It's building season in
Rotary Park
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The three-pronged improvement plan set for Rotary Park is already underway with the first project, a new roof for the bandstand.
Parks and Recreation Director Willie Bousquet said the bandstand roof has been planned for a while. The contractor selected for the job, Commercial Roofing, had late-arriving materials and uncooperative weather standing in the way of it getting done last year.
The cost is approximately $65,000. Last year Bousquet said it would be paid for out of the capital expenses budget.
It is the original roof, nearly 20 years old. Bousquet said the integrity of the plywood base is solid.
It will be replaced with a metal roof, Bousquet said, “Because we’ve switched to a metal roof, we should not have to replace it for a long, long time.”
Following that, the next project to be tackled will probably be the installation of a fence and screening around the Port-a-Johns at the end of the park near the Bridge Street-Kennedy Drive intersection. Bousquet said he anticipates that will happen between mid- and late April
The town and the Putnam Rotary Club are splitting the cost.
Bousquet said the Highway Department will dig and then place forms for a concrete base for the Port-a-Johns. The contractor who handles the Port-a-Johns also does concrete work and he will pour the pad. The concrete will have a “brush sweep” finish so it’s not slippery.
The town has already ordered, from Killingly Fence, the black chain link fencing that will surround three sides of the concrete area. Vinyl screening material will be attached to the fencing. A sign touting all the events for the park will be attached to the screen that faces Kennedy Drive.
And finally the bandstand will be painted. Bousquet said he already lined up a contractor for that and it will be painted the same color. Painting is likely to happen around April or May.
Naturally the projects are weather-dependent.
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Great View
Emilia Pulver, 2, of Burrillville had a great view of the festivities. More photos on page 4 and additional photos on our FB page on Wed. night: Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger. Linda Lemmon photo.
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By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — At the 12th annual Fire and Ice extravaganza Feb. 11, in downtown Putnam, it was a mob scene — in a good way. Mobbed with ice carvings, mobbed with a record number of cake decorating contest entries, mobbed with food and drink and games — and definitely mobbed with visitors. Parking spots were hard to come by — even halfway toward the highway on Kennedy Drive.
Rawson Manufacturing’s heart-shaped fire pit, next to the Gertrude Warner boxcar museum, was at least four deep with visitors.
Officials estimated more than 15,000 visitors came for the event which was sponsored by the Town of Putnam and the Putnam Business Association, and others.
Ice-Carving Contest Winners:Amateur: 3rd — Baye Lo on Main St. Gelatos block; 2nd — Aurora Deojay on Bear Hands Brewing; 1st — Phil Mason, owner of ServiceMaster by Mason on his own block. Group: 3rd — QVCC in their own block led by Jesse Fultz; 2nd — Brittni Laquidara and Simone Germain on a block sponsored by NorthStar Home Loans; 1st — Jon Conway and Ernie D’Elia at Wonderland Comics. Pro: 3rd —Josh Deojay, also on another sponsored block by Bear Hands Brewing; 2nd — Arrik Kim on Silver Circe And Sawmill Pottery Block; 1st — Rena Mason on Luxe & Nature/M’s Boutique Block.
Cake Contest Winners: Home/novice judge’s taste winner: Beth Rondeau; Professional judge’s taste winner: Jonathan Salvas; Student judge’s taste winner: Alec Rawson (Ellis Tech); People’s Choice Winner: Tessa Haelsen (the tea pot cake) There were a record 43 entries)
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Centaurs win
13th ECC crown in a row
If 13 was an unlucky number for anyone on the Woodstock gymnastics team, it probably isn’t any longer.
The Centaurs won their 13th-consecutive ECC gymnastics title Sunday with a 136.05-134.3 win over Norwich Free Academy.
“That’s pretty good,” said coach Kasey Tocchio. “(Woodstock Academy athletic director) Sean (Saucier) came up to me at the end and said, ’13!’. It’s awesome.”
It also was not pre-ordained as it has been in the past.
