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PUTNAM --- The Theatre of Northeastern Connecticut at the Bradley Playhouse temporarily moved its office to 28 Front Street, downtown, while construction to replace the ceiling in the auditorium takes place.
The project is expected to last six to eight weeks with the theater opening in time for the Feb. 21 production of "The Odd Couple - Female Version."
The office is upstairs over Jeremiah's Antiques and may be reached by the stairway adjacent to the Bradley's entry and to the left.
Once at the top of the stairs, the office is at the end of the hall at the left. Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.
For patrons who cannot climb stairs, Victoria Station Cafe allowed the Bradley to have special holiday hours to sell season tickets, Flex Passes and gift certificates from 3 to 6 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
For question son their special hours or tickets sales, call 928-7887 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Edgar R. Beausoleil
DANIELSON — Edgar R. Beausoleil, 92, of Wauregan Rd., died Dec. 14, 2013, at home.  He was the husband of June M. (Allen) Jacob Beausoleil.  Born in 1921 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Alphonse & Celina (Beaudreault) Beausoleil.
Mr. Beausoleil worked as an auditor and collector for the IRS for over 40 years.  He was a member of the Putnam Elks and the Albert J. Breault VFW. He enjoyed playing tennis and watching the Red Sox, Celtics and UConn Huskies.
In addition to his wife, he leaves his stepdaughters; Carol A. Deary (Dennis) of Putnam and Deborah S. Jacob-Brotherton (Dale) of Cullowhee, N.C.; four grandchildren, Dawn Hinkley, Dennis Deary Jr., Shawn Deary and Travis Brotherton; five great grandchildren.  Edgar is predeceased by his brothers; Rosaire, Raymond, Wilfred and Emile Beausoleil.  
Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 19 in the Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam. A gathering will begin at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 20, in the funeral home followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam. Burial follows in St. Mary Cemetery.  Donations: Deary Memorial Cancer Fund, PO Box 632, Putnam, CT; or to St. Mary Church of the Visitation, 218 Providence St. Putnam, CT 06260.

William Richardson
PUTNAM —  William “Bill” Richardson died Dec. 12, 2013, at Hartford Hospital after a protracted battle with brain cancer.
Bill was born Oct. 16, 1952, in Putnam son of the late William J. and Rita A. (Bonosconi) Richardson. Bill was raised in Putnam attending Putnam public schools and worked at Belding Heminway and Putnam Herzl before going to work for the Connecticut Dept. of Mental Retardation/Developmental Services for 27 years where he worked in several group homes around the area and took care many different clients/patients before retiring due to illness in May of this year.
Bill was well known at many of the local “social spots” and for his prowess at “pool” having participated in many area tournaments over the years. Bill also loved fishing, golf with his buddies and more recently motorcycling.
He leaves his children, Andrew and Heather Richardson, both of Putnam; two brothers, David Richardson (Helen) of Woodstock, and Fred Richardson (Cynthia) of Canterbury; his girlfriend Roberta Reddy of Brooklyn; aunt Norma Bonosconi of Putnam; cousins Susan Steward of N. Chelmsford, Mass., Brenda Navarro of Pomfret, Robert Bonosconi of Salt Lake City, and Mathew Bonosconi of Putnam.
The Funeral was Dec. 17 at Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam, with burial in Grove Street Cemetery, Putnam. Donations: CT Brain Tumor Alliance, PO Box 370514, West Hartford, CT 06137.

George A. Daigle,
war veteran
KILLINGWORTH — George A. Daigle, 87, of Killingworth, formerly of Putnam, died Dec. 7, 2013, in Middlesex Hospital. He was the husband of Laurette (Mayotte) Daigle. They were married in 1965.
He was born April 12, 1926, in Putnam, son of the late Armand and Elizabeth (Maloney) Daigle. George worked as an inspector at Pratt and Whitney for 20 years, retiring in 1988. He retired from the U.S. Army after 21 years of service, a veteran of WWII and the Korean war.
He was formerly Higganum. He had made his home in Killingworth since 1988. He was a communicant of St. Lawrence Church in Killingworth. George enjoyed spending time with his children and visiting his grandchildren in Denmark.
He leaves his wife Laurette of Killingworth; two sons Kenneth Daigle (Karen) of Madison, Michael Daigle of Killingworth; his sisters: Gertrude Carr of Brooklyn, Jane Daigle of Putnam, Celine Bonin of N. Grosvenordale, Joann Benoit of Florida; grandchildren Thomas, Mathew, John and Gabrielle.
A Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 11 at St. Mary Church, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery, Putnam, with full military honors. Donations: St. Lawrence Church, 7 Hemlock Drive, Killingworth, CT 06415. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

