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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 WOODSTOCK VILLAGER Mailed free to requesting homes in Eastford, Pomfret & Woodstock Vol. X, No. 9 Complimentary to homes by request (860) 928-1818/e-mail: [email protected] Friday, November 20, 2015 Lessons in Community offers up prayers for Paris the leaves ST. JOSEPH CHURCH All my life, I’ve been used to raking my HOLDS VIGIL IN WAKE OF yard. I would go around with my brother and father, creating piles of leaves, some bigger TERROR ATTACKS than others depending on the spot in the yard, BY JASON BLEAU sibility for the attacks. manually moving my rake back and forth in NEWS STAFF WRITER Here in the Quiet a steady motion. I had it down to a science. I THOMPSON — On Corner, several organi- could go for hours. Nov. 13, the world was zations have unveiled I would use either an old bed sheet or a tarp rocked by a series of ter- plans to hold candlelight to collect my bounties. Once collected, I would rorist attacks in Paris, vigils and events asking fold up the corners and drag the collection France, that took the for peace in the world device to the bottom of the yard where the leaf lives of 129 people peo- in the wake of the trag- pile was. It was oddly satisfying to see a rela- ple and injured hun- edies. One of the earli- tively clean looking yard after a day of raking, Jason Bleau photos dreds more, inspiring est to hold such an event almost like the feeling I get when after running reactions of support for was St. Joseph Church my lawnmow- Members of St. Joseph Church in North Grosvenordale, led by Father France and frustration in North Grosvenordale, Richard Breton, pray together during a vigil on Nov. 15, hoping for er for a couple and outrage against ISIS, which hosted the first THE peace and remember those lost in France during the Nov. 13 attacks. hours over the the terrorist organiza- grass. The church has a deep French heritage and was one of the first local MINOR tion that claimed respon- Turn To PRAYER, page A11 So fresh. So organizations to hold such an event following the attacks. DETAILS clean. One of my ADAM favorite pic- MINOR tures of my Tech brother and me A day to respect and remember as children was taken in one of park my Dad’s famous leaf piles at the bottom of QVCC ADDS 64 our yard, the very same yard I call my own today. After typing that sentence I looked out NAMES TO VETERANS of my front window and reminisced about the nears end scene. As youngsters, we would run in and out GARDEN WALKWAY of the pile and nearly ruin my father’s work. BY JASON BLEAU The picture shows my brother and me nearly of first NEWS STAFF WRITER buried in leaves up to our necks, our fingers in our mouths (as we were prone to do habitually DANIELSON — Quinebaug Valley back then), smiling devilishly for the camera. phase Community College added new It’s one of my favorite memories of my brother. names to its Veterans Garden on It sure was good to be a kid! BY JASON BLEAU Veterans Day with a special ceremo- ny recognizing the holiday and those Over the years, I learned some valuable les- NEWS STAFF WRITER sons about the leaves, one of the most import- who serve their country with pride. ant being that leaves are not pillows. It seems PUTNAM — The Putnam The ceremony has become a yearly like a dumb lesson one would have to learn the Regional Technology Park tradition for QVCC with new addi- hard way, but one cool, fall afternoon, my pre- is nearing completion in tions to the walkway in the Veterans teen self learned that lesson in a painful man- its first phase, according to Garden each year. With more than ner. After raking up an impressive amount 470 names already part of the gar- Town Administrator Doug Jason Bleau photos nearly up to my waist, I somehow thought Cutler, who said realis- den, 64 were added on Veterans Day Air Force veteran and Commander of the American about how fun it would be to leap into the soft, tically, the park’s bridge Wednesday, Nov. 11, each with their Legion Post 13 in Putnam Ron Coderre speaks warm embrace of the cloud-like fluffiness of and the roadway from the during QVCC’s Veterans Day Ceremony on Nov. 1 the leaves. Looking around to see that no one east could be completed by Turn To VETERANS, page A13 was looking, with a running start, I bounded the end of the month. toward the pile and leapt, leaning