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PUTNAM — The Putnam Police Department need help identifying the subject involved in a larceny Nov. 24 at Price Chopper.
The involved individual was seen leaving the parking lot in a blue Nissan Altima.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Police Officer Roy Hicks at 860-928-6565. Tips can also be called in to the tip-line at 860-963-0000 or made through the web site at www.putnampolice.com.  

 

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PSA coach Tom Espinosa pulled a couple of his players into his office last week for a little pep talk, if you will.
Specifically, he told Miles Rose and Will Lovings-Watts that the Mustangs needed more from them, and that they needed to be more aggressive, more selfish.
Both players responded Dec. 1, Rose attacking the rim to open up space for his jumper and Lovings-Watts letting his shot fly when it was there, and PSA rolled to its ninth consecutive win, 106-46 over Hoosac.
Rose finished with 12 points and just strong all-around play. Rose’s game was a continuation of an all-around better showing from him this year as compared to last. He had 12 points, four assists, and four steals in a win over Busche Academy the night before, a performance that Espinosa termed “phenomenal.”
His overall season numbers don’t jump off the page (he’s averaging six points and two assists), but make no mistake, the St. Bonaventure-bound Rose has been a different player.
“My coaches have been telling me to have more confidence and look to make more plays,” said Rose, who also played a terrific game Wednesday night, “so that’s what I’m trying to do. When they tell me that, it shows that they have confidence in me.
“If you see me trying to make plays for myself and my teammates, that’s when I’m feeling good.”
Said Espinosa: “He’s 6-5, strong, athletic. When he’s playing with confidence, he’s one of the best guards in New England prep school basketball. He has to continue to have that confidence and be mentally tough.”
For his part, Lovings-Watts had 20 points (including two on a wicked two-handed alley oop) and six rebounds Dec. 1 in a game in which the Mustangs were flying around the court in the first half, pressuring ballhandlers, contesting passes and shots, just making it very hard for Hoosac to do anything. PSA led 53-20 at the break.
“We wanted to be fired up from the beginning of the game and make a statement,” Espinosa said. “I was really, really happy after the first 20 minutes and they had 20 points. Hoosac’s a good team, and to hold them or anyone to 20 points, you have to play really, really hard to do that. They were not comfortable for a second in that first half.”
Wednesday night, PSA handled Busche Academy, 110-73, behind 11 points and 16 rebounds from Mouhamed Dioubate. In addition to him and Rose, five other Mustangs scored in double figures, led by Darryl Simmons (17 points, plus five assists and two steals), Blake Barkley (14 points), Duane Thompson (13), Lovings-Watts (12), and Ty Foster (11).
The week didn’t end as well however, as PSA lost 67-63 to Bradford Christian Academy at the Zero Gravity Prep Classic Dec. 3.
“It was a battle. They defended, we defended for the most part,” Espinosa said. “We’re struggling to score, and we’re not the toughest team, mentally or physically. We’re trying to make them tough. We’re not there yet.”
Meanwhile, PSA’s Elite boys’ team won two of its three games last week. Thierry Lokrou had a season-high 38 points Nov. 28 in a 105-87 win over Hamden Hall. Yhali Steinhauer finished with 17 points, and Travis Upchurch had 16 for the Mustangs, who went on a 15-1 run early in the second half to open up the game.
Lokrou had 22 points Dec. 1 and Bennett Pegues hit seven 3-pointers to finish with 21 points, and PSA came away with an impressive 82-63 win over Hoosac.
“I don’t think I’ve ever hit seven 3s in one game,” Pegues said. “For the most part, I’ve been able to shoot, but not lights out like that. I didn’t know how many I had, but I knew I was hot. As a team, we were moving the ball pretty well and my teammates were finding me at the right times where I could either shoot right away or make a move to create some space.”
Lokrou had 21 points and Steinhauer finished with 10 Dec. 2, but the Mustangs (3-4) struggled mightily to mount much offense in a 59-38 loss to New Horizons, out of Canada, at the Zero Gravity Prep Showcase.
PSA’s Varsity team split a pair of games, topping St. Andrews 69-33 Dec. 2 in a game in which 13 of the Mustangs’ 14 players scored, led by Shane Sebastian-Smalls, who finished with 12, and Mario Espinoza, who had 11. The Mustangs (2-1) were overpowered by a much older team Nov. 30 when they dropped a 96-76 decision to Fisher College’s JV team, despite 22 points from Michael Olorunsola, 16 from Vlad Vetrov, and 15 from Taras Poliuchovic.
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

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Honored
Woodstock athletes who received All-State honors, ECC Div. 1 All-Star and ECC honorable mentions. Photo by Sean Saucier/Woodstock Academy.


