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ERSAR IV Y N N A A A N N N N I I V V Y Y E E R R R R A A S S THOMPSON VILLAGER Vol. X, No. 30 Mailed free to requesting homes in Thompson Complimentary to homes by request (860) 928-1818/e-mail: [email protected] Friday, April 22, 2016 The art of Putnam Lions donate procrastination $25K to local organizations My Facebook was exploding this week with GROUPS EXPRESS GRATITUDE a familiar refrain that can be heard from the mountaintops every mid-April, the voices of DURING NIGHT OF GIVING those who were waiting until the very last sec- ond to get their taxes done. BY JASON BLEAU I have to admit, there have been years when NEWS STAFF WRITER Jason Bleau photo I was right there with them, but if you all POMFRET — The Putnam could be so kind as to allow me a minute to pat Lions Club continued their Heirloom Food Company owner Wendy Garosshen myself on the back really quick for getting my seemingly endless efforts to speaks during a press conference at her Danielson taxes done back in February. give back to local communities business on April 19 in support of Senate Bill 221, OK…I’m done. Boasting complete. At least throughout the region on April which would establish a Paid Family and Medical for this year… 15 with their annual Night Leave Program in Connecticut. The press confer- But procrastination always seems to rear its of Giving at the Connecticut ence also included speeches by Sen. Mae Flexer ugly head. We always think we have time to do Audubon Society in Pomfret. and Rhode Island Sen. Gayle Goldin, who champi- this or do that. Next thing we know, we have The Lions presented checks oned a similar bill in her own state in 2013. a deadline, and not enough time to get every- to representatives of 49 differ- thing done. This job, a job with weekly dead- ent groups, organizations and lines built in, programs in the Quiet Corner THE has been very in a night that was described Flexer, good at train- as “Christmas come early” in MINOR ing me how to northeastern Connecticut. give myself The Night of Giving event has ETAILS enough time to become a yearly staple of the supporters tout D Lions Club and according to do what I need Paulette Blagburn photos ADAM to do. Hopefully, Francis Gregoire, chairman of the Night of Giving, it stands as after 10 years of MINOR one of the club’s most import- advantage of athi Peterson of Interfaith Human doing this, you ant events where all the money would think I Services in Putnam accepts a check for $1,100 from the Putnam Lions they collected to that point is would learn not distributed to help organization to procrastinate. Ask my paginators (they’re Club as part of numerous donations new Senate bill the ones who actually lay out our papers), to local organizations during the Lions Club’s annual Night of Giving. Please Read LIONS, page A13 and they would most likely say I give them everything they need with more than enough SENATOR CALLS FOR NEW time to spare. I’ve always tried to give them all the content for the week’s papers with enough PAID FAMILY, MEDICAL time so that they don’t have to rush everything out to the press. Although some weeks, I bet LEAVE PROGRAM IN CT they would admit they wish they got my col- umn earlier in the week! Sorry guys! BY JASON BLEAU was joined by But even going back to college, and even NEWS STAFF WRITER Rhode Island Sen. further back to high school, I was always DANIELSON — Gayle Goldin, both pretty good about not procrastinating. I had Senators from both Democrats, as well my moments, and definitely had my share of Connecticut and as representatives of late nights, but I think most of it was due to Rhode Island, as many different orga- over scheduling then pure procrastination. well as advocates nizations at Heirloom Sometimes I think I would underestimate how for a new Senate Food Company in much work was actually going to be involved Bill in Connecticut Danielson to express in a project, then my eyes would open slowly PLAY BALL! came together for a the need for passage as I realized the scope might have been bigger press conference on of Senate Bill 221, than I expected. I remember one such project Jason Bleau photos Tuesday, April 19, to which would grant in high school, for one of my Social Studies THOMPSON — Thompson’s young baseball talents made discuss the impor- access for paid fami- classes. We were all tasked to find a town in the their way through town on April 16 on a beautiful day for tance of adding a Paid ly and medical leave world — any town in the world — and create the