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Needs Some Help
The bandstand at Rotary Park needs a new roof. Parks and Rec Director Willie Bousquet said the town has painted spots on it about a half dozen times. More photos of Rotary Park on page 5. Linda Lemmon photo.
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The town is looking for federal funding to repair the bandstand roof, Kennedy Drive and bridges, according to Mayor Barney Seney.
U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney said there are federal funds available for shovel ready and visible projects in his district. Putnam applied for funds to replace the 17-year-old bandstand roof and Mayor Seney said he’s also looking for $1.3 million to renovate Kennedy Drive, the whole length of it. It would involve grinding down the road surface and rebuilding it from the ground up.
Perhaps before the end of the year, according to Parks and Recreation Director willie Bousquet, the bandstand at Rotary Park, will have a new roof.
The shingles on the sunny sides of the bandstand have taken quite a beating and the town would like to replace it with a metal roof. Etimates for that project are in the $50,000 range.
Seney said another project high on the town’s list is erosion control at Simonzi Park. “I think we’ll have to look elsewhere for funding for that project."
He said the town has spent $1.2 million in taxpayers’ money to repair/replace bridges in the last three years. But more bridges that need attention, he added. The town has a half million dollar grant to fix the East Putnam Road bridge that crosses Cady Brook and the Five Mile River bridge on Five Mile River Road. Those are on tap for this year and the town’s Inland Wetlands Commission approved those projects last week.
He said the town is looking for grant money for two more bridges in need of repair: East Putnam Road crossing Mary Brown Brook and the bridge on Danco Road. Danco Road is truly in need, he said. It was inspected this year and the weight limit had to be reduced to 5 tons. It is down to one lane. Design for the project is done this year and “we hope to build next year,” he said. He said it’s looking like it would take $2 million and that would be a 50-50 split between state and town. Large trucks cannot cross, he said, so deliveries to businesses on Danco are offloaded with fork lifts and taken to the businesses.
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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.
April 30
Matthew Makela, 39, Whitehall Avenue, Mystic; two counts of assault on emergency medical personnel, breach of peace.
May 7
Michael Donovan, 34, Bedford Street, Manchester; breach of peace.
Christal Arpin, 27, Laconia Avenue, Putnam; disorderly conduct, second-degree reckless endangerment, two counts of risk of injury.
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Partnership
Day Kimball Healthcare’s hospital-based food pantry, Caitlyn’s Cupboard, partners with Interfaith Human Services of Putnam’s Food Pantry, Daily Bread. From left: Karen Osbrey, president, IHSP; Kristen Willis, director of development, Day Kimball Healthcare; Ann Kathi Peterson, program coordinator, IHSP; Caitlyn Sward, registered dietitian nutritionist, Day Kimball Healthcare; Kyle Kramer, chief executive officer, Day Kimball Healthcare. Courtesy photo.
PUTNAM — Day Kimball Healthcare’s hospital-based food pantry Caitlyn’s Cupboard recently partners with the Interfaith Human Services of Putnam’s (IHSP) Food Pantry, Daily Bread.
Caitlyn’s Cupboard was established in late March 2020 to address malnutrition and food insecurity among patients treated in Day Kimball Hospital’s Rose Bove LaRose Cancer Center through the provision of no-cost shelf-stable food and nutritional education. Nearly 135 DKH Cancer Center patients have accessed the food pantry since its opening.
Each patient served receives a three-day supply of non-perishable food for each member of the family, including staple items and healthy snacks. Caitlyn’s Cupboard also provides patients with nutritional information, healthy recipes, and a comprehensive list of local food assistance programs and other community resources.
Through a new partnership with IHSP, on a monthly basis, Daily Bread is supplying Caitlyn’s Cupboard with fruit/vegetable and dairy coupons to be redeemed at local grocery stores. One hundred packets of these coupons were given to eligible Cancer Center patients in the month of March alone. Funding comes from the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut.
In return, Caitlyn’s Cupboard is offering nutrition education programming to Daily Bread clients to further increase their capacity to adopt healthy food choices and habits. IHSP has also ordered food for the Cupboard from the CT Food Bank and Feeding America® to help reduce the pantry’s operating costs.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with IHSP,” said Caitlyn Sward, registered dietitian nutritionist, Day Kimball Healthcare.
