Given recent setbacks of increased Coronavirus cases, it seems like the adjustments and rescheduling of our social plans must continue. I am extremely thankful that I am not, like millions of others, in need of postponing or rescheduling, or even cancelling, a big wedding celebration, but if I am being perfectly honest, the consistent cancellation and postponement of my travel plans is starting to disappoint me.
There once was a long period in my life wherein daily requirements rendered me unable to venture away for any type of travel adventure and so … I had to invent my own. Walking to the mailbox became an adventure in weather navigation and admiration. A grocery store trip was a passport for exotic flavors. And a hike through the grass usually ended with a scenic picnic on the driveway.
Ironically today, despite having the financial and emotional freedom to travel, I am finding that I am, once again, needing to be creative in my adventure itineraries.
When it rains, I find the open window which is not letting in the water and open it even wider. I stand and watch the rain coming down, listening to the soothing sound it makes as it hits the leaves, and I imagine that I am watching a beautiful waterfall in a lush and tropical setting. And when the lightening warns that a thunderous boom is to follow, I wonder if I will be forced to continue this adventure in my simple shelter, free of any electrically charged distractions. When it is unbearably hot outside, I concede to the air conditioning and run around closing all of my windows, imagining myself as a happy tenant of a country villa rental, making sure that I keep all of the flower and vegetable gardens watered. And when the heat ultimately overwhelms my desire to do anything at all, I settle into the comfy couch on my cool porch and watch the hummingbirds buzz in and out, drinking every last drop of their highly charged food and close my eyes for a relaxing nap.
Having to stay home and stay put is forcing me to, once again, find interest and beauty in what is immediately surrounding me.
I have always thought that I was lucky to live where I live, but I am discovering a renewed sense of appreciation for all that I can see and experience just outside my windows. Out my front windows, I have enjoyed rural farming adventures in watching the local farmer plant his crop of corn. Out my back windows, I have enjoyed safari adventures in watching my cat sit perfectly still for hours, in wait of the perfect time to pounce on the busy rabbits and birds.
And when I notice out my kitchen window that the sun is beginning to make its way behind the very distant tree line, I grab myself a nice glass of wine and take a seat in my Adirondack chair on my patio and simply wait and watch.
Going…Going…
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!
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Sports
Confidence,
talent head
to PSA
One of the first things you notice when talking with Sean Durugordon is that he doesn’t lack confidence.
And why would he?
When you watch him play, it’s also pretty clear that he doesn’t lack in basketball talent either.
Now Durugordon, from Queens, N.Y., is going to put that confidence and that talent together on the big stage and see where it takes him, as he announced recently that he will attend Putnam Science Academy for his senior year beginning in the fall.
“I believe, and people around me believe, that I can play basketball at the college level, at the highest level,” said Durugordon, who is widely regarded as the best two-way wing in New England. “One of the main reasons why I decided to come to PSA was because I want to be ready for that next level when I get there.
“I believe playing against the top guys in the country and being at a school like PSA will allow me to have an immediate impact on whatever team I end up with. I just want to prove that I can battle with some of the top players in the nation before I get to college.”
Those who have watched him play over the years say that two years ago, he was a kid who played hard. Last year, his production caught up to that elite work ethic, and the results have propelled him to new heights.
A versatile 6-foot, 6-inch shooting guard — with an eye-opening 7-foot wingspan—– who can do just about everything on the court, Durugordon averaged a double-double at Canterbury School last year with 23 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. He led his team to the NEPSAC-B championship, making 52 percent of his field goals, shooting 44 percent on 3-pointers, and hitting at a 78 percent clip from the free throw line.
A four-star recruit, he is one of the hottest in the country, as he picks up scholarship offers seemingly every day, with more than 20 already.
“I’m blessed, I’m very blessed,” said Durugordon of having schools such as Auburn, Seton Hall, Missouri, and Arizona State reach out with offers. Durugordon, who turned 19 on May 19, has already reclassed, so this will be his final season before college.
“We’re really looking forward to having Sean with us next year,” said PSA coach Tom Espinosa. “He’s a good kid, a hard worker who is really coming on. He’s got a lot of people’s attention, and we think that’s going to continue for him. He’s a really talented kid who can do a lot of things on the court. And we like that 7-foot wingspan, that’s for sure.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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When Bryce Harris was in middle school, his dad tried hard to convince him to play basketball. The younger Harris gave him the same answer every time: That basketball was for people who can’t play football.
