First Fridays
celebrates WWII
PUTNAM — July 3 Main Street will be transformed to a bygone era as First Fridays celebrates WWII & the Arts. From 6 to 9 p.m., the public is invited to join in the festivities with dozens of vendors, live performances, and community art projects. This third month of the season continues the exploration of the 2015 theme A Century of Art, with a focus on the 1940s. Throughout the evening, patrons will catch a glimpse of the art, music, and pop culture that defined the decade.
The United States was forever changed during WWII, with thousands of service men and women giving a new definition to the term “hero.” During the 1940s, art – music, film, and entertainment – worked to boost morale and encouraged support for the war effort. With the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, this month’s event will feature several performances that celebrate the heroes of the era. The event will begin with a live performance of the National Anthem at 5:45 pm. The evening will also feature a military Color Guard as well as pop up performances of patriotic songs. Visitors will also have a chance to view items from WWII on display courtesy of the Aspinock Historical Society. In honor of the 70th anniversary of the conclusion of the war, there will be a reenactment of a famous photo, sure to add a “kiss” of excitement to the evening.
Entertainment and art were an important part of WWII, with film and print media each playing a role in the war effort. Actresses of silver screen fame like Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth became “pinups” with photos and posters lining the walls of military ships and tanks, boosting morale. In contrast to the darkness of war, pinup art, including the famous “nose art” of WWII planes and jets, helped to add bright and hopeful imagery to keep airmen company during their time in the sky.
Likewise, this decade was the golden era of comic books, with sales of these inexpensive magazines increasing dramatically during the war. With stories depicting heroes triumphing over evil, and often including patriotic themes, comic books were the perfect way to engage and encourage young readers in this time of conflict. Embodying the connection between comic books and WWII is Captain America, a popular comic book superhero of the time.
For the July 3 event, visitors are encouraged to dress up as their favorite comic book hero or 1940s era pinup. For those who dress up, there will be official First Fridays Pinup Girls handing out prizes disguised as “War Bonds” to those with the most impressive costumes. The Community Arts table will also feature comic book strips for children to decorate and color. Younger attendees are also encouraged to be on the lookout for comic book themed villains in the crowd during the event. And in keeping with the popularity of radio entertainment of the 1940s, The Amazing Taylors will feature a live radio “broadcast” complete with sound effects.
Combined with the above WWII themed events and features, there will also be over two dozen art vendors, live music by the KC Moaners as well as the Cove Street Band, gallery openings, Art Attacks, and more. All are welcome to this free, award-winning outdoor art festival. For more information, visit: www.discoverputnam.com.
caption :
Association
Chief
Putnam Police Chief Rick Hayes, center, was named president of the CT police association. Left: Putnam Mayor Anthony Falzarano. Right: State Rep. Daniel Rovero. Courtesy photo.
Special to the Putnam Town Crier
Putnam Police Chief Rick L. Hayes was inducted as the president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association at the organization’s recent annual meeting. Hayes, whose police career spans 28 years, was sworn in by 51st Assembly District State Representative and former Putnam Mayor Daniel S. Rovero.
On hand for the ceremony in addition to Rovero was Putnam Mayor Tony Falzarano, Putnam Deputy Chief Lee Konicki and Police Department administrative staff Lisa Torgan and Carol Pacheco. Hayes’ wife Kathy and his brothers Donald and Peter were also on hand to witness the swearing-in.
The Connecticut Police Chiefs Association includes 106 chiefs of police representing 92 Connecticut municipalities, eight universities and special chiefs. The organization represents more than 6,700 police officers throughout the State.
In accepting the position Hayes noted that his goal is to continue advancing the goals of the organization, which is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of the residents of Connecticut and aiding other government bodies within and external to Connecticut in the administration of justice, ensuring that all are treated equally before the law. It also strives to provide service to the public of the highest attainable quality by constantly searching for those methods that will keep Connecticut law enforcement in the forefront of public safety issues.