to my side. I Cutler said that every- floated for what seems like an eternity. thing is on schedule on site With a painful crunch, I was brought back and the bridge to the prop- End in sight for Pomfret St. to reality. I landed on the ground — hard. The erty near the I-395 entrance leaves merely compacted underneath me like ramp on Kennedy Drive is paper. As I laid there getting my wind back coming along nicely. Gas (and maybe some of my dignity), I learned that lines have been added to bridge project leaves are definitely not pillows. I would sug- the property along the gest you don’t follow my lead on that one! BY JASON BLEAU the closing of the bridge to rerouted to Providence bridge, and according to NEWS STAFF WRITER Last year, I was lazy. Instead of raking my be a major inconvenience, Street or Bridge Street to Cutler, things are going as leaves, I used my lawnmower to clean up the PUTNAM — Putnam’s the end could very well be cross the Quinebaug River planned. So with the proj- leaves in my yard, and by “clean up,” I actually Pomfret Street Bridge in sight … and soon. with new traffic signals ects included in the first mean “obliterate into a billion little pieces and has been out of commis- As of this report, the installed at the intersec- contract all but finished, returning the mulched remains to the earth sion for months now, as bridge was on schedule tions of Bridge and Church the town is now looking at from whence it came.” It was like taking a the aged structure adja- for completion this month, streets and Pomfret and plans for the second con- rocket launcher to a BB gun range, but it got cent to Cargill Falls gets with optimistic esti- Church streets, creating tract and what’s next for the job done, and then some. a much-needed facelift, mates having the bridge a very unfamiliar traffic the tech park on the west This year, I upgraded the task again. This courtesy of the State of reopened following the pattern for those who fre- side of the property. time, my father and I unpackaged a shiny new Connecticut — but for Thanksgiving holiday. quent those routes on a leaf blower and introduced it to my front lawn those who have found the Since the bridge was closed Turn To TECH PARK, page A11 Turn To BRIDGE, A13 for the first time. The results were a lawn main- redirection of traffic and in May, traffic has been page tainer’s dream. Up until last week, I had never even held a leaf blower before. My family never owned one. I’m not sure whether we could afford it or not. We probably could, but for one PSA lays out plans as new era begins reason or another, my father always chose to rake instead. Perhaps h enjoyed the manual HIS SCHOOL BELONGS labor. Maybe he was a glutton for punishment. ‘T I never complained. But after last week, I don’t TO THE TOWN AND think my father or I will ever rake again. I even contemplated taking the thing up COMMUNITY’ to my roof and blasting my gutters with it. Looking back, it was probably the right deci- BY JASON BLEAU sion to not do that, as the resulting mess of NEWS STAFF WRITER muddy leaves and shingle residue all over the siding would have been hard to explain to my PUTNAM — It has been a dramat- ic year for Putnam Science Academy, wife. Jason Bleau photos Crisis averted! after the school announced it would be closing in April and has since been put Putnam Science Academy Headmaster Donald Cushing, President Dr. Tieqiang Ding Adam Minor may be reached at (508) 909-4130, and Dean of Athletics Thomas Espinosa take questions during a special press confer- ence at the school to officially announce the completion of the sale of the school to or e-mail [email protected]. Turn To PSA, A12 page Ding in October. Ding purchased PSA after the previous owners were forced to close the school in May. A2 • Friday, November 20, 2015 VILLAGER NEWSPAPERS NEWS BRIEFS GET READY FOR to show respect and support for all peo- Holiday Dazzle Light Parade ple, from conception to natural death. The event will be hosted by Mystical grand marshal named Rose Council 49, Knights of Columbus, of Wauregan. For information, please THANKSGIVING PUTNAM — The Holiday Dazzle call Council 49 Grand Knight Cliff Soucy Light Parade committee has named at (860) 774-6796. We have everything you need to make Quinebaug Valley Special Olympics as this year’s parade Grand Marshal.

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