PUTNAM — Once again this year, Putnam High School has been named to prestigious U.S. News and World Report’s list of Best High Schools.   This is the second consecutive year that Putnam High School has earned this honor.  The magazine annually ranks the 29,070 high schools in the U.S. and 193 Connecticut high schools.   Schools are rated on school performance on state assessments (math and reading), college readiness of students; access to advanced courses as well as student/teacher ratio.  This year Putnam High School ranked 46th when measured against Connecticut high schools and ranked 2354th against high schools nationwide. The magazine awarded silver medal status to Putnam High School for the 2016 year.  Only 13 percent of all high schools across the country were awarded silver or gold medal status.

Superintendent William Hull said, “We are proud to be recognized nationally for the great work being done in the district once again this year.  To be named to this honor for two consecutive years speaks to quality education that students receive at Putnam High School. It also continues to demonstrate the support that the school system receives in the community as well as the collaboration between the Board of Education, staff, families and the town.  We are proud of both our students and staff.”  

 

Then

This is Union Square around 1900. Putnam Town Crier file photos.

 

 

& Now

This is the same square in modern times.

 

30-plus

workers

out of jobs

at Kmart

By Linda Lemmon

Town Crier Editor

E. PUTNAM --- More than 30 employees will now be looking for other jobs as the Kmart in the Putnam Parkade will be closing by July.

The Putnam Kmart was one of the 68 Kmart stores and 10 Sears stores to be closed in the latest announcement of closing by Sears Holdings Corp. Earlier this year, Sears announced the closure of 140 stores.  The chain's same-store sales dropped 6.9 percent in the most recent quarter. Sears Holdings hopes to return the company to profitability with the closings.

A May 12 liquidation sale will begin May 12, according to local Kmart staff.

Thirty-two full- and part-time employees at the Putnam Kmart are welcome to apply for open slots at other Kmarts.  The communications department at Sears Holdings Corp in Illinois did  not return calls for comment on the fate of local employees.

Originally Kmart in Putnam was in the shopping plaza next to downtown. 

In 1995 Kmart built the 100,000-plus square foot store on 15.07 acres it owns at the Putnam Parkade on Rt. 44. It began as a Kmart, was for a time a Sears Essentials store and reverted back to a Kmart store in its time on Rt. 44. 

In a statement Sears CEO Edward S. Lampert said, "The decision to close stores is a difficult but necessary step as we take aggressive actions to strengthen our company, fund our transformation and restore Sears Holdings to profitability. We are focusing on our best members, our best categories and our best stores as we work to accelerate our transformation."