Hudock honored
PUTNAM — Jennifer Hudock was named Putnam Bank’s Employee of the Month for April 2018. She has been with the bank since September 2002, and currently serves as compliance and BSA manager.
Hudock said: “I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation and thanks to my co-workers for recognizing me as May’s Employee of the Month. I am truly humbled and honored to receive it. I am so grateful to be part of a wonderful team.”
She is involved in community events which include Putnam’s Holiday Dazzle Light Parade, Downtown Putnam Holiday Strolls Gingerbread House Night, and Northeast Opportunities for Wellness (NOW) Road Race.
She enjoys quilting and gardening, and exploring the outdoors with her family.
She lives in Pomfret with her husband Mark and their children, Blake and Paxton.
“Jen is an exemplary and valuable member of our Compliance team. Regulatory compliance matters continue to become a critically important requirement in our banking environment. Jen demonstrates comprehensive ability and knowledge in the compliance area of our bank.” said Thomas A. Borner, president and CEO of Putnam Bank.
2 parade
marshals
named
PUTNAM — The Town’s Memorial Day observance will kick off at 10 a.m. Monday, May 28 from Grove Street and will conclude with a memorial program at Rotary Park. In case of inclement weather, notification will be on WINY 1350 AM the morning of the parade.
The parade will feature a lineup of marchers which will include town officials, a National Guard Unit, local Veterans groups, VFW and American Legion poppy queens, several civic and fraternal organizations and youth groups. Patriotic music will be provided by local bands and the Putnam High and Middle School bands.
To accommodate older and disabled veterans, who wish to be in the parade, transportation will be available by calling the VFW at 860-928-9897.
The parade marshals will be retired Lieutenant Colonel Robert “Cat” McKenney and U.S. Navy veteran Robert L. Remillard. Both men served in the Vietnam war.
Robert McKenney is married to Carol McKenney and has lived in Putnam for more than 30 years. He is a life member of the Putnam VFW and Putnam Lodge of Elks. “Cat” graduated from Providence College in 1962 and then served 27 years in the Army performing duties as an Intelligence Officer and an instructor for the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. His awards include the Air Medal, Bronze Star, Combat Infantry Badge, Vietnamese Cross Gallantry, Meritorious Service Award, Vietnamese Civic Action Award and Army Commendation Award.
Robert Remillard served aboard the USS Intrepid from 1968-69. He was a helmsman on the bridge in the Tonkin Gulf off the coast of North Vietnam. He was transferred to a Naval Base in Norfolk, Vir., in late 1969. He is a lifelong member of the Putnam VFW and Putnam Lodge of Elks. He served as VFW Post commander 2000-2001. He has been a self-employed building contractor for 40 years.
Following the parade, a speaking ceremony will take place in Rotary Park. The keynote address will be given by Ronald P. Coderre, A2C Air Force. He is the current Putnam American Legion Commander of Post 13.
All marching units and onlookers are asked to gather at Rotary Park on Kennedy Drive immediately following the parade for the Memorial Day observance ceremony. The program will be led by Master of Ceremonies, Albert Cormier, a major in the U.S. Army. VFW Chaplin Gerard Salvas will be announcing the remembrance of deceased soldiers in the state of Connecticut during duty in 2017. Lillium Florist will be at the ceremony to distribute roses to family members of deceased and living veterans. Following the ceremony, the VFW and American Legion will host a free picnic in Rotary Park. Refreshments include hot dogs, chips and drinks, while supplies last.
Earlier in the week, local veterans will place American flags at the graves of veterans interred in the St. Mary, Grove Street and Nancy Drive, Munyan Road and Rt. 21 cemeteries. The flags will remain until Veterans Day in November.
The traditional wreath laying and military tributes at Putnam cemeteries, bridges and monuments will be conducted by a National Guard firing squad plus officers and color guards from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, starting at 10 a.m. May 21. The
The Last Green Valley, Inc. and its project partners have launched phase one of a $12.2 million program to help landowners in the Southern New England Heritage Forest conserve their land while improving vital habitat for important bird species.
The program is an unprecedented three-state effort made possible through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Joining NRCS and The Last Green Valley, Inc. (TLGV) as lead partners are the Mass Conn Sustainable Forest Partnership/Opacum Land Trust and the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District.
This program will provide technical and financial assistance to forest landowners with property within the Southern New England Heritage Forest (SNEHF), who wish to conserve their land by granting an easement to NRCS through the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP). The HFRP is a voluntary conservation easement program for private woodland owners that is new to the region. The deadline for first-round applications is July 20.
Preserving the Southern New England Heritage Forest is critical for important bird species and other wildlife. With 1.49 million-acres of unfragmented forest corridor stretching along the Connecticut and Rhode Island border to the Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts, the Southern New England Heritage Forest is still 76 percent forest cover and one of the last viable wildlife corridors from northern New England to the coast in southern New England.
The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor accounts for almost half of the Southern New England Heritage Forest. As the last green oasis in the coastal sprawl between Boston and Washington D.C., the program is vital to ensuring the national heritage corridor and the larger Southern New England Heritage Forest continue supporting threatened bird species and other important wildlife and plant species.