The Centaurs lost their top gymnast, Taylor Markley, to injury before the season even began and several others also had to recover from injuries of their own. Freshman Julia Kerr, for example, performed in the All-Around competition for a first time this season at the championship meet.
“Every team has its own challenges,” Tocchio said. “We come into the season always trying to figure it out and it takes a little bit at the beginning and we always seem to get back into the groove. It’s more challenging these days, not harder, but just different.”
And going into a championship meet with a streak on the line that the Centaurs now still possess can make it all that much more difficult.
The solution: Don’t think about it.
“My biggest thing is telling them to just be normal. I like to remind them of that; it’s no different (than a regular meet). Keeping their nerves down and just being calm is so important. They didn’t have to do anything out of the box, nothing better or worse, just be normal because their normal is really good,” Tocchio said.
It’s always nice, however, when you have someone to lean on. The Centaurs have that in sophomore Olivia Aleman.
Aleman was solid at the beginning as she posted a 9.35 to tie for first in vault. She followed that up with second-place finishes in the bars (9.2) and beam (9.2) before putting together a sparkling routine to win the floor with a 9.65 total.
It all added up to a 37.4 All-Around total and an ECC individual championship for the young gymnast.
Kerr also stepped up. It was the first time she attempted to compete in all four routines that comprise the All-Around.
She came away as ECC beam champion, alongside Killingly’s Ella Pereira, as both finished with a 9.25 score. The freshman was also second on the floor with a 9.45 and added an 8.15 vault and an 8.1 bars routine for a 34.95 total, fifth-best in the competition.
Kerr’s presence on Sunday was more than important. The Centaurs didn’t have much room for error as the meet was not decided until the final rotation.
In addition to the Wildcats finishing just a point and a half back, Killingly (134.1) was just two-tenths of a point behind NFA and Stonington ended with a 131.3.
“We knew how close it was, everyone was checking scores and it was pretty much neck-and-neck. Our floor as a team is very strong (the Centaurs tallied a 35.9) so it was good for us to end there,” Tocchio said. “I feel like all four teams made mistakes (Sunday) too so that made it even a closer meet in a sense.”
One streak maintained. Another to try and keep intact. Woodstock has 11-straight state titles to its credit.
The Centaurs next travel to Jonathan Law High School to compete for a state class championship on Feb. 25, but at what time, in what division, and against who is still a mystery.
Unlike most CIAC-sponsored sports, the state divisional alignments are not determined prior to the season and, instead, are figured out after the regular season concludes.
Earlier in the week, the Centaurs accomplished another goal.
The Centaurs captured the ECC regular season crown with a 136.15-133.55 win over Norwich Free Academy.
Aleman was again a key performer. Aleman did not finish first in any of the four routines but had a balanced performance to capture first at the end.
She just edged out Norwich Free Academy’s Trinity Ambruso in the All-Around by a tenth of a point, 37.45-37.35.
Aleman was second in the vault (9.25), second on the bars (9.4), second on beam (9.4) and third in floor exercise (9.4).
Kerr was second on the floor with a 9.55 total and sophomore Allie Boyd had a strong beam routine, finishing third with a 9.1.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
ECC Champs: The Woodstock Academy gymnastics team proudly displays another ECC championship banner, the program’s 13th straight, following a 136.05-134.3 win over Norwich Free Academy at Thames Valley Gymnastics in Norwich Sunday.
(All photos by Sean Saucier/Woodstock Academy)
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Putnam man cited
after car hits house
PUTNAM — A Putnam man was charged with failure to drive in established land and operating under the influence of alcohol.
Putnam Police Department Chief Christopher D. Ferace said Shawn H. Bates, 48, of Maynard Street, operating a 1997 Camaro lost control of his car and hit a home at 14 Maynard St.
None of the occupants of the home or the vehicle were reported injured. The Putnam Building Official checked the damage to the residence. The Camaro was removed by a wrecker service.
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