On a long road ... to a trail
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
While it might seem difficult to get excited about a project that is three or four years down the road, so to speak, Town Administrator Elaine Sistare said the town is glad the federal government has approved funding to run the East Coast Greenway trail from Putnam to Killingly.
Noting that three trail projects touch Putnam, Sistare is nevertheless excited about approval for this East Coast Greenway trail project. The projected cost is $11.2 million and would be funded by the federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), administered by the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
According to the town’s proposal, a trail would be about 3.2 miles long, running from the end of the River Trail at the Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center, connecting to the Greenway trail near the Town of Killingly Industrial Park. The project is a proposed 10-foot to 12-foot wide multi-use trail.
Sistare said the state prefers a permeable material for the trail (probably stone dust); however, the trail would run through some “hills and valleys” and in order to be ADA compliant some land would need to be “shaved down” and other sections would need to be built up. Concrete may be needed in those areas to control erosion. She said the ADA slope requirement is 8 percent.
The project involves conversion of a section of abandoned rail corridor, construction of a new structure over the Quinebaug River near the Putnam town pond near the border with Killingly, modifications to an existing structure over the river and a connection to Lake Road in Killingly.
Sistare said she hopes the project would stay on the west side of I-395 for its journey to Killingly. Town officials from Putnam and Killingly and state officials walked the proposed trail recently. Part of the proposed trail would go through a section of the Natchaug State Forest, she said. State forest division officials considered the likelihood of any hunting that might be there, and the timber factor. Sistare said hunting is “unlikely” because there is no parking there and it’s surrounded by private property. State forestry officials have sent the town a letter with an OK to proceed, but they reserve the right to review plans near the state forest, i.e. proposed felling of trees.
There’s a possibility that the trail may cross to the east side of I-395 and run down Park Road connecting with a wide sidewalk that crosses into Killingly (then it’s Tracy Road). Tracy Road runs toward the Killingly Industrial Park.
In addition, she said, if there were any changes to the Killingly Industrial Park, the project can be adjusted. “So if our project has to zig or zag, so be it,” she said. Both the former town manager and the current interim town manager of Killingly are involved and went on the walk.
The town is requesting bids for qualified consulting engineers now. Sistare estimated that it would be three to four years for engineering, design, permits, more design, easements, rights, more permits….
Yes it’s a long ways off but Sistare believes long term, trails are good for the area, especially Putnam.
“This is good for Putnam, good for Killingly and good for northeastern Connecticut.”
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caption, page 8:
The red line is the proposed trail starting in Putnam, top, and coming into Killingly, above. The orange line above is an alternate route, if needed.
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Curves
The raffia hat artist was just one of the 70 vendors at the Putnam Art Council's Putnam Fine Arts and Crafts Festival last weekend. No rain! The Tri State Cruisers Classic Car Club FINALLY got to have a cruise. This 1938 Ford is a curvy beauty. More photos on page 4. Expanded photo array Wed. night on our FB page: Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger. Linda Lemmon photos.
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Aspinock Memories
The history of the Putnam Post Office
By Terri Pearsall
Aspinock Museum Curator
The United State Mail Service is over 249 years old and has maintained a post office in what is now Putnam for practically 191 years, since Feb. 3, 1834. At that time Putnam was not established as a town and the area was known as West Thompson. The first post office was nothing more than a small wooden building and then was moved to Union Block in another little cubby hole of a building.
Faxon Nichols was the first postmaster of the West Thompson post office and continued in that appointment until Aug. 22, 1842. John O. Fox was the next postmaster until June 8, 1861. The name of the post office was changed three times. Less than two years after Mr. Fox took office, it was changed to Wilkinson post office and then again on Dec. 18, 1849, it was changed to Quinebaug.
The Town of Putnam was incorporated from parts of the surrounding towns in 1855 and on June 13 of that year, the post office name was changed to Putnam, and it has remained as such to the present time. Mr. Fox was succeeded by Hiram N. Brown, then Mr. Fox was re-appointed to serve for two more years. Perry Wilson was the next postmaster who was succeeded by Edward Mullan, next was Patrick O’Leary, followed by Frank Letters, then Alexander Gilman was appointed and he was succeeded by Archibald Macdonald. There have been more than 19 postmasters since 1922.
Construction of the Post Office that we all know on Main Street began in July of 1932 and opened its doors in July of 1933.
According to The Putnam Patriot on Thursday, July 13, the building had been completed for some time, but a delay in installing a safe held up the opening. The building was considered a masterpiece of workmanship and architecture at that time. It was considered one of the finest public buildings in this section of the state. The main entrance to the building opened from Main Street into a lobby finished in green marble and English walnut. A large distribution room occupied the entire first floor except for the lobby where various service windows and mailboxes are located. Public bathrooms were on the second floor along with a large conference room, clerk’s room and offices for the postmaster, inspector and other government employees.
The building was, and still is, considered one of the finest structures in this section of the state.
