*** Welcome to the Andrew Warde High School tribute website ... There are 46 issues of the Crimson Crier school newspaper from 1967 through 1976 available for download on this website ... Please visit the companion blog in the "Library" in the left-hand margin to access and download the Crimson Crier newspapers ... Please credit this website for any content, photos, or videos you share with others ... Paul Piorek is editor and publisher of the Andrew Warde High School tribute website and a proud member of the AWHS Class of 1976 ... Contact Paul at paulpiorek@gmail.com ...

Friday, June 27, 2014

Warde Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Eric Mazur

This is the first in a series of profiles of Andrew Warde High School alumni who have distinguished themselves in their professional careers. Dr. Eric Mazur graduated from Andrew Warde High School in 1967 and was graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1971 with a B. S. E. degree in aerospace and mechanical sciences. 

He is pictured with his W11 junior homeroom class in the 1966 Flame yearbook below. He is second from the right in the third row.


Dr. Eric Mazur is an internist and specialist in hematology and oncology.  He has recently retired from his position of Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Norwalk Hospital in which he served for four years.  As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mazur was responsible for the physicians and the quality of all medical care delivered at the hospital.  Under his leadership, Norwalk Hospital established recognized centers of excellence in lung and colon cancer, pelvic health, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and joint replacement surgery.

Dr. Mazur fondly recalled his days at Andrew Warde High School. "I can sincerely say that those four years were some of happiest and most transformative of my entire life," he told me via email. "My experience playing three years of varsity football really helped me mature and achieve a balance between academics (to which I had always been drawn) and the other aspects of life, i.e. athletics and the developing social life of a healthy teenager. I have thought a good deal about what are my 'fondest memories' at Warde and they always come back to the people.

"Among the faculty, I remember Mrs. Spitalny and her dry wit (she always called me "amazing Maze") and Mr. Pagani who pushed me and others outside of our comfort zones," he continued. "Mr. Pagani gave me my only 'C' in my high school career, a grade that was probably well-deserved because of my failure to fully apply myself during that marking period."


"But, my fondest and best memories are those of my friends," wrote Dr. Mazur, who received the 2014 William J. Tracey Award from Norwalk Hospital, which is given to the doctor who best displays leadership, character, involvement in community service, and exemplary clinical skill. "I recall regular triple dates with Bruce Kelley and Barbara Pittori, Jeff Weiss and Susan Goldberg and Susan Ginsberg with me. (Remember when Susan Goldberg's parents came home unexpectedly early?) I remember Susan Ginsberg's car, a Valiant convertible, that provided many of us with 'wheels' for the first time."

Dr. Mazur's other recent achievements include recognition in 2012 as Master, American College of Physicians, one of only ten living internists in the State of Connecticut so honored, and receipt of the William F. Thornton Award for teaching and medical education from the American College of Physicians.  In the last several years, Dr. Mazur has been named repeatedly by Castle Connellyรข to “Top Doctors: New York Metro Area” and listed in Best Doctors in America.


He has many other memories about his days at Warde. "I remember ski trips to Vermont, sometimes round-trip in one day, with Fred Bogin, Mark Bleier and Mike Salvana. I remember the regular basketball and wiffle ball games in Andy Olschan's backyard with Bruce Kelley, Donnie Helfer, Fred Bogin and Steve Silver. I remember the double-football practices in late August, before school began, and my football co-captains, Gabe Pettner and Ed Kachmar. I remember our wonderful basketball team and how they were able to regularly achieve the winning records that eluded us in football. And, I remember all the girls with whom I grew up and on whom I had so many crushes - Barbara Ziu, Connie Levinson, Susan Ginsberg, Evelyn Scales, Ellen Scheinman, and all of the cheerleaders."

Prior to his role as Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mazur served for 16 years as Norwalk Hospital’s Chairman of the Department of Medicine.  During that time, he focused his leadership efforts on achieving measurable quality in patient care, excellence in resident education, the introduction of computerized medical records, and the development of a novel teaching hospitalist program that received national recognition.  

Dr. Mazur also participated in founding of the Norwalk Community Health Center in 1994, serving on its medical staff and on its Board of Directors from its inception until 2005.  From 2005 to 2009, Dr. Mazur served as the elected representative of Connecticut’s internal medicine physician community as Governor of the Connecticut Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP).  


As ACP Governor, Dr. Mazur was very involved in political advocacy, annually visiting Washington, D.C. to lobby on behalf of primary care internal medicine and healthcare reform.  For these activities, he received the “Top 10 Key Contact Special Recognition Award” from the ACP in 2005.


Since 2002, Dr. Mazur has served as co-host of “Health Talk”, Cablevision’s nightly “Local Programming” television show (channel 84) that provides health education for much of lower Fairfield County.  During the past 12 years, he has hosted almost 450 half hour ”Health Talk” episodes, covering subjects from bunions to pet therapy to cancer research.  He has also been a frequent requested guest for local television news and health programs.


