Mailed free to requesting homes in Thompson Vol. VIII, No. 5 Complimentary to homes by request (860) 928-1818/e-mail: [email protected] FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2012 THIS WEEK’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN QUOTE It’s time to “Dwelling on the negative simply get spooky contributes to its power.” HALLOWEEN BRINGS NEW TRADITIONS, RETURN OF OLD Shirley MacLaine FAVORITES TO QUIET CORNER BY MERYL E. WILLETT attended both the Spooky VILLAGER STAFF WRITER Nights Haunted Hay Ride in INSIDE PUTNAM — The end of Brooklyn, and the Great October is upon us, with the Pumpkin Festival in down- drooping of leaves and cooler town Putnam. However, the A8— OPINION nights, and with that also Halloween spirit does not end comes the spookiest and there, with an array of events A12 — SPORTS scariest day of the year — taking place all over the B1 — CALENDAR Halloween. Quiet Corner for folks of all Over the past weekend, B4— OBITS many people from the region Please Read HALLOWEEN, page A12 B5 — RELIGION LOCAL Meryl E. Willett photos First Fridays add Above, Austin, 3, of Dayville, drives a tractor down Main Street. Right, Linda Peck as Mary ‘Shop Attacks’ to lineup Poppins, adding to the day’s magical atmosphere. BY MERYL E. WILLETT VILLAGER STAFF WRITER PUTNAM — On Saturday, Oct. 20 Quiet PUTNAM — First Fridays Corner residents have brought people from all flocked to downtown over New England to the Putnam for the Great town of Putnam for the cul- Pumpkin Festival. ture and activities the event From Union Square to has to offer. the River Front In its second year, First Villager Interview Commons, downtown Fridays have taken another Page A3 was transformed into a step forward in hopes of pumpkin wonderland. increasing business partici- The official Great pation during the event, SPORTS Pumpkin was on dis- while at the same time play at the Putnam encouraging the people on Congregational the street to venture indoors Church, and there were and see what each store has also numerous arts and to offer. crafts activities like For anyone who has yet to File photos pumpkin decorating come out for a First Friday, A scene from the August First contests and pottery the event runs as a street fair, Friday painting for children to and features a different musi- down and the street becomes participate in. cal act each month. The por- tion of Main Street starting flooded with vendors, people, artists, and musicians. First For more photos, turn from the Montgomery Ward Fridays are held on, natural- to page A11! Building to Panache Consignment Shop is closed Please Read FRIDAY, page A15 Around the Horn Page A14 Business donation helps support Arc of Quinebaug Valley BY MERYL E. WILLETT human services agency that it, Fandetti and staff decided Arc provides for many peo- Arc Executive Director VILLAGER STAFF WRITER provides support to individu- to refocus their efforts and ple who live in this area. We Susan Desrosiers and EVERDAY ECOLOGIST DANIELSON — The con- als and their families with continue raising money for think the work that they do is Administrator of PAGE A5 tributions keep coming for intellectual, developmental non-profits in the communi- really fabulous,” said Development Linda the Arc of the Quinebaug and other life-affecting dis- ty by setting their sights on Fandetti. “It’s important to Lamoureux were present on ROUND ROBIN RELAYS Valley. abilities. The Arc of the Quinebaug me to give back to my com- Wednesday afternoon, Oct. On Wednesday, Oct. 10, Dr. Alex Fandetti said fol- Valley. munity, and I wanted to pro- 10, to receive the check. PAGE A7 Back & Body Chiropractic lowing her office’s previous “It’s a nice thing. We want- vide support for another non- Desrosiers thanked Fandetti donated $1,000 to local non- donation to the Connecticut ed to bring more awareness profit. So, we thought The for the donation, and said profit. Food Bank in July, which to the community about The Arc was the perfect organiza- any money donated to The The Arc is a nonprofit raised $1,000 for the non-prof- Arc and what services The tion for our next donation.” Please Read ARC, page A18 Streaking for a cause LOCAL SALON CHALLENGES RESIDENTS TO ‘GO PINK’ FOR CANCER AWARENESS Visit our website with your smart phone or tablet device! BY KERENSA KONESNI paign has raised more than Just scan the “QR code” VILLAGER STAFF WRITER $20,000, 50 percent of which has below with your device and SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. — Do been donated to the Anne-Marie instantly be linked to our you have the courage to wear pink? Cancer Fund, Cancer Treatment website, www.villagernews- The team at Finally Lisa’s Hair Centers of America and the cancer