By Ron P. Coderre

Plainfield, Ellis Tech and Tourtellotte Memorial High School were the only three local teams to qualify for the CIAC postseason.  Ellis Tech was eliminated in the First Round.  Tourtellotte after capturing a play-in game with a 5-4 win over Old Saybrook was eliminated in the First Round.

Plainfield with First and Second Round wins reached the quarterfinals where they squared off against Haddam-Killingworth.  The Panthers were eliminated from the postseason when HK rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning to steal the victory.

Panthers Impressive in Early Rounds 

of CIAC

Plainfield seeded #12 in the CIAC Class M Tournament opened tourney play against #21 Kaynor Tech.  The Panthers rode the arm of winning pitcher Jeff Nicolosi and the bats of Kegan Marcoux and Colby Greenhalgh to a 22-2 victory.

Marcoux powered a grand slam home run energizing a 16-run outburst in the third and fourth innings to propel Plainfield to the easy victory.  Greenhalgh chipped in four hits and five RBI in salting away the win and moving the team to the next round of competition.

The Second Round witnessed the Panthers facing off against #5 seed Plainville with a 15-6 record.  The Panthers jumped out to a three run lead in the third inning, added a singleton in the fifth and scored what proved to be the two winning runs in the top of the seventh.

Dave Carpenter, who’s been steady on the mound all season, picked up the 6-4 upset victory.  He scattered eight hits in the route-going decision.  Greenhalgh was hot with the bat again as he doubled twice and drove in three runs.  Izaiah Thompson also had a solid day with the stick driving in a pair of runs.

In the quarterfinal contest, leading 6-5 entering the bottom of the seventh inning over #4 seed Haddam-Killingworth, Plainfield coach Jason Chaviaras went to his ace Carpenter in the hope of sealing the win.  His strategy backfired as the Cougars pulled out the victory from the jaws of defeat with a two-run rally, propelling HK to a 7-6 win.

Nicolosi started the game and gave the Panthers a solid effort.  Plainfield had taken the lead with a four run outburst in the fifth inning highlighted by a two-run home run by Carpenter.  Despite the heartbreaking loss in the cat fight between the Cougars and the Panthers, Plainfield finishes its season with a 16-9 record.

Ellis Tech seeded #13 in Class L dropped a 4-1 decision to #20 Platt High School.  Chuck Innes was the hard luck loser.  The Golden Eagles got their only run when Brett Ravenelle tripled and raced home on an Innes ground out.  Ellis Tech closes out the books on 2016 with a 13-10 log.

Tourtellotte after beating Old Saybrook had the misfortune of having to play #1 seed Oxford.  The Tigers put up some resistance but were defeated 9-2.  Tourtellotte closes out the season at 9-13.

 

 

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Park Work

A group of students from Putnam High School, "The 21," cleaned up the town's pocket parks along Providence Street. Courtesy photo.

 

 

By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC shoutout is sent along to Putnam resident and U.S. Army veteran Walter Larochelle.  A long-distance tractor trailer operator, Larochelle is a community-minded individual who devotes numerous hours to the success of American Legion Post #13.

Tourtellotte Memorial High School will enshrine former three-sport star Jennifer Martin - Peterson into its Athletic Hall of Fame with the Class of 2016 on Saturday, June 25.  The ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Ryscavage Auditorium and is free to the public.

Martin – Peterson, a 1996 Tourtellotte graduate, was a soccer, basketball and softball standout throughout her four years on the Thompson campus, starring as a varsity athlete in each sport for four years.  She was a Connecticut State Soccer All Star and an Eastern Connecticut and Quinebaug Valley Conference All Star in all three sports.  Martin – Peterson was honored as a Connecticut State Scholar Athlete in her junior and senior years.

Her play led to a number of team championships for the Lady Tigers.  She was a member of the 1993 Class S Championship Soccer team and the next year led the team to the finals once again.  In softball she was a member of QVC Championship teams in 1994, 1995 and 1996 and a Class S Finalist also in 1996.

Martin – Peterson attained high academic honors in her four years at Tourtellotte and was a member of the school’s National Honor Society.  

