First Place Crimson Eagles Downed Rams in New Canaan, 49-40, on This Date 45 Years Ago

The Andrew Warde High School boys' basketball team remained tied for first-place atop the FCIAC East Division after defeating New Canaan, 49-40, on the Rams' court on this date, Friday, January 27, 1967. The win improved the Eagles' overall record to 10-3 and 9-3 in conference play.

New Canaan jumped out to an early 13-10 lead as Phil Kenney hit for eight points to pace the slow, deliberate offense. Jim Howard and Dan Haines each hit two baskets as the Eagles had trouble with their shooting accuracy.

Warde, however, bounced back in the second period to take a 24-23 lead. Howard struck for five points and Haines added four, while Tim Empke scored seven for the Rams.

The Crimson Eagles increased their advantage to four points at the end of the third stanza. The high-scoring Haines pumped in seven markers on two baskets and three free throws, while New Canaan's Terry Florence kept his team close with three field goals and a charity toss.

Warde iced the contest in the final period behind the scoring of Haines and the rugged rebounding of Howard and Rich Fekete. The Crimson Eagles controlled the ball for most of the last quarter with Haines netting five points. The New Canaan attack fell apart as the Rams could muster only four points for the period.

Warde hit on 19 of 51 shots from the floor with Haines taking the game honors with a 20-point performance. The Fairfield school also captured the junior varsity tilt, 55 to 42.

Paul

Sparkling New Andrew Warde Gymnasium Hosted First Basketball Game 55 Years Ago This Week

The Andrew Warde High School boys' basketball team played for the very first time in its new gymnasium 55 years ago this week. Although the Crimson Eagles made a very good showing against Stratford's unbeaten and heavily-favored basketball team on Friday evening, January 25, 1957, the North Paraders gained their 12th straight victory by a 55-40 margin and swept the two-game series.

The visiting North Paraders pulled away to a six-point lead in the closing minutes of the first period and remained ahead by a fairly comfortable margin thereafter. However, the Eagles made it an interesting battle compared to Stratford's 71-42 runaway triumph in their previous contest.

Stratford scored only one more field goal than Warde, 17 to 16, but the North Paraders turned in an excellent performance on the foul line as they made 21 out of 28 free throw chances. The Eagles sank only eight free throws in 23 chances.

The North Paraders jumped out to a 15-9 lead after the first quarter as Dick Ross sank four free throws in the closing minutes, and they widened the gap to 30-17 at halftime. Warde made its best showing in the third period and cut its deficit to 43-32. However, the Fairfield team never got any closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Rich Marinaccio was a standout performer both offensively and defensively for Stratford, and he led all scorers with 16 points, including eight free throws. Captain Lou Horner, who started strong by scoring seven points in the first period, was closely guarded thereafter, but finished with a 13-point total. Ross contributed 10 points, while rangy Ted Robinson and Pete Greenwood tallied eight apiece for the North Paraders.

Lou Kochis was Warde's top scorer with 15 points, while six-foot-three Dick Dakai and Chris Costello registered seven points each for the hosts.

The Warde jayvees defeated the Stratford junior varsity team, 53-41, in the preliminary game. Laurie Taylor was high scorer for the winners with 11 points, while Dewey Amos led the guests with 16 points.

Paul

Demarest Set Rebounding Record and Scored Game-Winning Hoop in Eagles' Win Over Stamford Catholic 50 Exactly Years Ago Today

Lee Demarest pulled down a record-breaking 23 rebounds and scored 13 points to lead Andrew Warde High School's boys' basketball team to a narrow 60-59 victory over Stamford Catholic in a Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference game at the Warde gym 50 years ago today, Friday, January 19, 1962.

The six-foot-one-inch Demarest snapped the Crimson Eagles' rebounding record with his 23 boards, and he scored what proved to be the winning points on a jump shot with three minutes remaining in the contest. The jumper gave the winners a 56-55 lead which they never relinquished.


Sharp-shooting by Demarest and Wayne Gower helped Warde take a 14-8 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Stamford Catholic countered in the second stanza, behind the shooting of Jerry Esposito and Don Foust, to take a 31-30 halftime lead.

The lead changed hands several times in the third and fourth quarters until Demarest's basket put Warde ahead for keeps.