“I’ve served as chairman of the organization’s training committee, which has helped me to bond with many of the chiefs from around the State. I want to continue to enhance the support we provide to each other in times of need,” said Hayes.
Hayes, who’s served as Putnam Chief of Police since 2006, is a nine-year member of the Connecticut organization, serving on the Board of Directors for the past six years. In 2014-2015 he served as the association’s 1st vice president.
As president he will preside over the four general meetings of the association as well as meeting with the Board of Directors and executive committee every other month. He will also work closely with the governmental office legislative committee on policy affecting law enforcement throughout Connecticut. An additional duty is the swearing in of all new recruits graduating from the Police Academy.
Since becoming Putnam Chief of Police, Hayes has been progressive in implementing a number of new programs and improving on others that were previously in existence. He’s enhanced the bicycle patrol, formed the department’s auxiliary force, expanded the canine force and most recently has accepted surplus equipment from the Federal government. In 2013 he was recognized by the Exchange Club of Northeastern Connecticut and the Connecticut District Exchange as a “Connecticut’s Finest” honoree.
Then
This is the Rt. 44 bridge just after the Flood of 1955. Putnam Town Crier file photos.
& Now
This is the same bridge today. Repairs are slated to be finished by November.
Summertime
Soft ferns run rampant behind an aging wooden gate. More summer on page 6. Linda Lemmon photo.
DKH cuts
restored;
new fund
will add
more help
PUTNAM – After months of doubt and concern about state funding for their hospital, Day Kimball officials June 29 lauded state Senator Mae Flexer (D- Killingly) and state Representatives Christine Rosati and Danny Rovero (D-Killingly) for fighting to not only restore the hospital cuts made in Governor Malloy’s proposed budget, but to give Day Kimball $1.6 million more over the next two years than they received in the last two-year state budget.
“Our community rallied, our legislators rallied in the face of unprecedented budget challenges,” Day Kimball President and CEO Robert E. Smanik said today. “It is a new day at Day Kimball and for northeastern Connecticut because of your efforts. The new Small Hospital Fund erases the deficit created under the governor’s original budget, and for that we are extremely grateful.”
“This is truly good news for all of us today,” Day Kimball Board of Directors Chairman Joseph Adiletta said. “On behalf of the Day Kimball Board of Directors, I’d like to thank our community and our legislative delegation for continuing to support the mission of Day Kimball.”
“We know how vital Day Kimball is to our community, and the three of us made that case in Hartford,” Sen. Flexer said, referring to herself and Reps. Rosati and Rovero. “It has been made easier because of all the great support we received from the hospital and the northeastern Connecticut community. With that support we were able to erase a deficit in state funding and provide an unprecedented increase of $1.6 million.”
“This is how it’s supposed to work – we hear your voices, we received your messages, we carried them to Hartford and we got a good outcome,” Rep. Rosati said. “We appreciate Day Kimball and we want to support you.”
“The three of us, we worked very, very hard and we accomplished something,” Rep. Rovero said. “I think in the end Day Kimball Hospital will do better than most any hospital in Connecticut.”
In the budget originally proposed by Governor Malloy back in February, a number of hospitals in Connecticut – including Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam – lost a lot of state funding.
But after an outcry from Day Kimball officials and community members – including 2,500 petitions delivered to Gov. Malloy by Sen. Flexer and Reps. Rosati and Rovero asking for him to rescind his hospital cuts — Sen. Flexer and Reps. Rovero and Rosati fought for the creation of a brand new category of funding for state hospitals: the “small hospital fund.”
This is a new pool of state funding for hospitals that have fewer than 160 beds, are not part of a larger hospital group and are not in contiguous towns (i.e. towns that share a common border). Only six hospitals in Connecticut qualify for that new “small hospital” pool of funding: Day Kimball Hospital gets $3 million from this new pool of funding, which is $7 million more over the biennium than Gov. Malloy proposed in his February budget and $1.66 million more over the next two years than Day Kimball had received in the past two years.