Annual Andrew Warde High School Science Fair Made Headlines 52 Years Ago Today

The annual Andrew Warde High School Science Fair made headlines 52 years ago today. According to the Tuesday, March 27, 1962, edition of The Bridgeport Telegram, the two-day event was held Thursday and Friday, March 29 & 30, 1962.

The exhibit featured a radio telescope, a model of a solar system, a demonstration of a silk worm, fall out shelters, an atomic reactor, a Van de Grass generator, a rocket, and a micro wave transmission.

Winners were awarded a year's subscription to the Scientific American or a complete Science library. They also entered their exhibits in the Southern New England Science Fair at the University of Bridgeport.

Paul

Warde Students Took Advantage of Snow Day to Build Easter Bunny 47 Years Ago Today

One of the snowiest March days on record in Fairfield happened 47 years ago today, Wednesday, March 22, 1967, when 11.1" of snow fell. Two students at Andrew Warde High School took advantage of the unusual March Winter weather by making a snow bunny.

This photograph graced the second page of The Bridgeport Post, Friday, March 24, 1967. Click the photo for a larger view.

According to the caption, "The Easter bunny, usually soft and cuddly, gets a new twist here from two Andrew Warde High School students who took advantage of the abundant snow to make a sculpture which is expected to slide, not hop, down the bunny trail Sunday.

"Gail and Robert Contolini, a senior and junior at the Fairfield school, designed the snowy mass, which is on display on the Warde grounds. The artists and their sister, Nancy, who helped in the project, live at 114 Rosedale Street, Fairfield."

Although I'm not certain, the Nancy Contolini mentioned in the article may have been my homeroom teacher in WS-11 in the 1970s. Here is the front page of The Bridgeport Post from Wednesday, March 22, 1967:

Paul

Andrew Warde High School Girls' Athletic Association Sponsored Basketball Playday 56 Years Ago This Month

Through the combined efforts of many energetic students and their faculty advisors, Miss Helen Carroll and Miss Mary Carley, the Andrew Warde High School Girls' Athletic Association sponsored a basketball playday in March of 1958. That's according to a story which appeared in the Bridgeport Post 56 years ago this week.

Girls from six high schools, including Warde, Roger Ludlowe, Central, Bassick, Harding, and Bullard Havens Tech, participated in the successful event. The purpose of the program was to promote inter-school relationships by giving students an opportunity to meet one another.

The playday was completely organized by the students. The program publicity committee, largely responsible for preparing the event, was headed by Sue Smith. Others included Michele Sullivan, Ann Plunske, Marcia Tierney, Eli Kiamos, and Debbie Kinsman.

Eight sports enthusiasts from each school were greeted by the president of the Girls' Athletic League, Bonnie MacGregor. The girls were divided into eight teams --- the Eagles, Tigers, Lions, Presidents, Foxes, Owls, Zebras, and Knights. Each participant received a program, which listed the scheduled games and identifying emblems.

The Girls' Athletic Association, which sponsored a basketball clinic the previous December, was an active group. A basketball playday was held in February of 1957, too. The GAA regulated all girls athletic points given at Warde, and the executive committee elected The Most Outstanding Girl Athlete each year.

Paul

Crimson Eagles Dropped Heartbreaker to Stamford Catholic in CIAC Tourney 47 Years Ago Today

Andrew Warde High School's boys' basketball team dropped a 59-57 decision to Stamford Catholic in the CIAC Class L basketball tournament at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk 47 years ago today.

Mark Kluytenaar, with ice water in his veins, converted all six of his free throws in the last three minutes to give the Crusaders the spine-tingling two-point victory over the Crimson Eagles. It was the third straight win for SCHS over its fellow FCIAC rivals.

Warde trailed, 47-40, early in the fourth quarter before Jim Howard canned nine of his team's next 11 points during an 11-4 run to pull the Eagles into a 51-51 tie before Kluytenaar's heroics on Wednesday evening, March 8, 1967.

Faced with a pressure-packed one-and-one situation at the foul line, the calm Kluytenaar, who averaged only 5.8 points per game during the regular season, sank both charity tosses to give the winners a 53-51 advantage.

Dick Redmond added a subsequent basket for the Crusaders to increase the lead to 55-51. Rich Fekete answered with a hoop for Warde to cut the deficit to two points. However, Kluytenaar, the six-foot junior, canned another pair of free throws to make it 57-53 before Fekete answered with another bucket for the Eagles.

Warde's Tom DeLuca picked up his fifth foul with 42 seconds left in the game. Kluytenarr buried two more shots from the foul line to increase the SCHS lead to 59-55. Warde's final basket came on a Howard layup as the final buzzer sounded.

Coach Wes Aldrich's Crimson Eagles finished with a 14-6 overall record, while Stamford Catholic improved to 13-8.

Kluytenaar led all scorers with 25 markers. Larry Jost (14 points) was the only other Crusader to finish in double figures for Coach Lenny Rivers. Fekete (21), Howard (18), and Danny Haines (11) paced the Crimson Eagles' attack.

Paul