Vol. VII, No. 21 Complimentary (860) 928-1818/e-mail: [email protected] Friday, February 17, 2012 THIS WEEK’S A lesson in sharing and caring QUOTE ELLIS TECH FOOD DRIVE SHATTERS RECORD, HELPS LOCAL PANTRIES “Genius begins BY DAVID DORE great works; labor STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER alone finishes DANIELSON — Jean Cyr them.” and Alice Tyler were thrilled when the truck pulled onto Water Street and stopped in front of the Friends of Assisi Food Pantry. It was followed close behind INSIDE by a bus full of students from Harvard H. Ellis Technical High School, ready and willing A8— OPINION to unload the items inside. A12 — SPORTS There were tins of oatmeal, B1 — CALENDAR jars of applesauce, bags of flour, boxes of pasta, peanut David Dore photo B3— OBITS butter, tuna and many other Gennifer Berthiaume, an Ellis Tech sophomore from Thompson, holds B4 — RELIGION items that passed from student a box of donations before passing it along. to student and into the food B5 — CLASSIFIEDS pantry Friday,Feb. 10. Tyler, assistant food coordi- felt overwhelming tears just That was some of the 8,875 nator for the Danielson pantry, because I’m so grateful,” Cyr, pounds of food students said she was “blown away” by the pantry director, told stu- LOCAL brought in from Jan. 30 the final figure. “That’s unbe- dents once they finished their through Feb. 10 for Ellis Tech’s lievable.” work. “I’ve been doing this so annual food drive. That is The Friends of Assisi Food long and you think that you’re about 3,000-4,000 pounds more Pantry got most of the food, not going to get emotional any- Courtesy photo than is usually collected, said with the Community Kitchen more because I’ve been doing Melanie Mills takes the 1,000th point in her varsity basketball school social worker Jessica Soup Kitchen and Our Daily this for 21 years. But I’m just career at Marianapolis Preparatory School in a Jan. 28 contest Bibeau, who coordinated the Bread in Putnam getting the really,really moved by the spir- against Buckingham Browne & Nichols. drive with physical education rest. it from your school and how instructor and athletic director “When you were unloading much you care about others.” Michelle Murray. and it took so long to unload, I A free throw to history Turn To PANTRIES page A10 Taking a leap to MILLS SCORES 1,000TH POINT Stepping up to help Kadin fight cancer IN BASKETBALL CAREER ENEFIT RAISES FUNDS FOR YEAR OLD BOY Page A3 B 5- - AT MARIANAPOLIS WITH KIDNEY DISEASE SPORTS BY DAVID DORE Quintal in 1983, Jeanette STONEBRIDGE PRESS BY DAVID DORE STAFF WRITER Bugajski and Stacey Baron STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER in 1995, and former team- THOMPSON — The hall at THOMPSON — Standing mate Alyson Stolz last year. American Legion Post 67 in at the free throw line, Melanie, who plays center, North Grosvenordale was Melanie Mills was about to entered the game with 986 packed Saturday night, Feb. make history. points. In a Feb. 13 interview, 11, with dozens of people When the ball went she recalled that people in wanting to help a 5-year-old through the net, she did it. the stands made cards count- boy and his family. With that free throw, made ing down from 14 to one; Kadin Campbell of in a Jan. 28 home game they would sit down as the Putnam was diagnosed with against Buckingham margin ticked down to zero. nephrotic syndrome in Browne & Nichols, Melanie “Everyone was standing October 2010, and in March of became the sixth female in up in the gym when I was Espinosa helps team last year with focal segmen- the history of Marianapolis taking my free throw,” tal glomerulosclerosis to victory Preparatory School to score Melanie said. “I was really (FSGS). Child actor Gary 1,000 points in her high nervous that I was going to Page A12 Coleman had the same rare school career. miss it, but I ended up mak- kidney disease. David Dore photo The senior from ing it.” Woodstock joined Irene The most recent diagnosis Five-year-old Kadin Campbell of Putnam, front left, sits with paternal shocked Kadin’s parents, grandmother Christine Campbell, back left, also of Putnam, and broth- VERYDAY COLOGIST Altdorf in 1982, Lynne Turn To 1,000 page A11 EVERYDAY ECOLOGIST er Wyatt, front right. The boys’ mother, Kylene Rickaby, is standing Turn To KADIN page A16 behind them. PAGE A5 OPINION Annual auction raises $40K for TEEG GET YOUR POINT ACROSS BY DAVID DORE ing but “support this week’s auction was a 33 per- PAGE A8 STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER agency.” This year, though, cent increase from the 2011 THOMPSON — The 12th the Keils will cut the ceremo- total, Grant said Tuesday, WHAT TO DO edition of the Thompson nial ribbon to open TEEG’s Feb. 14. The money brought A CALENDAR Ecumenical Empowerment new home, being built about in through a live auction led a mile from its North by Kevin Gaudreau, a silent OF AREA EVENTS