By Ryan Rumrill
Town Crier Sportswriter
The Woodstock Academy Boys Hockey Team won its first state hockey title over a strong sixth-seeded Hall-Southington team by a score of 7-3 to win the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Division III final March 18 at Ingalls Rink.
The game was tied up in the start of the third period when Nate Deluca got the fast break opportunity with just the goalie in his sights. The goalie was shadowing the pass side of the net, when Nate ripped a shot at the empty side of the net, breaking the tie, and the momentum shifted Woodstock’s way. Three more goals came from another from Nate Deluca, Avery Rivera, and Will Liscomb, resulting in the 7-3 final score.
The program has been a varsity program for only four years. In 2014, the team lost in the first round, then each year got further into the CIAC states, and crowned champions. Three goals came from Nate Deluca, two from Avery Rivera, and one each from Ryan Black and Will Liscomb. Goalie Cal Wilcox had 29 saves for the Centaurs who finished the year 22-2-1.
The Woodstock Academy Centaurs took down the Lyman Hall/Haddam-Killingworth/Coginchaug team, which had defeated them earlier in the season. They met up in the semifinals and won by a score of 6-0 to advance to the Finals against Hall-Southington. Nate Deluca led the charge for Woodstock netting three goals for the Centaurs.
Senior Basketball
The boys’ game in the Putnam Rotary Ray Brousseau Senior All-Star Senior Shootout was a much higher score than the girls’ game and was more of an NBA all-star game with the high scores, and the “go out and play” mentality. They were not really playing competitive get down in a stance defense and it turned into a dunk fest. Dommoy Ennis slammed down a pair of dunks for the Blue team. Eli Malbouef had his own for the red team, and then Putnam’s Lucas Bastilio had two of his own coming on consecutive trips, coming on a driving to the rim slam in traffic, grabbed a rebound down the other end, and came down and had a two-handed slam. Windham Tech senior Mario Rangel sank five three-pointers enroute of being named the Most Valuable Player for the Blue team, and Eli Malbouef was named the MVP of the Red Team, and the Blue Team went on to win 98-72 over the Red squad.
Girls’ Wrap Up
The girls also put on a great show at the shootout with all the local seniors in the area.
Putnam’s own Maria Fredette led the way for the Green team coached by Devin Hill to the 56-54 victory over the Yellow team coming off of a game-winning layup with 3.6 seconds left of the game enroute to her 21 points and being named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. Her teammate Alyssa Espinosa finished the game with 15 points. Olivia Braithwaite had eight points. This game is big for all of the seniors in the area, but it’s even bigger for the seniors from Putnam getting one last chance to play in their gym.
The game was down to the wire when the Yellow team hit a three-point basket by Tourtellotte’s Emily Vincent to tie the game up. The Yellow team went up, then Maria tied the game at the freethrow line. Then with 22 seconds left in the game, Green controlled the rebound by Haley Gagnon from Parish Hill, who finished the game with 9 points. She hit Fredette with a pass after she cut to the basket and she laid it in to put her team on top and take home the trophy. Yellow team was led by Griswold’s Caitlyn Ellis with 15 points, and Tourtellotte’s Emily Vincent and Megan Dion each had 13 points.
captions, page 9:
left: Putnam High Team Pratt, division champs for third time in a row. Courtesy photos.
right: Misfits won Division 1.
caption, page 10: The Waves Hair Studio, Division 2 winners.
PUTNAM — The Putnam Lions annual Volleyball Challenge grossed more than $20,000. It is the Putnam Lions’ largest fund-raiser of the year and all the funds raised are given back to the community during the Night of Giving in April.
The challenge was March 18 and 19. The coveted corporate traveling trophy was won by Putnam High School’s Team Pratt for the third year in a row. Putnam High School battled against KWP Associates for the win. In the competitive team games The Misfits won Division 1 and Waves Hair Studio won Division 2.
