What Bob Miller meant to Putnam - in mural form
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The Robert Miller Park is transformed from a tangle of weed trees and weeds to a shining representation of Miller’s transformative effect on the community.
And that transformation continued July 10 with the installation of two murals by local artist Elaine Turner.
Town officials, family and friends and park contributors gathered to watch the unveiling. 
It began at an Aspinock Historical Society meeting when President John Miller and board members asked out loud, what else can we do for the park. The large “whiteboard” kiosk had two blank spots — perfect for two murals that told Robert Miller’s story, honored him. Turner, a board member, said she looked through photos and memorabilia and tried connect with what Robert Miller was all about, how much he did for the community. One mural, called “Connecticut Home Guard,” noted his service to the scouts, family and the U.S. Army (WWII). The second mural noted Miller as VP of National Chromium as a beacon of customer service, quality and also community service as the town historian and so much more.
The two murals join the garden, a map of the River Trail, a plaque honoring Miller, a replica of the Putnam High School Wall of Honor plaque honoring Miller, and a plaque honoring all those who have helped transform the park including: the Putnam Economic and Community Development Department, Chace Building Supply, Centreville Bank, the Putnam Recreation Department, National Chromium, the Aspinock Historical Society and the Miller and extended family. There are also commemorations for Kenneth Gunsalas, Scout leader, and the Putnam Industrial Corporation. 
Mayor Barney Seney said Miller helped save the history of Putnam through the Aspinock Historical Society. “If you don’t have that history, you don’t have anything,” he said. 
Turner said she delved into Bob Miller. “I wanted to depict how hard he worked; how joyful he was to represent the military. He was dedicated to service.”
Turner said last summer “we started the conversation about what we should put up here.” She said she loves doing storyboards — to tell a story through art. So she spent the summer gathering information and pictures and stories and she said she began “in earnest” in the fall, sketching and starting to paint. A broken wrist in December delayed the work for about three months. Then it was about four months of “serious painting.” The murals are on a material called Polytab and the paintings are sealed. That is adhered to an aluminum sheet, so if the wood underneath begins to rot, the mural can be removed, the wood replaced and the mural put back up.
She likened it to a collage of someone’s life. “I gather information and stories and pictures and then I close my eyes, and I just try to envision what that story would look like in an art form. And that vision slowly becomes the reality.”
He did so many important things she couldn’t even fit it all. 
Turner said doing the murals was an honor. 

caption, page 1:
Family, friends, the mayor, the Aspinock Historical Society and artist Elaine Turner (in blue) in front of the two murals unveiled last week. More photos on page 4. Expanded photo array Wed. night on our FB page. Linda Lemmon photo.

page 4:
Family, friends, the mayor, the Aspinock Historical Society and artist Elaine Turner (in blue) in front of the two murals unveiled last week. More photos on page 4. Expanded photo array Wed. night on our FB page. Linda Lemmon photo.