Credits to The Providence Sunday Journal 8-20-1995, The Putnam Patriot 7-13, 1933, The CT. Postal History Society Journal 5-1997 And Aspinock Historical Society Archives.
Aspinock Memories graces the pages of the Putnam Town Crier to keep Putnam’s history alive.
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Two named Senior Athletes of the Year
WOODSTOCK — It was something both Brady Ericson and Juliet Allard had their eye on since they came to Woodstock Academy four years ago.
Both saw the Wall of Honor in the Hyde Building, highlighting the Senior Athletes of the Year and both wanted set a goal to be a part of it before they left campus as graduates.
“I came in my freshman year and saw all the names on the wall dating back to, I think, 1962. Sports have been my life and it has been my goal ever since I saw it to get that award,” Ericson said.
His dream came true Thursday. So did Allard’s.
“This is absolutely incredible. Just like Brady said, I’ve been looking at that since freshman year as well, seeing that wall of names and I wanted to be on there,” she said.
Both will be now as they were named the 2025 Woodstock Academy Senior Athletes of the Year in the highlight of Senior Athletic Awards on Thursday.
Ericson was known as a baseball player and with good reason. He excelled both on the mound and at the plate for the Centaurs baseball team.
He finished with a 22-2 career pitching record, both losses coming in his freshman year, and had over 300 career strikeouts. He led the team to the Class L state championship a year ago and helped guide them to a second consecutive ECC tournament championship this season.
This spring, he finished with a 6-0 record and 117 strikeouts to go with a 0.35 earned run average.
“The highlight, to be expected, was winning the state championship a year ago,” Ericson said. “It was one of the greatest seasons we ever had. Everybody on the team really bought in. Coming back this year even felt like, even though we didn’t have as much talent, we had more grit, more work ethic and I couldn’t have been more proud of the guys.”
Ericson also played basketball for the Centaurs and averaged 15.2 points per game over the last two seasons, finishing with 952 career points and 531 career rebounds.
Ericson will continue his academic and athletic career at UConn.
Allard was also a multi-sport athlete. Although probably best known as a track athlete, she did diversify in the fall and played soccer where she scored 14 goals and had eight assists over her four years despite missing much of her senior year due to injury.
Allard also owns 12 school records in both indoor and outdoor track and helped lead the team to an ECC regular season title last season and an ECC championship meet victory this year.
“Going All-State with the 4x400-meter relay team last year was absolutely incredible,” Allard said when asked what she will remember most. “It came out of nowhere. We weren’t expecting to run the 4x400 like that so it was an absolutely incredible team effort.”
Like Ericson, Allard will be competing at the Div. I level in track for Quinnipiac University beginning this fall.
Other notable awards included baseball coach Connor Elliott being named the 2025 Coach of the Year.
The Centaur Awards went to volleyball standout Sophie Gronski and boys’ cross-country and track standout performer, Christian Menounos.
The complete list of award winners at the 2025 Senior Athletic Awards at Woodstock Academy included: 2025 Senior Athletes of the Year: Brady Ericson, Juliet Allard; 2025 Centaur Awards: Sophie Gronski, Christian Menounos; Comeback Athlete of the Year: Olivia Aleman; Connecticut High School Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete Awards: Christian Menounos, Kira Greene; Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Scholar-Athletes: Colton Sallum, Abby Converse; Prep Athletic Scholar – Athlete: Alvaro Medrano-Lopez Jr.; Unified Sports Awards: Phoebe Griffin, Devlin Mansolf; Bertrand Golf Award: Bella Mawson, Luke Thompson; Dale Smith Memorial Scholarship: Bella Mawson; Clifford Spelman Tennis Sportsmanship Award: Tyler Chamberlin; Alfred C. Warren Soccer Sportsmanship Awards: Eli Susi, Freya Robbie; Hobey Baker Memorial Hockey Award: Tim Mozzi; National Federation of States High School Associations Award of Excellence: Abby Converse, Matt Hernandez; Hannah Green Memorial Award: Livia Gerum; Marvin M.Sherman Award: Colton Sallum; Woodstock Academy athletic department Awards: Cam Nason, Macy Rawson, Kyle Grist, Sophia Sarkis, Devlin Mansolf, Madison Bloom; Chris Sandford Prep Athletics Award of Excellence: Filippo Di Giorgi, Kevin Thomson, Enoch Joseph; Evelyn and Arthur Weimann Award: Sam Clark, M.J. Castenada; John Suleski Jr Memorial Golf Awards: Most Improved senior golfer: Brady O’Brien; Most Valuable senior golfer: Logan Rawson; Centaur Nation Person of the Year: Deb Campbell; 2025 Coach of the Year: Connor Elliott; 2025 Assistant Coach of the Year: Collin Singleton
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
Senior Athletes of the Year
Woodstock Academy seniors Brady Ericson, left, and Juliet Allard display their Senior Athletes of the Year awards following the Senior Athletic Awards ceremony. Photo by Gavin Grant/Woodstock Academy.
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