T. ‘Terry’ Gorski
N. GROSVENORDALE — Theresa “Terry” Gorski, 67, of N. Grosvenordale, died at home unexpectedly of natural causes, Dec. 7, 2013. She was the wife of the late Richard Gorski. He died in 2008. She was born on Sept. 1, 1946, in Putnam, daughter of the late Marcel and Lillian (Grenier) Bellerive.
She worked for American Optical and Pfizer. She loved knitting and crocheting, was an avid NASCAR fan, always enjoyed attending her grandchildren's activities and traveling.
She leaves daughters, Shelley Wajer (Martin), Dawn Fiori; sons, Paul Goulette Jr., (Margaret), Joseph Goulette (Sheryl); stepdaughters, Janice McJunkins (John), Melissa Godeke (Phil); brothers Roland “Pete” Bellerive (Cecile), Gerald Bellerive, Norman Bellerive (Linda), Michael Bellerive (Laurette); 13 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren.
A Celebration of Terry’s Life was Dec. 16 at the Riverside Knights Banquet Hall, N. Grosvenordale. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

H. ‘Bud’ Nichols Jr.
veteran
PUTNAM — Harold “Bud” Nichols Jr., 72, of Walnut Rd., died Dec. 11, 2013 at home, after a long battle with cancer.  He is the husband of Irene A. (Brochu) Nichols. They were married on July 24, 1965, in St. Mary Church of the Visitation in Putnam.  Born in 1941 in Willimantic on July 20, 1941, he was the son of the late Harold and Theresa (Lepine) Nichols. He lived in Putnam all his life and loved the town.
He graduated from Putnam High School in 1959 and attended H. Ellis Technical and Hartford State Technical Institute.  He also served in Army National Guard from 1961 to 1967.  Bud worked at SNET until 1973 and then became involved in real estate, building and sales.
Bud served as a board member and Chairman for the Putnam Board of finance, a member of the Putnam Rotary, and the CT board of Realtors and was Chief Ranger for the Forester of America.
Bud enjoyed traveling to Florida in the winter with his wife Irene. They enjoyed their home and friends at Lily Lake.
In addition to his wife, he leaves his son; David E. Nichols (Cindy) of Putnam; daughter, Sandra Brisco and John Williams of Putnam; brother, Ronald F. Nichols (Diane)  of E. Hampton; and four grandchildren Ashley and Jennifer Nichols and Daniel and Matthew Brisco of Putnam. He was predeceased by his brother Gerald A. Nichols in 1976.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 14 in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery with full military honors.

Anne E. Ranhoff
POMFRET — Anne E. (Rollins) Ranhoff, 88, of Jericho Rd., died Dec. 14, 2013, at Westview Health Care Center in Dayville. She is the wife of the late Per-Jan Ranhoff.  Born in 1925 in Milton, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Wingate and Ruth (Whittier) Rollins.
A Mass of Christian Burial in Most Holy Trinity Church with burial to follow in Abington Cemetery will take place in the spring. Donations: P.A.W.S., P.O. Box 191, Eastford, CT 06242. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.

Arthur Kuper
WOODSTOCK — Arthur Kuper, 94, of Woodstock, died Nov. 27, 2013, at home.
He was born in Woodstock, son of the late Julius and Anna (Wolfe) Kupraschewitz and lived in Woodstock all his life.  He owned and operated Lookaway Dairy Farm in Woodstock and he also raised poultry.  He was an avid hunter, fisherman and loved farming and gardening.
He leaves his wife of 70 years, Phyllis R. (Racine) Kuper of Woodstock; two sons, Daniel Kuper (Margaret) of Woodstock, Kenneth Kuper of Woodstock; two daughters, Lorraine Daniels of Webster and Karen Martin of Worcester; five grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.  He was predeceased by a brother, Hugo Kuper of Woodstock and by two sisters, Martha Cozzens of Putnam and Hilda Neal of Putnam.
Donations: Muddy Brook Fire Department, P.O. Box 222, East Woodstock, CT 06244; or Hospice of NE CT, 320 Pomfret St., Putnam, CT 06260.  Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.