Following her graduation from Tourtellotte, she continued her education at the University of New Hampshire.  A member of the UNH Division I soccer team, she was selected America East Scholar Athlete in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000.  She was selected to the school’s Golden Key and Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.   Martin – Peterson is the holder of a master’s degree in sports psychology from the University of Iowa in 2003.

Martin – Peterson is currently a high school coach and a certified basketball and lacrosse referee.

ECC Baseball and Softball All Stars…

The Eastern Connecticut Conference announced its baseball and softball all stars for the recently concluded 2016 spring season.  A sprinkling of local athletes was among those selected.

Baseball – Large Division Honorable Mention, Evan O’Connor; Sportsmanship, Jack Archambault (Woodstock Academy).  Medium Division First Team, Colby Greenhalgh and David Carpenter; Honorable Mention, Dylan Horn and Jeff Nicolosi; Sportsmanship, Dave Kumiega (Plainfield).  Honorable Mention, Drew Daley, Ben Desaulnier and Cory Sipos; Sportsmanship, Evan Zanauskas (Killingly).  Small Division Honorable Mention, Alex Angelo; Sportsmanship, Hunter Angelo (Tourtellotte).

Softball – Large Division Honorable Mention, Angela Caponi and Rylee Hehir; Sportsmanship, Alexa Pearson (Woodstock Academy). Medium Division Honorable Mention, Cara Mayhew; Sportsmanship, Karissa Slowik (Killingly).  Small Division First Team, Cali Joslyn, Kat Devolve and Kacee Hirst; Honorable Mention, Madison Kelley; Sportsmanship, Taylor Peloquin (Plainfield).  First Team, Carinne Sosnowski, Abby Poirier and Christina Kopacz; Honorable Mention, Emily Vincent and Crystal Daly; Sportsmanship, Emily Vincent (Tourtellotte).

Brit Captures Woodstock…

Marin Milne, a Londoner visiting relatives in Coventry, meandered over to Woodstock on Memorial Day and won the Woodstock Memorial Day 10K Road Race.  Milne cruised around the 10K course, including the finishing uphill mile on Child Hill Road, in a winning time of 32:50.  A small field of 137 runners competed.      

Second place went to Ben Joyce of Manchester who was almost three minutes behind Milne with a time of 35:43.  The first Woodstock runner to cross the line was third-place finisher Matthew Rich with a time of 36:33.  The first woman finisher was Elizabeth Edwards of Thompson in a time of 42:48.  She finished 9th overall.

Other local runners in the Top 50 included – 5. Jack Houlker (Danielson) 37:11; 6. John Dipippo (Brooklyn) 38:01; 7. Scott Deslongchamps (North Grosvenordale) 41:17; 10. Brianna Demers (Ashford) 43:01; 13. Tim Atwood (Woodstock) 43:08; 14. Stuart Hebert (Woodstock) 43:11; 17. Matt Bellerive (Brooklyn) 44:03; 18. Roger Barrette (Woodstock) 44:03; 22. Robert Davis (Ashford) 45:43; 23. Vance Carter (Danielson) 46:04; 24. Benjamin McSheehy (Dayville) 46:07; 25. Ray Insalaco (Central Village) 46:26; 26. Sean Saucier (Woodstock) 46:30; 27. Cyrus Gould (Woodstock) 46:35; 32. Karen Houle (Danielson) 48:11; 33. Kristin Rigney (Woodstock) 48:37; 35. Melissa Andrews (Woodstock) 49:25; 36. Rick Canavan (Pomfret Center) 49:34; 39. Sara Hunt (Putnam) 50:36; 41. Amy St. Onge (Thompson) 51:28; 42. Robert Peterson (Woodstock) 51:33; 43. Bobby Fischer (Moosup) 51:51; 45. Amy Ahearn (Woodstock) 52:14; 47. Seamus Connor (Woodstock) 52:18.

Tip of the Sports Fedora…

The RPC Tip of the Sports Fedora is one of the highest if not the highest award a local athlete can receive.  This week it’s a privilege to bestow a special tip of the cap to 21 student-athletes from Putnam High School.

These student-athletes are being recognized not for an achievement on the court or field but rather for an act of kindness and community service that they recently performed in cooperation with the Town of Putnam.  “The 21” along with four Putnam High School staff members took time to beautify the pocket parks on Providence Street.

