Come Fly With the Eagles

Classmate Floyd Scholz invites all AWHS Class of 1976 alumni and friends to a celebration of the release of his new book, Golden Eagle, this coming weekend at the Connecticut Audubon Society on Congress Street in Fairfield. The show and sale, which takes place May 4, 5, and 6, will feature a behind-the-scenes look at the art of bird carving.

Floyd will be joined by 20 other bird carvers from around North America in a rare opportunity to view and perhaps purchase an assembled collection of some of the finest bird carvings and bird art to be seen anywhere.

Floyd is universally recognized as one of the preeminent woodcarvers and painters in the world. Now in his 38th year of carving, he has enjoyed tremendous success as a professional artist, author, teacher and musician. His portrayals of eagles, hawks, owls and other large birds have won him a large, enthusiastic international following.

As the author of five award-winning books on the art form, his in-depth knowledge of birds, especially raptors, and bird carving and painting techniques combined with an easy going and engaging teaching style have enabled Floyd to influence a whole generation of wildfowl carvers and artists.

The bird sanctuary has a spacious visitor's center. If you'd like more information, please call the Connecticut Audubon Society at 888-994-2473, or check the Web at www.vermontraptoracademy.com or www.ctaudubon.org.

Some classmates will convene for food and drink this Friday evening, May 4, at The Bear and Grill Restaurant, 2000 Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield from 7 to 11 p.m. All are welcome to join the get-together.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Class of 1976 Guest Book.

Visit the AWHS Class of 1976 Gift Shop.

"Gimme a W, Gimme an A ... "

Cheerleaders are an integral part of the sports landscape today, often enduring grueling practice sessions, perfecting gymnastic routines, and staying athletically fit. Cheerleading competitions are as intense any battles on the basketball court, baseball diamond, or football gridiron.

During our days at Andrew Warde High School, the cheerleaders played an active role in supporting our sports teams and encouraging our classmates to do the same. Whether it was a Crimson Eagles' victory over Ludlowe on the football field or a difficult defeat at the hands of an FCIAC foe, our cheerleaders always kept a positive outlook.

During our senior year of 1975-76, the cheerleaders had their hands full inspiring school spirit. There were some disappointing moments in Warde sports, but the girls kept enthusiasm high at all times.

For the Thanksgiving Day football game against Ludlowe, the girls led a huge motorcade across town to spur the Crimson Eagles' gridders to their second victory over their cross-town rivals. The crowd also got to see the only "coed" cheerleading performance of the year.

According to the Flame yearbook, "The cheerleaders also supported our young basketball team, which included braving the streets of Bridgeport at night to cheer the boys on to a thrilling victory over Kolbe."

Captains Theresa Mortimer and Stacey Marden provided the leadership along with returning cheerleaders Noreen Gramigna and Mary Lou Mortimer. Debbie Kressu and Diane Norman led the successful junior varsity cheerleaders in their fine support of the JV teams.

According to the yearbook, "All the girls deserve congratulations for a great year and thanks for their unending support."

Stacey offered this corner a few photos to use on the blog. I invite any cheerleaders and classmates to share their memories in the "comments" link below.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Class of 1976 Guest Book.

Visit the AWHS Class of 1976 Gift Shop.

Tennis Season Brings Back Fond Memories

This week marks the opening of the high school tennis season for the Fairfield Warde boys' and girls' teams. Obviously, James Blake is the one name which comes to mind when thinking about the great tennis players who have called our Melville Avenue high school campus home.

Blake, currently one of the top-ranked players in the world, played at Fairfield High School and was an all-FCIAC selection from 1994 through 1997. In fact, the Warde tennis courts were dedicated and named after Blake last year. His brother, Tom, was an all-FCIAC selection from 1992 through 1994.

Over a generation ago, however, classmate co-captain Andy Larsen was making a name for himself on the Fairfield County high school tennis courts. Larsen was named to the All-FCIAC squad all four years (1973 through 1976). Classmate and fellow co-captain Tom Knuth joined Larsen on the all-league team during our senior year at Andrew Warde.

Their state doubles championship was voted the most memorable athletic achievement during the 1975-76 school year in our recent online poll. Larsen and Knuth garnered 45% of the votes, well ahead of three other sports achievements. The baseball team's dramatic 4-2 come-from-behind victory over Ludlowe, the girls' basketball team's FCIAC championship, and Floyd Scholz new high jump record each received 18% of the votes. The poll was taken over a two-week period.

The boys' tennis team ended the 1976 season with an 8-5 record. Larsen and Knuth were aided a great deal by junior Larry Levine, who received the most valuable player award and finished with the most individual victories. Sophomore Paul Larsen and freshman Gary Khachian played very well throughout the year, too. The Crimson Eagles finished a very respectable third in the 1976 Connecticut Class LL tennis tournament.

Andy Larsen earned his third state tennis championship during our senior year. According to the Flame yearbook, it was "an achievement that will be hard to match for future Warde players. Andy Larsen and Tom Knuth have both finished sparkling careers as tennis players at Warde and will most likely continue playing in college. Warde should be proud of these two athletes."

Share your memories of Larsen, Knuth, and the tennis team in the "comments" section below.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Class of 1976 Guest Book.

Visit the AWHS Class of 1976 Gift Shop.