Big hair, don’t care!

This week we take a look back at 1985, when fingerless gloves, miniskirts and stirrup pants ruled the fashion scene. Radio stations were dominated by the likes of Tears For Fears, Madonna and Wham!

Ronald Reagan was the President, the first “Super Mario” game was released in Japan and popular shows like “The Love Boat,” “The Facts of Life,” and “Magnum, P.I.” were playing in living rooms across the country.

These were the top five songs on the Billboard Hot 100:

“St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)” – John Parr

“The Power Of Love” – Huey Lewis & The News

“We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” – Tina Turner

“Freeway Of Love” – Aretha Franklin

“Summer Of ’69” – Bryan Adams

Here’s what was happening in our Valley:

Monday, Sept. 9, 1985

Charter Vote Seen Likely In Ansonia
ANSONIA – Proposed revisions to the City Charter can and will likely go on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Members of the dissolved Charter Revision Commission already have more than 300 of the approximately1,000 signatures they will need by Sept. 19 to force a referendum.

“I think they outfoxed themselves,” said former chairman Irma Callaghan, referring to the Board of Aldermen, Mayor William J. Menna and members of the Democratic Party. “I went home after that meeting and figured something wasn’t right. It wasn’t.’

Alderman met last Thursday and accepted the proposed charter in a meeting that was said to be illegal, and technically, most likely was.

Hospital Plans Copter Flight
DERBY – Hartford Hospital will demonstrate its new Life Star helicopter for emergency personnel at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The helicopter will land in the Griffin Hospital Seymour Avenue parking lot. There will be a simulated trauma victim and an EMS team ready to meet the helicopter. The helicopter will then take the victim and EMS team on a brief flight.

Life Star is the first critical care helicopter to operate in Connecticut.

GOP To Open Town Offices
SEYMOUR – Republican election campaign headquarters will open at 8 p.m. Sept. 11 at 97 Bank St, state Rep. George P. Bassing, campaign chairman said today.

First Selectman Robert J. Koskelowski will head the list of local candidates who will be on hand.

Among the dignitaries who have been invited are U.S. Sen. Lowell P. Weicker Jr. and. U.S. Rep. John G. Rowland of Waterbury.

WADS Pulls The Plug On Humor Show Host
SHELTON – Ted Polateck won’t be returning for his show on WADS radio station next week, and owner James Huber said Howard Stern won’t be taking his place.

Polateck was dismissed Saturday night in the midst of his “humor show,” which reportedly featured four-letter words and demeaning remarks that would have drawn the envy of Stern, the nasal New Yorker noted for tasteless remarks.

Huber said the problems with Polateck, a New Yorker, and his partner, Jim Samuels, of New Jersey, culminated Saturday night when the duo reported President Reagan has Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

Tuesday, Sept. 10, 1985

Savings Bank Of Ansonia Thinks It’s A Great Country
ANSONIA – The 123-year-old Ansonia Savings Bank has announced plans to change its name to the Great Country Bank, pending approval of the state banking commission.

If approved by the commission and the bank’s board of directors, the change is expected to take place sometime in November, according to bank President Frederick J. Quinn.

“This (name change) has been in the works for over a year,” said Quinn. “We wanted something that more accurately reflected what we do and our position in the marketplace. We are no longer strictly a savings bank, or strictly an Ansonia bank, hence the name change.”

Coppers Have New Look But Tradition Continues
ANSONIA – The Ansonia Copper Midgets, sporting new blue and white uniforms, started their 1985 season in high fashion, as they blanked the Milford Elks 14-0 at Nolan Field.

The Coppers, led by their talented defense, shut down the powerful running game of the Elks. After the Coppers appeared to stop the Elks’ first drive, the Coppers were called for roughing the punter giving the Elks new life. The Coopers’ defense then began to play hard-nose football.

Romano Dead At 55
DERBY – Ralph J. Romano, a former mayor of Derby, died today at Griffin Hospital after a brief illness.

Born in Derby on Sept. 20, 1929, he was the son of Julia Esposito Romano of Shelton and the late Joseph Romano.

Romano served as Derby’s mayor from 1969 to 1974 and presided over most of the redevelopment of the downtown area. He also was a former president of the Derby Board of Aldermen and was active in numerous civic and fraternal organizations.

Derby Neck Has Videos
DERBY – The Derby Neck Library, 307 Hawthorne Ave., recently joined the newly formed videocassette circuit, known as Video 5.

All patrons over 18 years of age who have a valid library card may check out videocassettes.

The circuit comprises libraries in New Haven County. Each month the library will receive approximately 20 new titles. The library will exchange these titles each month for new ones.

Dog Food Stolen
SHELTON – A desk scanner and 15 pounds of dog food were stolen in an early morning break today at the Riverdale Avenue dog pound, police reported.