Thompson Little League Parade and opening ceremonies. Family and Medical for the workforce a board game about it. Of course, I decided to Pictured, baseball players sponsored by Century Tool greet Leave Program to the in Connecticut in pick a town that was unique, a town that no one bystanders. For more photos, turn to page A14! state. would think of, so I grabbed a globe and found Sen. Mae Flexer Please Read BILL, page A16 the southern most town in the world — so far south, it nearly touched Antarctica, Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province, Argentina, nicknamed “The End of the World.” I decided Putnam teen teaming with NAPA for championship run to create a Monopoly-style game in the vain as all the other “opoly” rip-offs. I called it, of course, “Ushuaiaopoly.” I thought it would be ROBINSON LOOKING a fun little project. I had a week or two to get it done. But it was only until a few days before TO MAKE HIS MARK ON it was due that I suddenly realized how much work was ahead of me. Designing and creating RACING CIRCUIT a game board, designating each space on the BY JASON BLEAU board, making Chance and Community Chest legendary Stafford NEWS STAFF WRITER cards, thinking of factoids about the town for Speedway. After beginning each property, making the money, the game PUTNAM — Anyone frequent- his career in go pieces and the packaging. It turned into quite karts and then tak- the project. Before I knew it, it was all I was ing the NAPA Auto Parts in Putnam on ing some time off doing for three days. I was up until nearly 4 from racing, Zack a.m. the morning before it was due (this was April 15 may have noticed a shiny blue Robinson had a back in the day I had to be up at 5:15 a.m. to breakthrough sea- catch a 6 a.m. bus ride). It was completed with racing machine in front of the store son in 2015 by win- about two hours to spare, and it was awesome, ning the Dare Stock but I was a zombie that day as I presented the over the course of the afternoon. Rookie of the Year project. That car was honor and even tak- Nearly 15 years later, I find myself writing the #14 Dare ing a victory during Jason Bleau photo this column as a result of a procrastination, Stock series car of the 2015 season. right on deadline, with only a few hours to For 2016, he has the Putnam racecar driver Zack Robinson, who races in the Dare Stock series Zack Robinson, a at Stafford Speedway, is looking to make his sophomore season a champi- spare. Putnam racecar backing of Putnam I guess I’ll never learn… onship season with Putnam NAPA Auto Parts by his side. The young 15-year- driver moving up Please Read ROBINSON, old appeared at the Putnam store on April 15 to help support his sponsor in the ranks at the page A13 Adam Minor may be reached at (508) 909-4130, and meet his local fans. or by e-mail at [email protected]. A2 • Friday, April 22, 2016 VILLAGER NEWSPAPERS Memories and tidbits First, I’d like to continue with The Oct. 29, 1942 Killonian dent; Jenny Kogut, secretary; the hotel for the past six extracts from old “Killonian” gave the result of class elections Louis Woisard, treasurer, years). The hotel generally monthly papers. Maybe you’ll for the year. Rene Frechette was and John Lane, historian. catered to persons who need- recognize the name of a rela- elected president of the fresh- Seniors re-elected their offi- KILLIngLY ed a place to stay for a week tive in the next entries from man class; Theresa Godbout, cers from the previous year: at or longer…Weekly rates old issues. vice-president; Gloria Webster, Frank Harrington, president; 300 were $22, with adjustments The 1938 Sports Issue includ- secretary, Philip Wild, trea- Eustatia Sarantopoulas, up for better rooms and down ed a photo of the basketball surer, and Chester Domek, vice-president; Bernard for hardship cases…The team. The coaches were Leach historian. George Soquet was Racine, treasurer; Rita MARGARET future of the building itself and Hartwell (first names?). elected president of the sopho- Phoenix, secretary. WEAVER is not known to Richardson, Players were Tony Kesaris, more class; Lenore Helbig, vice Marilyn Labbe has been who leased it from Nathan Charlie Sarantopoulos, Larry president, Terry Ralph, sec- extracting and indexing Blumenthal of Danielson.” Dubuc, Allan Dean, Christy retary; Leo Viens Treasurer, businesses and interesting Wauregan plant of the same (Journal Transcript Haveles, Fred Nash, Brownie and Jennie Tillinghast, histo- articles in the 1935 Windham company, where production 10/8/1979) Gmyr, Owen Bell, and Jimmy rian.