Rotary’s Christmas story
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
The Putnam Rotary Club, focused this year helping the less fortunate, raised funds and then executed a massive gift bag program to help several groups that have the same calling.
Putnam Rotary Club President Kathy Kirk’s “Boots on the Ground” program took months of planning, research and work by Rotarians. 
She said: “This year, the Putnam Rotary Club felt it was important for our club to move beyond fund-raising alone, and become more personally engaged with the people we serve. Our “Boots on the Ground” initiative reflects our passion for hands-on service and meaningful connection within our communities. Through this effort, we plan to focus our time and energy on supporting local veterans, seniors, individuals facing mental health, challenges, and those experiencing homeless. Last week, the members came together to pack 175 bags filled with clothing and personal necessities for four local homeless agencies and the mental health department at Day Kimball Hospital. This project was a powerful first step in our Boots on the Ground initiative and reflects our deep commitment and passion for serving those facing homelessness and mental health challenges with dignity and compassion.”
The club’s service area covers Putnam, Thompson, Woodstock, Pomfret and Eastford.
The club members gathered last week and had a gift bag assembly line. Rotarians divided themselves into production lines and deftly put all the bags together. The bags were then delivered to the groups who serve those who need help.
The Day Kimball Inpatient and Outpatient Behavioral Health department received 60 bags that contained: Tissue packs, comb combos, journal/pen, colored pencils, crayons, stress relievers and coloring books. 
Access Agency received 60 gift bags with hats, toothpaste kits, hand warmers, socks and lip balm. They are to be used at two homeless shelters that the agency helps.
The 40 Living Faith United Methodist Church homeless men gift bags contained: Underwear, soap, hand warmers, toe warmers, toothbrush/toothpaste, razors, shaving cream, jerky or Slim Jims and granola bars.
The 16 Eastford Food Pantry gift bags contained: Mac and cheese, granola bar, oatmeal, fruit cup and tuna.
Rotarians finished each bag with a beautifully wrapped cookie.

.

Interact Club fund-raising breaks $10,000
PUTNAM — Dec. 20 was the final day for the Putnam Rotary Club’s Interact Club traditional Salvation Army kettle campaign. Ninety percent of the money raised stays in the northeast corner.
Rotarian Roberta Rocchetti, the Interact advisor, said “I am truly blessed to live in such a generous and supportive community. Today we took in over $2,000, bringing our total well over $10,000.”
She thanked all the volunteers: Calleigh Levesque, Amaya Sagastieiza-Muniz, Bailey Benton from Tourtellotte Memorial High School; Keegan and Kenzie Porter from Marianapolis; Anthony Beaudreault, Spenser Mayo and Elise Coyle from Woodstock Academy; and Lily Macpherson, Avery Thornton, Ayden Boucher, Paige Perry and Gabby Cerasiello from Putnam High School. She also thanked Claudia Ursin and Leo Rocchetti and Rotarians Doug Porter, Joe Adiletta, Marc Archambault, Mike and Roberta Rocchetti.
There will be a pizza party for all the volunteers who participated in the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign Jan. 5. Awards will be made. 
In addition the next Interact meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Putnam Public Library.

.
captions:

Anthony Beaudreault, left, and Spencer Mayo

From left: Bailey Benton, Calleigh Levesque, Amaya Sagastivelza-Muniz

.

2025-26 indoor girls track
Seniors Ella Lidonde, left, and Emma Weitknecht will be key contributors for the girls’ indoor track team. Photo by Marc Allard/Woodstock Academy. 

2025-26 indoor track boys
The boys’ indoor track team is expected to be significantly stronger this season and seniors Harrison Durand, left, and Eli Manning will have to play large roles for that to take place. Photo by Marc Allard/Woodstock Academy.