papers.com, where you can Salon in Southbridge, Mass., is center at Harrington Hospital, read the PDF versions of asking community members to among other organizations. our newspapers! It’s as easy step up to cancer by wearing pink The remaining portion of pro- as that! streaks in their hair throughout ceeds is used to purchase the pink the month of October, nationally hair extensions that can be worn recognized as Breast Cancer for months, to show support for Kerensa Konesni photo Awareness Month. cancer patients and families. Paula Mallozzi, Savers Bank Branch Manager Monique Marinelli, VP of Commercial Master colorist and salon owner Bodreau kick-started the local Lending Christopher Wszolek and salon owner Lisa Bodreau went pink for the cause Lisa Bodreau and her team of movement after her friend Alison eight stylists began the Get Padula, a mother of six, was diag- She said it was when Padula, of “I just thought about how coura- Streaked Pink! fundraising cam- nosed with breast cancer six years Thompson, asked to have the hair geous it was of her to shave off all paign five years ago to raise money ago. she was going to lose during treat- of her hair. She had so much and awareness for cancer treat- “We’ve all heard of people and ment cut off that Bodreau was ment and research. have been touched by cancer in inspired to take up the cause. In the past five years, the cam- our families,” explained Bodreau. Please Read STREAK, page A15 A2 • Friday, October 26, 2012 THOMPSON VILLAGER Connecticut Mills baseball and Gertrude Chandler Warner eoff Sorrow called recently quite irritated, and in reply to jeers the Putnam Congregational Church. Several weeks ago I wrote about in response to my query for KILLINGLY of some of the crowd, seized a brick When a teacher shortage arose dur- Piche’s soda. How many of you information on the bat, and for a while cleared the front ing World War I, she was asked to remember soda from Aspinock GAnderson for president AT 300 of the polls. She was at length quiet- teach first grade at the Israel Mineral Springs on Putnam memorabilia at the Killingly ed and conducted away’”(WCT Putnam School on School Street and Heights? Both Candi Smith and Historical Center. 3/22/1860). ended up teaching there for more Linden Whipple did and thought He was surprised that I had not MARGARET I shall have to investigate what a than 30 years. Living on South Main that soda continued to be manufac- remembered that John Anderson WEAVER brick bat is. Does anyone know? Street across from the railroad tured there until the 1960’s. Albert ran as an independent candidate for Do any of you recall having rela- tracks in the late 1800’s and early Perry and later Ernest Sochor ran president in the 1980 election. I tives who played on a baseball team 1900’s gave her the opportunity to the soda manufacturing. The older imagine that I was too busy keeping in the Connecticut Mills area in see the many trains that came bottles had a Native American up with my children to focus on pol- lowing officers were elected: post-World War I era? Richard through Putnam and sparked her lit- painted on the bottle. Linden said itics. Anyway, according to the inde- President-Sabin L. Sayles (the mill- Lester donated a photo of the 1919 erary creativity. Later the trolley that eventually bottles were used pendent political report website, owner); vice-presidents-E. H. Connecticut Mills team to the also ran in front of her home. from other sources since the “Anderson received six percent of Bugbee (Bugbee Library), Leavens Killingly Historical Center. Lynn It was also great fun see the yearly Aspinock bottles required a special the vote, and while he didn’t get to Jencks, Mowry Amsbury; secre- LaBerge pointed out that all the men excursion train arrive in Putnam. machine. When I did a “Google” move into the White House, he did taries-C.N. Thomas, Thomas J. were dressed in suits. Unfortunately Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have the search I came across an ad for a mobilize thousands of student Evans (Evans Block in Danielson no one in the picture has been iden- trains run again? Bill commented “really RARE piece of advertising - activists.” built for him); executive committee- tified. If you think you might be able that at one time in the 1890’s, when an Antique, HAND-PAINTED Norwich city historian Dale Thomas Parker, George Blanchard to shed light on some of the individ- Gertrude was still a young girl, ASPINOCK Mineral Spring BEVER- Plummer also called recently and of Dayville, Calvin G. Kelley of uals, please drop into the Center. there were more than 60 trains trav- AGES Canvas SIGN with a spectacu- said that he had come across an arti- Weatherhead’s (Attawaugan), E.