Then Harris hit his growth spurt and realized that being a tall running back wasn’t good for the legs. So by the time sophomore year rolled around, Mr. Harris got his wish.
And while that decision seems to have been the right one, Harris still carries that football mindset onto the basketball court.
“I think the big that people see in me is my physique,” said Harris, a 6-foot, 6-inch, 220-pound sculpted shooting guard who will do a postgrad season at Putnam Science Academy in the fall, “and then how hard I play with it.
“The hard work came from football to be honest. I played since I was 5 years old and stopped in ninth or 10th grade. When I started playing basketball, I just took this approach that I’m going to work harder than all these guys just because I used to play football.”
And while he says he was a better football player at the time he gave it up, Bryce Harris the basketball player is doing pretty well for himself. From Brentwood, N.Y., on Long Island, Harris played last season at Greensboro Day School in North Carolina. He is ranked as the seventh best player in the state of New York, fourth in North Carolina. He holds a handful of scholarships offers, including from Wake Forest, UNC Wilmington, and East Tennessee State.
“We think Bryce is going to fit in really well with us,” said PSA coach Tom Espinosa. “You definitely notice his size right away, and how that can help him almost dominate at times. But he’s an unselfish player too, and I think his passing ability is overlooked. We’re excited to see how we can help Bryce continue to grow and develop his game.”
Harris, who prides himself on being polite — “People wouldn’t really expect something like that from someone from New York,” he said — is looking forward to that as well. He said he got a lot better in his year at Greensboro, and that facing great competition every day at PSA, as well as learning from top coaches, is only going to enhance that. He gets a rush out of making improvements in his game.
“My favorite thing about the sport is the breakthroughs,” he said. “When you feel like you’re stuck in terms of your development, but something happens that shows you that you have so much more to go. It’s competing with yourself. You hit what you think is your own personal peak but then you reach that breakthrough and it’s like, ‘Oh I didn’t know I could improve to this level, I thought I was done with this.’ I love that feeling.
“I don’t remember feeling that way about football, but I may have. But I know that is something I really love about basketball. I’m happy with my choice to play. I am glad I listened to my dad.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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caption:
Saved Parcel
The new acquisition is adjacent to existing protected forest and farmland in Pomfret. Photo courtesy of Wyndham Land Trust.
POMFRET CENTER— Pomfret’s wildlife habitat just got a helping hand thanks to the acquisition of land by the Wyndham Land Trust.
The 9.5-acre property acquired by the Wyndham Land Trust sits on Harrisville Road in Pomfret and is adjacent to its existing Aicher and Holzer preserves. The three parcels combine to protect a total of 220 acres of valuable forest and farmland in the heart of Pomfret.
The property belonged to Pomfret realtor Cici Cole who died in December of 2019. Local residents were alarmed when For Sale signs appeared in May, and they realized that the fragile habitat could quickly be replaced by house lots. The neighbors banded together with conservation-minded citizens of Windham County, the Town of Pomfret, friends of Bird Conservation Research Inc., and the Wyndham Land Trust to raise the funds to purchase the property.
“It was heartening to see the community pull together in a short period of time to protect this valuable land,” said Wyndham Land Trust President Mike St Lawrence. “It was an example of how a group of people with a common vision can make a difference. Future generations will thank them for their foresight.”
“Through acquisition of this land, a contiguous band of natural habitat now exists,” said Bird Conservation Research Director Robert Craig. “The importance of parcel size for the protection of wildlife has been demonstrated by multiple studies and is a key principle in the field of conservation biology.”
The land trust recognizes the importance of local agriculture and plans to preserve the open fields that cover much of the new property.
“We will work with a local farmer to keep the large field in hay,” said Andy Rzeznikiewicz, the land manager for the land trust. “In the small field we will work with the American Chestnut Foundation and the State University of New York to raise chestnut trees that might show resistance to the blight that decimated them across the country 100 years ago.”
The Wyndham Land Trust was formed in 1975 and now protects more than 4,500 acres in northeastern Connecticut. The work of the all-volunteer group is possible through the generosity and dedication of its members and donors.
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