In a day and age when young people are often disparaged and said to lack energy and compassion, “the 21” certainly dispel that myth.  Congratulations and a Tip of the Sports Fedora from RPC.

Local Baseball Coaches Pack It In…

Whatever the reason or reasons, and there have been a variety floating around, two local high school coaches are no longer on the sideline or in the dugout with the conclusion of this baseball season.  Bill Carpenter, of Woodstock Academy and David Austin of Killingly High School, have resigned their positions for personal reasons, leaving the schools in search of someone to fill the vacated holes.

Carpenter has been with Woodstock for three years, succeeding Charlie Kozey who was at the helm for one season.  Carpenter is a dyed in the wool baseball man, going back to his days in the Plainfield Little League.  He climbed the baseball ladder through American Legion and into college where he was an NCAA Division III All American shortstop at Brandeis University.  Following his four years at Brandeis, Carpenter was drafted by the Boston Red Sox where he played in the minor leagues for two seasons.

Under Carpenter the Centaurs qualified for the CIAC postseason in two of his three seasons at Woodstock.  This season the team failed to reach the eight-win plateau necessary to qualify, finishing the regular schedule at 7-13.

Austin, who has made the high school coaching circuit with stops in Putnam, Woodstock and Marianapolis prior to taking over the reins at Killingly four years ago, like Carpenter is a baseball man.  He’s also had two stints as coach of the TriTown American Legion team.  Austin played and starred in the local Little Leagues before hitting paydirt at Putnam High School where he was a mainstay of the Putnam pitching staff in the Clippers run to a Class S State title in 1986 under coach Paul Leduc.  He pitched for one season at Manchester Community College.

In his four years at Killingly he posted a 23-57 record.  This season, despite losing some tough games, the Redmen could only manage a 6-14 record in the Eastern Connecticut Conference.  The Redmen qualified for the CIAC Tournament once in the four years under Austin.

There must be reasons for these sudden resignations.  Only these two men and those involved in the decisions know the true story.

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: “Always remember, your focus determines your reality.”  George Lucas

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Norman LaFlamme,

WWII vet

DANIELSON — Norman A. LaFlamme, 87 formerly of Wauregan, died May 20, 2016, at home. He was the husband of the late Lucille (Hubert) LaFlamme. They were married 65 years. Born Aug. 17, 1928, in Norwich, son of the late George and Irene (Dessert) LaFlamme. 

Norman loved to fish and was an avid Red Sox fan and a fan of all sports. He loved spending time with his family at the Fourth of July picnics. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army serving during WWII. Norman was a communicant of St. James Church. He worked as an electrician at Electric Boat and as a machine operator at Pervel Industries until they closed. 

He leaves his daughter Norma Martin of Putnam, siblings, George LaFlamme of South Carolina, Raymond LaFlamme of Putnam, Jeanne Laviguer of Florida, Rita Morin of Danielson; a granddaughter Shannon L. Bruce of Danielson; nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife Lucille, siblings Leo LaFlamme, Hazel Savoie and Mildred Savoie. 

A Chapel Service was June 2 in Holy Cross Cemetery, Danielson, with burial with military honors following. Donations: Hospice of NE CT, PO Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.

 

Albert J. Gomes Sr.,

WWII vet

N. GROSVENORDALE —  Albert J. Gomes, Sr., 90, of Riverside Dr., died June 3, 2016, in Matulaitis Nursing Home.  He was the husband of the late Constance (Unwin) Gomes.  Born in 1926 in Putnam, he was the son of the late John Basil and Yvonne (Brunette) Gomes.

Mr. Gomes worked for many years as a mechanic for Freddie’s Rambler in Mechanicsville as well as a cook, waiter, and bartender at the Stateline Restaurant in Dudley

Albert was a WWII veteran serving with the U.S. Army

He leaves a son John A. Gomes of N. Grosvenordale; a daughter Nancy Duteau (Jay) of N. Grosvenordale; a brother Arthur Gomes of Dudley; three sisters Theresa Evans and Janet Peckham both of Thompson, and Dolores Levigne of Wolf Creek, Mo.; five grandchildren and several great grandchildren. He was predeceased by a son Albert Gomes Jr. and a sister Albertine LaRose. 