Esposito was the game's high scorer with 29 points, while Gower, Demarest, and Bab Ryan sparked Warde with 19, 13, and 13 points, respectively. Jim Siavrakes also played a standout game for the Eagles with some superb floormanship.

The triumph boosted Warde's FCIAC record to 4-5, while the Crusaders league mark fell to 1-8.

The Crimson Eagles' jayvees won the preliminary game over the Crusaders' reserves, 56-49. Marty Nelson was high-scorer for the winners with 12 points.

Paul

Good Bye and Good Luck to Local Music Director and AWHS Alumnus

Fairfield native and UB music graduate Anthony Procaccini, a 1976 graduate of Andrew Warde High School, recently finished six fruitful years of service to Saint Patrick Church, Bridgeport. This historic church, now known as the Cathedral Parish, officially merged with the former Saint Augustine Parish, also of Bridgeport, on Sunday, January 15.

During his term as Music Director, Procaccini, pictured below, saw the Adult Choir grow in size, while bringing them “off-campus” for multi-denominational ecumenical services and to assist a Christmas-time “Toys for Tots” drive at the nearby Westfield Mall (see last photo below).

“Saint Patrick’s Parish and the former Saint Patrick’s School were venues where previous generations of my family worshipped and studied, after my ancestors first arrived in Bridgeport from Italy in 1913,” Procaccini said recently. “Many current parishioners were quick to make me aware of this when I started there in 2006. It was like coming home for me, in more ways than one.” The 100-year anniversary of the dedication of the church’s magnificent upper sanctuary, scheduled for 2013, coincides with the afore-mentioned milestone in Procaccini’s family history.

At Saint Patrick’s, he developed and produced four successful Guest Artists Days, featuring the likes of soprano Elizabeth Knauer, baritone Thomas Woodman, and bassist Stephan Lang.

Until the recent merger, the Saint Patrick rectory served as the unofficial headquarters of the B.A.C.I.O., Inc.-sponsored Annual Community Christmas Carol Sing-Along, an event attended by the Reverend Bishop William E. Lori in both 2010 and 2011. The music program for this popular and growing event was created in its initial year 2007 and produced each year thereafter by Procaccini, with strong support from his former choir members.

Many of the events detailed above, both in the church and outside of it, were recognized by and garnered attention from the community at large since Procaccini, also a writer and editor, submitted articles, blurbs and letters to the editor to numerous local publications. The writings largely extolled the many positive facets of his former parish and its choir.

In addition to directing the Adult Choir, Procaccini was accompanist for a Children’s Choir headed by Mark Halstead (pictured below to Procaccini's right), a local architect, Bridgeport historian and a member of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestra board of directors. Procaccini also initiated and produced a program of Gospel-based music in collaboration with highly-acclaimed Jazz artist Chris Coogan and vocalist Michele Grace. Unfortunately, this program met an early demise, due to the deepening financial problems incurred by all in 2008. Many parishioners, though, expressed their hope that it would continue at another juncture, but this was not to be the case.

Mr. Procaccini will continue in his career endeavors as a multi-instrument musician – in addition to singing and choral conducting, he plays piano, organ, string bass and bass guitar – while adding translating and interpreting of Italian-English, his expertise as a Frank Sinatra historian, and, time permitting, one or two other endeavors to be revealed at a later time. “The transition away from Saint Patrick’s will not necessarily be easy, but I look forward to the challenge, and the changes it entails,” he says.

The parish gave Procaccini a warm send-off during the weekend of January 7 and 8.

Town's First Weather Station Established at Warde 46 Years Ago This Month

Fairfield's first weather station, which kept a minute-by-minute, day-by-day check of the temperature, wind, and air pollution, was set up on the roof of Andrew Warde High School 46 years ago this month.

The station was the product of a federal government-financed program to determine the need for establishing a permanent weather station in town, primarily due to the nationwide fight against air pollution.

After a more than five-month delay caused by difficulties in obtaining the necessary equipment, the station went into full operation in January of 1966.

Dr. H. Patterson Harris, the director of public health who supervised the installation of the station, said samples of air pollution were obtained every day and shipped for interpretation to a government laboratory in Islip, New York. Dr. Harris reported a certain degree of air pollution was indicated on smoke shade samplers, which were a part of the survey.

