PUTNAM — The YMCA under construction in Putnam will be named the Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center. It will stand as a lasting tribute to Newell D. Hale, the Newell D. Hale Foundation and the Hale Family as generations of northeast corner families grow in a strong, healthy community, according to YMCA of Greater Hartford president and CEO Harold Sparrow.
Sparrow said there would be no YMCA in the quiet corner if not for the vision, generosity, and community spirit of Betty Hale and her son Laurence. Betty and Laurence are long time civic leaders, as was Mrs. Hale’s late husband Newell. Before Newell died in 2002, he credited a daily swim with maintaining his quality of life during his long illness, and after his passing, the Hale family set out to honor him by bringing a community pool to all residents of northeastern Connecticut.
“We are grateful—and honored—that the Hales made the YMCA of Greater Hartford a partner for their vision. As trustees of The Newell D. Hale foundation, Betty and Laurence planted the seed for what has grown to be so much more than a pool. They enlisted friends and local businesses to become ambassadors for the Y, to fundraise, to find the perfect site in Putnam, and create what will serve as a community center and state-of-the-art wellness center for people of all ages—with not one—but TWO swimming pools.
“None of this would have been possible without Betty and Laurence Hale. That’s why it is only fitting that the new YMCA in Putnam bear the Hale name. I’m honored to announce that the Regional Community YMCA is officially becoming the Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center,” said Sparrow.
“Newell would be thrilled that our family’s foundation took a leadership role to bring this wonderful facility to our friends and neighbors,” said Mrs. Hale.
“The New Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center will honor the mission of our family and our foundation—to improve the health and wellness of the people of Northeastern Connecticut,” added Mr. Hale.
Construction of the Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center is on schedule for a late winter 2016 opening, but is dependent upon timely completion of the Town of Putnam’s Regional Tech Park infrastructure. The Y anticipates inviting the community for hard hat tours in early 2016.
The Hale YMCA Youth and Family center houses two swimming pools, which will be used for recreational and competitive swimming, as well as YMCA swimming and water safety instruction.
And as part of the YMCA’s commitment to fighting childhood obesity and encouraging the lifestyle choices that lead to healthy families, the facility will host a state-of-the-art health and wellness center, gymnasium, group exercise studio/multi-purpose room, and teen center. Amazing kids and child watch rooms (babysitting while in the facility), will allow adults to access YMCA services while their children are cared for in a safe on-site environment.
The Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center will serve residents from the towns of Putnam, Killingly, Eastford, Thompson, Brooklyn, Pomfret, Woodstock and Plainfield.
The new Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center is made possible by the collaboration of donors, volunteers, local leaders, fitness and health enthusiasts, the YMCA of Greater Hartford, and members of the community the new facility will serve. Among the many groups and organizations supporting Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center and its family-oriented wellness programming are the YMCA of Greater Hartford YMCA, the Town of Putnam, the Newell D. Hale Foundation, state agencies and private organizations and individuals Jim and Pat Calhoun, honorary co-chairs of the Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center Capital Campaign. Woody and Sylvia Danenhower are General Campaign chairs.
The Last Green Valley, Inc. (TLGV) is kicking off the 25th year of Walktober with a cavalcade of spectacular activities in the National Heritage Corridor! What started out as a “Walking Weekend” years ago has expanded to more than a month’s worth of adventures led by enthusiastic volunteers. Most activities are free and many are family-friendly. You can find it all in the Walktober brochure available by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , calling 860-774-3300, downloading a PDF from the website www.thelastgreenvalley.org, or by picking one up at any town hall, library or information kiosk within the region.
Take a look at a few of your opportunities for Walktober fun this week:
Want to experience a bird’s-eye view of the brilliant fall colors? You can! Ascend lightly in a tethered hot-air balloon, thanks to ReMax, as you take in the “Views Above the Hill” at Fort Hill Farms in Thompson from 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 27. The cost is $10 per person and all proceeds benefit TLGV. Please note that this activity is wind and weather dependent.
