Rain no deterrence to Interact bell ringing
PUTNAM — A little snow or rain won’t stop the Putnam Rotary Club’s Interact Club and their friends from ringing for the Salvation Army. 
The weather Dec 6 was cold with snow and rain showers but the donations kept pouring into the kettles with more than $2,000 in donations. Ninety percent of these donations stay right here in the northeast corner to help those in need. 
Interact Club advisor Roberta Rocchetti thanked Calleigh Levesque, Estela Freitas, Billie Lewis, Matthew Rybacki, Joshua Tackson and Tyler Parkin from Tourtellotte Memorial High School. Also: Paige Perry, Gabby Cerasiello and Kaylee Borders from Putnam High School; Isabel D’Alleva-Bochain, Lilly Morgis, Ivan Lin, Vivian Bibeau, Kaylee Saucier, Elise Coyle, Isabelle Tedisky, Sam Greene, Gianna DiCola-Keddy and Melanie DiPippo from Woodstock Academy. She also thanked Rotaract members Kyle Derosier and Matthew Gardiner who assisted along with Rotarians, Charlie Puffer, Deb Hoft, Mike and Roberta Rocchetti and Marc Archambault.

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caption:
From left: Ivan Lin, Lilly Morgis,Isabel D’Alleva-Bochain

Pomfret School invites community to annual candlelight celebration
POMFRET — Pomfret School will once again host its cherished Candlelight celebration on from 7 to 8 p.m. Dec. 14 in Clark Memorial Chapel. This free annual tradition, open to the public, brings together students, families, neighbors, and friends for an uplifting evening of music, readings, and candle lighting in the spirit of peace and goodwill.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Parking is available across the street from Clark Memorial Chapel, and light refreshments will be served afterward in Hard Auditorium. For those unable to attend in person, the event will be livestreamed at pomfret.org/live.
Candlelight has long been one of Pomfret’s most beloved gatherings, transforming the historic Clark Memorial Chapel into a sanctuary of warmth and reflection as the holiday season approaches. The program features performances by the Pomfret Festival Chorus & Orchestra, GriffTones, and Chamber Ensemble, alongside poems, passages, and messages of hope brought to life through student voices. Each year, the event explores themes of unity, compassion, and shared light — reminding attendees of the power we hold to brighten the world around us.
The evening culminates in the candle lighting ritual that gives the event its name. A single flame is shared from person to person until the Chapel glows with hundreds of flickering lights. The event concludes with communal singing that fills the space with shared voices, bringing the community together in reflection and celebration.
“Candlelight offers us a chance to pause, breathe, and reconnect with what matters,” said Director of Spiritual Life Bobby Fisher. “It is a celebration of our shared humanity, and an invitation to carry light into a world that needs it.”

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bankHometown
donates $10,000
to DKH
OXFORD, Mass. — bankHometown donated $10,000 to the Day Kimball Healthcare (DKH) Foundation in support of its Junior Volunteer Program and other vital programs and services in 2025. The donation also designates bankHometown as a “Friend” level major event sponsor for the Foundation’s signature fund-raising efforts this year.
 A portion of the funds will directly support the Junior Volunteer Program, which offers local high school students hands-on experience in healthcare, encouraging future careers in the medical field. Additional proceeds will help enhance Day Kimball Health’s mission-driven programs and services that provide quality, compassionate care to residents throughout the region.
“We are proud to support Day Kimball Health and the incredible work they do to care for our communities and inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals,” said bankHometown President and CEO Robert J. Morton. “Our sponsorship reflects our ongoing commitment to local healthcare and education, and we’re honored to contribute to programs that make a lasting impact.”
“We are extremely grateful for bankHometown’s support of Junior Volunteer Program and excited to be partnering with them for our fundraising events benefiting the hospital, its programs, and most importantly, our patients,” said Kristen Willis, director of development, Day Kimball Health. “The multiple funds that will be supported allow us to provide the high-quality programs and services that the residents of Northeast Connecticut so richly deserve, not the least of which includes enriching the lives of our young volunteers and preparing the future workforce and citizens of the northeast.”

Janet Johnson, development associate and volunteer coordinator, Day Kimball Health Shawn McNerney, senior vice president, commercial loan officer, bankHometown R. Kyle Kramer, FACCA, FAAMA, chief executive officer, Day Kimball Health Peter Deary, chairman of the board of directors, Day Kimball Health, and member of the bankHometown board of directors Kristen Willis, director of development, Day Kimball Health

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