Nothing stops Food Share
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
Excessive heat will not be stopping the Danielson Veterans Coffeehouse’s Food Share July 2.
Those in line at the drive-through distribution will have AC in their vehicles but not so for the working volunteers.
Coffeehouse Vice President and Food Share organizer Bruce Hay said he is having two large commercial fans brought in to help the volunteers. In addition he will have water available for the volunteers and he said he will be insisting that the volunteers taking breaks and hydrate.
Generally he has maybe 60 volunteers who work at the food Share – held the first Thursday of the month. Maybe “one half to three quarters” are veterans.
This week, the new “regular” volunteers will include about five from the Putnam and the Brooklyn Walmarts. That’s lower than their usual full complement, because the stores have the 4th of July holiday bearing down on them.
Also an adjustment for the next nine-plus months for the Midwest New England Food Bank and Connecticut Food Share: Hay has let them know that they may as well start using Rt. 101 to Rt. 395 route to bring in the food. The state of Connecticut will — any day now — engage its detour around its Route 44 retaining wall project.
The two trucks come early on Thursdays. Hay does not know what food they are bringing until they get there. He quickly assesses what foods are on the truck and then organizes the volunteers to bag them up and distribute the bags around the stations at the farmers market pavilion for distribution.
Generally the lines are opened at 9:30 a.m.
He said he reminded them to keep with an early schedule. Last month one truck was late and that sent the waiting line very near Rt. 44 which causes traffic problem.
This week, Hay said, the banana boxes will be filled with cereal, baby food snacks, Twizlers, ramen noodles, mac and cheese, pasta, miscellaneous groceries, lime juice concentrate, coffee, waffle snacks, protein drinks, fruit smoothies, apple juice boxes, and apple juice bottles, applesauce, dried beans, peanut, vitamins and more.
The cereal comes from the competition Ellis Tech held, Hay said. The students gathered more than 300 boxes of cereal.
In addition, they will have soda from Windham Pepsi.
Last month the Food Share saw 338 cars come through. The record was 400-plus last November when SNAP benefits were cut.
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Look for Union Square Courtyard
Putnam awarded grant of $246,000+
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — More good news on the funding fronts as the juggernaut that is Putnam progress rolls on.
June 23 the town received word Putnam has been awarded a $246,373.16 grant for the Union Square Courtyard project.
The grant is from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Urban Green & Community Garden program. Gov. Ned Lamont made the news official today with Mayor Barney Seney and town officials present.
The cost of the project is a bit north of $500,000 and waiting in the wings is a Putnam Redevelopment Agency contribution for the balance.
The town is planning the courtyard in two phases — the construction in phase 1 and then the all-important in the second phase, art.
In CHA’s conceptual plans phase one includes a nice fence surrounding, a quiet sitting area, picnic tables and “picnic nooks” benches, low-maintenance plantings and more. The second phase involves a fountain or sculpture in the center and a metal archway over the stairs that head down to Front Street under the railroad trestle.
Last fall Putnam Economic and Community Development Director Maryann Chinatti said the centerpiece fountain or sculpture would provide a welcoming focal point.
The tiny parcel, .08 acres, was donated by the owner of the Sawdust Coffeehouse and Dessert Bar II. It sits between the former Chickering and the Gertrude Chandler Warner Boxcar Children Museum, off the Union Square parking lot. That transfer took more than a year.
Then more than one conceptual design was done after the town asked for a “more welcoming” design.
The Putnam Arts Council will probably be involved in the project as they are working on some public art projects.
“This is going to be such a great, inviting space,” she said. “It’s going to be awesome. It’s going to be beautiful,” Chinatti said.
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It’s Not Magic*
Common thread - connections, communications
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
In the background. What you can’t see are radio waves … and first responders and fire and police and emergency personnel and ham radio enthusiasts, Community Emergency Response Teams (C.E.R.T.) and many more, mostly volunteer.
A common thread runs through all those groups — they are mostly volunteers and they all constantly training and practicing.
For example members of the Eastern Connecticut Amateur Radio Association (ECARA) took part in the annual American Radio Relay League Field Day starting June 27. The group set up radio equipment in a Thompson field and for 24 hours broadcast, checking in with ham radios across the country.
ECARA President John Szamocki said they connect with amateur radios across the country. The scenario they operate under is “All communication is out. There’s no Eversource.” They use battery, solar or generators to connect, to get information around the country. Group members set up temporary antennas and cranked up their own power and connected. “We use the ionosphere (which changes) to see how far we can get” with connections. They’ve connected across the nation and Canada.
The trailer where all the “magic” happens also functions as an emergency operations center for fires, natural disasters, 5k races, parades, community days and more. And the volunteers are training all the time.
For example, Thompson’s Emergency Management Director Steve Benoit talked about the recent fire at Gladys Green. Planning had been done far before that fire took place and the plant worked beautifully, with transportation of the displaced to the Thompson Middle School where everything needed was already on hand.
Szamocki said the ECARA has about 60 members from all walks of life — from retired and current state police to business men, to salespeople to nurses and many more. He said the common denominator is that they enjoy amateur radios as a hobby. “A lot of people are drawn to amateur radios,” he said. He added they also enjoy the challenge — everything from getting their radios and antennae set up to classes, tests, working on getting various licenses.
What follows emergencies is what’s called a “hot wash,” an after-action meeting. Szamocki said the meetings bring out the strong points and the weak areas that need improvement. And, Szamocki said often “communication problems” come up at those meetings.
The 24-hour annual “connections” is just a small part. Training and planning is constant.
“What do Hams Do?” Voice, Morse code, digital computer modes, electronic design and experimentation, emergency and public service communication, national and worldwide contests, military and government liaison and exercises, worldwide friends and fellowship, amateur television, talk to other hams via satellites and Moonbounce, Skywarn weather spotting, talk to astronauts aboard the ISS Space Station, send and receive radiogram traffic and more. For info: ICARA.net.
*It’s Not Magic! The emergency plans and procedures the public thinks just “happen” are the result of hard work and training by unseen volunteers.
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caption, page 4:
Top: The ECARA set up in Thompson --- for 24 hours. Above: Inside the trailer. Front: ECARA President John Szamocki, back left: Thompson Emergency Management Director Steve Benoit, and back right: Terry Johnson, constable and CERT team member. More photos on our FB page on Wed. night. Linda Lemmon photos.
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Blast Furnace Coming?
Looking ahead to fall. Nice COOL, colorful fall. More photos on page 4. Expanded photo array on our FB page Wed. night. Linda Lemmon photo.
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