Andrew Warde High School Class of 1964 Holding 45-Year Reunion on July 11 in Milford

Andrew Warde High School's Class of 1964 is holding a 45-year reunion on Saturday, July 11, at Aldario's, 240 Naugatuck Avenue in Milford, from 7 to 11 p.m.

The event will feature a cash bar and a sit-down dinner. A disc jockey will play popular oldies from the early-to-mid 1960s. Casual dress attire is requested.

Tickets are $50 per person if ordered by May 31, $60 by June 15, and $70 by June 30. If you'd like to purchase tickets or know the whereabouts of any missing classmates, please contact Gloria Lockwood Evans at 255-6893 or lucyethel39@yahoo.com.

Paul

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Fairfield Board of Education 'Dishonored' the Names & Historical Significance of Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe & Alumni of Both Schools

I need to vent. After hearing from Lisa Grant, a direct descendant of Andrew Warde, and Tony Tylutki, a 1973 graduate of Andrew Warde High School, it's time I got something off my chest.

The Fairfield Board of Education made a tremendous mistake by not naming both public high schools in honor of Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe when it decided to reopen a second high school at the Ludlowe site on Unquowa Road in 2004. It was a slap in the face to two of Fairfield's most historic figures and generations of graduates from both schools.

I was a Board of Education representative on the Roger Ludlowe Middle School PTA executive board when my son attended sixth-grade, and it didn't take long to realize that more often than not the board will screw up any issue which needs to be resolved.

Redistricting? Leave it to the board to cave in to the parents and change the boundaries time and time again just to placate a few zealous parents. School names? Naturally, the board acquiesced to a handful of "newbies" who wanted "equality" in town. The "esteemed" members originally voted in favor of naming the high schools Fairfield East and Fairfield South five years ago. After an outrage from longtime residents, the board voted to change the names again!

"Too bad the town didn't revert back to the old school names like (the) Andrew Warde High School Crimson Eagles," wrote Tylutki in the Guest Book. "Fairfield Warde and Fairfield Ludlowe sound terrible, and (the new name) is a dishonor to the names of Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe."

I couldn't agree more. After reading about the life of Andrew Warde, courtesy of the painstaking research of descendent Lisa Grant, the Board of Education blew it. How many of today's high school students have any idea that their schools --- Fairfield Warde and Fairfield Ludlowe --- are named after two of Fairfield's most illustrious and historic figures?

I was the public address announcer at the Fairfield Warde girls' lacrosse home games and senior night for the boys' lacrosse team this Spring, and I can't tell you how insulted I was when I referred to the school as 'Fairfield Warde.' It seemed ridiculous. Fairfield Warde? No, you don't understand. This is Andrew Warde High School!

The Board of Education had a golden opportunity to celebrate the rich histories of Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe high schools by reverting to the original names when a second high school reopened in 2004. They didn't do it. That is an insult to all of the graduates of Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe and, more important, the legacy of both men, too.

Shame on the Fairfield Board of Education.

Paul

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Direct Descendent of Andrew Warde Shares Her Love for History as a Local Volunteer

Lisa Lynn Wilson Grant enjoys sharing her affinity for history as a local volunteer with several organizations. That shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, considering she is a direct descendent of Andrew Warde.

The man after whom our high school was named was the ninth great grandfather of Grant, a 1981 graduate of Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk. Although she's never been inside Warde High School, she remembers playing against the Crimson Eagles while she was a member of the Senators' field hockey and tennis teams.

Today, Lisa Grant is a member of the Rowayton Historical Society, chairs the Roton Point History Committee, and serves as volunteer coordinator for Shakespeare-on-the-Sound in Rowayton and Greenwich. Oh, and don't forget her tireless research on the life of Andrew Warde and his descendents. She's looking forward to a Roton Point history event in four weeks.

"We will have our History Day June 28th with a great film which truly brings the history to life, together with postcards and ephemera all about when Roton Point was an amusement park," she told me via email. "I am also working on an amusement park postcard history book with Arcadia Press on that topic."

Grant is also involved with another event to promote the history of Rowayton later this year. "Our Rowayton Historical Society is having a 'Rowayton History Day' on September 12th," she said. "I'm putting together a car show for it, and there will be cemetery tours. We will have our newly renovated museum open for that, plus our 50th anniversary book, Historic Rowayton, will be making its appearance."