Learn what makes the The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor so unique at “Celebrating Agriculture” or “Positively Pomfret Day” or the upcoming “First Friday in Putnam” on Oct. 2.
Croquet anyone? Play or watch a croquet tournament on the Norwichtown Green, in honor of the game that became popular in the Victorian era. You can spend the entire last weekend of September exploring Norwich with a “Freedom Trail Ceremony,” guided walks featuring, “Radical Norwich – The Abolitionists,” and “A Jaunt Along the Heritage Walk,” plus the “4th Annual Norwich Grub Crawl.”
Or head back out to the country for a tour of Lapsley Orchard on Sept. 27, then explore more history in Willimantic and Norwich with mid-week walks on Sept. 30, Oct. 1, and Oct. 2.
Close out the first week of Walktober with “Vines, Wines & Pleasant Times at Taylor Brooke,” a tour and tasting with vineyard owner Linda Auger at Taylor Brooke Winery. And for those of you who love messing around in boats, paddle on the Quinebaug River with TLGV Chief Ranger Bill.
All updates, additions and cancellations will be posted on the Walktober page on TLGV’s website and Facebook page, so please check them often.
The Last Green Valley is a National Heritage Corridor – the last stretch of dark night sky in the coastal sprawl between Boston and Washington, D.C. The Last Green Valley, Inc. works for you in the National Heritage Corridor. We help you to care for it, enjoy it and pass it on.
captions (Then and Now)
Then
Almost lost in brush and vines, the 1928 Studebaker engine and chassis section remained on the Chamberlin Mill site, where it had sat idle long after the Mill ceased operation in the late 1960s. Courtesy photos.
& Now
Operational again, the engine is returned to Woodstock. During a celebration for supporters of the project, Nate Rosebrooks explains details of the engine rebuilding to Brian Jones, CT State Archaeologist, as Sue Quigley and Bill Masopust look on.
WOODSTOCK VALLEY — For almost a half century, the 1928 Studebaker straight-engine that saved the sawmill operation at Chamberlin Mill after the Great Flood of 1936 sat out in the elements, rusting. But this past year, a remarkable transformation has taken place. Mystic Seaport engine restoration volunteers, spearheaded by Thompson’s Nate Rosebrooks, took on the challenge of getting the engine running again.
The engine will return to Chamberlin Mill on Old Turnpike Road at 2 p.m. Oct. 4 for a Walktober event, “Chamberlin Mill and its Neighborhood.” Once the Mill is fully restored, plans are to use the engine to run the Mill’s 1873 Lane # 1 circular saw, for public demonstrations.
More information about Chamberlin Mill is available at www.chamberlinmill.org.
With meticulous care and ingenuity, the volunteer engine restoration team under the watchful eye of Scott Noseworthy Engine Curator and Volunteer Coordinator , completely dismantled and rebuilt the engine.
“I really did not think this possible,” said George French, a Chamberlin Mill board member, echoing thoughts expressed by many. “But, I’m very glad I was proved wrong.”
The Mystic Team, which has seen many boat engines badly corroded by sea water come back to life had confidence from the beginning. From September to May, Nate and others spent at least two days each week working on the engine. A New Hampshire car collector, Robert Valpey, came forward with a “parts car” that could be used for the project. Financial assistance materialized from supporters of Chamberlin Mill and Mystic Seaport, including other volunteers who were eager to see the work succeed, and from the National Studebaker Association.
“Bringing this engine back to life was a remarkable achievement, “ said Jean McClellan, president of Chamberlin Mill, Inc., the non-profit responsible for revitalizing this 19th century sawmill. “But, perhaps even more remarkable was the generosity shown by so many for the engine’s restoration, especially Nate Rosebrooks and the miracle team from Mystic Seaport. For an established non-profit organization like the Seaport to support a fledgling non-profit in this way is quite something. We are very, very grateful for this generosity.”
Vine Takeover
This sweet potato vine took over the basket on the bike in front of the Pomfret Town Hall. Linda Lemmon photo.