Police said this was not the first time that dog food and biscuits were taken from the pound. They said that several such incidents had occurred over the last two years.

Wednesday, Sept. 11, 1985

Menna Trounces Regula
ANSONIA – Incumbent Mayor William J. Menna easily topped challenger Gail Regula in Tuesday’s Republican primary, rolling up better than two-to-one majorities in every ward.

Approximately 28 percent of the city’s 1,662 registered Republicans turned out to cast ballots, about five percentage points more than Menna said he expected. The final vote tally was 374-90.

The 62-year-old winner admitted he had been confident of victory, but was “nervous all day.”

“I’ve been in politics 40-some-odd years and if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s never to take anything for granted,” said Menna.

Veteran Democrats Bumped From Ticket
DERBY – Second Ward Democrats turned out en masse Tuesday to bump two veteran officials off the party’s under ticket in favor of three newcomers.

Leo P. Moscato, aldermanic president and member of the Board of Aldermen for 12 years, was replaced, as was Board of Education Chairman John F. Getlein.

The voters overwhelmingly elected to keep another veteran, John Kelleher, on the Board of Aldermen ticket with 416 voters. They also chose Vincent J. Tonucci with 344 votes and Joseph A. Jeanette Jr., who called for the primary, with 256 votes. Moscato received 249 votes.

On the Board of Education, Lisa M. Teodosio received a chunk of support with 380 votes. Raymond R. Lucarelli, a longtime contender of Getlein’s, reaped 287 votes followed by Getlein’s 272 count.

Booze Banned At Game
DERBY – Some fans say they can’t enjoy a football game without a beer to nurse between plays.

But Derby police officials do not agree and have said Friday’s season opener at Ryan Field between the Derby Red Raiders and Notre Dame will be “dry.”

There will be signs posted at all the gates warning fans that alcohol is not allowed.

Citizens Gets Roof Job
SEYMOUR – First Selectman Robert J. Koskelowski said repairs were being completed by Premier Roofing Co. of West Haven to the roof of Citizens Engine Company firehouse to eliminate leaks.

Koskelowski noted that the roof on the town-owned building had been leaking for a number of years, causing water damage to the interior of the structure. Part of the work to repair the roof was done last year. Koskelowski said the cost of both phases would be about $10,000.

20,000 Predicted For 2nd Shelton Day
SHELTON – Organizers of the second annual Shelton Day on Oct. 6 are predicting over 20,000 people will turn out for the afternoon of entertainment and fine food.

The U.S. Coast Guard Band will set the stage for the celebration with a free concert at the high school Oct. 5 at 8 p.m.

Festival organizers said there will be face painting, industrial displays, assorted delicacies, blood pressure checks, gymnastics and karate demonstrations.

Thursday, Sept. 12, 1985

Autumn Chill Hits Valley
VALLEY – Valley residents scurried to protect the remnants of summer gardens Wednesday as weather forecasters predicted that temperatures would dip below 40 overnight.

While the cool weather did not result in frost, the temperatures this morning was a chilling 40 degrees, according to David Haversat, an official observer for the National Weather Service in Oxford.

That reading, although unseasonable, did not break a previous record of 35 degrees for the date. That record was set in 1977, he said.

Firemen To Hold Sale Of Lobsters
ANSONIA – The Eagle Hose Company annual lobster sale will be held Sept. 28 with pickup time between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the hose house.

The 1 and ¼ pound Maine lobsters may be ordered cooked or uncooked. The price is $6.50 a lobster.

Veteran Democrats Attribute Loss To Cross-Endorsements
DERBY – John Getlein and Leo Moscato shook hands in the River Restaurant after the elections Tuesday.

The air was heavy, but the two veteran Democrats who had lost in the 2nd Ward primary, remained optimistic in the midst of a throng of friends and supporters.

They both attributed their losses to the fact that they had the mutual endorsement of the Republicans, as well as their own party, and both hastened to add they will not run on the GOP ticket.

Aldermanic President Moscato referred to this as a “short recess” in his political career.

Stakum To Back Trash Project
OXFORD – First Selectman William J. Stakum will recommend at the selectmen’s meeting Wednesday that town officials sign a non-binding letter of intent to join a planned trash-to-energy project in Ansonia.

The facility, which is being developed by representatives from Shelton, Derby and Ansonia, is slated to be built at the site of an existing incinerator in Ansonia and could be completed in 1988.

Bomb Threat At Store
SEYMOUR – Police investigated a bomb threat at Klarides Village Shopping Center at 11 a.m. Wednesday. A manager at Klarides Supermarket said an unidentified person called the store and said a bomb would go off in the shopping center in an hour.

An investigation failed to turn up any indications of suspicious activity, Chief Walter M. Trzcinski said.

Window Smashed
SHELTON – Vandals reportedly used a large metal drum to smash the plate glass window of a restaurant in Huntington Village early this morning.