Grant said she has documented her lineage to Andrew Warde, and she will share it with the Fairfield History Museum. "They have not met a descendent of Andrew Warde before, so I want to pull together all of this information," she pointed out. She will present the information to the Fairfield Historical Society.

Andrew Warde was born in Homersfield in Suffolk County, England in 1597. He was one of the founders of Wethersfield and Stamford, Connecticut. The inscription on his tombstone states that he was "an honored citizen of Fairfield, Conn. where he died in 1659." It further reads, "Member of a comission graunted to sev'al p'sons to governe the people att] Conecticott by the General Court of Massachusetts Bay under John Winthrop Jr. Governor 1635~1636."

Andrew Warde married Hester (or Esther) Sherman February 1, 1618 (or 1619) in Woodbury, Litchfield County, Connecticut. She was born April 1, 1606 in Dedam, Essex, England, and died February 28, 1665 (or 1666) in Fairfield. Their 10 children were Abigail, Edmund, William, Anne, Mary (who married John Burr), John, Sarah (who married Nathaniel Burr), Andrew, Samuel, and Esther.

Lisa is also a direct descendent of Andrew Warde, Jr., the eighth of the ten children born to Andrew and Hester. Andrew, Jr. was born in 1645. Take a look at the lineage below:

I think Mr. James Coyne, the headmaster of Warde, would be interested in knowing that a direct descendent of the man after whom his school is named is living in the area. By chance, I happened to read her message in the Guest Book, and I contacted Lisa immediately.

She will be a guest on News 12 Connecticut's Education Notebook in the near future. I hope to meet her by then.

Paul

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Legendary Andrew Warde High School Baseball Coach Bob Jackson Led Eagles to Unlikely 1962 FCIAC Eastern Division Crown 47 Years Ago Today

Andrew Warde High School's longtime legendary baseball coach, the late Bob Jackson, may have won his most satisfying and unlikely regular season championship 47 years ago today, Friday, May 25, 1962.

That's because the youthful Crimson Eagles rewarded their proud coach with the first of several possible prizes that appeared to be well beyond reach when the season started in April of 1962 with a squad that included only two returning varsity lettermen.

The orbiting Eagles regsitered their 12th straight victory and clinched the FCIAC Eastern Division championship by scoring two runs with two outs in the last of the seventh inning to edge Staples of Westport, 5-4, before an excited crowd at the Warde field.

The Crimson Eagles improved to 12-2 and remained three games ahead of second-place Brien McMahon of Norwalk with only two games remaining on the schedule.

Bob Ryan and Bill Binkiwitz drove in the last inning runs to keep the Warde winning streak alive. Ryan blasted a triple up the right-centerfield alley after a walk and a single put two men on base to even the score at 4-4 with the upset-minded Wreckers. Then Binkiwitz delivered a solid single into left field to plate Ryan with the payoff run.

Stalwart Larry Mischik, the number one starting pitcher in the Warde rotation, won his seventh straight game against only one loss, although the Eagles had to come from behind twice in the game. Mischik allowed only four hits and three walks while recording 10 strikeouts.

Bill Deegan, who relieved Joe DeMaria in the fourth inning, took the loss for Staples, although he did not allow a hit until the decisive seventh frame.

Today, a plaque sits just behind home plate at Warde's baseball field honoring and recognizing Jackson for his contributions to Roger Ludlowe and Andrew Warde high schools from 1955 to 1978. It reads, "His love for the game will always endure on this field."

Paul

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Fairfield Rotary Club Honored Select Group of Andrew Warde High School Seniors at Awards Luncheon 33 Years Ago This Week

The Fairfield Rotary Club honored a select group of 50 graduating students from Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe high schools with its annual Achievement Award at a luncheon meeting presentation ceremony 33 years ago this week.

The awards presentations were made to the students of the two schools by Warde headmaster Robert Genualdi and Dr. Michael Perrone of Ludlowe. Joyce Cohen, career education coordinator for the two public high schools, was the guest speaker for the gathering.

