Straight from the digital files of The Evening Sentinel, courtesy of The Lower Naugatuck Valley History Archives, this week we go back to 1992.
These were the songs topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart:
All 4 Love – Color Me Badd
Can’t Let Go – Mariah Carey
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me – George Michael/Elton John
Black Or White – Michael Jackson
Finally – CeCe Peniston
Here is what was happening in our Valley!
Monday, Jan. 27, 1992
Bush Thanks Advocate For Abused Kids
ANSONIA – President George Bush said at his inauguration he wanted a kinder, gentler world.
He recently sent a letter to an Ansonia woman thanking her for attempting to make the lives of abused children just that – kinder and gentler.
Eleonora Scherr Drechsel, who founded Mothers Protecting Children, said she was greatly honored and pleased by Bush’s letter thanking her for her “outstanding record of community service.”
Drechsel said she started the organization two years ago to protect victims of abuse. The organization established a hotline to enable victims to seek help 24 hours a day for help.
Monaco Quits Boards
DERBY – Joseph Monaco has resigned as a member of the board of directors for Derby Savings Bank and DS Bancor, Inc., according to Henry DiAdamo, DSB president.
Monaco, who joined both boards in 1988, cited personal reasons for his resignation. There are currently 12 members of the board of directors. Members are responsible for setting policy and working with senior management on strategic plans for the bank.
Oxford Sees A Little Red
OXFORD – The town ended the fiscal year with a $284,549 deficit, according to an auditor’s report which will be one of the agenda items presented at today’s annual town meeting at 8 p.m. at Town Hall.
Administrative Assistant Carl Serus said the reason for the deficit was due to tax revenues being down for the year.
“Over the course of the years, revenues are usually slightly higher than expenditures and those revenues are usually in the form of cash,” he said, adding that some years the process is reversed, as it is this year.
Poster Wins
SEYMOUR – A poster by Megan Kennedy, 5, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Kennedy of North Benham Road, won top prize in the Daisy category in a statewide Girl Scout contest.
The poster by the kindergarten student at Bungay School and member of Daisy Troop 848 will be forwarded to the Girl Scouts USA national competition. The theme is “Girl Scouts Care for the Earth.”
Is Trained
SHELTON – Marine Pfc. Scott F. Grosso recently completed recruit training and was promoted to his present rank.
During the training cycle at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Paris Island, S.C., he was taught the basics of battlefield survival, introduced to typical military daily routine and personal and professional standards.
A 1991 graduate of Trumbull High School, he joined the Marine Corps in September. He is the son of Michael A. Grosso of Shelton.
Tuesday, Jan. 28, 1992
Hallihan Reiterates: Concessions For Jobs
ANSONIA – While Mayor Thomas Halliahn lauded public works employees for making concessions, he warned that layoff notices would be sent to seven city workers and five police officers Friday if other unions did not follow suit.
“We’re well aware of the effect concessions will have on workers and their families,” Hallihan said.
Stress Program
DERBY – A stress management program for adults and young adults will be held tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at the Derby Public Library.
Daniel Bretter, who holds a master’s degree in counseling, will coordinate the program.
The program is designed to help participants identify sources of stress in their life, become aware of how stress affects health and learn ways to decrease stress.
Postal Service Eyes Seymour For New Center
SEYMOUR – A 30-acre sand and gravel bank off Route 67 at the Bethany line is one of several sites being considered for the location of a regional facility by the U.S. Postal Service.
The property is owned by Molsick Sand and Gravel Inc. and is part of a larger tract extending into Bethany which has been mined by the company for more than half a century.
Several members of the Econimic Development Commission said Monday they were concerned that the benefits of such a facility would be outweighed by the negative aspects, such as increased truck traffic and loss of tax revenue.
Iroquois Marks End Of 6-Year Pipeline Project
SHELTON – Officers of the Iroquois Gas Transmission System today will celebrate the completion of a six-year, 370-mile natural gas pipeline from Canada to Long Island.
A dedication of the pipeline will be held at the Iroquois headquarters, Enterprise Corporate Tower, at 5:30 p.m. The event will feature a ceremonial flame lighting.
Gas began flowing through the entire stretch of the pipeline over the weekend without incident.
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 1992
Residents Grill Mayor On Budget
ANSONIA – Mayor Thomas Hallihan met with about 130 residents Tuesday night at Lincoln School to discuss an anticipated 10-mill increase in the next city budget.
The current mill rate is 55.8 mills and the current budget for fiscal 1990-1991 is $26.9 million.
The proposed 1991-1992 city budget is $26.5 million.
The tax collection rate drop from 92 to 87 percent and the loss of approximately $700,000 in state grants were the reasons the mayor said he anticipated the need for the 10 or 10.5 mill increase.
The 10-mill increase would cost the average homeowner between $360 and $400, Hallihan said.
Tax Board Elects Moran Chairwoman
DERBY – Beverly Moran was unanimously elected Tuesday as the chairwoman of the Board of Apportionment and Taxation.
The tax board voted 9-0 for Moran during its monthly meeting at City Hall.
Moran, a Democrat, was nominated by Democrat William Conlon.
“She has served the city well during her four-year tenure on the board,” Conlon said. “There is no doubt about her honesty and integrity.”
Moran succeeds Marc Garofalo, who was elected to a seat on the Board of Aldermen, last November.