Joseph Pershula
N. GROSVENORDALE —  Joseph Pershula, 81, of Riverside Drive., died Dec. 7, 2013, at home. He was the husband of Nancy (Nachajko) Pershula.  Born in 1932 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Max and Sophie (Lukasek) Pershula.
Mr. Pershula owned and operated Electric Motor Repair Co. He loved electric trains, going to the Thompson Speedway, and all animals.
In addition to his wife, he leaves his daughter, Joi Belforti of Lake Forest, Ill.; sister, Mary Bibek of Putnam; and grandchildren, Jody L. and Morgan A. Pellecchia and Max and Kyle Belforti. He was predeceased by his daughter, Jody Ann Pellecchia.
Donations: American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.

John A. Rucki
WOODSTOCK — John A. Rucki, 58, husband and best friend of Judith L. Rucki, left this earthly existence Dec. 11, 2013, to be with his Lord and Savior.
Born in Putnam in 1955, John grew up in Abington in his parents’ store, learning the trade and cutting meat with his father, Walter Sr. Eventually his love for the woods drew him towards establishing his own logging and sawmill operation, where he produced milled lumber for many years.  Those who knew John knew he was most comfortable cutting timber.
In recent years, John divided his energies between crop farming at his homestead in Woodstock, tending a wide array of naturally grown vegetables, and caring for his aged mother, Lillian, of whom he was extremely proud. He was an avid supporter of the Second Amendment, the Constitution and an individual’s right to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.He loved his Polish heritage and carried the stresses of America’s losses of freedoms heavy in his heart.
He leaves his wife, Judith Lynn Rucki of Woodstock; his mother, Lillian A. Rucki of Abington; two children, Justin and Jessica; two sisters, Lillian and Gloria; a brother, Walter Jr. of Pomfret; a very special friend, Deb Williams of Woodstock; two dogs, R.B. and Koosh.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 14 at Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.

Hazel E. Slye
POMFRET — Hazel Edith (Nichols) Slye, 73, of Pomfret, died Dec. 3, 2013, at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam. She was the wife of Frank G. Slye.
She was born July 12, 1940, in Waterbury, daughter of the late Wilfred and Edna (Garlick) Nichols.
She worked for Rogers Coporation for 35 years in the accounting and payroll department. Hazel enjoyed traveling with her husband, especially the trips to Mohegan Sun Casino.
She leaves her husband Frank G.; son Frank C. Slye of Pomfret; siblings, Betty Erskine of Dayville, Ralph Curtis of Middletown, N.Y., Rex Nichols (Teresa) of Thompson, Lois Racine of Southbridge, Sally Nichols of Texas. She was predeceased by her brothers Arthur Nichols, David Nichols and Richard Nichols.  
Burial will be in the spring. Donations: The American Cancer Society, 825 Brook St, I-91 Tech Ctr, Rocky Hill, CT 06067. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

Joyce S. Wiza
WOODSTOCK — Joyce S. Wiza, 73, of Lebanon Hill Rd., formerly of Thompson, died Dec. 6, 2013, in Harrington Memorial Hospital. Joyce was a long time resident of New Hampshire prior to moving to Connecticut 8 years ago. She was the wife of the late Dr. Joseph L. Wiza.
Born in 1940 in Boston, she was the daughter of the late William Foote and Kathleen (King) Whyte.  Her father, William, was a noted scholar and writer and was most famous for his book Street Corner Society.  Joyce spent her childhood years in Trumansburg, N.Y., and traveled to Venezuela with her parents during sociological studies.
Mrs. Wiza earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Swarthmore College in 1962.  She chose to marry a man whose passion was far from hers, as Joseph was a nuclear physicist. Joyce was a passionate political activist who served in many leadership roles over the years which included being president of her local chapters of League of Women Voters and National Organization for Women and actively participating in several political action committees.   She was also an avid gardener and a member of several gardening clubs.  In recent years she enjoyed classes at the local community college, QVCC in the Learning in Retirement Program.
She leaves her sons, Joseph C. Wiza of N. Grafton, Mass., and Mark E. Wiza of S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.; daughters, Rachel Wiza-Reyes (Ben) of Woodstock, and Alison Wiza of Putnam; her brothers, Dr. Martin Whyte of Acton, Mass., and Dr. John Whyte of Philadelphia; her sister, Dr. Lucy Whyte-Ferguson of Taos, N.M.; 10 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. She was deeply fond of her sibling’s partners, Tom Wilson Weinberg, Alice Hogan Whyte and Allen Ferguson and all of their children. She was predeceased by her brother Bruce Whyte.
The Service was Dec. 14 at the E. Woodstock Congregational Church, Donations: Epilepsy Foundation of New England, 540 Gallivan Boulevard, Boston, MA. 02124.Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.