Group’s Have a Heart Auction, held Friday, Feb. 10 Grosvenordale facility. auction with about 175 items, PAGE B1 at the Raceway Restaurant, Building Committee admission, raffles and unso- raised almost $40,000 for the Chairman John Rice said the licited donations will be used local organization. building is expected to be to support TEEG programs. That included $4,100 from completed in May. Some programs are offered Carl and Sally Keil of The Keils will also join to residents of Thompson, Woodstock to serve as its original ambassador Dr. Woodstock and Pomfret, ambassadors for one year. Roland Lupien and two-time while others such as parent- David Dore photo According to TEEG winners Tom and Kathleen ing classes, therapeutic men- There were roughly 175 items for people to bid on at the 12th Annual Executive Director Donna Poplawski on a commemora- toring for kids and early TEEG Have a Heart Friday, Feb. 10 at the Raceway Restaurant in Grant, the ambassadors ordi- tive plaque. childhood programs are narily place a bid to do noth- The $39,324 raised at last Thompson Turn To TEEG page A4 A2 • Friday, February 17, 2012 PUTNAM VILLAGER NEWS BRIEFS promptly at 7:45 p.m.; a silent auction and coach, entrance to the 2012 Boston Flower Relay auction slated for April awesome basket drawings! Something for and Garden Show at the Seaport World everyone! Trade Center in Boston, Mass. Lunch is on WOODSTOCK — Relay For Life of There will be a cocktail hour from 5:30 to your own. Food concessions are available Northeastern CT invites you to join us for 6:30 p.m. A fabulous buffet dinner will be inside the show and additional dining our 6th Annual Goods and Services Auction served from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. options within walking distance. and Dinner Dance, dedicated in memory of Tickets are only $20 per person. Call Departure is at 7:30 a.m. bus departure Steve Bousquet, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Melissa Franklin at 860-208-4681 or Lori from the Thompson Middle School, 785 Friday, April 13 at Wright’s Mill Farm, Ruehle at 860-230-4870. Riverside Drive, North Grosvenordale. The Canterbury. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer show opens at 9 a.m. We will depart Boston There will be a live auction starting Society Relay For Life of NECT. Seating is at 5 p.m. arriving home at approximately limited to the first 300 tickets sold. 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 1-800-ACS-2345 For additional information, or to register, or visit www.relayfor life.org/northeast- download registration materials from our ernct. website at www.thompsonrec.org., stop by Thompson or Putnam Recreation in Town Bellwether Award in 2007. Hall or call Thompson Recreation at 860/923- A team presentation called “Breaking Recreation departments sponsor- 9440 to have a registration form mailed to Down the Walls: A Pathway to the American you. Dream”, was presented by Dr. Ross Tomlin, ing Boston bus trip president of Quinebaug Valley Community College; Dr. Patrick Hynes, director of the Thompson and Putnam Recreation are QVCC STRIDE program winner Best Practices Unit for the CT Department pleased to present a bus trip to the 2012 of Correction; Andrew Clark, director of Boston Flower & Garden Show. of Bellwether Award the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at Central Connecticut State This year’s theme is “First Impressions: DANIELSON — Quinebaug Valley University; Aili Arisco, STRIDE program Inspiration and Tips on How to Bring the Community College’s STRIDE Program was career specialist; Catherine Menounos, ‘Wow’ Factor to Outdoor Spaces.” Enjoy selected as the winner of the 2012 National STRIDE program job developer; Julie flowers in bloom and gardening landscapes Bellwether Award in the Workforce Scrapchansky, STRIDE program director along with demos and lectures including Development category at the Community and a STRIDE graduate who shared her “Anatomy of a Rose Garden” and “Create College Futures Assembly in Orlando, Fla., journey through incarceration and recov- Winning Perennial Combination Using on Jan. 31. ery. Lewis Robinson, chairman of the State Color and Texture Basics.” The Bellwether Award was established in of CT Board of Regents for Higher The trip is on Saturday, March 17. The 1995 and is a prestigious award given to col- Education was in attendance for the presen- price is $42 per person. Price includes motor leges with innova- tation. tive programs in the The Community College Futures categories of Assembly, now in its 18th year, convenes Instructional annually as an independent national policy Programs & forum for key opinion leaders to work as a Services; Planning, “think tank” in identifying critical issues Governance & facing the future of community colleges, Finance; and and to recognize Bellwether Finalist col- Workforce leges as trend-setting institutions.