caption, page 12:

Clinic
The Woodstock Academy's baseball coach, Brian Murphy, directs Little League players to their stations to work out with members of the Woodstock Academy baseball team. Courtesy photo.


The baseball season became more of a reality for high school and Little League athletes alike March 24.
Despite the fact that snow still covered much of the ground outside The Woodstock Academy South Campus gymnasium, inside spirits were running pretty high as Centaurs baseball coach Brian Murphy, his coaching staff and several volunteers along with members of The Academy baseball program helped Little League players and coaches get ready for the upcoming season.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Murphy said. “The (Little Leaguers) came in early and got to see the high school kids working out. It’s the opportunity for us, here at The Academy, to give back to the community. Baseball, 20-30 years ago, was big in this area. This is part of the process to educate the Little Leagues on correct practice principles, the right drills to do and the better instructed they are, the more successful they will be.”
More than 30 Little League-aged athletes took part in the Woodstock Academy Baseball Clinic which was open to all local Little Leagues in Eastern Connecticut.
“It’s a nice turnout. We have a lot of coaches and a lot of players here,” Murphy said.
The Centaurs coaching staff went over the basics of instruction in hitting, throwing mechanics and practice routine, catching, fielding, pitching and how to conduct a practice.
“The first part we demonstrate and then we get the kids involved in different stations,” Murphy said. “It’s three hours. It gets the kids out. The weather is starting to break. It’s baseball season.”
Murphy said his varsity, junior varsity and freshmen baseball players were eager to lend a helping hand, according to Murphy.
“I like doing this type of stuff for the kids,” said junior pitcher and shortstop Luke Mathewson.
“When I was a little kid, I looked up to the high school varsity team. Now. These kids get to look up to me and my teammates and we get to show them how to do drills. Doing this kind of stuff makes me happy.”
Mathewson said it wasn’t all that long ago when he was just starting out.
“Watching people showing me how to throw was always great for me,” Mathewson said.
It apparently paid off, too.
Mathewson will be Murphy’s top pitcher this season.
“I’ve been looking forward to baseball season for a long time,” said Mathewson who was a starting forward on the Centaurs boys’ basketball team this past winter.
“It’s my No. 1 sport, my favorite sport and I just want to play some baseball.”
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director

Legal Notice
Town of Pomfret
Planning &
Zoning Commission
At the March 21, 2018, meeting of the Pomfret Planning & Zoning Commission, the following legal actions were taken:
1. James Garceau, 360 Orchard Hill Road, re-subdivision.  Approved with conditions.
2. Seth Fortier, 194 Covell Road, subdivision.  Approved with conditions.

Dated at Pomfret,
                      Connecticut               
March 26, 2018
Lynn L. Krajewski,
Clerk
Planning &
Zoning Commission

March 28, 2018

Legal Notice
Town of Putnam
WPCA
WATER/SEWER
COLLECTIONS
The April 2018 billing of water and/or sewer taxes for the Town of Putnam WPCA is due and payable on April 1, 2018, through May 1, 2018.
Payments made after May 1, 2018, will be subject to an interest charge for both water and sewer of 3 percent (1.5 percent per month) or $2.00 minimum whichever is higher, according to Connecticut State Statute SEC. 12-146.
Mail must be postmarked no later than May 1, 2018 to avoid interest charges.
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday through Wednesday, 8:30 AM — 4:30 PM
Thursday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

March 28, 2018
April 4, 2018
April 26, 2018

Legal Notice
Town of Putnam
Zoning Board
of Appeals
The Town of Putnam Zoning Board of Appeals held a meeting on March 14, 2018, at 7:00 P.M. at the Putnam Town Hall located at 126 Church Street, Putnam, CT.  The following action was taken:
Appeal # 2018-001: Route 44 Realty LLC — Request for a Certificate of Approval of Location for a proposed 3000 S.F. addition for property located at 157 Providence Pike, Town Assessor’s Map 27, Lot 25, Zoned HC.  APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS

Joseph Nash,
Chairman

March 28, 2018

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Dan Harrington is a member of the Chestnut Hill College golf team, a Division II school in Philadelphia. Ryan Black, an All-State golfer last year, went to Winchendon School to play hockey.
That’s the bad news.
“The good news is that the kids I have coming back. The kids we lost last year motivated these kids who were behind them and I can’t guarantee we will win a championship or give a guarantee about anything. I can guarantee you that these kids worked hard this summer,” said Centaurs coach Rich Garceau, who will be coaching for a 14th season.
Garceau, a member at the Centaurs’ home course of Quinnatisset Country Club in Thompson, had first- hand knowledge of that.
“I went over there myself and saw those kids maybe more than their parents did,” Garceau said with a laugh. “That’s good and it is showing.”
The Woodstock Academy finished 13-6, third in Division II of the Eastern Connecticut Conference last season. The Centaurs qualified for the Division II state championship and finished 11th.
Garceau expects the team will be competitive again this season.
Mason Stewart and Jack Gelhaus will lead the way. “Mason has been waiting his turn in the shadows a little bit but I think he’s ready to go,” Garceau said.
The only anxiety with Stewart is concern over a wrist injury that he suffered in hockey. Garceau said the team has been awaiting a release from the training staff, but Stewart is currently limited to chipping and putting in practice.
Gelhaus loves the game, so much so that he is headed to Coastal Carolina in the fall to take up golf course management.
“He’s looking really good. He’s a strong kid, an athlete, a soccer player who brings a lot of natural athletic ability,” Garceau said.
The Woodstock Academy coach also has the likes of Eli Child, Owen Borski and Robert Maheu to work with, players who have been members of the team for a while.
Jake Starr and Justin Marcotte also return to the team.
Newcomers to the program include Nick Zagrodmy, Yilin Chen, Grayson Walley, Panagiotis Chrisovechotis, Aiden Anderson, Rockwell Valentine and Gelhaus’ younger brother, Huck.
“Every year, making the state tournament and winning (an ECC title) which is not out of the realm of possibility. I will need a couple of guys further in to step up and surprise me and go beyond even where they expect to go. In the past when we’ve won titles, that’s usually where we win it,” Garceau said.
The problem for the golf team, as it is with so many other spring sports, is getting outside to practice.
The continuous bouts of winter weather have left most golf courses in the area shuttered.
It means the majority of practice time is spent indoors.
“Very little can be done,” Garceau said. “We have a single-bay driving range net, one person at a time. We have been able to find a few spots outside to do some chipping. There are a lot of little lines on the gym floor that I have a putting drill for. Is it perfect? No. We spend time in the lecture hall reviewing rules so they know their options and improve their golf course knowledge.”
But not all were happy with that.
“Some of the new guys when they learned we were going to be inside, not on the golf course, disappeared. Our numbers decreased a little, but it left me the kids who I know are dedicated and willing to stick it out even if it means being in the lecture hall or gym. They know they will be on the golf course eventually so I have a good core group of kids. We are always more successful with recruiting when we have a warmer spring,” Garceau said.
Girls’ Golf
Graduation also hit the Centaurs girls’ golf program pretty hard.
“It will be very difficult to replace Roxanne Garceau,” said coach Earl Semmelrock.
Roxanne Garceau was a three-time Eastern Connecticut Conference All-Star who had the best round of her high school career when it counted the most. She shot a 1-over par, 37 in the ECC championship last year, to win her third straight ECC individual title.
She is playing for Central Connecticut State University this season.
But all is not lost for the Centaurs girls either.
“With a veteran returning team (the Centaurs will have five starters back), we should be able to contend for the league title again,” Semmelrock said.
Among the key players returning will be seniors Caroline Eaton (a 49 in last year’s championship tournament), Caitlin Cannon and Olivia Perry. Also back are junior Katherine Harrington and sophomore Linda St. Laurent.
“We have 16 other girls that are trying out, too, so I’m excited about the team’s potential,” Semmelrock said.
Garceau Moving On
Roxanne Garceau now knows where her next stop will be.
Garceau learned in January that this will be her first and only season playing golf at CCSU. The New Britain school announced at the time that it was ending the program at the end of the season.
Roxanne Garceau will head for Gannon University, a Division II school, in Erie, Penn., in the fall.
The family took a drive out recently.
It was not the best experience. “It was snowing, it was sleeting, half-freezing rain, just horrible weather and we were convinced that this was the craziest place to drop our daughter off and leave. But she met the coaches and her new teammates and she connected with them. She seemed like she knew them forever after 10 minutes,” said Rich Garceau.
Despite being pursued by other schools, Roxanne Garceau’s mind was made up.
“It was a slam dunk,” Rich Garceau said.
Rich Garceau said, despite the weather, the facilities inside the school are “phenomenal” including a golf room, a chipping green, a putting green, a driving net and two golf simulators. There is also a large building, about 75 yards long with a high ceiling, where players can hit golf balls
“Erie may have seen it’s better days come and go, but it looks like the town is trying to rebuild itself around the school,” Rich Garceau said.
Boys' golf schedule
 Thursday, Apr. 5:   at Tourtellotte                             3 p.m.
Tues., Apr. 10:  at NFA (with Bacon Academy),     3 p.m.
Mon., Apr. 23:  at Killingly (with NFA and Putnam), 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Apr. 24:  Stonington                                    3 p.m.
Wednesday, Apr. 25: East Lyme, Tourtellotte          3 p.m.
Thursday, Apr. 26:  at Montville                                 3 p.m.
Tuesday, May 1:    Bacon Academy                            3 p.m.
Thursday, May 3:   at Waterford                                3 p.m.
Mon., May 7:    at Wildcat Invitational (at NFA)       TBA
Wednesday, May 9: Killingly                                      3 p.m.
Thursday, May 10: at Stonington                               3 p.m.
Tuesday, May 15: Montville                                       3 p.m.
Wednesday, May 16: at East Lyme                            3 p.m.
Thursday, May 17: at Bacon Academy                      3 p.m.
Tuesday, May 22: Waterford                                      3 p.m.
Thursday, May 24: Plainfield                                      3 p.m.
Girls’ Golf schedule
Monday, Apr. 9:  at East Lyme                                   3 p.m.
Wednesday, Apr. 11: at NFA                                      4 p.m.
Tuesday, Apr. 24: at Glastonbury                             3 p.m.
Wednesday, Apr. 25: at Bacon Academy                3 p.m.
Thursday, Apr. 26: NFA                                             3 p.m.
Monday, Apr. 30: Suffield                                         3 p.m.
Tuesday, May 1: at Suffield                                       3 p.m.
Thursday, May 3: Waterford                                      3 p.m.
Tuesday, May 8: at Wildcat Invitational (at NFA)          TBA
Thursday, May 10: Glastonbury                               3 p.m.
Fri., May 11: at Waterford (with Bacon Academy)    3 p.m.
Wednesday, May 16: at East Lyme                            3 p.m.
Thursday, May 17: Bacon Academy                           3 p.m.
Wednesday, May 23: East Lyme                                 3 p.m. 
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director

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