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By Ron P. Coderre
This week’s RPC shout out is sent along to Ryan Rumrill who is working on his associate’s degree at Quinebaug Valley Community College.  During his spare time Rumrill, who was previously the Putnam High School scorer for basketball, can now be found across town at Putnam Science Academy.  He serves as an assistant coach and statistician for the Mustangs.
If you follow Major League baseball as I do, it’s always interesting to see how players from Eastern Connecticut are performing.  The majority of minor and major league players currently affiliated with professional teams come from Norwich and south.  Regardless, it’s interesting to follow their career paths.
Rajai Davis, who last season played for the Toronto Blue Jays, entered the free agent market this year.  Although Bleacher Reports earlier stated he didn’t have much opportunity of hooking a big contract, he surprised the BR folks and everyone else this week as he moved on from Toronto.
It was recently announced that the 33-year-old Davis was signed by the Detroit Tigers to a two-year pact in the vicinity of $9 to $10 million.  The Tigers, who are attempting to bring more overall speed to the club, appear to be very excited about signing the speedy Davis.  Last season, the Tigers pilfered only 35 bases as a team, while Davis was second in the American League in stolen bases with 41 only four behind the league leader Jacoby Elsbury who was then with the Red Sox.
The Tiger brain trust plans on platooning Davis in left field, which suits him to a tee.  He’s the type player who’ll take advantage of any situation presented to him.  In the past he’s played all three outfield positions very adeptly.  It’s possible that will happen with the Tigers.
Detroit is the fifth team that Davis has played for.  He was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates and has since played for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland A’s and Toronto.  A graduate of New London High School, Davis played for coach Roger Bidwell at UConn-Avery Point for two years prior to turning professional.
Anyone who knows or has ever met Davis will attest that he’s a quality individual and complete team player.  It’s great to see that he’s being rewarded for his work ethic.
She’s Going to Disney World
Shortly after the first of the year Putnam’s Elizabeth Buzalski will be heading to Florida.  The trip, which may have some vacation components to it, ultimately has a much more serious purpose.
Buzalski, who only started running last year, has been training in preparation for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Half-Marathon taking place at Walt Disney World on Jan. 10, 2014.  Buzalski is part of the LLS Team in Training that is raising funds with a goal of curing and better treatments for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma.  She’s doing her part to be ready for the approximately 13-mile run but she needs everyone’s help in raising money for the cause.
If anyone would like to support Buzalski with a tax deductible contribution they can contact her at 860 230-3105 or go directly to her fundraising page, http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/wdw14/ebuzalski.  This is an opportunity to assist a dedicated young lady in her endeavor while supporting a worthwhile cause.
“I Was at  Patriots-Browns Game”
Many years from now there will be people sitting around reminiscing about last week’s New England Patriots comeback 27-26 victory over the Cleveland Browns.  With only 2:29 remaining on the clock the Pats trailed the Brownies by two touchdowns, causing many of the loyal New England fans on hand to head for the exits and parking lots.
The local trio of Atty. Marty Weiss, Obie Hewitt and Tim Aubin were among the thousands who took the early exit figuring the game was over and the Browns would upset the favored Patriots.  Wrong!  As the trio was plodding to the parking lot they heard the roar of the crowd as Tom Brady led the locals to a late game score.
The trio was still confident that the game would go to Cleveland, when suddenly they heard another explosion of cheers from the stadium.  They soon found out that an onside kick by Steven Goskowski and some more Brady heroics meant one of the greatest comeback victories in the history of not only the Pats but probably the NFL.  Unfortunately they missed all the heroics.
I’ll take bets that 10 or 20 years from now they’ll be telling their grandchildren or old friends that they were there for the finish of the game.  Much like all those folks who claim they were at Fenway Park for Ted Williams last home run but in reality only 10,000 fans were on hand that day.  Today, more than 100,000 individuals lay claim to have witnessed that four-bagger.
Update on College Performers
The big news with local college players this week is the selection of former Putnam Science Academy “big man” Paul Brooks as the MASCAC Basketball Rookie of the Week.  The 6-foot, 9-inch. Brooks, who now plays at Worcester State, had a standout week despite the fact that the Lancers only posted a 1-3 record as a team.
Brooks averaged seven points and nine rebounds including a pair of double-double efforts.  In a loss at Western Connecticut State University, Brooks had 10 points and 10 boards in a Herculean effort.  He followed that up with a 12-point, 11-carom performance in a 96-56 win over UMaine Augusta in the Ed Hockenbury Tournament.        
In the first eight games of the season, Brooks is averaging 5.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest with a team leading seven blocks.  He’s eighth in the MASCAC in total rebounds with 46 and 10th in average, while connecting on .512 per cent of his shots.  The Lancers are a disappointing 1-7 on the year as they enter a big cross-town matchup with Clark University.
Our friends at Quinnipiac University, Ike Azotam and Ousmane Drame continue to play great basketball for the 5-3 Bobcats.  The team is third in the nation in rebounding margin behind Indiana and Arizona.  Azotam leads the MAAC in rebounding with 10.8 per contest, while Drame is fifth at 8.1 a game.  In a recent loss to Rider, Azotam had 24 points and Drame four.
Putnam’s Glenn Senecal, who is an assistant coach for the Central Connecticut State University women, is smiling these days after the ladies beat the University of Vermont 82-68 to raise their record to 5-3.
Finally, another former player of coach Tom Espinosa, Jonte Rutty, who plays for Georgian Court University in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, is enjoying a very productive freshman season in New Jersey.  In a recent loss to Pace University, Rutty registered 11 points in his season-best effort by adding a team leading seven rebounds.
From The Annals of Putnam Sports History
December 1906: In basketball Putnam High School defeated Southbridge High 35-27 in Southbridge.  Windham 22 – Putnam 12 in Willimantic and Killingly 38 – Putnam 5 in Danielson.  (Information contributed by Willie Zamagni)
RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: Life is a grindstone – whether it grinds you down or polishes you up depends on what you’re made of.