A graveside service was June 7 at St. Joseph Cemetery in N. Grosvenordale. Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.

 

Thomas A. Madore,

WWII vet

BROOKLYN — Thomas A. Madore, “Uncle Tommy” of Brooklyn, died June 4, 2016, at Pierce Memorial Baptist Home in Brooklyn. He was the husband of the late Doris (Cote) Madore. They were married Aug. 22, 1964, at St. James Church. 

During their time together, Tom and his wife enjoyed dining and dancing together and traveled throughout the U.S. and Caribbean Islands when possible.

Thomas was born March 18, 1926, in Detroit, the son of Thomas and Mary (Marchand) Madore.  After moving to Cambridge, Mass., with his family, he left high school in 1944 and entered the U.S. Army, he was a veteran of WWII, stationed in the Philippines with Troop H, 7th Calvary Regiment.  

After the service he was a 1947 high school graduate, and then entered Burdette College in Boston, graduating with an accounting degree.  He worked for Thompson and Lichtner Co. for 52 years and retired as laboratory supervisor in 2002.  He then moved from Brookline, Mass., to the Brooklyn area and was a communicant of St. James Church.  He collected stamps and coins. Tom was an avid Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, and UConn women’s basketball fan. He was known by many locals at Brooklyn Pizza and Baker’s Dozen in Brooklyn and loved to tell stories.

Thomas leaves his cousin Joseph Wilkson of Huber Heights, Ohio; his sister-in-law Arlene Rice of North Adams, Mass.; nieces and nephews and great and grand nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother George L. Madore. 

The Mass of Christian Burial was June 8 at St. James Church, Danielson, with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery with military honors. Donations; Recreation Fund of Pierce Memorial Baptist Home, 44 Canterbury Road, Brooklyn, CT 06234. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.

 

Clarence L. Gagne

POMFRET CENTER — Clarence L. Gagne, 66, of Mashamoquet Road, died June 5, 2016, in his home.  He was the husband of Doris A. (Savoie) Gagne.

Born in 1949 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Clarence A. and Lorraine R. (Courtemanche) Gagne. 

Mr. Gagne was a graduate of Tourtellotte Memorial High School and a post graduate of H.H. Ellis Technical High School for industrial electronics. He worked as a maintenance mechanic for Frito Lay.  He was a member of the State of Connecticut D.E.P.Conservation Education Firearms Safety and a certified instructor.  He was very active member of the Pomfret Little League as a coach, president, vice president, secretary/treasurer, umpire in chief, and served on their board of directors. He was also an All Star Special Olympics Umpire and enjoyed hunting and fishing. 

In addition to his wife, he leaves his daughter, Cherie Riabtsev (Serge) of Killingly, and Michelle St. Ament (Jason) of Killingly; his brother, James Gagne of Thompson; his sister, Penny Francisco of Thompson; his grandchildren, Abigail Riabtsev, and Olivia Riabtsev.  

Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. June 8 in Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam. A gathering will begin in the funeral home at 9 a.m. June 9 followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret. Burial will take place at a later date.   

Donations: The American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005; or to St. James School, 120 Water St., Killingly, CT 06239. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes.

 

Armand Labbe Sr.

WAUREGAN — Armand R. Labbe Sr., 74 of Wauregan died May 26, 2016, at St. Raphael Hospital in New Haven. He was the husband of Theresa (Morse) Labbe. The son of the late Toussaint and Yvonne (Berard) Labbe, he was born on April 22, 1942, in Norwich. 

He was a security officer with CC Security until he retired, a communicant of St. James Church. Armand was in a band The New England Sound for many years, he was also an EMT and a firefighter for more than 30 years. 

He leaves his wife Theresa; children Rose Blakeley (Henri) of Pomfret Center, Armand R. Labbe Jr., (Mary) of Danielson, Raymond Labbe of Maine, Frank Labbe (Shellie) of Dudley, Ryan Labbe (Jennifer) of Dudley; brother Jerimiah Labbe of Florida; 10 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; his dog Peewee. He was predeceased by siblings Richard and Marie. 

