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Reindeer
Charlotte Thomas, 8, of Brooklyn, part of the Camp Hero program, in association with Rude Dog Boxing, was excited about the Holiday Dazzle Light Parade Nov. 28. More photos on page 6. Linda Lemmon photo.
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Dancers from the United Styles Dance Academy in Thompson took part in the parade.
The Putnam High School band marches into place as the parade starts off from Grove Street.
It's a wrap. She's getting a little help getting wrapped in the lights.
Putnam Police Chief Christopher Ferace, left, next to one of the department's parade vehicles.
WINY car all decked out. And in front Gary Osbrey all decked out and in front of that the banner for the Grand Marshal, the Putnam Police Department which is celebrating 125 years of community service this year. More photos Wed. night on Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger FB page.
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Gary Osbrey, the face of the Holiday Dazzle Light Parade, said it best: The crowd “seemed really pleased to have their parade back.”
Osbrey, chairperson of the parade committee and founder of the parade, said this was “possibly the biggest crowd ever.” Last year, because of COVID, the parade was a “reverse” parade where the floats were static around Murphy Park and parade goers drove by the entrants.
In its 20th year, he said, “The crowd was especially enthusiastic this year.”
He said Joy Blackmar, who is in charge of entries, reported at the wrap-up meeting that the final count of entries was 150 this year.
The Nov. 28 parade started from the Grove Street Monument and the entrants lined up on the right side of the street. And kept lining up. Lining up all the way down Grove Street and down Killingly Avenue. And the side streets held entrants, too.
And everything was lighted — floats, dogs, horses, cars and people big and small.
The parade started at 5, led by Osbrey who was replete with lights himself — from his lighted glasses to his glove finger tips and bow tie to his sneakers. From Grove Street the parade went through downtown via Front/Pomfret Street, onto Kennedy Drive and Providence Street before finishing at the new Municipal Complex at the corner of School and Providence streets.
The entire way the streets were lined with parade goers, three or four deep in some places.
What would
Putnam like
on its MLK
mural?
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
The MLK Mural Project committee may not have the wall of a local building for the MLK Mural — not officially — but they’ve launched the survey of residents so they are ready with the local ideas of what the custom mural should look like.
Muralist and Art Guild New England member Emida Roller said the survey at: https://forms.gle/BvDEsVUNNjhfSLqa6 will inform the local group of artists on what Martin Luther King Jr. means to this community.
Roller said the mural will be painted on about 18 8-foot by 4-foot panels and will be installed by Jan. 17. She said when the surveys come back to the group they will start the mural design based on the survey results.
Roller said the group hopes to start painting in December and she plans to call on the community to help do the painting.
The MLK project, conceived by RiseUP for the Arts Group, in conjunction with CT Murals, awarded Putnam $7,500 to create a mural reflecting this community’s take on the heart of Martin Luther King’s message.
Elaine Turner, president of the Arts Guild Northeast, said Putnam’s application was accepted several months ago. RiseUP will award $7,500 and it has to be matched by the town.
Already, Turner said recently, $2,500 has been donated by bankHometown. The rest of the match will be raised from individuals. The Sustainable CT rules for that call for 50 to 75 individuals to make individual donations to help hit that $7,500 match total.
There is a GoFundMe site for donations:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/putnams-mlk39-diversity-and-equity- mural?fbclid=IwAR3Ibeaq H1uW9UBdkiNGNFr_StMFHG_ Kzk1aG96V_Pf2FHakXWSCd_JH6qM
They're looking for survey results within two weeks and designing will start as survey results come in.
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Walktober Redux
The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor will be showing its gratitude for the wide open spaces and amazing communities Thanksgiving Weekend by hosting Walktober Redux:
TLGV Natchaug Trail #OptOutside Hike --- Join Chief Ranger Bill Reid to #OptOutside with a Walktober Redux hike at 9 a.m. Nov. 26 on the Natchaug Trail in Eastford. The hike is just more than 3 miles, and is a moderate to difficult hike. RSVP: 860-774-3300 or
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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 860-963-0000.
Nov. 20
Alicia Eastwood, 36, Providence Street, Putnam; disorderly conduct, third-degree assault, risk of injury to child, third-degree criminal mischief.
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