PUTNAM — The Holiday Dazzle Light Parade committee has named former Brooklyn superintendent of schools Louise Berry, Ph.D., as this year’s parade grand marshal.

According to parade chairman Gary Osbrey, ’’The committee is proud to honor such a distinguished, longtime educator and role model who has served her community selflessly for decades.” 

The 15th annual Holiday Dazzle Light Parade will step off at 5 p.m. Nov. 27  at the Grove Street monument 

The parade will follow Grove Street merging right onto South Main Street, left on Front Street (through the center of downtown Putnam), right onto Kennedy Drive (at Cargill Falls) and will travel by Rotary Park and Riverfront Commons on Kennedy Drive taking a right onto Providence Street and will end at the Owen Tarr Sports Complex at the corner of Providence and School streets. 

Rain date is Dec. 4.

Once again this year, the parade committee will present a “litter free parade”.

Before the parade begins, an army of volunteers from High Pointe Church in Thompson will hand out trash bags donated by The Last Green Valley. At the conclusion of the parade, volunteers will walk the parade route picking up trash bags from the crowd and depositing the bags into a town of Putnam Public Works truck.

Entry forms are available at WINY Radio, the Putnam Town Hall and online at www.winyradio.com. For more information, contact parade organizer and chairman, Gary Osbrey at 860-928-1350 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Then

This is the former Citizens National Bank branch in Putnam. The signs were changed this weekend and the branches are now known as bankHometown. Putnam Town Crier file photos.

 

& Now

This is the branch today.

 

NOW thanking

generous

community

after theft

PUTNAM — After $610 in raffle proceeds were stolen at the nonprofit Northeast Opportunities for Wellness “A Taste for NOW – A Taste for Life” event, the community came together and donations raised more than $3,900.

“This is truly a happy ending to a story that started off quite negative,” said NOW Fund-raising Chair Earl Rosebrooks. “We were shocked at the theft, which occurred at one of our most successful and positive events but we are touched at the overwhelming response from the community,” Rosebrooks added. “Within hours of posting about the incident on the NOW Facebook page and sharing the news with our media friends, our executive director received dozens of calls and emails from all over the region.” 

One of the first donations came from the Killingly, Putnam and North Windham Verizon Wireless Zone stores in the amount of $610, the full amount that had been stolen. Over the past several weeks, more donations, ranging from $50 to $1,000 were received, totaling over $3,900. Donors include: Mitchell D. Phaiah Foundation, Verizon Wireless Zone,  The G Seven Catering Company,  WPTP Junior Football League, The Courthouse Bar & Grille, Black Dog Bar & Grille, The Lunchbox Catering Company, A&A Management,  Linemaster Switch Corporation,  J & B Transportation, The Killingly Business Association, Killingly-Brooklyn Rotary Club, Lynthia Designs, Flash Times Photo Booth, Angell House Design, Stephen and Lynn Bucknam, Rachel & Jake Dykeman, Lynn Bourque, Paul Desautels, Kathi Peterson, Earl Rosebrooks, Joshua Longiaru, Eric & Julie Quinn, Andrew & Emily Morrison, Michele Geragotelis, and Troy and Alissa Gladu.

NOW Executive Director Sarah Mortensen said, “It has been heartwarming to receive not only the donations but also words of encouragement and support from so many in the NECT community. Our mission is focused on laying a healthy foundation for children living in this area, and this kind of support speaks to how much the people of this region believe in what NOW offers.” The funds, in addition to the proceeds from the 5th Annual A Taste for NOW event, will support NOW’s youth scholarship program as well as the organization’s free fitness and nutrition programs and events.