Warde Product to Lead Cabaret Day at St. Emery Church in Fairfield, Sunday, April 14

Tony Procaccini, pictured below, a 1976 graduate of Andrew Warde High School and a familiar face in Fairfield County music circles, will lead an interesting mixed cast of singers in the first-ever “Cabaret Day” at Saint Emery Church, Fairfield, where he is Music Director. The event takes place, Sunday, April 14, at 2 o'clock, following 12:30 lunch. Procaccini will play piano and direct the entire program. Excess proceeds will benefit the parish.

Soprano Krista Adams Santilli of Trumbull, pictured below, will highlight the afternoon’s offerings before she relinquishes the stage to two separate choral groups: the parish’s English choir and a group of Hungarian speakers who will sing special ethnic songs. Saint Emery was a Hungarian saint, and the Hungarian population in the Greater Bridgeport area was one of the largest in the United States for many years.

Ms. Adams Santilli has performed for international diplomats, royalty, and Hollywood celebrities and has been seen on stages throughout the US and four continents, including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Sears Center Arena, Giants Stadium, and the U. S. Military Base at Fort Hood. Her vast repertoire crosses from gospel to opera, and from jazz to musical theatre.

The parish English choir will be augmented by singers from Saint Patrick Parish, Bridgeport, where Procaccini was Music Director from 2006 to 2012. The Hungarian choir will consist of parish members and others from outside the parish. Procaccini also served as organist at Saint Ladislaus Parish, Norwalk, and Saint Stephen of Hungary Parish in New York City, where he became familiar with the history, language and music of the Magyars.

All are invited, and tickets must be bought in advance. For further information and to purchase tickets, contact Barbara Chuga at 203.268.4535.

Computer Dating First Introduced at Warde & Ludlowe 46 Years Ago This Week

Today's high school students are computer savvy. They routinely use computers to connect with one another, meet new classmates, or even arrange dates. Teenagers communicate instantly through texting, social networking Web sites, or by cell phone. Obviously, things were much different for those of us who grew up over a generation ago.

Believe it or not, computer technology was first introduced 46 years ago to match boys and girls who attended a fun-filled dance jointly organized by Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe highs schools. The "computer dating" service was a big hit with the students, according to a newspaper story which appeared Sunday, February 19, 1967.

The teens from both high schools filled out cards stating whether they thought they were beautiful or handsome, whether they most admired an all-American football player or a prize-winning novelist, or whether they preferred quiet or talkative dates.

The cards were processed by a computer in Boston, and teenagers were matched at the dance. According to the article, "The computer dance is the latest craze which is sweeping the country. American teenagers are using the computer to pick their ideal dates for a high school dance."


In addition to providing a high school dating service, Betty Tyler, author of the article in the Bridgeport Sunday Post, wrote, "Computers in the area are doing everything from preparing payrolls to printing report cards. Within a year, a bank teller will insert a card at her window and record the customer's acquired interest instantly. A computer in a hospital will schedule medication for a patient and ring a bell if it is not given at the proper time."

In fact, the author wrote that "within the very near future, every housewife and every office in the Bridgeport area will have access to a computer. The day is close at hand when the housewife will be able to insert a card in her telephone to order an item from a department store and the charge will be taken directly from her bank account."

Fast-forward 46 years. Betty Tyler's words were, indeed, prophetic. Now, we use computers for everything, including dating. In fact, you're reading this on the computer. But it must have been exciting for the Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe high school students who first used the computer to get matched with their dates in 1967. I'm sure they haven't forgotten about it, either.

Paul

Coaches Named for New Andrew Warde High School on This Date in 1956

Let's take a look back and see what was happening on this date 57 years ago. The reassignment of three coaches at Roger Ludlowe High School to the new Andrew Warde High School, which opened in September of 1956, was announced on this date --- Tuesday, February 7, 1956.

Fern Tetreau (football), Robert Jackson (baseball), and Robert Seirup (basketball) transferred from the Unquowa Road high school to the sparkling new secondary high school on Melville Avenue. Tetreau guided the Warde gridders to a perfect record in 1959, and Jackson and Seirup perenially led their squads to tremendous success.

Take a look at the front-page article which appeared in The Bridgeport Post from Wednesday, February 8, 1956.



Paul

Crimson Eagles Trounced Flying Tigers to Gain CIAC Playoff Berth 50 Years Ago Today

The Andrew Warde High School boys' basketball team trounced arch-rival Roger Ludlowe, 87-62, at the winners' gym 50 years ago today, Tuesday, February 5, 1963. It was the second game between the spirited Fairfield rivals that season. Warde also won the first contest, 71-48.

There were several highlights in the game. Warde co-captain Pete Jankovsky equaled Joe Magdon's school scoring record of 34 points; the Crimson Eagles climbed into a tie for second place with New Canaan in the FCIAC Eastern Division; Coach Don Feeley's cagers gained a berth in the CIAC tournament; Warde chalked up its tenth straight home court triumph; and the Eagles defeated the Tigers for the eighth time in a row.



Jankovsky and co-captain Bob Ryan combined for 12 points as Warde spurted into a 17-8 lead after the first period. Joel Blaskey topped the Tigers with six points.

The Crimson Eagles scored 21 points in the second quarter to take a commanding 38-25 halftime cushion. The second-quarter onslaught was led by Ryan (six points), Rusty Helgren (five), Jankovsky (four), Hank Gellert (four), and Wayne Gower (two), each having a hand in the scoring. Blaskey was the top scorer on offense for the Tigers with eight points, but he was limited to only two points in the second half.

Feeley's fast-breaking charges erupted for 45 points in the second half , netting 21 in the third period as Ryan hit for nine and Jankovsky added six. Ludlowe fought back gamely with 16 points, including six each by George Martin and Gary Klahr, but the Tigers trailed, 59-41, prior to the final eight-minute session.

The fourth quarter was all Jankovsky, as the senior tallied 16 points to equal the high mark established by Magdon in 1959 against Stamford Catholic.

Overall, Warde converted 21 of 27 foul shots, compared to 12 of 17 for Ludlowe.

The Crimson Eagles also won the junior varsity tilt, 46-44, as Jim Bodnar paced the winners with 19 points and Ray DeCormier tallied 18 for the Tigers.

Paul

Trio of Warde Track Stars Performed Well at FCIAC Indoor Meet 39 Years Ago Today

A trio of Andrew Warde High School tracksters fared well in the FCIAC indoor meet at the Wilton High School fieldhouse on this date, Saturday, February 2, 1974.

Tom Connelly captured first place in the 300-yard run with a time of :33.8, while Stu Forster pole vaulted a height of 10 feet to cop his competition.

Greg Young finished fourth in the two-mile event with a time of 10:19.

Paul

Andrew Warde High School Class of 1963 Planning Its 50-Year Reunion

The Andrew Warde High School Class of 1963 has begun planning its 50-year reunion. The event will take place in October or November. Please click the image below to access the class Facebook page for more information and updates.

Paul