Generous
Quiet
Corner
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
“Uninspiring” weather, COVID-19 “challenges” to local pocketbooks — none of that could keep the northeast corner from showing its compassion for fellow residents. Boots, toys, monetary donations all flourished in the past weeks of drives.
Putnam Family Resource Center’s
Holiday Giving Campaign
The Putnam Police Department’s “Stuff-A-Cruiser Holiday Toy Drive” pulled in two cruisers filled to the roof with new unwrapped toys and raised $2,900 in donations, according to Putnam Police Chief Christopher Ferace. This benefits the Putnam Family Resource Center’s Holiday Giving Campaign.
The Putnam Fire Department also held a drive pulling in stacks of toys for the center’s campaign and, according to Putnam Fire Chief Bob Campbell, more than $2,000 in monetary donations.
Toys also came to the campaign from Cargill Chevrolet where a pickup truck was filled with toys. The resource center’s toy drive also got boosts from US Button, Chace Building Supply, and the town’s Drive-by Santa Event and the reverse Holiday Dazzle Light Parade.
TEEG
TEEG received tagged gifts from: The First Congregational Church of Woodstock, St. Mary’s, Holy Trinity, St. Joseph’s, St. Stephen’s, Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center, W.T. Rich Company, individuals from Pomfret School, and individual donors, plus Linemaster Switch Corp, Rectory School and the East Woodstock Congregational Church.
A drive-through food drive, sponsored by the Woodstock Business Association, was held at Roseland Park.
Donations also came from: from Thompson Congregational, United Church of Christ, the  Woodstock Volunteer Fire Association, Muddy Brook Fire Department, Bungay Fire Brigade, Community Fire Department and local residents.
In Woodstock, the Woodstock Democratic Town Committee didn’t let a little raw rain stop them. In their first Winter Boot Drive to benefit TEEG, they collected 80 pairs of boots and $768 in cash.
Pomfret
In Pomfret, the Pomfret Fire Department, Station 70, helped the Bakers Dozen’s Operation Christmas efforts by conducting a boot drive Dec. 12. According to Chief Brett Sheldon, more than $4,000 was deposited in the firefighter boots. He said the department has been helping the Bakers Dozen Operation Christmas efforts for the last six years and generally pulls in between $3,000 and $5,000.
Daily Bread also benefitted from several fund-raisers and donations collected at the reverse Holiday Dazzle Light Parade.
And those are just the tip of the generous iceberg!

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Diarra has
terrific debut
Hassan Diarra was Buzz Williams’ top recruiting target from the Class of 2020, and the early returns have been promising for the former Putnam Science Academy star at Texas A&M.
Diarra, who left PSA with two national championships and as its all-time leading scorer, has impressed with his work ethic, feel, and performance.
Through the Aggies first four games, Diarra has averaged 8.3 points in about 20 minutes of playing time. He had a terrific debut, going for 14 points, four assists, and six steals in a win over New Orleans.
“I feel pretty good,” said Diarra, who entered the starting lineup for the third game against Texas-Rio Grande Valley. “The adjustment hasn’t been so bad and I’m getting more and more comfortable with it. Still have plenty to work on and improve, so that’s my focus. Get better to help us be better and win.”
Diarra hasn’t shot the ball particularly well, making just 8-of-25 shots in the first four games, though he did make 13-of-16 free throws. He also has more turnovers than assists, but is playing well defensively. And no one is losing faith in his game.
“I don’t think we’re at the point where we found any consistency in knowing, like, this is who should start, this is who will help get us off to a better start. We’re still trying to figure that out,” Williams told reporters after the UTRGV game.
“Hassan did a good job in practice on Thursday and Friday. I didn’t think necessarily that he was great in the actual game. But you can’t base what they do in the game on who starts and who doesn’t start. You have to base that on a daily basis. And he is going in the right direction. But again, whether it’s Hassan, whether it’s (another player), we just need to find some consistency.”
After his dazzling debut, Diarra missed all four shots and turned it over four times in a win over Tarleton State, then was one of four Aggies to be plagued by foul trouble in the UTRGV game and played just 14 minutes. So it remains a work in progress, but his teammates have liked what they’ve seen.
Senior Quenton Jackson was excited about Diarra’s maturity, and is looking forward to seeing how that translates on the court over the course of a season.
“He’s really dedicated to the craft,” Jackson told the website 247sports.com. “He works out a lot, which I like. Most freshmen that come in they don’t really know how to work, I think just from the time that he has come in he’s understood what it means to be here, he hasn’t taken it for granted. I think he’s come a long way. I think mentally he is ahead of where most freshman would be as far as how he impacts the game; I think he will be a great addition to our team this year.”
Savion Flagg doubled-down on Jackson’s preseason comments, saying: “I feel like Hassan is already a late sophomore, early junior in the way he is playing.”
Diarra said that while 2020 hasn’t allowed for the typical gameday experiences, playing high-major college ball in College Station, Texas has been “everything I thought it would be. The arenas aren’t full but you can still feel the energy when you’re out there playing. It’s just been a blessing for me and I am very grateful.”
As is Williams.
“I love Hassan. I love him, I loved him from the very first day I talked to him, the first day I watched him play,” Williams told reporters. “We recruited him really, really hard.
“He’s what we need. He represents all that we want to be about on and off the floor and I think he’s going to be able to help us from the beginning.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

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Successful Fund-raiser
The Woodstock Academy Medical Club recently held a successful fund-raiser to collect donations for Day Kimball Healthcare’s Child Advocacy Center. Wendy’s Place is a multidisciplinary partnership of professionals established to investigate allegations of child abuse and ensure the coordination of services for children and their families. They strive to reduce the trauma of the investigation process by offering a safe, child-friendly environment. The club collected more than 100 new stuffed animals and $750 in monetary donations. Courtesy photo.

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