October was a very busy month for the Putnam Rotary Club’s Interact Club.
Books
Oct. 16, the Interact club presented the “Little Spot” children’s book series to the Day Kimball Hospital Children and Adolescent Behavior Center.
Day Kimball officials said: “Thank you to the Putnam Rotary Interact Club for its generous donation of the A Little SPOT book series to our Behavioral Health Child-Adolescent team. These books, written by Diane Alber, are focused on emotional regulation and help children learn to identify and manage their emotions, develop coping skills, and improve their life skills. Visual learning is especially impactful for kids, and this resource is a valuable addition to our clinicians’ therapeutic tools.
We are grateful to the Putnam Rotary Interact Club for stepping in to provide these essential resources when they were needed. Your support is making a meaningful difference in the lives of the children and families we serve.”
Toys
Oct. 19, the Interact Club manned a booth at Rotary Park at the Great Pumpkin Festival to raise money to buy toys for children at the Boston Children’s Hospital. The culinary department at Tourtellotte Memorial High School made chocolate chip cookies to sell and there was hot cider as well. The club raised $206.54.
Club advisor Roberta Rocchetti said: “Thank you to Sofia Thurber, June Ferraro, Pavanny Phav, Gianna Brinson and Serena Smith for this effort. We’re pleased with the generosity and support the community gave.”
Helped Racers
Earlier that morning, Paige Perry, Isabel D’Alieva-Bochain and Anthony Beaudreault assisted the children at the Tackle the Trail Jr. race beginning at the Putnam Lions Dog Park on Kennedy Driver and ending at the Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center.
For more information about the Putnam Rotary’s Interact club contact Rocchetti at 860-933-8603 or
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captions:
Book Donation
From left: Peter Neal, Director of Behavioral Health Services; Mickie Loucraft, Licensed Professional Counselor; Sherrie Wilkinson, Patient Care Coordinator; Savannah Nute, Licensed Master Social Worker; Larisa Zukic-Halilovic, Licensed Professional Counselor; Roberta Rocchetti, Putnam Rotary Interact Club advisor; Tayler Shea, Behavioral Health intern; Sofia Thurber, Co-President, Putnam Rotary Interact Club.
Park Fund-raising
From left: Interact Sofia Thurber, Gianna Brinson, Serena Smith, June Ferraro, Pavanny Phav. Courtesy photos.
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Groups commit to garden --- and to beauty
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The project is blooming quietly.
Beginning this year a garden stewards program of sorts began, designed to sign on groups committed to beautifying a Putnam garden and keeping it beautiful.
Elaine Turner, president of the Quiet Corner Garden Club, said Economic Development Commission Director Mary Ann Chinatti, and Mayor Barney Seney approached her and the plan to bring beauty to Putnam — and have those areas cared for — began to jell.
Groups sign a memorandum of understanding with the town. The garden club serves as a consultant and the groups who sign on commit to planting and maintaining a garden space in town. Eight signed up this first year: Chace Building Supply, the Quiet Corner Garden Club, 85 Main, the Woman’s Club of Day Kimball Hospital, NOW, the Northeast Women and Girls Fund, the family of Robin Smith and the Jewett City Savings Bank.
Turner said those groups may consult with the garden club which would help them choose plants. Some groups the consultant doesn’t hear from and do fine and others might ask for help. The town gives each group a $200 stipend to use as they wish. Most buy plants and flowers with it and the town gives them a link to Prides Corner Farms where they can get plants wholesale.
Turner said members of each group that signed up are expected to commit to removing invasives , weeding, planting and maintenance. “We ask that they weed every couple weeks.”
It’ll take a few cycles for people to see what it takes, she said.
Asked what she liked best about the program, Turner said “the enthusiasm.”
One group, Chace Building Supply, took on creating and maintaining a garden at Miller Park. Turner advised them on the plant selection and it includes black-eyed Susans, coral bells, daylilies, coneflowers and sedums.
Kellie Suplicki, Chace kitchen and bath showroom manager and designer, said they wanted to be involved with a garden so they signed on wholeheartedly. Turner was impressed with Chace’s enthusiasm: “They just jumped in; they’re a great group.”
Suplicki is enthusiastic about caretaking and Chace went above and beyond, planting annual petunias for a long stretch of color. She added there’s ongoing caretaking including deadheading and now, preparing the garden for winter. “I feel passionate about the environment and having nice spaces for everyone,” she said.
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Trunk or Treat
was a treat!
POMFRET — The weather was beautiful Saturday night for Pomfret Recreations annual Rec or Treat at the Pomfret Recreation Park, according to Recreation Director Carrie Wolfe.
Kids had fun going trunk or treating on the soccer field. It was sponsored by the Pomfret Community School PTO. They also had a sugar lab set up for children to purchase test tubes or stars to fill with sugar creations.
She said the Recreation Department had the craft table set up on the soccer field. The concession stand located in the white barn was very busy with food and treats for people to purchase. Flames could be seen from far away from the bonfire that the Pomfret DPW set up and the Pomfret Fire Department started.
She added the tractor was constantly running with “hayrides that brought smiles to many faces.” There was a fire pit for roasting marshmellows and there was music. The night ended with an outdoor Halloween movie.
She said many volunteers agreed that this was one of the biggest turnouts. “We believe we had over 300 people throughout the event. This event has been growing each year. I am so appreciative of the businesses that donated to this great community event. I am extremely grateful to the volunteers of the night. Recreation Commission members, Jen Hudock and her son Blake (Woodstock Academy volunteer), Jennie Mix, her husband Eric and her son Deven (Killingly High School volunteer), and Alexandra Smith. Other volunteers that I’m so thankful for are: Stephen Chouonard (Pomfret Constable), Lance Sistare (hayride operator), and my husband, Bill Wolfe and son Joseph Wolfe.”
She added, “I was pleased to see so many smiling faces and hear so much laughter in the park! The costumes were so great! I want to thank everyone that came out to this great community event! I hope to see everyone at our future programs!”
captions: Clockwise from top left: Jen Hudock (L) and Wolfe in costume. Pirate. Princess Charley Rotondo. Bonfire. Audrey Anderson. Linda Lemmon photos. More on FB on Wed. night.
Great Pumpkin Fest
Kiera Brooks, 4, has a bee painted on by Emily Rouillard. More photos on our FB page Wed. night.
Rec Director Willie Bousquet, left, and Mayor Barney Seney. Courtesy photo.
Created by Santasia sand sculptors
Gigantic pumpkins grown by Gene Lariviere. Scarecrow winners on FB Wed. night.