The following competitive teams played March 18: B’s, Bumpin’ Uglies, Friends Without Benefits, Hot Mess, King Cadillac, Misfits, Safin Chipsters, Set To Kill and Waves Hair Studio. March 19 teams included Frito Lay’s Chester Cheetah Spikers, Gerardi Insurance’s Scared Hitless, Kenyon Industries, KWP Associates, Putnam Bank and Putnam High School’s Team Pratt.
The event is truly a community effort with more than 60 sponsors. The Lions thanked its Diamond sponsor, KARS of Putnam; Platinum sponsors Wheelabrator and Day Kimball Hospital and all of additional sponsors that donated to the event. The Lions also thanked Tom Archambault from Archambault Insurance Associates who is the tournament director, the Putnam High School girl’s volleyball team, who refereed for the tournament and the Putnam Leos Club for helping with set-up and break-down.
R. 'Bob' A. Goulet,
Korean war vet
PUTNAM — Robert “Bob” A. Goulet, 85, of Hanley St., entered eternal rest March 11, 2017, at Day Kimball Hospital. He was the husband of Lise M. (Daigle) Goulet and the late Doris (Cloutier) Goulet who died in 1977. Born in 1931 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Loretta Joly.
Upon completing his high school education Bob joined the U.S. Army and served during the Korean war being honorably discharged on Dec. 8, 1953.
Mr. Goulet worked for many years as a correction officer at the Brooklyn Correctional Institute.
Bob was an avid Boston Red Sox fan and enjoyed listening to Country music.
He leaves his wife of 34 years Lise; two sons Jason Goulet of Jewett City and Robert Goulet of Pomfret; three daughters Patricia Pribula of Pawtucket, R.I., Melanie Kondratowicz (Jim), and Ashley Goulet of Putnam; a brother Ronald Saucier of Putnam; daughter-in-law Theresa Goulet of Killingly; and nine grandchildren Jared, Danielle, Nicole, Justin. Jacoby, Jimmy, Rebecca, Holly, and Caden; and two great-grandchildren Alexa and Rowan. He was predeceased by a son Thomas Goulet.
Visitation was March 16 at Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Normand Ravenelle
N. GROSVENORDALE — Normand A. Ravenelle, 90, of Ravenelle Rd, died March 14, 2017, at home. He was the husband of the late Bernice (Karpenski) Ravenelle for 67 years. Born in 1926 in N. Grosvenordale, he was the son of the late Narcisse and Dora (Faucher) Ravenelle.
Normand was a self-employed dairy farmer and later worked for the Connecticut Department of Corrections. He enjoyed gardening, fishing, and playing cards. Normand was a sports fan, whose favorite teams included the NY Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Notre Dame football. Normand was a communicant of St. Joseph Church and a member of the Knights of Columbus and Union St Jean the Baptiste.
He leaves his daughters, Linda Joyal (Tom) of Ashford, Theresa Goulet of Killingly, Margaret Auger (Tom) of Putnam, Rachel Sposato of Dayville, and Jane Sciaraffa (Michael) of Auburn, Mass.; his brother, Philip Ravenelle of Webster; his sister Gertrude Hardy of N. Grosvenordale; his grandchildren, Stephanie Sciaraffa of Auburn, Anthony Sciaraffa of Oxford, Troy Sposato of Canterbury, Jared Goulet of Killingly, Danielle Heersink of Woodstock, David Auger of Manchester, and Kathryn Young of Medford, Mass.; his great-grandchildren Alexa, Rowan and Cierra Heersink; He was predeceased by his sisters, Doris Blain, Jeanette Cardinal and his son-in-law, Thomas Goulet.
The Mass of Christian Burial was March 18 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery. Valade Funeral Home & Crematory, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
Gladys E. Benoit
PUTNAM — Gladys E. (Hoffman) Benoit, 96, of Sabin St., died March 16, 2017, at Matulaitis Nursing Home. She was the wife of the late Raynie J. Benoit. Born in 1920 in Putnam, she was the daughter of the late Frederick and Elita (Dubois) Hoffman.
On May 29, 1939, in Putnam Gladys was united in marriage to Raynie J. Benoit who died in 1970.
Mrs. Benoit worked for more than 25 years as an inspector at American Optical in Southbridge, retiring in 1981.
