Mr. Raymond Buzak Featured in Newspaper Article on This Date in 1968

Mr. Raymond Buzak, who passed away December 19, 2010, was a highly-educated teacher of drama and English Speech for 15 years at Central High School in Bridgeport and 16 years at Andrew Warde High School in Fairfield. Buzak, who received his degrees from the University of Connecticut and Fairfield University, was the subject of a feature story in the Bridgeport Sunday Post on this date, August 18, 1968. The following is the text of the article.

What do school teachers do during the Summer? Directing a play with adults is a change of pace for a drama teacher accustomed to working with teenagers during the year. Raymond Buzak, a teacher of drama and speech at Andrew Warde High School, is a talented actor as well as director.

The current production at the Polka Dot Playhouse of Agatha Christie's mystery-melodrama "The Mousetrap" was directed by Mr. Buzak. And, in the special showing of "Oliver!" which opened the season, he played the central role of Fagin in the Lionel Bart musical.

Like many schoolteachers, Mr. Buzak can look back on a variety of Summer experiences. He has sold encyclopedias and worked in a costume shop. He has even worked as a bookkeeper.

Some of his Summers were spent attempting to save historical buildings and items threatened by both redevelopment and progress. Some of the Summers were spent studying. He received his master's degree in supervision at Fairfield University and sixth-year certificate in speech therapy at Southern Connecticut State College.

His educational labors were balanced with European trips and by the excitement of helping to build the Polka Dot Playhouse in Bridgeport. His association with the theatre extends back 11 years.

Mr. Buzak is currently making plans for his work in the Fall with the Andrew Warde High School Thespians, who will be performing either "Can, Can" or "How to Succeed in Business." For next Spring, he is thinking about directing a serious drama, such as "The Lark."

Mr. Buzak is also planning a cross-country trek with his family of three children and his wife Carolyn. He is also thinking of European tours. If Mr. Buzak doesn't wind up in Ethiopia in some educational and cultural endeavor, there is a good possibility that he will be seen at the Polka Dot Playhouse, offstage, backstage, and onstage.

Mr. Raymond Buzak was a charter member of The Polka-Dot Playhouse, and he enjoyed playing many roles. An activist in the city of Bridgeport, he was a member of the Historical Society and had championed the "Save the Wheeler Mansion." During his retirement, Mr. Buzak did extensive volunteer work with the VNA, Geriatric Groups, prison ministries, and the Wednesday Afternoon Music Club, performing at various churches in Southport, Fairfield, Westport, and the Fairfield Recreation Department.

Paul

Classic 1976 Film Re-Mixed for More Features

Special thanks to Darryl O'Donnell of darrylo.com in Fairfield for re-mixing the classic eight-minute video from 1976 onto a new Web site. This makes it easier to start, stop, pause, search the frames, and view full-screen. It can also be exported to Facebook and Twitter. I hope you enjoy it.
  

Paul

Andrew Warde High School's Class of 1982 Had a Successful 30-Year Reunion Last Saturday

Andrew Warde High School's Class of 1982 recently held its 30-year reunion at the Trumbull Marriott, last Saturday, August 4. The approximately 60 guests enjoyed scrumptious, hand-passed appetizers as well as carving and pasta stations set up around the Grand Ballroom.

Music was provided by BlackJack Entertainment, and the DJ had the members of the Class of 82 on the dance floor the entire evening.

Keith Anderson, who served as the reunion coordinator, said, "Although our numbers were down from the past reunions, the people who came had a fantastic time and kept the party going until the wee hours of the morning."

He added, "We are looking to do our next reunion at the new Penfield Pavilion and hope to bring out even more of our classmates." Click the banner above to link to the class Web site.

Paul

Ben Guerra Belongs Among "Legendary" Educators

A recent article in this corner mentioned the first group of legendary educators honored at Andrew Warde High School. Fern Tetreau, the late Charles Abraham, and the late Jack Strauss were the initial recipients of the prestigious honor at the June 21st ceremony in the school's gymnasium. There were many educators whose influence on their students remains indelibly etched many years later. One of those teachers, I believe, who belongs among the "legendary" at Warde is the late Ben Guerra.

Mr. Guerra taught at Andrew Warde High School from 1958 until 1979, deciding to retire before Warde consolidated with Roger Ludlowe High School to form Fairfield High School at the Melville Avenue campus. "Oh, they were the best years of my life," he once told me. "I loved it. I always liked to work with kids and teenagers."

I thought about Mr. Guerra's inclusion on this list while searching through August newspaper archives for articles about Andrew Warde High School. According to an article which appeared in The Bridgeport Post dated Monday, August 29, 1966, "Andrew Warde has chosen Benjamin J. Guerra as the school's new director of student activities. Mr. Guerra plans to set up his office in the student activities office in order to make it easy for the students to contact him. He will be there after school and during the periods in which he isn't teaching."

According to the article, Mr. Guerra said, "The work of a teacher goes far beyond the walls of a classroom. It involves working with the students beyond the duties of academic work and fulfilling one's responsibilities in the community." Mr. Guerra was the adviser to the Andrew Warde chapter of the Future Teachers of America and the adviser of the Warde social committee. The 1963 Flame yearbook was dedicated to Mr. Guerra in recognition of his interest and participation in student activities.

"Academic work is not enough to develop the character of the student," he once said. "The activity program helps develop personality, social life, humanistic characteristics, and helps develop the student's ability to cooperate with each other. The success of the activity program partly depends on the development of the student's pride in his school." 

Mr. Guerra, who was born in New York but moved with his mother to Cuba at the age of two, returned to the United States when he was 27. Originally, he was a teacher in the Bridgeport school system, working with special education students at Longfellow School. He later moved to Harding High School before arriving at Warde. He began teaching at Andrew Warde shortly after the school opened in 1956, and it quickly became a second home for him for the next 21 years. 

Mr. Guerra met his wife while they both taught on Staten Island in New York. Later, they taught together in Madison, Connecticut. Margaret became a teacher at Oldfield School in Fairfield while Ben taught at Andrew Warde. Mr. Guerra was past president of the Council for Exceptional Children, a member of the Gaelic American Club, and a longtime parishioner of St. Pius X Parish in Fairfield, where he served on the Lay Advisory Board.

Ben Guerra was one of the most well-respected, dignified, and honorable gentleman this typist has ever met. We used to exchange handshakes and good wishes each Sunday at church. I will always admire Ben Guerra for the outstanding educator and wonderful person he was. He passed away December 6, 2010, in St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport. He will always be a "legendary" educator in my book.. 

Paul