice. The first round of lessons was during the summer, at a lake, with about 75 (or so) other children. I remember learning how to do the doggie paddle and being pretty good at swimming under the water. As a matter of fact, I preferred swimming under the water simply because I could go faster. The second round of lessons was also during the summer and took place at an indoor pool. Since there were hundreds of kids in attendance of this summer camp, and as swimming was a mandatory part of the activities, the lessons were less ‘lesson-like’ and more ‘free-for-all’ encouragement of no one drowning. I got even better at swimming underwater. However, as I got older, swimming became more about what bathing suit I would wear at the beach as I worked on my tan and less about learning how to tread water or dive…
As a busy young adult living in New England, I swam very infrequently. Soon after, I also discovered that swimming underwater started to bother my ears in that I would get a bad earache if I even dunked my head under for a short time. Not wanting to showcase my talent for doing the doggie paddle in front of other young women (or small children) who could dive and breaststroke proficiently, I stopped swimming altogether and became an expert floater. Unfortunately, my lack of swimming confidence led to a fear of water, in general. If there was an opportunity for snorkeling during a tropical vacation, I was the first (and only) one to wear a lifejacket. And if there was an alternative activity to the snorkeling (as in NOT going), I was, again, the first (and only) one to volunteer. However, as life has marched along and I am now a middle-aged adult, I am finding that swimming regularly offers me health benefits that I am unable to achieve through the other forms of exercise that I can do…
Swimming is a low impact, heart-pumping exercise that helps keep me physically toned and limber. In addition, as I have grown older in my physical years, I have also grown wiser and feel less inclined to be embarrassed about doggie paddling, or not going underwater, or even keeping my glasses on so that I can see. I am also not embarrassed that I swim, mostly, in the learning, shallower pool because my swimming skills are improving, and my water fear is subsiding. And today, when  we arrived at the pool and I discovered that the learning pool was occupied with an entire class of young students having a swim lesson; without a life jacket in sight, I promptly decided that I would do my version of swimming-stroke-laps in the big-girl pool! Of course, I stayed in the lane closest to the edge so that I could hold on whenever I needed a break: But one stroke at a time…
3.8 meters! 3.8 meters!   
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!

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Josh Welch is a pretty familiar name when it comes to running at Woodstock Academy.
After all, he is the boys’ and girls’ indoor track coach and the girls’ outdoor track mentor.
He has added another title to his resume this fall season.
After a year off of being the assistant cross-country coach, Welch takes over the boys’ cross-country helm after long-time coach Peter Lusa stepped aside after last season.
It’s much different than a track program.
He said: “It’s way more manageable. You get a chance to be way more personal with the kids. Twelve is a bit smaller than I would like to see the team but (cross-country teams) don’t get that big like 70 kids in 20 or whatever events. It’s nice to be able to focus in and spend a little more time on the interpersonal, social and emotional aspects of training versus designing 20 different training plans.”
And he has a standout to work with. Junior Christian Menounos returns after a fourth-place finish in the ECC, a fifth in Class MM, 22nd in the State Open and 51st in the New England championship.
“I really want to see our team do well and we’re just trusting the process of coach Welch,” Menounos said. “I just want to be consistent personally, put in the hard work and see where it takes me. I want to make Nationals so that would be top 10 (in New England).”
Obviously, after coming so close last season, Menounos has a goal of being the first across the finish line in both the ECC and state championship meets.
He would also like to be in the top-10 in the State Open.
“It comes week-by-week so right now; we’re in phase two of training. There are multiple phases and as the season comes to an end, Coach Welch will put me into different phases that will help me get faster and faster,” the junior said.
Welch is looking forward to that progress.
“He is going to be something else this year,” Welch said. “He’s put in an incredible amount of work this summer and the workouts that he is showing right now, he will be in the top couple in the state championship races without a doubt. I think it will be interesting to watch him this year.”
He does have some teammates to work with.
Junior Colton Sallum and seniors Joel Koleszar and Charlie Caggiano will all add depth for the team score.
“Colton is not too far behind (Menounos), he’s had some great times so far. Charlie looks a lot stronger than last year and Joel Koleszar is making significant gains over his training and training attitude of past years and I think he will see the dividends of that in the races,” Welch said.
Freshman Sam Greene will likely round out the top five for the Centaurs who finished 6-5 as a team last year.
Sophomore Harrison Durand and freshmen Jonah Costa, Bronson Eddy, Carter Mydlarz, Gabriel Hull and Callum Lusignan round out the squad.
Despite some experience, the Centaurs still will have an uphill climb against an ECC team like East Lyme.
“East Lyme might have the strongest team it has had in forever. I don’t know if we’re catching them any time soon but I think we will be in the running with Fitch and NFA and we will do quite well,” Welch said.
For Welch, it could also help in the future with the other programs that he works with.
“I’m going to like the continuity. It was great when we had the trio (of coaches) across all three seasons and I think we had a pretty uniform approach. That shifts over time so it will just be good to have eyes on everyone and see who is coming up. Will some of these kids try (indoor track) and can I convince them to come over? It’s one more way to, hopefully, boost that program up a bit,” Welch said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

caption:
Junior Christian Menounos would like to bring home an ECC and Class MM state championship individual title. He finished 4th in last year’s ECC Championship meet.

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