Dr. Mazur was graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1971 with a B.S.E. degree in aerospace and mechanical sciences.  In 1975, he was graduated Alpha Omega Alpha from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  He completed his first two years of internal medicine residency at the Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester and returned to Connecticut in 1977, completing his internal medicine residency and a hematology/oncology fellowship at Yale University in 1981.

Dr. Mazur spent the first part of his career as Chief of Hematology/Oncology at Miriam Hospital and on the full time medical school faculty of Brown University in Providence RI.  At Miriam Hospital, he developed an active clinical hematology/oncology practice and performed laboratory research, creating novel test tube models for studying human blood platelet production.  Dr. Mazur has published over 45 scientific papers and his research has been presented both nationally and internationally.  He moved to Norwalk Hospital in 1995 where he has worked for the past 20 years. 

Dr. Mazur lives in Weston with his wife, Abby. They have two grown sons and two granddaughters. Dr. Mazur’s first love is his family, but he also enjoys reading fiction, skiing, hiking, travel, languages, digital photography and computers.

"Paul, thank you so much for keeping Andrew Warde alive for me and so many others who benefitted so much from and so cherish those high school years," he concluded.


Paul   

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Warde Graduate Hosts Successful Second Annual Guest Artist Day at St. Emery Parish in Fairfield

Saint Emery Parish, Fairfield, held its second annual Guest Artist Day on Sunday, June 22, at the 9 o'clock Mass, according to Parish Music Director and Organist Anthony Procaccini (pictured at the organ below), a 1976 graduate of Andrew Warde High School.


Tenor David Finley, pictured below, joined the Saint Emery Festival Choir and teamed with soprano Rose Kovach on Cesar Franck's "Panis Angelicus." Procaccini led the singers.


Many outsiders attended, and a free reception was held after Mass. In addition to marking the end of the choir season, the day is used to thank the singers for their efforts.

Alto Phyllis Simon commented: " It was a great year, and a fantastic Guest Artist Day. (I'm) looking forward to next season!" Alto Marie Warren stated: "I enjoyed participating.... and (this is) a nice group of people to sing with."

Procaccini notes, "The summer is normally a time when church choirs don't rehearse, and we follow the norm at Saint Emery's. I will, though, use the time to recruit new members, research new music material for the coming season, and move ahead with much-needed organ repair and restoration."

In addition, Procaccini hopes to bring the choir to venues outside the parish in the coming year, though he stops short at naming the potential venues. "I'm keeping it a surprise for now," he quips. Procaccini believes out-of-church performances serve as a great motivator to choir members.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

From the 1963 Flame Yearbook

Student life is the spirit of Warde. That was the theme of the 1963 Andrew Warde High School Flame yearbook. Please click to enlarge and read the following pages.





Paul

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Warde Website to Expand & Include Selected Yearbooks

If you've never visited my Andrew Warde High School Web site, please take a moment to browse the many features.

There are several videos, including a vintage 1976 film and sports footage from the 1981 state championship baseball game. There are also feature videos on the 1975 lost-and-found class ring and the 1962 class reunion. They can be accessed in the left-hand margin of the Web site.

Take a look at the archive of Crimson Crier newspapers, too. They are in pdf format, which enables the reader to enlarge each page. The library archive dates back to the late 1960s through the mid 1970s. If you happen to have Crimson Crier newspapers from the 1950s, early 1960s, and 1980s, I'd like to add them to the library.

The Warde gift shop is also expanding, and it includes a wide variety of clothing and novelties with the Andrew Warde High School name and logo. They make great gifts for any Warde graduate for birthdays or holidays.

Finally, I'll be building a separate library of Flame yearbooks. This will take time, but you'll be able to thumb through each page of selected yearbooks dating back to the original Flame in 1957. I hope to have the first one online by the middle of July.

Naturally, this Web site is a labor of love. I'm always looking for contributions, whether it be old photos, newspapers, videos, or feature stories on Warde alumni. I can be reached at pppiorek@news12.com.

Thanks for reading.

Paul

Monday, June 23, 2014

From the 1971 Flame Yearbook

"To everything, turn, turn, turn.
There is a season, turn, turn, turn.
And a time to every purpose under heaven."

The Byrds' lyrics from their popular song applied to the 1970-71 school year at Andrew Warde High School. It was, indeed, a time of change. Please take a look at the following pages from the 1971 Flame yearbook. Click each page to enlarge.








Paul

Friday, June 20, 2014

Andrew Warde High School Class of 1984 Planning 30-Year Reunion

Andrew Warde High School's Class of 1984 will hold its 30-year reunion, Saturday, October 11, at the Draft House, 350 Bridgeport Avenue in Shelton, from 5 to 9 p.m.

The early-bird cost is $45 per person. The ticket price will increase by $10 one month before the reunion. The price includes happy-hour style appetizers, class search, souvenir notebook for each class member, postage, printing and other applicable event expenses.

A cash bar will be available. Dinner or party attire is requested. There will be open seating available. Please click here for complete information, including directions, reservations, and contact information. Do you recognize anybody in these photos from the Class of 1984?