She was a member of the American Optical Twenty-five Century Club and a communicant of St. Stephen Church in Quinebaug.
She leaves three sons Donald J. Benoit (Carol) of Putnam, Douglas R. Benoit (Claire) of Dresden, Maine, and Stephen F. Benoit (Nancy) of Quinebaug; a brother William Hall, Esq. of Coventry; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a daughter Joyce L. Leclerc and three grandchildren.
The Mass of Christian Burial was March 20 in St. Stephen Church, Quinebaug, with burial in W. Thompson Cemetery. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Roseanna Lalumiere
KILLINGLY — Roseanna G. Lalumiere, 81, a lifelong resident of Killingly, died March 15, 2017, at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam. She was born Oct. 2, 1935, in Killingly, daughter of the late Gideon and Albina (Bourque) Beaudoin. She married Jean M. Lalumiere on Feb. 14, 1953, at St. Joseph Church in Dayville. He died in 2015.
Roseanna was a communicant of St. James Church. She was an accomplished cook and baker. She worked at La Rosa Factory for a few years, Jacobs Rubber for 26 years, Acme-Chaston for three years and retired from Tri Foods in 1997 after three years.
She leaves her daughter Anna Nadeau (Gary) of Moosup; sons Alan Lalumiere (Rose) of Griswold, Roland Lalumiere (Cheryl) of Central Village, Charles Lalumiere of S. Killingly; 14 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews. Roseanna was predeceased by siblings Ernest Beaudoin, Edward Beaudoin, Irene Muree and Rita Albina Martel.
The Mass of Christian Burial was March 20 at St. James Church, Danielson, with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery, Danielson. Donations: American Heart Association, P.O. 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Jeannette L. O’Keefe
GROSVENORDALE — Jeannette (Langevin) O’Keefe, 96, of Riverside Dr., died March 13, 2017, at Matulaitis Nursing Home. She was the wife of William J. O’Keefe Jr.
She was born in 1920 in Worcester, but spent her life in the Mechanicsville and Grosvenordale sections of Thompson. She was the daughter of the late Alexis and Lillian (Lemoine) Langevin.
Mrs. O’Keefe worked for many years as the office manager and accountant for Superwinch.
Mrs. O’Keefe enjoyed watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune on television, was an avid fan of the UConn women’s basketball team, and enjoyed volunteering at the St. Joseph Church bingo.
She leaves her husband William J. O’Keefe Jr.; two daughters Nancy Laflamme (Paul) of Putnam and Debbie O’Keefe and her companion Tom Britton of Rogers; two grandchildren Christopher Laflamme (Colleen) of Killingly and Aaron Laflamme and his fiancé Laura Harte of Maine; three great-grandchildren Rylie, Tegan, and Ashlyn Laflamme. She was predeceased by her siblings Robert Langevin and Rita Ginalaski.
The Mass of Christian Burial is at 11 a.m. March 24 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial in West Thompson Cemetery. Donations: American Heart Assoc. P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241; or the charity of one’s choice. Valade Funeral Home & Crematory 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
Carol Ann Tucker
PUTNAM — Carol Ann Tucker, 81, of Putnam, died March 11, 2017, at home. She was the wife of the late John Tucker.
She was born May 19, 1935, in Manchester, N.H., daughter of the late Clinton and Marjorie (Watts) Weston. Carol was a member of the Congregational Church of Putnam and a 1953 graduate of Putnam High School.
She worked as a receptionist at Gerardi Insurance for more than seven years.
She leaves her two sons Scott LaForest and Bradley LaForest; her grandchildren Amy, Weston, Katherine, Maxwell, Lucas, and Tessa.
Graveside service will be at 11 a.m. April 15 in Putnam Heights Cemetery on Liberty Highway. Donations: Hospice of NE CT, PO Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260; or the Congregational Church of Putnam. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Julissa T. Rivera
KILLINGLY — Julissa T. Rivera, 23, of Killingly, died March 11, 2017, in Sterling.
She was born in Willimantic, daughter of the late Bernice Alicea. She lived in Killingly all her life. She enjoyed singing, hairdressing and cosmetology. She was a very outgoing person.