Plans were being made to file another application for a federal grant to continue the weather station beyond the first week of June in 1966.

Andrew Warde High School was chosen as the site of the weather station because it is located at one of the highest elevations in Fairfield, it is on town property, and high school students studying meteorology would have the opportunity to learn about climate and current weather conditions from the station's data.

Several other sites, including Fairfield Woods Junior High School, were also considered, but because of the advantages to the high school students, Warde was ultimately selected over Fairfield Woods.

The station was serviced each day by Thomas Haydon, the newest member of the health department staff, who changed the 24 tubes which collected air samples and recorded daily minimum and maximum temperatures, wind direction, and velocity. The tape for the smoke shade sampler was changed once a week. The tubes containing the air samples had to be shipped each day to Islip.

The Warde weather station formed a geographical triangle with the Greater Bridgeport weather station, located at Sikorsky Memorial Airport, and the Stratford station, located atop Bunnell High School. Both the Warde and Bunnell weather stations were equal distances from the airport, a significant factor in the study of air movement.

The heart of the weather station was the mast outside the building. The weather vane, atop the mast, through electrical power, transmitted wind direction, and the spinning anemometer balls, just below the weather vane, transmitted wind velocity to a recorder sheltered in a cabinet indoors. Wind direction was recorded every five minutes, while wind velocity was recorded continuously.

Below the anemometer balls was a curved pipe containing two tubes to funnel air to equipment inside the building. One tube sucked the air onto a tape recorder-type instrument equipped with a filter paper for the purpose of measuring the density of the air pollution.

Instruments to record the temperature were housed outdoors in a mounted box with slat openings on all four sides. Arms on the instrument stopped automatically at the low and high points for the day.

Dr. Harris said the initial year grant totaled $15,100, of which about 70 percent went for equipment. The remainder was for consultant's fees and education.

Paul

Crimson Eagles Hopsters Scored Stunning Upset Over Norwalk on This Date in 1967

An inspired Andrew Warde High School boys' basketball team scored a stunning 63-55 upset victory over Norwalk in an FCIAC game at the winners' court on this date, Thursday, January 12, 1967.

The victory boosted Warde into a tie for second place in the Eastern Division of the FCIAC with idle New Canaan. Both teams have 5-3 records. Norwalk still leads the division with a 6-3 mark.

A late fourth-quarter rally, sparked by Dan Haines, carried the Crimson Eagles to victory. Haines, who was held to just seven points in the first three quarters, poured in nine markers in the final eight-minute session.

Norwalk held a 45-44 edge entering the fourth quarter. The Green Wave extended its lead to five points at 52-47 behind the shooting of Jim Burey. Then, Warde went to work as Mike Corbett stole a pass and converted the theft into a basket to open the Eagles' closing drive.

Minutes later, Jim Howard put coach Wes Aldrich's cagers ahead for keeps, 53-52, as he was credited with a basket on a goaltending call against Norwalk.

Once they gained the lead, the Crimson Eagles didn't let up. Haines, Howard, Corbett, Tom DeLuca, and Rich Fekete operated al amost perfect "freeze" offense as the Eagles worked the ball around until they had a good shot. The strategy worked so well that Warde engineered an impressive eight-point margin of victory.

The Eagles' pressing man-to-man defense kept the usually high-scoring Norwalk offense off balance throughout the game. The Green Wave averaged 70.2 points-per-game entering the contest.

Corbett and DeLuca were the top ball hawks as Warde made 16 steals, including six in the crucial fourth period. Fekete turned in a sensational defensive job on Willie Miller --- the visitors' top scorer with a 15.8 average --- holding him scoreless.

The first three quarters were closely contested. Warde led after the first frame, 16-14, and the score was tied at 31 apiece at the intermission. Norwalk assumed a one point lead, 45-44, after three quarters.

Howard took game scoring honors with 21 points, and he grabbed 14 rebounds. Haines followed with 16 points, while Fekete (12)and Corbett (10) also scored in double figures for the Crimson Eagles. Fekete added nine rebounds.

Burey was the most consistent Norwalk shooter, finishing with a team-high 15 points, followed by Gary O'Malley with 12 points.

Paul