Henry Chatfield, 79, Dies; Founded Lumber, Oil Firms
SEYMOUR – Henry T. Chatfield, 79, of First Avenue, founder and owner of Chatfield Lumber and Chatfield Oil Co., and for many years operator of the Seymour Grain and Coal Co., which was founded by his father, died Tuesday at Griffin Hospital. He was the husband of Beryl Burmaster Chatfield.
He was a 1929 graduate of Seymour High School and a 1933 graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He was the former owner of the Maybury Insurance. Co. He was a 50-year member of Nonnawauk Tribe, Improved Order of Redmen, a member of Seymour Congregational Church, choir and a former deacon and treasurer of the church. He was treasurer of Pines Bridge Cemetery Association, Beacon Falls, and a veteran member of Citizens Engine Company. He formerly served on the board of directors of Seymour Public Library and was a trustee of the former Seymour Trust Co.
Vandalism
SHELTON –Police are investigating a factory owner’s complaint that his Canal Street plant was vandalized over the weekend.
According to police, the owner of the Samirius Company on Canal Street reported that somebody entered his facility through a rear entry this weekend and heavily damaged fixtures and machines. The damage included the theft of copper fittings from machines in the facility.
Thursday, Jan. 30, 1992
Ed Officials Give Back 5 Percent Health Benefits
ANSONIA – Education administrators have unanimously voted to grant five percent giveback in health benefits requested by Mayor Thomas Hallihan.
John Gentile, president of the Ansonia Administrators Organization, said 10 administrators voted in response to Hallihan’s request, which was supported by Superintendent of Schools Ruth Feinberg, that all departments provide financial relief in the current budget problem.
OSHA Fines Ansonia Company
ANSONIA – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has imposed $32,400 in fines on Latex Foam Products Inc. for 20 workplace violations discovered between Aug. 14 and Oct. 8.
Clifford S. Weston, OSHA area director, said the alleged violations were discovered during a complaint inspection at the plant at 20 West Main St.
“We found apparent hazards involving the exposure of certain employees to higher than allowed levels of ammonia vapors and lack of a respiratory protection program for those employees, the lack of an emergency response plan for spills of hazardous chemicals and the lack of a chemical hygiene program for research lab workers,” Weston said.
Guest Readers To Visit Derby
DERBY – Grimace, Mother Goose and a myriad of community leaders will be visiting elementary school students tomorrow as part of the school system’s celebration of “Connecticut Loves to Read” day.
The visits are designed to encourage students to read, according to Shirley Erickson, reading consultant.
Mayor Gino S. DiMauro, Jr., school officials, police officers, firefighters, aldermen, PTA members and other community leaders will be among those reading students at Irving, Bradley, Lincoln and Derby intermediate schools.
100 Protest Sewer Use Charges
SEYMOUR – About 100 homeowners vigorously protested the formula on which the Water Pollution Control Authority will levy sewer use charges at a public hearing Wednesday at the Seymour Public Library.
All who spoke at the two-hour session said they objected to the use of the average daily consumption of water by a household during a one-year period as that would include water used during the summer for watering gardens and lawns, washing cars and filling backyard swimming pools.
“All that water goes into the soil and not the sewer system,” said Edward Johns of Maple Street.
Jack Jurkowski of Amber Drive said his water bill during the three-month summer period was three times that of the other quarters. He and the other protesters told the WPCA the fee should be based on water consumption during the winter months.
Friday, Jan. 31, 1992
Contamination Is Discovered At Bank Property In Ansonia
ANSONIA – The Shelton Savings Bank’s Division Street property reportedly is contaminated, and the bank believes the city’s nearby landfill is responsible.
Tests done by environmental consultants hired by the bank showed the presence of fluoranthene, pyrene, cadmium and oil and grease among contaminants found in soil samples, according to Douglas Cohen, the bank’s attorney.
Barbieri Questions Cuts
DERBY – Michael Barbieri, last year’s Republican mayoral candidate, reiterated his skepticism Tuesday about Mayor Gino S. DiMauro Jr.’s plan to cut the 1992-1993 tax rate by 5 mills.
Barbieri pointed to sample cuts that would be required to meet such a challenge, decreases he believes are unrealistic. He made those comments during the tax board’s monthly meeting at City Hall.
Barbieri said about $1 million would have to be cut from the current budget levels, assuming revenue remains the same.
Seymour Grand List To Inch Up Slightly
SEYMOUR – The Grand List of Oct. 1, 1991 is expected to show only minimal growth over the 1990 list when it is filed later today.
Assessor Anna M. Fanotto was putting together the final figures this morning in preparation for submitting the list to the town clerk’s office by the 5 p.m. filing deadline.
“We expect a disappointingly low rate of growth,” said Fanotto, indicating she anticipated it would be even less than last year’s 3 percent increase. “There has been only minimal residential development to offset a loss in personal property accounts resulting from the closing of Schott Electronics Inc. and a reorganization of Tie/Communications Inc. in Silvermine Industrial Park.”
OHSA Claims City Hall Is Not Sick
SHELTON – City Hall does not contain chemicals, fumes or other materials that would make employees sick, a report has concluded.
A report done by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration claims no violations of state or federal OSHA standards were found to exist during an inspection that took place from Nov. 13 through Dec. 3 of last year.
The results contradict claims made by Mayoral Secretary Dolores Evans, who has been out of work since last August, suffering from what one of her doctors terms “sick building syndrome.” Evans has filed a workman’s compensation claim against the city and continues to serve as clerk to the Board of Aldermen from her home.