She told the gathering that she did not think many of the students knew what they would be doing 10 or 15 years later. Although many of them had a good idea of what they wanted to do and would likely follow through on their preferred carrer path, she noted that many would change their plans as they gain valuable experience.

Cohen said the career education program in Fairfield has been placing students in work situations corresponding to their career interests to give them a better idea what it is like. But the college diploma is not the key to employment like it used to be, she said. Employers are looking for a good attitude toward work and high motivation, the career education coordinator added.

Tom Knuth was one of the students from Warde who received the Achievement Award. "All I wanted to do senior year in high school was have fun, play basketball or tennis, go out with Terry Keating, and drive around in my '63 Belaire," he recalled via email. "I never could have dreamed that I would someday be a trauma surgeon, nevertheless in Detroit. I guess this is somewhat like dissecting frogs. Thank you, Mr. Honey and Mr. Donovan."

"I had the pleasure of having Tom in both my honors Biology class (ninth grade) and on the tennis team," wrote Mr. Honey, who is still teaching at Ludlowe High School. "It was when I first began coaching. Tom was an exceptional athlete as well as an excellent student. (He) played both basketball and tennis. He played varsity tennis all four years."

Honey added, "If memory serves me right, he and Andy Larsen played in the state finals as a doubles team. Another senior, John Hey, was the third member of their threesome. I remained close to all of them long after graduation."

In addition to Knuth, the students from Warde who received the award included Joy Ballerini, Concetta Bove, Charles Cannone, Lisa Cashavelly, Martha Causey, Charles Costa, Doug Coventry, Brad Dansky, Marilyn Dudas, Tom Fairfield, Robert Flug, Amy Hirsch, and Bob Isaacs.

Also receiving the award were Robin Jacobson, Mary Kapp, Bruce Kerns, Thomas Knuth, Laurie Komornik, Michael Maksymiw, Kim McGrath, Mary Palladino, Jeffrey Pittu, Judith Prober, Harvey Samowitz, and Jeffrey Zigun. I wonder, though, how many of those students from Warde followed through with their career aspirations when they were seniors in high school?

Paul

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Andrew Warde High School Film Students Witnessed Deadly New York Helicopter Accident Atop Pan Am Building 32 Years Ago Today

Fifteen Andrew Warde High School students who visited New York City 32 years ago today for a documentary film workshop were thrust into a "crash course" by recording a real-life tragedy first-hand. The seniors were on a field trip as part of their study of "Understanding Film."

After a day of filming tranquil scenes and landmarks throughout New York City, including the Statue of Liberty, the 19-member group found itself directing movie cameras at the horror of the aftermath of a tragic helicopter accident atop the Pan Am building, Monday, May 16, 1977.

"It had a sobering effect on the day, but an interesting one," recalled teacher Sheila Fenerty of Westport. Mrs. Fenerty, the 15 seniors in the class, and three chaperones had just finished a meal at a 42nd street restaurant when they were attracted by a commotion of people running toward the nearby accident scene.

"We looked up toward the Pan Am building and saw part of a propeller sticking out of a window about a third of the way up the building," she said. Mrs. Fenerty said the students had exhausted their supply of super eight movie film at that point in the day, but they purchased more and recorded the action around the building.

The helicopter passengers had paid $25 to ride a 30-seat Sikorsky S-61 from midtown Manhattan to Kennedy International Airport. The flight was to last 10 minutes. Several passengers had already boarded the aircraft and a dozen stood waiting when a landing-gear attachment malfunctioned.

The helicopter began to tilt, its blades cutting into some of the passengers in line. Four people waiting in line to board were killed. Parts of the helicopter rotors ricocheted from the roof of the building, soaring nearly two blocks and killing a pedestrian on the corner of 43rd street and Madison Avenue 59 stories below. An additional 13 people were injured.

A witness described the terrible scene in a New York Times article: “There was nothing but screaming and metal glass flying.” Another bystander reported, “Everyone threw themselves on the floor. There was blood all over everyone.”

I'm sure Sheila Fenerty and her fifteen students from Andrew Warde High School will never forget their field trip to New York City on Monday, May 16, 1977.

