This week we take a look back at 1983, when the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people was $20.82, (compared to today’s average of $55.18) which included $9.49 for a 16-lb. turkey. It’s also when Lionel Richie had us singing “All Night Long,” Larry Holmes knocked out Marvis Frazier in one round to keep his heavyweight boxing title and police freed kidnapped beer magnate Alfred Heineken in Amsterdam.
Here’s the tunes that topped The Billboard Hot 100 chart:
“All Night Long (All Night)” – Lionel Richie
“Say Say Say” – Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
“Uptown Girl” – Billy Joel
“Islands In The Stream” – Kenny Rogers duet With Dolly Parton
“Cum On Feel The Noize” – Quiet Riot
Here is what was happening in our Valley!
Thursday, Nov. 24, 1983
Thanksgiving — no paper published
Friday, Nov. 25, 1983
Davidson, Menna Argue Appointment
ANSONIA – The new superintendent of streets and bridges said this morning he has no plans to submit his resignation from that position when his job comes up for reappointment Dec. 31.
Former 2nd Ward Alderman Joseph T. Davidson was formally appointed to the job Wednesday night by 12 members of the Board of Aldermen. The move drew heavy criticism from several members of the audience in the packed courtroom in City Hall during the final action of the all-Democratic Board of Aldermen.
Mayor-elect William J. Menna, in a letter to Davidson Wednesday night, asked Davidson to serve as superintendent on an interim basis only.
14 Meters Taken
DERBY – Police are investigating the removal of 14 parking meters from Minerva Street. The meters were found in the hallway of a house on Minerva Street. Police expect to get a warrant for the arrest of the person responsible.
Station Held Up
DERBY – Police are investigating a holdup at Healey’s Service Station on New Haven Avenue Wednesday night during which two men took several hundred dollars in cash. The car used in the holdup was later found abandoned in the Stop & Shop parking lot in Derby. It had been stolen earlier in the day in Ansonia.
Christmas Lights To Brighten Holiday Season In Seymour
SEYMOUR – Downtown Seymour will take on a festive air for the approaching Christmas season through the efforts of the recently organized Downtown Seymour Association.
The association will decorate a row of trees on Main Street, across from Seymour Trust Co., with hundreds of small white lights that will glow throughout the late afternoon and evening each day during the Yuletide season.
It has been a number of years since either street decorations or a lighted Christmas tree has brightened the area for the holidays. The decorations were discontinued because of the cost of replacing them as they deteriorated, as well as replacing bulbs that were taken from the trees by vandals.
Toll Proposed On Route 8
SHELTON – Introduction in the General Assembly of a bill to put a toll station on Route 8 in Shelton will “cause a war,” according to State Rep. Richard O. Belden, 113th district Republican of Shelton.
Belden, a longtime opponent of tolls on any of the state’s highways, lashed out on new proposals to create three new toll plazas to help pay for statewide road repair.
The proposal to put toll stations on Route 8, the I-91 connector in Hamden and Route 7 in Danbury came from a report of the State Senate’s finance committee.
Saturday, Nov. 26, 1983
Weekly Price To Rise 10c
ANSONIA – For the first time in more than two years, the home-delivered price of The Sentinel will increase, effective Monday.
The Sentinel will go up by 10 cents a week, to a total of $1.40 home delivered. Carriers will share in the increase, made necessary by rising wages and prices. Ther will be no change in the newsstand price of 30 cents a copy.
Break Probed
DERBY – Police are investigating a house break in the Hawthorne Avenue area.
Entry was gained through a rear window, and several rooms were ransacked. An undetermined amount of and some jewelry was stolen. The detective bureau has taken over the investigation.
Break At School
SEYMOUR – Police are investigating a break at the Seymour Middle School during the Thanksgiving recess. Dr. John M. Nolan, principal, reported the break Friday morning.
Police said there were signs of a forced entry into the building. In addition, the doors to seven classrooms were pried open and the glass was broken in one of the doors.
Papers were scattered around in one room. A fire extinguisher had been discharged in another room. The teachers’ desks in the rooms appeared to have been rifled.
Police said it did not appear that any equipment was missing.
Town To Strut Santa’s Stuff
SEYMOUR – Seven bands will provide a musical escort for 34 marching units as they welcome Santa to Seymour during the 13th annual Christmas Parade at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Hundreds of spectators, both young and old, are expected to crowd the line of march along Broad and Main streets for the traditional procession.
Suzanne T. Bendler, president of the Pumpkin Festival Association, is the grand marshal this year. She will lead the parade with the Seymour High School band and auxiliary units.
Sunday, Nov. 27, 1983
The Sentinel Didn’t Publish On Sundays
Monday, Nov. 28, 1983
Chief Warns Of Bogus Bills
DERBY – Chief of Police Leo E. Herbette today warned local residents to be on alert for altered $20 bills.
“What they do is cut the end off $20 bills and paste them onto $1 bills,” the chief said.
In the Christmas rush, the cashier thinks that it is a $20 and gives the customer the proper change.
“They probably buy about $1 worth of merchandise, so they clear $19 on the flim-flam,” he said.
