caption, page 6

 

 

Emily Ross and Evan Wood of The Woodstock Academy ring the bells at Walmart on Dec. 17. Linda Lemmon photo.

 

'Ringing'

in big

donations

By Linda Lemmon

Town Crier Editor

Even the snow. Even the ice. Nothing could keep a determined group of young people from ringing the bells to raise money for the local Salvation Army office.

With a stack of empty hot beverage cups at their feet, Emily Ross and Evan Wood, both freshmen at The Woodstock Academy, stood grinning, ringing the bells at the Putnam Walmart entrance.

"It's been fun --- a little cold though," said Ross. Wood said both he and Ross are members of the Sparrow Club at the academy. The community service coordinator at the academy, Amanda Rice, emailed members of service clubs at the academy and asked them to help the Putnam Regional Interact Club with its fund-raising mission.

Co-Chairman of the Putnam Interact Club, Roberta Rocchetti, said the students members of the club, with their classmates and friends, have been ringing the bell for the Salvation Army since 1997.

She said they have raised more than $180,000 over the years. "We are the only source of revenue for the local Salvation Army office," she said.

Monique Mailloux, co-chairman, said that there were 102 students taking part this year and as of last week, the bell ringers had raised about $4,700. That total does not include what the stalwart bell ringers raised Dec. 17 and Dec. 24.

Adults that helped included Mike Rocchetti plus Rotarians Jonathan Trembly, Deb Hoft, Marc Archambault (club president), Mailloux and Rocchetti. 

Rocchetti said students came from Marianapolis, The Woodstock Academy and Woodstock public schools, Putnam High School, Putnam Science Academy and Killingly High School. Adults from Ashford school and the Putnam Rotary Cub took part. "It is truly a community project," Rocchetti said. 

She added that the bell ringing starts the Friday following Thanksgiving and is conducted each Saturday thereafter including the morning of Christmas Eve, totaling five weekends.

Ross said it went well, even considering the snow and then ice cold temperatures Dec. 17. She estimated that every other person walking by the famous red kettle donated.

She said she especially enjoyed watching the children donate. The funniest donation attempt was a little girl who tried to put a dollar bill, kept flat, into the small slot in the top of the kettle. "I had to show her how to fold it so it would fit," Ross added.

 

 

 

'Tis the Season

The Christmas tree in the barn at Garden Gate Florist in Woodstock radiates a classic New England Happy Holidays. More photos on page 5. Linda Lemmon photo.

 

 

Boys’ Wrap-up

Preps enjoy

limelight as 

high schools

ready for start 

of season

By Ron P. Coderre

The start of the boys’ high school basketball season is one week away.  As the schoolboys work hard preparing for the first tipoff, the local prep schools continued to whittle away at their season schedules.

The Putnam Science Academy prep and varsity teams enjoyed a perfect week, the prep posting three wins and the varsity two without a loss.  Pomfret School was able to garner two win in four games, while Marianapolis and Hyde School-Woodstock failed to crack the win column.

Diallo Out of Doghouse

Hamidou Diallo emerged from coach Tom Espinosa’s doghouse to lead his mates to a pair of impressive victories prior to the team’s departure for Florida and the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers.

Competing in the Basketbull Hoopfest at Holyoke Community College, the Mustangs led by a re-energized Diallo rolled past Vermont Academy 83-70 and Bill Crothers School 95-86 to raise their record to 12-2.

Diallo led five Scientists in double figures with 18 points in the victory over Vermont Academy.  The other double digit point producers were Parisian Alexis Yetna (11 points and 14 rebounds), Malik Ondigo (14), Isaac Kante (12) and Eric Ayala (11).

Diallo continued his resurgence against Bill Crothers with a 27-point performance as once again five Mustangs hit double figures.  PSA fell behind Crothers 60-48 at intermission but put together a strong second half to capture a come-from-behind 95-86 win.  Joining Diallo in double digits were Kante (14), Jaheam Cornwall (18), Ondigo (10) and Yetna (14 points and 13 rebounds).

The Mustangs capped the week with a 60-59 squeaker over St. Anthony’s of Texas in the City of Palms Classic in Florida.  Three players were in double figure led by the steady Cornwall with 14 points.  Diallo added 13 and Yetna had a dozen.

The Putnam Science Academy varsity unit got back on track with a pair of victories.  In a game played in Springfield the Mustangs varsity held on for an exciting 85-83 overtime win over Toronto Academy.  Nate Patenaude led all scorers with 21 points to go with eight rebounds.  Liam Jacobs, the former Plainfield Panther had a solid game, producing 13 points and six boards, while Amir Paul chipped in 13 markers and Adham Floyd had nine.  The Mustangs varsity is 9-2 on the season.

In the opener of the two-game set in Springfield, PSA posted a 96-74 victory over Spire Institute of Ohio.  Isaiah Laurent led the Mustangs with a double-double, 15 points and 10 caroms.  Patenaude had a solid game with 19 points.  Alex White (15 points) and Putnam product Dan Porcic (12) rounded out the double digit scorers for the Scientists.

Pomfret School opened its week with an 81-54 win over Route 169 opponent Hyde School-Woodstock.  Christian Wilson, who was 8-of-9 from the floor, was the Griffs high scorer with 23 points.  Adrian Arroyo complemented Wilson’s game chipping in 18 markers.  Hyde was led by Mekhi McCray (12) and Khalil Johnson (10).

In its other game of the week, Hyde was beaten by Worcester Academy 51-36 as Mike St. Laurent was the lone scorer in double figures for the Wolfpack with a dozen points.

Pomfret then lost two games in the Kingswood-Oxford Holiday Tournament.  The Golden Griffins waltzed past Capital Prep Harbor 80-52 as Wilson continued to lead the way with 20 points.  Shannon Denny added 12 points and nine assists for Pomfret.

The host, Kingswood-Oxford then disposed of Pomfret in the next contest 69-62 despite a mammoth performance by Wilson who poured in 29 points.  Down 31-25 at halftime, Pomfret was unable to climb out of the hole.  Denny was in double digits again with 13 and Dan Cappo added 11 for 2-3 Pomfret.

In the game for third place, Pomfret was beaten by Canterbury School despite 21 points by Wilson.  Arroyo added 15 points for the 2-4 Griffins.

Marianapolis fell to 1-5 on the season when it was beaten by Choate 65-55.  Joe Del Ricci with 24 points and Tyler Burton with 15 were in double digits for the Golden Knights.

 

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