Paul

Thursday, June 19, 2014

From the 1959 Flame Yearbook

This is taken from the Andrew Warde High School 1959 Flame yearbook. The school song is below. Please click the image to enlarge:


Take a look at the headmaster and housemasters from Warde in 1959. Please click to enlarge:


The Warde diploma from 55 years ago looks much like a Warde diploma from today. Please click to enlarge:


Paul

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Warde Graduate Hosts Second Annual Guest Artist Day at St. Emery's Parish, Sunday, June 22nd

Saint Emery’s Parish, Fairfield, will hold its second annual Guest Artist Day on Sunday, June 22, at their regular 9:00 AM mass, according to parish Music Director Anthony Procaccini, a 1976 graduate of Andrew Warde High School.

"The day is set aside for all to thank the choir for their season, and to add an outstanding talent to the mix,” noted Procaccini, pictured below. “This year the honors go to tenor David Finley."


Musical selections will include, among others, Jacques Arcadelt’s “Ave Maria” (for choir) and Cesar Franck’s “Panis Angelicus” sung in duet my Mr. Finley and soprano Rose Kovach.

The public is cordially invited. A free "coffee and" reception, provided by the parish council and volunteers, will follow the mass.

The church address is 838 Kings Highway East. Street parking only is available, and arriving early is recommended.

Tenor David Finley (pictured at the left), of Waterbury, CT, holds Master’s degrees in both Voice and Choral Conducting. He has performed as a soloist all over the world, and sung before three former American Presidents and two former Russian Presidents. A veteran of numerous opera roles, he also serves on the music faculty of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT and others.

Anthony Procaccini graduated summa cum laude from the University of Bridgeport Music Department, and has been organist or music director in a number of churches in New York City and Fairfield County. He also plays piano, string bass and bass guitar, is a Frank Sinatra historian, a veteran of ten years with Benny Rae, and also performs Jazz, opera, and classical music.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Warde Plays Southington in CIAC Class LL Baseball Semi-Finals This Afternoon

The FCIAC champion Fairfield Warde High School baseball team plays Southington in the CIAC Class LL semi-finals this afternoon at 4 o'clock at Muzzy Field in Bristol. The game can be heard on Hersam Acorn Radio.


Click the logo to access the LIVE broadcast.


Paul

Monday, June 09, 2014

Eagles' Nine Defeated Milford in First Round of CIAC Class A Championship 53 Years Ago This Week

Andrew Warde High School's well-balanced baseball team finished runnerup to Norwalk for the Fairfield County Interscholastic Conference baseball championship in 1961. However, the Crimson Eagles were victorious while Norwalk was eliminated in the opening round of the CIAC Class A championship tournament, Monday, June 12, 1961.

Coach Bob Jackson's Warde squad advanced to the tourney semi-finals with an impressive 2-0 victory over Milford's higher-rated Metropolitan Bridgeport Conference champions as Dick Bernard, who remained unbeaten since the baseball season opened, hurled a two-hit shutout to earn his ninth straight victory in a pitching duel with the Indians' Ricky Grich at Quigley Stadium in West Haven.

The Crimson Eagles, ranked seventh among the eight teams which qualified for the Class A title competition, backed Bernard with a nine-hit attack and tallied single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to defeat the third-ranked Milford team. It was the 17th victory in 21 games for the Fairfield squad, and just the fourth setback in 19 contests for Coach Ray Stoviak's Indians.

Outfielders Mike Siavrakas and Larry Gill connected for two hits each to lead Warde's attack against the veteran Grich, but it was rightfielder Tom Dardina and third baseman Frank Chimelewski who drove in the two runs for the Eagles with extra base hits in the June 12, 1961 contest.

It was a scoreless game until the fourth inning. Grich walked Gill with one out and when Chimelewski hit a grounder down the third base line, both runners were safe when the throw to second base for the attempted force out was too late. One out later, Dardina smacked a double down the left field line to score Gill with Warde's first run.

Tom Cody, Milford's rightfielder, made a fine catch of a long drive by Joe Magdon to open Warde's sxith inning, but Gill singled and Chimelewski bounced a triple off the fence in left-centerfield to bring home the Eagles' second run.

Both of Milford's hits off Bernard were bloop singles by third baseman Art Bungerford in the first and sixth innings. Although both hits were preceded by walks to Vic Nelson, the Indians were unable to capitalize. Warde's second baseman Hank Bahe made a poor throw following Hungarford's first single, but catcher Joe Vige threw out Nelson trying to advance to third base. In the sixth inning, both Nelson and Hungarford were picked off first base on throws by Vige and Bernard.

Paul

Sunday, June 08, 2014

AWHS Class of 1975 Planning 40-Year Reunion Next Summer

Plans are underway for an early Summer 40-year reunion of the Andrew Warde High School Class of 1975 next year. We need help in finding classmates' addresses and phone numbers.

If you know someone or are related to someone who graduated with us in 1975, please let us know. Please spread the word, and help us find as many of our classmates as possible. You can also message me directly with any information you may have. Thanks so much in advance for your help!

Love and peace,
Gail Rogers Hopkins

Saturday, June 07, 2014

Class of 1976 Flame Yearbook

Please click on each page to enlarge and read. This is a work in progress and will be completed soon. Thank you.