TEAM Gets Shelter Funds
DERBY – Gov. William A. O’Neill today announced that Training, Education and Manpower, Inc. has been given $28,736 to provide emergency shelter services to the homeless.
A portion of that grant will be used to aid the Inter-Faith Emergency Housing Shelter to pay for operational costs. The bulk of the funds will be used to aid families not included in that emergency shelter’s service area.
8 Drivers Charged
SEYMOUR – Eight motorists were charged with driving at an unreasonable speed Saturday on South Main Street by a radar surveillance patrol unit, as police continue a drive on speeding.
In addition, one driver was charged with speeding, and another was charged with making unnecessary noise with a motor vehicle.
Lt. John Olenchuk, Sr. said the radar surveillance unit would be in operation in various locations throughout town, where complaints have been received about speeding by motorists.
2 Shelton Women To Vie In Pageant
SHELTON – The organizers of the 1984 Connecticut Junior Miss Pageant had a problem when two Shelton women entered the competition as at-large contestants.
“Although both were extremely well qualified, both could not be Miss Shelton,” said Ann Talbot, state pageant coordinator.
Thus, Laura Martin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Martin, will be “Miss Huntington” and Carla Supersano, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alan Supersano, will be “Miss Shelton.”
The contestants, both students at Shelton High School, are the only Valley residents among the approximately 75 women competing in the Jan. 21 finals at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.
Tuesday, Nov. 29, 1983
Ansonian Plans To File Complaint
ANSONIA – A city woman is planning to file a Freedom of Information complaint against the city and the Board of Aldermen for action taken at a recent meeting.
Irma Callaghan, of Chester Street, had attended the Nov. 15 meeting of the aldermen when the aldermen voted to deviate from their agenda and bring up a resolution for salary raises for non-union city employees. The salary increases, which averaged about eight percent, were approved.
Mrs. Callaghan argued that this is a violation of state statutes that the aldermen do not have the right to deviate from agenda to bring up business that is not on the agenda. In addition, Mrs. Callaghan said at a special meeting of the aldermen last Wednesday, the resolution on salaries did not have the required stamp of the Town and City Clerk.
Germain Appointed Derby Lieutenant
DERBY – Donald Germain was appointed the police department’s new lieutenant at the police commissioner’s meeting Monday night.
Germain will be sworn in Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the City Hall Aldermanic Chamber. He had been named acting lieutenant after Leo Herbette was promoted to police chief in July 1983.
Farrel Said Moving Machines To Derby
DERBY – Expansion of facilities and new machinery at the Farrel company’s Main Street operation could mean as much as a $1 million increase in the city’s grand list.
Mayor Edward Cecarelli reported that he was told by reliable sources that new machinery brought into the plant from Ansonia will mean a substantial increase in Derby’s grand list.
Sources have put that increase at $1 million, which would bring $37,600 more to the city treasury.
Yule Party
SHELTON – Queen Esther Chapter, Order of Eastern Star, will hold a Christmas party and covered dish supper for officers, hostesses, protems and their husbands Sunday at 5 p.m. at the home of Lupe and Arthur Maybeck. Guests should bring a $3 grab bag item. Ladies’ gifts should be tied with red ribbon and mens’ gifts with green ribbon.
Wednesday. Nov. 30, 1983
Menna Denies He Requested Resignations
ANSONIA – Mayor-elect Willam J. Menna this morning denied statements that he requested everyone’s resignation in City Hall.
Claude Perry, Sr., the city’s personnel director, told The Sentinel that Menna, in a private meeting this weekend, requested him to “ask for everyone’s resignations” on Monday. Perry said he made no such request and has not received anyone’s resignation.
“It’s a lie,” Menna said. “The only resignations I requested were of Joe Davidson, recently appointed superintendent of streets and bridges and the two secretaries in the mayor’s office.”
Woman Appointed City Tax Collector
DERBY – Mayor-elect John DeBarbieri today appointed Mary Testone as tax collector.
Mrs. Testone will replace Harry Kinney.
“Mary knows the business and understands the people of this city,” said DeBarbieri. “We are fortunate to have her and her experience.”
Mrs. Testone worked in the tax collector’s office under Mayor Ralph J. Romano. She is a graduate of Shelton High School and attended the University of Bridgeport.
Charter Unit Would Add Commissioner
DERBY – The Charter Revision Commission last night vetoed the idea of hiring the police chief from outside the ranks.
The commission studied other police matters and decided that the city should set up an ethics board there, add a police commissioner and fill police vacancies with the highest scorers of the examinations.
Club Places Yule Wreaths
SEYMOUR – Christmas wreaths have been placed on several municipal buildings by the Seymour Garden Club as a civic beautification project.
Large wreaths trimmed with red bows have been hung on the front doors of Town Hall, at the Seymour Public Library entrances and on the front entrance of Center School.
2 Companies Eye Shelton
SHELTON – Two companies are expected to announce the construction of facilities in Shelton, according to Mayor Eugene M. Hope, Jr.
Although he declined to identify the companies as well as the nature of the facilities and the sites of the new operations, Hope said that he expects an announcement within 60 days.
“Nothing has been signed yet, but the situation looks promising,” Hope said.