Past Issues of the Putnam Town Crier
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PSA alums
in Selection
Sunday
The madness is upon us once again, and Putnam Science Academy’s basketball program has a lot to be wild about.
With the NCAA Tournament brackets coming out this past weekend and March Madness in full swing starting today, PSA’s coaches have a lot of rooting interests. Fourteen former players heard their teams’ names called on Selection Sunday, which will make for a fun few weeks for Tom Espinosa and his staff.
“It’s really incredible to have so many kids in it again,” Espinosa said. “We’ve been fortunate to have a lot of them the last few years, and it makes it a lot of fun, especially the first weekend when there are so many games. It’ll feel like we have someone on at all times.”
Of those vying to hold up the national championship trophy on April 8, UConn’s Hassan Diarra (PSA ’20) and his brother Mamadou (PSA ’16) might have the best chance. Both are looking to win a second title themselves and help the Huskies repeat as national champs. Hassan, PSA’s all-time leading scorer, was named the Big East’s Sixth man of the Year, and Mamadou is in his second year as an assistant coach with the Huskies. They helped UConn earn a No. 1 seed in the East region.
PSA gets a head-to-head matchup in the East, as Florida Atlantic, featuring Vlad Goldin (PSA ’20) takes on Northwestern and Blake Barkley (PSA ’23). The winner would likely play UConn in the second round.
Darnell Brodie, who played at PSA in 2015-16 and 2016-17, and 10th-seeded Drake are also in the East.
Gabe McGlothan (PSA ’19) has been instrumental in leading Grand Canyon University to the tourney the last two years and has the 12-seed looking for an upset of Saint Mary’s out West. A second-round matchup could then happen with No. 4 Alabama and Mouhamed Dioubate (PSA ’23). In the bottom half of the West region, Nic Louis-Jacques (with PSA for part of the Covid-stunted 2020-21 season) and No 14 Colgate take on Baylor.
The South incudes D’Maurian Williams (PSA ’20) and No. 6 Texas Tech taking on N.C. State in the first round, plus Ugonna Onyenso (PSA ’22) and No. 3 Kentucky versus Oakland.
Not much was expected of Josh Gray (PSA ’20) and South Carolina in the SEC this season but the Gamecocks put together a terrific season and earned the six-seed in the Midwest.
Howard, led by top scorer Bryce Harris (PSA ’21), played in the First Four games against Wagner, with the winner earn the 16-seed in the West and a date with North Carolina.
On the women’s side, former standout Niya Fields (PSA ’20) leads No. 15 Norfolk State into a daunting matchup with Stanford in the first round, while Melissa Mwanza, who played one year at PSA in 2022, and No. 10 Richmond square off in the first round with Duke.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Espinosa said. “We’ve got a lot of different people to root for, which is all we could ask for.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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caption:
Donation
From left: Robert Challinor Jr., David Gilbert, Jim Bradley, Michael Rocchetti, Michael Vassar, Alan Joslin. Courtesy photo.
Legion Post donates $10,000
to Veterans Memorial Park
PUTNAM — The Mayotte-Viens Post 13 American Legion of Putnam recently donated $10,000 to Putnam’s Veterans Advisory Committee (VAC) for the Veterans Memorial Park upgrade project.
Post 13’s Commander Michael Rocchetti said: “Putnam’s Veterans Memorial Park is very important to our local American Legion Post — we want to make sure that our veterans are not forgotten.”
VAC Committee Chairman Robert Challinor Jr. was very grateful and thanked the American Legion for its generous donation. Rocchetti said the proceeds of the post’s annual Mayotte-Viens Post 13 Golf Tournament (set for Sept. 16 at Connecticut National Golf Course) will also be donated to the VAC for the Veterans Memorial Park upgrade project.
Putnam Mayor Barney Seney said: “The project is on a very tight budget and we are hoping that the sale of memorial paving bricks and other donations will pay for the work.”
The project will include new walkways, a new flagpole with a circular base paved with memorial bricks; there will be a new WWII monument, as well as new monuments for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These will complement the existing monuments for WWI, Korea and Vietnam. There will also be a new lighting, power, landscaping, park benches, and a concrete pad for ceremonial observances.
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Trash Numbers Close to Target
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Even with the drastically shortened deadline for taking part in the upcoming trash program, the program is right where it should be.
Town Administrator Elaine Sistare said “this seems to be working out.”
After the March 15 deadline, the only “opting” will be to opt out of the Casella Waste trash program that starts July 1.
The original program, for about eligible 2,200 residences:
— If you do nothing you have just signed up by default and you will be getting a 95-gallon trash bin and a 95-gallon recycle bin. (cost $395 per year)
— You can opt out of the 95-gallon trash can for a 65-gallon trash bin and the 95-gallon recycle bin (cost: $350 per year)
— You can opt out of the program and find your own private trash company. You need to opt out if you already have your own private trash hauler.
— You must receive both a trash bin and the 95-gallon recycle bin.
The town required those who wanted to opt for a 65-gallon bin instead of a 95-gallon trash bin to do so by March 15. Those who wanted to had opted out and changed their minds also had until March 15 to opt back in. Now eligible residents may only opt out.
The deadline was moved to March 15 because the 65-gallon bins are a custom size and Casella Waste needed six weeks to order them.
Sistare said based on the processing the town did over the weekend, the town has hit about 86 percent of the numbers needed for the user fees to cover the cost of the contract with Casella Waste. That percentage will have to be tweaked since a higher-than-anticipated number of residents opted for the 65-gallon bin (at $45 less a year).
The expense to the town is $950,000 (and that includes the Casella Waste program, as well as recycles, bulky, incineration, etc.). The town is looking for $900,000 if 90 percent of those eligible are on the program.
Some 530 65-gallon bins were “opted for”. She said those who might want a 65-gallon bin in the future will have to wait for leftovers/adjustments in the program – which is unlikely.
Sistare said she was “kinda surprised” at the number of residents who opted for the 65-gallon bin. She added many two-families opted for two 65-gallon bins.
The town anticipates bin delivery may start the last week in April and the first week in May. Residents will continue using the stickers on bags in the new bins until July 1 when the program is officially activated and the stickers are a no-go.
The trash bill will be separate, in the same envelope as your tax bill. Like your taxes, half the payment is due by Aug. 1 and the other half Feb. 1.
If the trash bill payment is not received by Aug. 1 Casella will not take the trash and will come back for the bins. That will result in adjustments to the numbers.
For opting out/info. The town’s website on the program is:
https://www.putnamct.us/departments/municipal-solid-waste-recycling
You may also opt out by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
In addition, there are forms in the Putnam Tax Collector’s, the Town Clerk’s and in the Town Administrator/Mayor’s office.
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Awakening
Trees budding in the Palmer Arboretum join spring flowers coming up everywhere. More photos on page 4. Expanded photo array Wed. night on our FB page: Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger. Linda Lemmon photo.
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The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs. The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 860-963-0000.
March 4
Sara A. Theriault, 32, Walnut Street, Putnam; providing a false statement, false report of a stolen motor vehicle.
Maira Pachecho, 23, Pomfret Street, Putnam; disorderly conduct.
Arlindo Neves, 31, Pomfret Street, Putnam; disorderly conduct, risk of injury.
March 6
Gregory Michael Hebert, 20, Jacques Road, Danielson; three counts of assault of emergency medical/healthcare personnel.
March 9
Isaiah Rock, 24, Carol Avenue, Thompson; first-degree trespass, operating under suspension.
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