Salon-spa ‘Blossoms’ 
By Linda Lemmon
 Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Rain seemed fitting for the grand opening of Blossom Nails and Spa May 22.
Town, Putnam Business Association and Northeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce officials welcomed the business to Putnam.
And the feeling was mutual as owners Nhi Ly, her husband Trung Ly and her sister-in-law Trinh Ly, picked Putnam because of how welcoming it is. Nhi Ly said they loved the local activities and the location of the business, on the busy corner of Kennedy Drive and Providence Street.
Nhi Ly said she’s been in the nail and spa business for more than 10 years and has a day spa in Massachusetts. Her sister-in-law has two nail supply businesses and one salon in Massachusetts.
“The town is so nice and so are the townspeople,” she said.
Mayor Barney Seney said Blossom Nails and Spa picked Putnam because it is supportive of new businesses and because of how welcoming the community itself is. He said they had remarked that the permit applications went smoothly. The town helped make it easy to do business in Putnam.
Elle-Jordyn Sherman, executive director of the Northeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, thanked the business for joining the northeastern Connecticut community. “We appreciate you being here,” she said.
Sheila Frost, vice president of the Putnam Business Association, welcomed the business saying “We’re so happy to see you here” and she said she’s happy to see small business continue to grow in the area.
Mike Bogdanski of the town’s Economic Development Commission echoed her thoughts calling Putnam one of the biggest growing towns in northeastern Connecticut. Putnam, he said, “has the best people.”

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Business association and town officials welcomed Blossoms Nails and Spa to Putnam last week. Linda Lemmon photo.

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NOW names new executive director
Northeast Opportunities for Wellness, Inc. (NOW), a nonprofit dedicated to providing accessible wellness programming to youth, announced the appointment of Keegan Coderre as the new executive director. 
Tayler Shea, who has served the organization as an employee of NOW since 2018, was named as executive director in 2020 and is starting a new chapter in her life. She recently completed her master’s in clinical counseling psychology from Assumption University and will begin a new chapter in her career as a full-time psychotherapist at Day Kimball Hospital’s Behavioral Health Outpatient Clinic.
Stepping into the role of executive director, Coderre, is an educator with more than 20 years of teaching experience, most recently at Brooklyn Elementary School. Known for his innovative and student-centered approach to education, Coderre has long been an advocate for creating meaningful opportunities for young people both inside and outside the classroom. His leadership style emphasizes hands-on learning, collaboration, and a deep respect for the individual strengths of every child.
In addition to his professional background, Coderre brings a lifelong passion for physical activity and outdoor wellness. An avid bike rider, runner, and outdoor enthusiast, he can often be found hiking the trails of northeastern Connecticut with his wife, Kelly, and son, Hudson. His personal commitment to wellness and active living reflects the values at the core of NOW’s mission.
“I am incredibly excited to transition into the role of executive director,” said Coderre. “This organization has made such a powerful impact in our region, and I look forward to working alongside NOW’s dedicated partners, supporters, and volunteers to continue expanding opportunities for youth.”
Reflecting on her time at NOW, Shea said, “Serving as executive director of NOW has been one of the most meaningful chapters of my life. The children, families, donors, sponsors, volunteers, and board members that I have had the privilege to work with have shaped me in ways that I will carry with me always - both personally and professionally. I’m incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together and deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of a community that is so supportive and committed to meeting children and families where they are at and providing the support needed to help them grow into their healthiest, most confident selves, regardless of access to financial means.”  Under her leadership, NOW expanded its reach and deepened its impact, creating new opportunities for youth to thrive physically, emotionally, and socially through before, during, and after school programs, playgroups, parenting workshops, a variety of different clinics and scholarships, and much more, at no cost to the families participating.
As Coderre steps into leadership, NOW remains steadfast in its mission to support the physical, emotional, and social wellness of children throughout northeastern Connecticut. The organization expresses its deep appreciation to Tayler Shea for her outstanding leadership and extends a warm welcome to Keegan Coderre as he leads NOW into its next chapter. 
NOW is a non-profit human services organization focused on youth wellness. NOW provides children with the opportunity to participate in local wellness activities and athletics programs, offering scholarships to the youth of the community with up to 95% of the cost being subsidized by NOW. The mission of the organization is to provide ALL children, regardless of financial resources, equal opportunities to achieve & maintain youth wellness, beginning at an early age.
For more information on NOW, including programs and scholarships, visit www.nowinmotion.org.

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Rotary Club blankets 
town with service
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Everywhere you looked the Putnam Rotary Club — in all of its incarnations — was hard at work May 17.
For its annual Rotary Day of Service, members of the Putnam Rotary Club spent hours weeding and tidying the garden at Rotary Park. Digging out, pulling up and then dumping the weeds made that garden on the hill shine. And it’s just in time for the multitude of events the Rotary Park hosts. Visitors will be welcomed by some beautiful gardens.
A few blocks away the Putnam Rotary Club’s Interact Club members were working at the Super Hero Saturday event. They stood at the entrance on Main Street, handing out event schedules to visitors. At the other end of the street, Interact Advisor Rotarian Roberta Rocchetti passed out schedules as well. She was dressed in scrubs because those in the health field are heroes, too.
Interactors were selling their famous custom tie-dyed socks to raise money for the Relay for Life, too.
And halfway in between members of the Quinebaug Valley Regional Rotaract Club were hard at work creating Amber Alert cards for kids. Jillian Smick, club treasurer, said Amber Alert is one of the Rotaract Club’s causes. She said they bring this important ID program to fairs and more.

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Rotarians Day of Service at Rotary park: from left: Joe Adiletta, organizer Karen Osbrey, Club President Doug Porter, Rachael Johnston and Marc Archambault. Linda Lemmon photo.