Paul

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Crimson Eagles' Stunning Come-From-Behind Upset Win at Ludlowe Shocked Tigers 33 Years Ago

Sean Gormely greeted relief pitcher Paul Klecko with a two-run single to highlight Andrew Warde High School's four-run seventh-inning rally as the Crimson Eagles defeated arch-rival Roger Ludlowe, 4-2, in an FCIAC baseball clash 33 years ago today.

Ludlowe entered the game as the heavy favorite on its march toward a state tournament berth in 1976. However, as cliche as it sounds, whenever Warde and Ludlowe met on the playing field, it was time to throw the record books out the window. In fact, Warde's Tony Procaccini said the players felt upbeat on the bus ride to Ludlowe.

"The collective attitude was very positive," he wrote via email. "We had suffered through a disastrous start to the season, to be followed by greatly improved fielding and pitching as the season moved into the warmer and more comfortable playing weather. We defeated three teams much stronger than us: Wilton, Trumbull and finally Ludlowe."

Senior lefthander Bob Henry, making only his second start of the season, teased the Flying Tigers with a three-hitter. He struck out seven in going the distance for the winning Eagles. "I told coach Bob Jackson, 'I want the ball,' for that game against our arch-rival Ludlowe," admitted Henry.

"I was very upset when Ludlowe's Jim Barletto hit a seeing eye two-run single off me that left us trailing, 2-0. My Dad was never prouder of me after the team came back to win that game," he added. Henry is pictured below pitching during a 1975 home game with centerfielder Jeff Hannon in the background.

Tigers' righthander Brian Lee, 1-2, was pitching a three-hit shutout entering the last inning when the Crimson Eagles rallied, sending 10 players to the plate. Scott Thornton opened the top of the seventh with a walk, one of four free passes issued by Ludlowe hurlers in the fatal frame.

Procaccini stepped to the plate next. "This at-bat is still crystal-clear in my mind," he wrote. "I was facing Brian Lee, a solid right-handed pitcher and multi-sport player, against whom I would eventually have much good fortune," added Procaccini, who had three hits against him in one Senior Babe Ruth game played that summer.

"The count went to three and two, and I fouled off about three or four pitches, battling Lee all the way," he remembered. "I recall concentrating on not falling behind the pitches; his fastball was quick, and I could have easily been whiffed. Then, I sliced a fastball on the outside part of the plate into left-center field, a solid line-drive single, advancing the runner to second."

Pinch-hitter Paul Rossitto laid down a perfect bunt along the third base line for a hit, loading the bases with nobody out. The pressure then fell squarely upon the shoulders of pinch hitter John Zadrovitz to keep the rally going. "I started the scoring by hitting a deep sac fly to the left field fence with the bases loaded in the seventh," pointed out Zadrovitz. His fly ball cut the deficit in half, 2-1.

"I was down, 0-2, on the count, and Brian Lee threw me a knuckleball that didn't do squat. He had thrown me a curve ball the previous pitch, and I was in a hole. I guess he was cocky, so he figured he would mess with me. Unfortunately, I had only warning-track power, but I still got us on the scoreboard. The rest is history."

Ludlowe coach Jack Mullady then brought in Klecko, and Gormely belted a 1-1 offering to centerfield, plating two more runs and giving Warde a 3-2 advantage. Frank Fekete walked with the bases loaded, allowing the fourth run to score.

Henry set down the Tigers in order in the last of the seventh inning, his fourth perfect inning of the game. He said his Dad had the game clippings, including a story from the Fairfield Citizen-News seen below, plastered all over the walls at the family gas station, Wells Rest Texaco, on Stratfield Road, until he finished managing the station in 1978.

Procaccini caught the last out, and he still has the baseball to this day. "I was absolutely ecstatic," he remembered. "Bob Henry, my close friend since grammar school, had pitched a great game, and we had defeated our cross-town enemies, in an otherwise dismal season."

He appeared with the baseball on News 12 Connecticut's Education Notebook program to promote the 30-year reunion three years ago, and he even brought the ball to the class reunion in August of 2006. "Having caught the last out, I decided to keep that ball forever," Procaccini admitted.

"It has remained with me ever since, along with the glove with which I caught it, and my cap, which sports a white italic-style W against the crimson color of our school. "TONY PRO," my nickname in high school, is still on the under-bill."