She leaves her father, Nef-talli Rivera of Danielson; a son, Michael Kingsbury III of Webster; a daughter, Lennon Kingsbury of Webster; two brothers, Roberto Justiniano of Fitchburg, Mass., and Rolando Rivera of Providence; a sister, Shaina Justiniano of Danielson.
Donations: Charity of the donor’s choice. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
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Collecting
Putnam’s Boy Scout Troop 21 and Cargill Council 64, Knights of Columbus, assisted by a donation of more than two dozen bags of non-perishable food from town employees, joined forces over two weeks to collect money and food for the area’s needy. The “Scouting for Food” drive was capped off by a Saturday, March 18 community collection event at the K of C hall in Putnam. Scoutmaster Peter A. Lombardo, left, and Scouts Nathan Olson, in truck, foreground, and Richard L. LaBonte Jr. show off the town employees’ donations with Putnam Mayor Tony Falzarano, right. Overall, the drive collected just over $2,300 and 2,355 pounds of food. Photo by John D. Ryan
PUTNAM — Local people in need got a helping hand recently, thanks to a collection effort by a local Boy Scout troop and a Knights of Columbus council, assisted by Putnam town employees. Putnam’s Boy Scout Troop 21 and Cargill Council 64 joined forces with the community for their ninth annual food drive, collecting just over $2,300 and 2,355 pounds – more than a ton – of non-perishable food.
The drive began on the weekend of March 4 and 5, when Scouts and Knights passed out hundreds of distinctive bright yellow plastic “Scouting for Food” grocery bags at the Masses being celebrated at St. Mary Church of the Visitation in Putnam and Most Holy Trinity Church in Pomfret. “Scouting for Food” is a nationwide annual effort by Boy Scout troops, Cub Scout packs and Explorer posts.
Meanwhile, the effort took hold at the Putnam Town Hall where more than two dozen “Scouting for Food” bags were collected from town employees. Mayor Tony Falzarano’s executive assistant, Denise Roireau, organized a collection effort after the Knights brought the mayor a yellow bag to fill with groceries. This was the second year Falzarano was involved, helping to drum up support. On St. Patrick’s Day the mayor was assisted by several town employees to load donated food into his Chevy Equinox in the parking lot.
“I’m so proud of the town employees, particularly Denise Roireau, for making this happen and helping the people in our community,” Falzarano said. “There are families now who will have food because of the generosity of our Putnam town employees.”
The next day, on Saturday morning, March 18, Falzarano drove his SUV to the Knights of Columbus hall on Providence Street, where the two-week drive was capped off with a community collection of food and money.
Just after noon, the Scouts and Knights trucked the food over to the local non-profit, non-denominational Daily Bread Food Pantry, operated by Interfaith Human Services of Putnam at the Living Faith United Methodist Church and helped to bring it inside.
Daily Bread Volunteer Project Coordinator Ann Kathi Peterson, said Daily Bread helps an average of 500 to 600 people every month, from Putnam, Pomfret, Woodstock and Eastford, based solely on need. Of that, about 150 to 200 are children, with another 100 senior citizens, while most of the other recipients are aged 18 to 60. She said that overall, the local economy hasn’t gotten any better in the last five to seven years.
The money was given to Project Northeast, another local non-profit, non-denominational, social service agency for the needy, operated from two small basement rooms at St. Mary’s Church. Project Northeast helps an average of 150 of the region’s families every month, like Daily Bread, based solely on need. Serving the area from Plainfield and Sterling north to the Massachusetts border, recipients can get temporary help with food, along with money for utilities and other basic necessities. Although it’s a ministry of the Catholic Diocese of Norwich, it’s supported almost entirely by donations.
A member of the Knights of Columbus himself, Project Northeast Director Rev. Richard L. Archambault said there are people throughout northeastern Connecticut who need help every day.
“This money we’re taking in from this drive will go right back out again, for the poor people in our area,” Archambault said. “They’re our neighbors and we’re grateful that the donations come in so we can help them.”