Fall athletes gathered for a final time together for the school’s annual Fall Sports Awards Night.
The coach’s awards go to athletes who demonstrate a hard-working, unselfish, positive and competitive attitude and, in the eyes of their coach, is a model participant that other athletes should aspire to be like.
The 2022 fall sports coach’s awards recipients: Boys’ cross-country - Varsity: Vincente Bastura, Colton Sallum; JV: Garrett Poitras. Girls’ cross-country - Varsity: Lauren Brule, Sydney Lord; JV: Elizabeth Morgis. Fall Cheerleading - Varsity: Kathryn Guillot, Catherine O’Brien. Volleyball - Varsity: Leila MacKinnon, Sophie Gronski; JV: Jacqueline Dearborn; Freshman: Alexa Delmonaco. Field Hockey - Varsity: Abigail Converse, Ava Basak; JV: Audrey MacPherson. Football - Varsity: Jared Eaton, Trevor Savoie; JV: Aiden Brailsford. Unified Soccer - Athlete: Deven Santa Cruz; Partner: Isabella Sorrentino. Boys’ Soccer - Varsity: Noah Page, Wyatt Robbie. JV: Christopher Kirkconnell. Girls’ Soccer - Varsity: Paige Owens, Rebecca Nazer; JV: Madison Bloom.
Fall athletes who achieved All-State and All-ECC status were also recognized.
Senior soccer player Grace Gelhaus was named a Class L All-State performer by the Connecticut Girls Soccer Association; fellow senior Morgan Bonin was a Connecticut High School Coaches Association Class L Volleyball All-State performer and sophomore Christian Menounos, who became the first Centaurs boys’ cross-country runner to compete in the New England championship since 2004, earned CHSCA All-Stater honors for his performance in the CIAC State Open championship.
Gelhaus and fellow senior Wyatt Robbie were both selected to play in the Soccer Senior Bowl matches and Bonin was selected to play in the CHSCA Senior Class LL and L All-Star volleyball match. Gelhaus was named ECC Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Athletes who were named ECC Division I All-Stars included: Girls’ soccer - Grace Gelhaus, Freya Robbie, Leah Costa; Volleyball - Morgan Bonin, Liliana Bottone, Sophie Gronski; Football: Braiden Saucier, Carter Saracina, Kenny Brown, Marcus McGregor, Evan Roy, Seamus McDermott, Austin Amlaw, Jacob Lizotte ;Boys’ Cross-Country - Christian Menounos, Vincente Bastura; Girls’ Cross-Country - Lauren Brule, Julia Coyle, Olivia Tracy; Boys’ soccer: Wyatt Robbie.
ECC honorable mention awards: Girls’ soccer: Lennon Favreau.; Football: Trevor Costa, Henry Wotton; Boys’ Cross-Country: Colton Sallum; Boys’ Soccer: Noah Page, Jeffrey Phongsa.
The Woodstock Academy recipients of Scholar-Athlete and Sportsmanship Awards were: Scholar-Athlete – Girls’ Soccer: Lennon Favreau; Volleyball - Leila MacKinnon; Football - Jackson Gallagher; Boys’ Cross-Country - Vincente Bastura; Girls’ Cross-Country: Lauren Brule; Field Hockey: Sophia Petrella; Boys’ Soccer: Brian Jameson
Sportsmanship: Girls’ Soccer - Kayla Leite; Volleyball - Ellie Nunes; Football - Jared Eaton; Boys’ Cross-Country - Garrett Poitras; Girls’ Cross-Country -Sydney Lord; Field Hockey - Chloe Nason; Boys’ Soccer - Owen Tracy.
The girls’ soccer team was recognized for having the top collective grade point average among the fall sports programs for the first quarter of the academic year. The volleyball team was selected as best-dressed.
It was the last awards night for Woodstock Academy boys’ cross-country coach Peter Lusa as it was announced that he was stepping aside as both boys’ cross-country and outdoor track head coach. Lusa has been at the helm of both programs for the last 14 years.
“It was just time,” Lusa said.  Lusa said it was a difficult decision but one that was actually made some time ago. “I made it early in the season and just tried to make sure that I got things done through the end of the season."
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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Franklin A. Converse Jr., Korean war veteran
WOODSTOCK — Franklin A. Converse Jr., 90, of Prospect Street, died Dec. 2, 2022, at home. He was the husband of Patsy (Howard) Converse for 67 years.
Born in 1932 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Franklin and Bertha (Dodge) Converse.
Franklin served with the U.S. Air Force during the Korean war, being honorably discharged on Nov. 13, 1955, at Wolters Air Force Base in Mineral Springs, Texas.  
He obtained the rank of sergeant during his service in Korea.
Mr. Converse worked for American Optical for over 47 years, primarily in the powerhouse, retiring in 1995.
In his youth he worked as a farm hand on the family farm on Converse Road.
Frank loved his family, more than anything.
He also enjoyed golfing, gardening, and woodworking.
He built the house he resided in since 1958.  
His woodworking skills were well known, and he generously gave many furniture pieces to family, friends, and neighbors. He was equally skilled at gardening.  
He took pride in having the first mature corn in town, and likely the only okra grower in East Woodstock.
He leaves two sons, Glenn Converse (Diane) and David Converse (Lynn); daughter-in-law, Susan Converse; grandchildren Tom Jr. (Amanda), Jillian (Jordan), Scott (Alyse), Ian, Adam (Allison), and Heather; great-grandchildren Abigail, Kaylyn, and Tommy; brother, John Converse. Franklin is predeceased by his son, Thomas Converse, and sister Pricilla Cady.  
Frank was a three-season athlete during his time at Woodstock Academy, and awarded Outstanding Senior Athlete in 1950.  He regularly attended his children’s, grandchildren’s, and great grandchildren’s sporting events.
Funeral services are private.
Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.

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