A Mass of Christian Burial was June 4 at St. James Church, Danielson, with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery. Donations: NECCOG Animal Services, PO Box 759, Dayville, CT 06241. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson. 

 

Alice Place

DANIELSON — Alice Place, 97, of Danielson died, May 28, 2016, at Pierce Memorial Baptist Home in Brooklyn.  She was born June 6, 1918, in Bellingham, Mass., daughter of the late Alphonse and Rose (Rochleau) Chausse.  Alice enjoyed spending time with her family and her trips to the casino. She worked as a laborer at many local mills.

She leaves her daughters: Carole Bernier, Anne Cotnoir and Ortise Cooke (Donald). A private graveside was June 4 at All Hollows Cemetery, Moosup. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.

 

Janice Herrick-Zadziejko

THOMPSON — Janice (Corey) Herrick-Zadziejko, 71, died May 28, 2016, at home in Thompson. She was the wife of the late Joseph Zadziejko. He died in 2001. The daughter of the late Arthur and Helen (Beers) Corey, she was born Feb. 10, 1945, in Hartford. 

She was a family-oriented woman with a heart of gold, no matter who you were she would take you in as her own. She had a passion to please everyone. Janice collected Disney movies. She enjoyed family dinners every Thursday and playing board games, loved country music and she was proud of her Indian Heritage.   

She leaves her six children, Joseph Zadziejko Jr. (Ann), Donna Mooney (George Jr.), Kenneth Zadziejko, Jeffrey Zadziejko (Melanie), David Zadziejko (Shelley), Daniel Zadziejko (Robin); siblings Arthur, Nancy, Diane, Alan; great-granddaughter Brittnie Zadziejko, whom she raised as her own; 14 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, her significant other Mark Herrick. She was predeceased by her siblings Virginia, Linda and Frank.

A Graveside Service was June 3 at St. Mary Cemetery, Putnam. Donations: Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, PO Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam. 

 

R. Marshalkowski Sr.,

Korean war vet

THOMPSON/WEBSTER — Robert S. Marshalkowski Sr., 84, died June 3, 2016, at his home in Thompson.   

He was born in Peterborough, N.H., son of the late Stanley and Stella (Zurowski) Marszalkowsi and lived in Webster most of his life.  He retired from the U.S. Post Office.  He was a U.S. Navy veteran having served in the Korean War.  Bob was a member of the National Letter Carriers and of the American Legion, VFW and PAV. He was the Chaplain for the Webster-Dudley Veteran’s Council., he was well known for his personalization in the presentation of military honors for his fellow veterans.  He enjoyed playing golf and loved the New England Patriots. 

He leaves his wife of 64 years, Genevieve (Ostrowski) Marshalkowski of Thompson/Webster; a son, with whom he lived, Robert S. Marshalkowski Jr. (Pamela) of Thompson; one brother, Donald Marszalkowski  of Webster; one grandson, Benjamin Marshalkowski (Cecilia) of Thompson; one great-grandson, Leo Marshalkowski of Thompson.  He was predeceased by a daughter, Maryann Marshalkowski and by a brother, John Marszalkowsi of Webster. 

The Funeral Mass was June 8 in St. Joseph Basilica, Webster, with burial in St. Joseph Garden of Peace Cemetery.  Donations: Webster-Dudley Veterans Council, Veterans Way, Webster, MA 01570. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.

 

Henry J. Plotczyk

DUDLEY — Henry J. Plotczyk,  71, of First Avenue  died May 31, 2016, at Brookside in Webster.

Henry was born  in Southbridge, the son of the late Henry and the late Constance (Boyle) Plotczyk.  He was predeceased by his wife of 44 years  Lorraine Anna (Houle) Plotczyk in  2011.  

He retired from Ethan Allan in Dudley where he was a fabric cutter for  37 years. Henry enjoyed photography, videography and his home movies . He was a communicant of St. Anthony of Padua Church. Henry enjoyed traveling and adventures with his son to amusement parks throughout the Northeast . He moved to Brookside almost two years ago. 

He leaves one son: Michael Plotczyk of Queensbury, N.Y., and extended family members in North Grosvenordale and Putnam.

A graveside service was June 6 at St. Anthony of Padua Cemetery, Webster. Bartel Funeral Home & Chapel, Dudley.