“The work that Daily Bread does in the community is tremendous, and this partnership will only further the good they do. Daily Bread’s partnership will help our cancer patients access fresh produce, as well as provide purchasing opportunities for Caitlyn’s Cupboard through the Connecticut Food Bank. This benefit alone will stretch every monetary donation the pantry receives.”
Caitlyn’s Cupboard accepts shelf-stable food and financial contributions including grocery store gift card donations. For more information about Caitlyn’s Cupboard or to make a food or monetary donation to the pantry, contact Day Kimball Healthcare’s Development Office at (860) 928-7141.
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Seniors
Woodstock Academy coach Jay Gerum (middle) is surrounded by his four seniors, from left: Marissa Mayhew, Meg Preston, Amanda Bond and Mackenzie Leveille Photo by Sean Saucier.
Woodstock Academy freshman Sarah McArthur stepped up the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning against Killingly May 8 with the score tied and the bases loaded.
“Honestly, it was kind of terrifying. I had grounded out all game. I could not get to the middle of the ball,” McArthur said. She did get a little more of a Lexi Faucher pitch in this trip to the plate and popped it up, just over third base.
“I thought it was foul. I stopped halfway down the base path, kind of mad at myself that I didn’t wait a little longer,” McArthur said.
The ball was not caught and was not foul, falling just inside the chalk down the third base line which allowed Madison Martinez to scoot home from third base with the game-winning run in the 5-4, extra-inning victory for the Centaurs.
The Centaurs (10-3) raised their record to 9-1 in the ECC Division 2, still tied with Griswold for the top spot.
“We’re tied for the lead and we want a division title even if it’s just a co-championship. I don’t think we’ve had one in decades and decades. We have a good enough team to have one. If we were in Division 2 in a normal ECC, it would be us and Griswold for the Division 2 title so to win this would be legit,” said Woodstock Academy coach Jay Gerum.
The Centaurs jumped out on top early. McArthur reached on an error in the bottom of the first inning, stole second, took third on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice fly by Meg Preston. Mackenzie Leveille followed with a single and Lexi Thompson plated pinch runner Alyssa Thompson with a double.
Lexi Thompson later singled but didn’t get any other chances to hit as she was intentionally walked three times by Killingly.
“I don’t think you have any idea of how upset I was but (Killingly coach Lance LeDuc) said it was out of respect so I understand,” Thompson said.
She had best get used to it as she came into the game with a .556 batting average.
“She will probably set the school record for most intentional walks if it keeps happening because she’s only a sophomore. It’s respect. (LeDuc) knows she is great and knows the game could be over in a second when she swings the bat and when you have a base open, I would do the same thing,” Gerum said.
Lexi Thompson scored the third run of the first inning on a single by Amanda Bond.
The Centaurs made it 4-0 when Marissa Mayhew singled, McArthur reached on an error again and Preston doubled in Mayhew.
But the Centaurs struggled getting more runs in as they stranded 11 runners on base. They also committed three errors in the sixth inning which allowed two Killingly runs to score.
Killingly (8-3, 6-3) tied the game in the seventh on a run-scoring double by Faucher and a bunt fielder’s choice by Jasmine Wrenn which set the stage for McArthur’s heroics.
Prior to the game, the Centaurs honored their four seniors, Leveille, Preston, Mayhew and Bond, on Senior Day,
It was the second game in two days between the two teams.
The Centaurs downed Killingly, 3-1, May 7.
Lexi Thompson threw a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts to lead the way for the Centaurs.
Lexi Thompson and Delaney Anderson singled to open the second inning and Lexi Thompson came home on Bond’s ninth RBI of the season.
McArthur singled to lead off the third inning and came home on a Leveille double.
Leveille was later thrown out at the plate but Lexi Thompson, who also doubled, scored on a passed ball to account for the Centaurs runs.
The win followed a tough 7-6, loss to Griswold May 6. Woodstock had opened a 6-3 lead in the fifth inning when Leveille hit her fourth homer over the left field fence and Martinez followed up with an RBI single.
But things went awry when Griswold scored three runs in the sixth inning on a bunt that was enhanced by a pair of errors to tie the game. The Wolverines won it and tied Woodstock Academy for first in ECC Division 2 when Mandy Brehler singled home Lucia Ceccarelli, who had doubled, in the top of the seventh.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy