THE VALLEY — All aboard the time machine for a trip back to 1984!
Monday, Nov. 19, 1984
Store To Open
ANSONIA – A new children’s warehouse store has recently signed a long-term lease with the Ansonia Mall and is scheduled to open Dec. 2.
The Children’s Warehouse store will offer nationally advertised clothing at discount prices.
According to Maurice Swergold, president of the Mall Association, the new store will cater to infants, as well as adolescents.
The new store is owned by a Connecticut chain ad has leased three thousand square feet of space.
Vandalism Attempt
DERBY –Police are investigating a case of vandalism at Ryan Field. According to the report, an attempt was made to rip down one of the permanent goal posts.
Bomb Threat
DERBY – The George Hegyi Training Center on Coon Hollow Road was the target of a man who is calling bomb scares to local institutions almost daily. Personnel at the facility that treats Valley clients checked the building for a bomb, but nothing was found.
Amity Drubs Seymour 32 – 6
SEYMOUR – Seymour’s Wildcats suffered a stinging 32 – 6 season-ending defeat at the hands of Amity Regional’s Spartans here Saturday morning.
The loss shattered Seymour’s hopes for a .500 season. The Wildcats finished 4 – 6 overall and 4 – 5 in Housatonic League play.
“We just had another bad game,” said a disappointed Seymour coach Paul Sponheimer. “We sputtered offensively and played poorly defensively. We couldn’t stop their running game.”
Tuesday, Nov. 20, 1984
Santa Claus Hitches Ride With Firemen
ANSONIA – Santa Claus is coming to town.
Making his pre-holiday round of personal appearances, the jolly old gent will be arriving at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Malus Park, Ansonia, to help The Evening Sentinel and Ansonia officials kick off the Christmas season.
Saint Nicholas will be given a ride to the festivities by the Eagle Hose Hook and Ladder Company to make certain that he arrives on time to aid Mayor William J. Menna with turning on the cache lights and Main Street decorations.
Shop Has Imports
DERBY – For the Hannukah season, Beth Israel Sisterhood gift shop will feature Israel imports, as well as traditional games, toys, gift wrappings, decorations, etc. The shop is located at the synagogue center, 300 Elizabeth St., and is open from 9:30 a.m.to 4 p.m. daily and 9:30 a.m. to noon by appointment Sundays.
Board Freezes Funds For Roof
DERBY – The Board of Apportionment and Taxation froze the Derby Public Library’s $25,000 new roof account Monday until library officials come up with a definite outline on what repairs are to be done, and when.
Tax Board Chairman Joseph Ahearn said board members were concerned because the historic tile roof – which is still leaky $40,000 to $50,000 in past repairs – is destined to undergo more damage after another New England winter.
Concern was also voiced, Ahearn said, because $4,700 from the main roof account has gone towards paying engineering and bid advertising costs for work on the periodical room roof.
“We appropriated $25,000 for the main roof last winter,” Ahearn said. “There is probably only $18,000 left and they (the library board) still don’t know what they’re doing.”
Frances Fallon, president of the library Board of Directors said today the members “have not been wasting their time, but looking for alternative ways to fix the roof.”
Parking Ban Lifted
SEYMOUR – The Seymour Parking Authority has voted to lift a two-hour limit on on-street parking in the downtown business area from Dec. 3 to Jan. 7 for the convenience of Christmas shoppers patronizing stores in the center.
Wednesday, Nov. 21, 1984
500 Food Bags Packed For Valley Families
ANSONIA – It began with a prayer. More than 40 volunteers at the First Congregational Church Tuesday bowed their heads and thanked God for having food for Thanksgiving. Then they packed more than 500 food bags for holiday meals for the Valley’s needy.
Volunteers filled bags with tomato juice, cranberry sauce, canned vegetables, canned gravy, stuffing, honey, sacks of potatoes and loaves of bread. Frozen turkey breasts, milk, butter and other perishable items will be added today at the five pick-up sites for the families participating in the first phase of Operation Holiday.
Operation Holiday is expected to serve more than 1,000 families before the end of the Thanksgiving-Christmas season next month.
Derby-Shelton Ready For Housy Showdown
DERBY – The stage is set! The formalities are over! All of the remaining members of the Housatonic League have been disposed of.
The Shelton Gaels, with a perfect 8 – 0 league record, and the Derby Red Raiders, also at 8 – 0 in league competition, are ready to decide the league championship when they clash in their annual battle tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Finn Stadium in Shelton.
The Gaels, who are hoping to repeat as league champs, and the Raiders, anxious to recapture the league title, cruised by their eight Housy opponents and enter the traditional game with only one loss each. Both teams being defeated by the Ansonia Chargers.
TIE Seeks A Heliport For Park
SEYMOUR – TIE Communications Inc., has applied to the state Department of Transportation for permission to construction a heliport at its plant in Silvermine Industrial Park.
If the necessary federal, state and local approvals are obtained, the heliport would be the second one in the Valley. ITT Corp. recently built a heliport at its headquarters in Shelton.
First Selectman Robert Koskelowski told the Board of Selectmen Tuesday that he had been advised by the DOT Monday of the TIE proposal.
Because of the concerns of several selectmen of the safety factors of such a facility, the board voted unanimously to request the DOT to hold a public hearing in Seymour on the proposal.
Thursday, Nov. 22, 1984
Thanksgiving, No Paper Published
Friday, Nov. 23, 1984
Thousands See Games On Holiday
VALLEY – Thousands of Valley residents kicked off their Thanksgiving celebrations Thursday by attending early morning football games that saw Ansonia romp over Naugatuck, 39 to 6 and Shelton vanquish Derby 21 to 7.
Viewing the Naugatuck-Ansonia contest at Jarvis Field, Ansonia, and the Derby-Shelton game at the Edward C. Finn Stadium at Shelton was a chilly experience for many as early morning temperatures hovered around the 16-degree mark in both the upper and lower sections of the Valley.
Company Eyes Site In Derby For New Plant
DERBY – A Bridgeport company has applied for $1.5 million in state revenue bonds to build an electronics component factory on the former Center Drive-In property on Division Street.
Mayor John S. DeBarbieri said today “Anywhere from 200 to 2,000 new jobs could be created by the move.”
Accurate Electronics, Inc. Realty recently applied to the Connecticut Development Authority for permission to issue the bonds. Approval would allow financing to build and equip a 30,000-sqaure foot structure and would also aid in the purchase of the 15-acre site.
Derby’s Passander Inducted Into Citadel’s Hall Of Fame
DERBY –Tony Passander, the former Derby High School All-State quarterback, was recently inducted into The Citadel’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Passander, who emerged as one of the leading major college passers during a star-studded, three-year varsity career at The Citadel, and the four other 1984 Hall of Fame recipients were recognized at halftime of the homecoming game between The Citadel and VMI in Charlestown, South Carolina.
“It was a day I’ll never forget,” said Passander. “It was one of the greatest moments of my life.”
After gaining All-State honors at Derby – he was also a two-time All-Valley and All-Housatonic League selection – Passander was the target of numerous major colleges, including several Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference schools.
During his varsity career at The Citadel from 1967 – 69, Passander shattered all of the school’s single season and career passing records.
Sears Resigns From Panel
SEYMOUR – Howard F. Sears has submitted his resignation from the Board of Finance, Karen Ortolli, acting chairman of the board, said.
Sears, who was elected in November 1983, for a six-year term, said increased work responsibilities made it difficult for him to fulfill his duties as a member of the finance panel.