It was just the third league win in 10 outings for Warde, while Ludlowe's FCIAC record dropped to 6-5. Overall, the Crimson Eagles improved to 3-9 and the Tigers dropped to 9-5. Ultimately, the Eagles finished the season with a 6-12 record, while Ludlowe made the state tournament.

"Coach Ed Bengermino told me he remembers that game vividly," Procaccini pointed out. "Bob Jackson was the varsity coach in 1976, and Bengermino was JV baseball coach. But 'Bengie' came to our games when the JV games ended. Defeating our crosstown rivals in those circumstances was extremely satisfying, and meant much to us. We had decisively won 'bragging rights' which, for the seniors, means we keep it forever."

Paul

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Former Andrew Warde High School Baseball & Football Star Helps Open Staples High School's New 'Field of Dreams' as Wreckers' Coach

When Andrew Warde High School Class of 1984 product Jack McFarland, pictured at left, took over as head coach of the Staples High School baseball team five years ago, his vision of what he wanted the program to become was lofty, to say the least. After all, the former Crimson Eagle achieved tremendous success on the baseball diamond and football gridiron.

McFarland was a member of Warde's back-to-back Class LL state finalist baseball teams, winning the state championship in 1981. As a pitcher at Warde, Jack received All-County and All-State recognition. He holds the school record (18) for most strikeouts in one game. McFarland went on to play his college baseball at Southern Connecticut State University, and he started his coaching career as an assistant baseball coach at Fairfield High School for three years.

Today, just like he does as an assistant coach of the state powerhouse Staples football team, McFarland will settle for nothing but the best. On the field, the Wreckers captured the FCIAC title last season with a young but talented group. This Spring, they are currently 8-3 overall and riding a four-game winning streak. However, McFarland felt that he was coaching a championship-caliber team on a second-rate diamond.

"We were 11-4 on the road last year and 5-5 at home," the former Crimson Eagles' star quarterback said. "That had a lot to do with the field conditions and our pride in the field. It was embarrassing. There was nowhere for the fans to sit. We felt more comfortable in the nicer fields around the league like Trumbull and Darien. Of the 19 teams in the league, our home field was probably 17 or 18 on that list."

Thanks to the efforts of the Staples Baseball Diamond Club and a total group effort by Westport's baseball community, the Wreckers now have a field they'll be proud to call home. Staples has put the final touches on a refurbishing project which has completely changed the look and feel of its baseball complex, one whose aesthetics and practicality should place it among the top diamonds in the FCIAC. The Wreckers will celebrate their new jewel during a special ribbon-cutting ceremony prior to Monday's game against Wilton.

The upgrades to the baseball field include a completely replaced infield with new sod and dirt, the addition of a new irrigation and drainage system, new state-of-the art dugouts on each side of the diamond painted in Wrecker blue, a new batting cage behind the third-base dugout, a fenced-in bullpen with two mounds, outfield fencing from foul pole to foul pole, and perhaps the nicest amenity: a new set of bleachers cut into the hill on the first-base line that will hold 240 people.

There's even a tree-lined, brick-walk plaza near the edge of the parking lot where fans can gather before or during games. Finally, Staples has a field that mirrors the quality of its team. "We feel like we have a home field and a facility that matches what we need to compete in the FCIAC," said McFarland, who led Warde to a 26-6 1983 Thanksgiving Day football victory over Ludlowe during his senior year. "It's a beautiful field and a great place to watch a game."

"Jack has a very good vision for the program. He was hoping to improve the facility," said Mark Hennessy, a member of the Staples Baseball Diamond Club and one of the driving forces behind the refurbishment project. "I was so impressed by that, so I and a few others rallied around him and tried to figure out how we could help to make his vision a reality."

Staples has already played five home games on the field, and so far there's been nothing but rave reviews. The infield itself is a vast improvement over the old one, which often produced bad hops. "The infield before, we were just adding clay every year and trying to cut the lips out. We've been doing that for the past 34 years. It got to the point where it was almost dangerous last year," added McFarland, who resides in Monroe with his wife Norma, and four daughters - 12-year-old twins, Kelly and Kenzie, seven-year-old Megan, and Abby, who just turned three.