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POMFRET --- Not long after transmission problems disabled their maintenance tractor, the Wyndham Land Trust and  Pomfret Audubon Society decided it was time for a new one–a bigger tractor to handle the over 1,500 acres that must be mowed every year.  “It’s quite a bit of land to maintain,” said Ben Williams, president of the Wyndham Land Trust.
   “We were way behind,” said Andy Rzeznikiewicz, land manager.  “And we needed a more heavy duty tractor to handle the amount of work.”  
   The Wyndham Land Trust put out an appeal for donations to reach their contribution of $5,000 toward the $26,000 new tractor purchase.  A large portion was raised during their annual pot luck supper held in October.  “It was an incredible response, probably the fastest we’ve ever gotten,” said  Williams, “and we are hugely grateful.  We are fortunate to live in such a community-minded and generous area.”  
   Only a small amount was needed to complete the fund raising.  Enter the Pomfret Horse and Trail Association.  The trail preservation group had already promised $1,000 raised mostly from an October trail ride on miles of local woods and fields.  Sixty-three riders participated making it the most successful in the group’s six-year history.  When they found out only $120 more was needed to complete the Wyndham Land Trust portion of the tractor purchase, they quickly agreed.  “It was our absolute pleasure to give the remaining $120 on top of the $1,000 we promised to the Wyndham Land Trust,” said Pomfret Horse and Trail president Penny Foisey.  “They are dedicated to keeping Pomfret open and green, and we totally support their efforts.”  She also noted that the Wyndham Land Trust has allowed Pomfret Horse and Trail members to ride on four of its open space tracts in Pomfret and Thompson.  “We are deeply indebted to the Wyndham Land Trust for keeping their land open and also accessible.  We wanted to show our gratitude.”
Rzeznikiewicz said the new tractor would be 50 horse power.  “Our old one was 35, just not able to handle the brush and grass cutting we had to do in order to keep fields and trails open to the public.  We’re looking forward to getting back to work, and we owe it to groups like Pomfret Horse and Trail for allowing us to do that.”