Andrew Warde High School Drafting Students Won Awards at CCSC 37 Years Ago This Week

Patrick Dizney has been teaching at Warde High School for parts of five decades, and he has no plans to retire any time soon. Some of his drafting students at Andrew Warde High School earned awards for their work at the 1975 Teachers' Spring Convention at Central Connecticut State College in New Britain, according to a newspaper story which was published 37 years ago today. More than 1,500 entries from schools throughout Connecticut were displayed at the fair.

Students from Barlow house, under the guidance of Ted Merrill, received four first place prizes, five second place prizes, and nine third place prizes. The recipients of first place prizes were Dan Provolo (screw drives), Mike Jenkins (industrial design), Joe Macaluso (drilling and tapping), and Ken Catandella (tricycle tractor).

Second place prize awards were given to John Varholak (c-clamp), Rob Scotti (screwdrivers), Bob Diujak (vise), Phil Cerrone (vise), and Pete Talbott (pipe vise). Brad Lockwood won second place for his instant replay system for electronics 30, instructed by Paul Lewis.

Third place awards were given to Joe Hamilton (V-block), Tyler Witco (V-block), John Fraser (chain link), Jim Mamrus (c-clamp), Jerry Barrett (drag strut), Mark Waxman (rocket drafting), Lynn Bensey (vise), Kevin Conway (doctrun system), and Jody Goven (flap link).

"I do remember winning the award, vaguely at this time," recalled Waxman, a 1976 graduate of Warde. "I did have an interest in drafting and architecture, and Ted Merrill's class provided an opportunity to work on that. At one point, I was seriously considering being an architect." Waxman, whose winning project was a Saturn 5, won a number of awards for rockets he constructed and flew.

"I was really into model rocketry back in high school," Waxman admitted. "I was a member of the NAR, (the) National Association of Rocketry. In fact, the leader of the local group, a great guy named G. Harry Stine, ran the local club at the YMCA down in Greenwich, I believe. Harry Stine was the founder of the NAR, as well as a science and science fiction author."

Waxman had praise for his former teacher, too. "I remember Ted as a nice teacher," he said. "We had a lot of very talented artists and draftspeople in class. He was very supportive."

General shop students from Wolcott House, instructed by Dizney, took six second place awards and six third place awards. Second place winners included Kal Nagy, Chris O'Day, John Molner, Richard Linley (a freshman in the middle of the photo above), and Jim Anderson. Third prize winners were Mike Adams, Mike Crittenden, Russ Bertman, and Jeff Becher. Earl Kline received one second prize and two thirds.

Wiley Bowling, the coordinator of the Industrial Arts for the Fairfield Public Schools, said, "We were well represented and did very well. The competition was stiff. Schools such as Stamford always present beautiful work. However, from the results of the judging, it's obvious we have very talented students who do beautiful work, too. We're all very proud of them."

Paul