The dugouts feature 30 cubicles where players can store their equipment as well as bat racks and hooks for hats and jerseys. The bullpen is enclosed, making it safer than the previous warmup spot that pointed perpendicular to the field. "It's great," McFarland added. "You can get all your work done in the cage with both mounds facing in toward the plate. Before you were facing toward the foul line. Everything was done properly. We can get a pretty good practice in down there."

The fencing from the left field foul pole to center field is permanent. The fencing from center field to the right-field line can be broken down to accommodate soccer games. Fans will no longer have to plop down on the hill next to the first-base line in order to take in a game. A nice row of metal bleachers is now in its place, offering fans an unobstructed view of the action.

"No one ever had a place to watch the game before," McFarland said. "Now we actually offer a place to sit, which is great." The addition of the bleachers gives the field the look and feel of a mini stadium. "The bleachers give you an unbelievable view of the game because you're elevated above the playing field," McFarland said. "It reminds me of one of the fields up in Cape Cod. It's a great place to watch a game now."

Best of luck to Jack McFarland and his Staples Wreckers' baseball team as they play on their new "Field of Dreams."

Paul

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'Fiddler on the Roof' to be Performed on the Fairfield Warde High School Stage This Weekend

Fairfield Warde High School students are performing Fiddler on the Roof this weekend. Performances are scheduled Friday & Saturday evenings at 8 o'clock and Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock. The following article was written by Meg Barone and published in the Connecticut Post.

The acting skills of Fairfield Warde High School students led Mark Frattaroli to select an award-winning Broadway classic about the lives of Jewish villagers in early 20th century Russia as this year's spring musical. The students' production of "Fiddler on the Roof" concludes with a matinee performance this Sunday at 2 o'clock.

Frattaroli, an English and drama teacher at the school and director of "Fiddler on the Roof," said the musical production requires students to act and sing well. "I knew I had strong actors and you need strong actors," he said. The story line also calls on students to tackle both comedy and drama.

"It's really heartbreaking at the end, but not in a depressing way, and there's lots of comedy along the way," Frattaroli said.

"You get to do funny stuff but there are also dramatic scenes at the end of the show," said senior Andrew Pane, 18, who plays the lead role of Tevye the milkman. Tevye must deal with raising five daughters and the break with long-held religious traditions amid the turmoil of displacement.

Pane said he took the task so seriously he found himself inhabiting the character even when he was not rehearsing. "It was really interesting to get into Tevye's head, and there were points I was in my car talking in the character's voice about his childhood past "¦ He's a lot more realistic than other characters I've played and yet he is a little whimsical," he said. The role is a demanding one.

Although there is a large cast and crew of about 40 students, Tevye is the main character and is in all but three brief scenes, so Pane is on stage for almost the entire show.

Junior Erica Intilangelo, 16 (seen in photo at left), said she had a difficult time at first identifying with her character, Hodel, Tevye's second daughter who is witty and outgoing and yet mysterious. The three-month rehearsal process helped her explore the role.

Johnny Shea, a 14-year-old freshman who plays Motel the tailor, an untraditional suitor for one of the daughters, said his character is nervous and afraid of everything. "It was hard to portray that kind of emotion, but I've learned a lot," he said, and not just about acting. "It's been cool to learn about the culture and the traditions of the time period and the Jewish faith," Shea said.

Frattaroli said "Fiddler on the Roof" is a great show for the chorus, too. "They don't just sing and go away until the next scene or stand around and watch the principals. They are engaged in the story so it's fun for the kids in the chorus," he said.

They also get to sing some great music, including, "Sunrise, Sunset," "If I Were a Rich Man" and "Matchmaker, Matchmaker." The Matchmaker, whose name is Yente, is played by Katie Langham, 15, a sophomore.

"I'm having fun with it. It's my favorite role," Katie said. "There's so much artistic freedom. You can play her any number of ways and they're all right," She chose to portray Yente in a loud and obnoxious way.

Performances of "Fiddler on the Roof" are scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the Fairfield Warde High School auditorium, 755 Melville Ave. All tickets cost $10 and are available at the door. No reservations will be taken before the performances.

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".