More bridge
work is on
the menu
for Putnam
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM --- Now that three bridges in Putnam have been replaced or rehabilitated, the town is turning its attention to the other bridges in town.
The replacement of the 40-foot bridge over the Little River on Recreation Park Road and the 43-feet Woodstock Avenue bridge, also crossing the Little River, are finished. The rehabilitation of the 265-foot Bridge Street bridge was finished this year as well.
Highway Superintendent Travis Sirrine said "next up will be cursory inspections of the other bridges in town." He said the state used to inspect all bridges in the state but now they only inspect those bridges longer than 20 feet. The town uses an engineering firm to inspect its bridges.
"We will inspect them all and then prioritize which bridge is next," he said.
The town's list is based on the State DOT bridge list updated in 2016, according to Town Administrator Elaine Sistare. She said the state performs bi-annual inspections of bridges over 20-foot span length and shares the inspection reports with the town. The town is responsible for inspections of smaller bridges.
She added, "While in recent years the town has had some major bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects, there are more to plan for in upcoming years."
According to the table of Putnam bridges, four bridges in Putnam are in the planning stages for rehabilitation or replacement in the next year or two. The East Putnam Road 30-foot bridge 0.5 miles south of Rt. 44 is slated for rehabilitation. The Danco Drive 22-foot bridge over the Danco Drive Brook is being planned in the next one to two years for rehab/replacement .  The Five Mile River Road 31-foot bridge over the Five Mile River, 0.2 miles east of Tucker Hill Road, will be in planning in the next one to two years for minor rehabilitation and the 24-foot bridge over Cady Brook on East Putnam Road, 7 miles south of Rt. 44, is also slated for minor rehabilitation.
The 24-foot bridge over Cady Brook on Chase Road was replaced about 2015. The 14-foot bridge over the Little Dam Tavern Brook on Bates Avenue has been rehabilitated in the last 10 years.
Other bridges with no notes yet include a 31-foot bridge over the Five Mile River on Chase Road, 0.5 miles west of East Putnam Road; the 34-foot bridge over the Five Mile River Road on Munyan Road, 3,000 feet from junction with Rt. 44; the 27-foot bridge over Mary Brown Brook on the Rhode Island line;  the 14-foot bridge over Wheaton Brook on Woodstock Avenue; the 18-foot bridge over Little Dam Tavern Brook on Thompson Avenue, 0.33 miles north of Rt. 44; The 9-foot bridge on Aldrich Road; the 13-foot bridge over Munyan Brook on Munyan  Road, 0.5 miles northeast of Rt. 44; the 11-foot bridge over Keech Brook on Elmwood Hill Road, 1.1 miles southeast of Jct. 430; the 17-foot bridge over Culver  Brook on Industrial Park Road, 0.1 miles west of Rt. 12; and the 6-foot bridge on Kennedy Road, 1.2 miles south of Rt. 44.

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PSA hires
new coach
Atobra Ampedu has been interested in coaching the girls’ soccer team at Putnam Science Academy for some time now. The program is still in its infant stages, having completed its first season in 2019 and pausing like most of the rest of the high school sports world in 2020.
But the hope is for games to be played in the spring of 2021, and when that happens, Ampedu will finally be on the PSA sidelines. The 29-year-old native of Ghana was named as the team’s new head coach earlier this week.
“I’ve been staying in touch with (PSA Athletic Director) Tom (Espinosa) for about a year now about coming on here,” he said. “For me, it’s a great job because so many of the girls are international students. And for me being an international student-athlete as well, I can relate to them and what they are dealing with. Having gone through it myself, I feel like I can really help the girls get through it and get to the next level and stage of their life.  That was something that definitely drew me to this job.
“And then the long-term part is that I want to build a program. In the short term though, it would definitely be nice to play again. It has been a rough year for everybody and I think once we start to do something that you love and enjoy, your life if going to get back to normal at some point. The game is a big part of their life, and the coronavirus took that away. So getting back on the field will bring some light back to them.”
Ampedu, who came to the U.S. in 2007, played at the University of Hartford as a freshman, then transferred to Boston College, where he was a team captain during both his junior and senior seasons. Following his playing days, Ampedu stayed in the game on the men’s side, working as an assistant coach, first at Manhattanville College, then Springfield College. He was most recently at American International College, where he served as a graduate assistant on the women’s team.
“We are really glad to have Atobra with us,” Espinosa said. “I think his experience of being an international student-athlete will really be something that will enable him to relate to our kids right away. He’s been through it and can really help with that.
“And he’s got some real strong coaching experience that I think will help our players take their game to the next level. I think he’s a great fit for us and we’re glad to have him with us.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

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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.
No police logs were available at press time.

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