NRCS will pay the landowner 75 percent of the fair market value of the enrolled land to promote the recovery of endangered and threatened bird species and improve plant and animal biodiversity. NRCS will also pay for all transaction costs, including a title search, boundary survey, hazardous materials search and appraisal. NRCS will draft a restoration plan for the property that focuses on improving habitat for a specific bird species and will provide 75 percent or more of the funds for the first round of any restoration work that is required.
The funds provided in phase one are a portion of the larger $12.2 million program. NRCS is providing a $6.1 million grant which is being matched by $6.1 of significant contributions from the project’s numerous partners, including the three lead partner organizations and 16 additional organizations.
While the application deadline for the first round of this competitive program is July 20, we advise potential applicants to contact the lead partner in their state as soon as possible. There are preliminary steps that must be completed, and the partners are available to provide technical assistance:
For Connecticut Projects – Bill Reid, 860 774-3300;
For Massachusetts Projects – Ed Hood, 508-347-9144 (leave a voice mail with your contact info);
For Rhode Island Projects – Kate Sayles, 401-934-0840;
Application materials are available on The Last Green Valley’s website, www.thelastgreenvalley.org
Supporting partners for this project include: MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Providence Water, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Hull Forest Products, Thames River Basin Partnership, New England Forestry Foundation, Eastern CT Conservation District, Norcross Wildlife Foundation, RI Division of Forest Management, RI Woodland Partnership, Harvard Forest, Yale Sustaining Family Forests Institute, Audubon Connecticut, Mass Audubon and Audubon RI.
Centaur
softball
has shot
at States
Woodstock Academy softball coach Jay Gerum was concerned about the remainder of the season.
The Centaurs qualified for the state tournament with its eighth win of the season May 7 at Bacon Academy. But the schedule looked pretty daunting from there on.
His fear was realized a bit May 9 when Stonington shutout the Centaurs, 8-0.
“It’s scary how good the Eastern Connecticut Conference is and how tough the schedule is. Our league preps you for the state tournament, and you want competitive non-league games, but you also want the chance to make the tournament. We couldn’t find many non-league games and scheduling Shoreline Conference teams didn’t do us any favors,” said Gerum.
But May 11, Gerum breathed a sigh of relief.
His Centaurs shutout one of those Shoreline foes, Valley Regional, 2-0, in Deep River.
“I’m feeling a little better than I was two weeks ago,” Gerum said.
That’s because the Warriors had beaten Haddam-Killingworth whom the Centaurs (9-7) play May 18.
Add to that, Hale Ray’s 15-0 loss to Griswold - the Centaurs play the Little Noises next week - and the Centaurs might have a good chance to reach double digits in wins.
“If we get to that 10 or 11-win mark, you’re in the upper half of the bracket, playing a lower bracket team. We might even have a chance for a home state tournament game,” Gerum said.
Being in the top half of the bracket and getting a first-round state tournament home game may not seem like big deals, but consider this.
The last time the Centaurs had a Class L state tournament home game was in 2003. They were ranked 14th and downed No. 19 Ledyard, 3-2. It was also the last time the program advanced into the second round of the state tournament where it lost to Lyman Hall, 6-0.
Since that time, the softball team has only made the state tournament seven times, including the last three years in a row, but have never been seeded higher than No. 18 in 2016.
It’s a pretty big deal for the Centaurs.
Gerum said the game against Valley Regional was a “championship-style” game with two dominant pitchers.
“We played perfectly and they blinked once, we didn’t,” Gerum said.
That blink occurred in the fifth inning when the Centaurs scored both their runs.
Winning pitcher Mackenzie Leveille drove a one-out single to left and Hannah Wotton came on as a courtesy runner. Haley Armstrong followed with a bunt that was misplayed and allowed Armstrong to reach safely and go to second while Wotton advanced to third.
Cami Corrado then walked, but a pop out left the bases loaded with two outs.
It brought up catcher Julianna Nuttall.
Nuttall struggled at the plate early in the season, but has found her stroke. She came into the game hitting .341 and Gerum moved his catcher into the second spot in the batting order.
Gerum did so out of necessity as much as Nuttall’s resurgence at the plate.
Naomi Rivard, who had been hitting in the No. 2 slot, is sidelined with a shoulder injury and may be done for the season. Maia Corrado is out for the remainder of the year with an ankle injury.
“Julianna is a tough, smart kid who is dependable and has bounced back offensively this season,” Gerum said.
Nuttall wasn’t fazed by the situation even with a 2-2 count, two outs and the bases loaded. She delivered a line drive to left field that scored both Wotton and Armstrong and gave Leveille all the support she needed.
Leveille had a tough outing against East Lyme so Gerum sat her for the Monday and Wednesday games, but decided to go with the freshman in the non-league game against Valley Regional.
Leveille allowed only three hits and struck out six to raise her record to 4-2.
“She’s a freshman, she’s going to have good days and bad days, but she is a great pitcher. On any given day, she’s ready (for varsity). She was on. That was, by far, her best game this year,” Gerum said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director