Indoor Track Preview
Centaur boys excited about indoor track season
Significantly stronger. That was the overall assessment of the Woodstock Academy boys’ indoor track team by coach Josh Welch.
“We have throws and hurdles covered with Eli Manning and Owen Williamson, our pole vaulters are coming along. Abraham McGregor is going to dominate in long and triple jump and could be great in the (60-meter) dash as well. Thatcher Paterson is in the same boat. Distance will be our softer side in the (ECC) but we will do OK in States,” said Welch.
Breaking that down a bit, Manning is now a senior and indoor track has only one throwing event, the shotput.
But Manning distinguished himself last year when he finished fourth in the ECC Div. I championship meet in the event and was sixth in Class M.
“I first started throwing in my eighth grade year at middle school and that was fun because I had an older cousin who did it in college and he was very successful and kind of got me into it,” Manning said.
He has diversified a bit since as he followed in the footsteps of the now graduated Liam Wilcox to compete in the decathlon.
“One of the biggest focuses for every track event is hip strength. Through throwing, I was able to develop better use of my hips which has helped me in hurdles, high jump, long jump and pole vault. Overall, the training has made me stronger and that helps in every event,” Manning said.
The progress showed last year when he finished ninth in the CIAC decathlon championship in the late spring.
The distance side being "soft" is odd but understandable as the Centaurs saw both Christian Menounos and Colton Sallum move on to compete in the college ranks. Add to that, the dominance of the East Lyme program in distance running and it’s tough in the ECC.
The Centaurs will have distance runners in Lucas Hecker, Sam Greene and both Harrison and Jackson Durand.
“I first got into distance running because my Mom ran to raise awareness for a kidney disease that I had when I was younger and so I kind of wanted to run with her. So, my Mom got me into it and I have just grown to like it more and more as I continued to compete,” Harrison Durand said.
And he has begun to prosper.
He finished third in the ECC indoor track championship in the 3200m last season and was a key member of the Centaurs’ cross-country team.
“At a meet in Hartford, I decided to just go for it in the 3200 and just ignore any doubts in my head and finally succeeded in getting to where I wanted to be. That was a big confidence boost for me,” Harrison Durand said.
Overall, Welch loves what he is seeing early in the season.
”I think this is probably the strongest boys’ team we’ve had in terms of overall points since I’ve been here. It will be even better in outdoor where the throws will pick us up even more,” Welch said.
Welch added the Centaurs have phenomenal discus and javelin throwers but that doesn’t help much in indoor track.
The season got underway for the Centaurs on Saturday with an ECC development meet Saturday.
Williamson picked up a pair of first-place finishes. He won the 55-meter hurdles in 8.58 seconds with his teammate, Manning, in third. Williamson was also joined by McGregor, Paterson and Collin Teal in the 4x180 relay and came up with the winning time of 1 minute, 27.84 seconds. Hecker and Greene placed second and third respectively in the 1600m race.
Girls’ Preview
Centaurs eye league, State success
The girls’ indoor track team has lost only two athletes from last year. Unfortunately, one of those names was Juliet Allard.
Allard was the ECC champ in the 300-meter and was second in the 55m hurdles, two events that she placed second in at the Class M state championship. She went on to place fifth in the 300 and ninth in the hurdles at the State Open championship.
“Losing Juliet is tough, without a doubt,” said coach Josh Welch. “I don’t think we have that kind of dash or 300 (performer) so that’s kind of a tough spot but we do have some kids coming close.”
Still, when describing the team as a whole, Welch said “awesome.”
The hurdles could be even better than last year with a couple of performers who will put up points including senior Emma Weitknecht who is the reigning ECC Div. I champion in the 55m hurdles and was third best in the Class M championship.
“I felt like I performed well especially qualifying for Nationals in two individual events which was one of my big goals after having only qualified in relays previously. I hope to do the same this year,” Weitknecht said.
She will once again compete in the 55m hurdles but won’t have Allard to work with in practice, something that helped over her first three years.
“I think it helped because having someone who was so close to me the entire time helped push me to go past the next barrier and figure out how to get where I wanted to be. Having her there, really helped,” Weitknecht said.
In addition to Weitknecht performing on the track, Welch would also like to see her step up in another role.
“I will be looking to Emma to really develop confidence in her leadership this year. She is doing a fantastic job with that so far but she has school records to break and state championships to win,” Welch said.
Weitknecht was 60th in the Nike Nationals but someone was even better than that.
Avery Plouffe uncorked a 41-foot, 1 ¼ -inch throw in the shotput to finish second in the Nike Nationals in New York.
She returns for her senior season.
 “She is going to impress people, she is looking really good,” Welch said.
Ella Lidonde will also be a key for the Centaurs in both jumps and sprints.
“I want to improve my jumps and my sprints especially being in the 4x180m and 4x200m, I think I can improve those and I think I can be better in placing for my jumps in the ECC (championship),” the senior said.
Finnley Syphers finished fourth in the league in pole vault and returns for her senior season and Bella Amlaw has eyes on the school record in the 600m.
The Centaurs should also get a little boost from a couple of freshmen.
Marge Azu will help especially in the high jump and Emelia Langevin comes over after a very nice freshman cross-country season to add depth to the distance runners.
“I think Emme will put up points all over the place in indoor track. She is coming in for the 1600 and 1000m races, work on the fast, explosive stuff and then stretch that back out later on, either late indoor or outdoor, for the 3200m,” Welch said.
The Centaurs finished second in the ECC Div. I indoor track championship a year ago and were fourth in Class M.
It’s possible, they could be better in 2025-26.
“I think we have enough firepower to get close to winning the ECC championship and the same thing at States where I think we can be a top-five team if not better if we can deliver everything. We just have to work on our ability to manage the demands of high pressure meets. By having kids getting experience in things like Nationals the past couple of years, I think it has really helped them develop that confidence in competition,” Welch said.
That confidence showed a bit on Saturday as the Centaurs opened their season at an ECC developmental meet.
Plouffe set the standard for the State early as she launched a shotput 37-feet, 5-inches, which is the best the state has seen so far.
Plouffe came back to finish second in the weight throw with only teammate Kate Dobosz ahead of her. Dobosz uncorked a winning heave of 41-feet.
Weitknecht started off in fine fashion as the senior won the 55-meter hurdles in 9.03 seconds which already qualifies her for Nationals competition.
Langevin was second in both the 1000 and 1600m races and Amlaw was second in the 600m.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy