Berlin High School - Lamp Yearbook (Berlin, CT)

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CLASS PROPHECY 1951 The final strains of Pomp and Circumstance died away and we leave Berlin High School to face the future. As I stood amid the relatives, and friends who were congratulating the latest additions to the high school alumni, I wondered what the future had in store for this, the graduating class of nineteen hundred fifty-one. Slowly I walked up the stairs and through the halls, where many pleasant memories came to mind. I wandered into the science laboratory. In one corner of the supply room I saw a shrouded object. I drew the covering aside and saw a bronze plate which bore this inscription, The Roy E. Fabian Electronic Device for the conquest of Time, Light and Space. I stood in awe for a moment and looked at the coffin-like machine before me. It bore a great number of dials and controls for the year nineteen hundred seventy-one. I climbed into the thing. Taking a deep breath I pressed a button marked atomic activator switch. With a sickening lurch the machine wrenched con- vulsively and with a deafening roar the apparatus went into action. After an interval of about twenty-minutes the noise began to decrease and then died out completely. I opened the metal latch and found myself in a pile of decaying rubble which once had been the old Berlin High School. I later learned that the School had been destroyed by an over-ambitious chemistry student who had discovered my book, Nitroglycerin Made Easy. Yes, here I was in nineteen seventy-one. As I walked down the main street, a very much changed Berlin met my eyes. There was a large restaurant with a dazzling neon sign that said, in three colors Tomasi ' s Spaghetti Palace . I went inside and chatted with Ray Tomasi over a dish of Italian spaghetti with meatballs. Ray told me that I was just in time to see the television show starring that television technician who made good, Danny Schoell, with jester, Jane Cornali. Ray apologized for the slow service, but it seems that his bartender, George Raymond, had left to study for the ministry. I then left to continue my tour of the town. The next structure I saw was a clean white marble building, bearing the sign, Berlin Health Center. Feeling a slight touch of indigestion, I went in. Nurses Marion Slater and Grace Volz, were busy with their duties. The receptionist, Geraldine Barr, told me that Jean Parzych was a patient there. But my fears were banished after head nurse, Mildred Overstrom, whispered to Doug Lowell who jumped up and offered me two cigars. Twins! he gasped. One suite of offices was ocupied by Bob Soroka ' s Dog and Cat Hospital. Bob is assisted by nurse, Viola Helin. I met Connie Johnson outside of Bob ' s office, holding an anemic looking Pekinese. Connie told me her husband was studying to become a minister and that the children were all fine. Horrible screams rang out from the end of the corridor. I went down to where they were coming from and saw the office of Dr. Richard Hall — Painless Dentist. I left the health center and continued on my walk. A huge, illuminated billboard proclaimed Dan Rusczyk ' s Dance Band, with Tony Legnani on the clarinet and vocalist Barbara May. A long, black sedan passed slowly in the street. I went into a large bookstore, run by Dorothy Yost, Barbara Manthey, and Marion Crowell, and asked about the owner of the sedan. They told me that it was owned by Stanley Budzinski, formerly of Anheuser Busch but now owner of the Budzinski Brewery. Bob Russell now holds the title of Budzinski Brewery ' s Best Bowler. 24

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MOST CHANGED Tony Legnani, Jeanne Parzych CLASS LOVERS Cliff Hamilton Norma Beaulieu SHYEST George Kron, Dorothy Yost MOST POPULAR CLASS EARBENDERS Rose Rector, Rog Rochefort CLASS HEARTBREAKERS Gerry Barr, Myrna Nolan George Raymond, Gerry Barr Mike Hines, Marion Slater 23

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A poster in the window of the bookstore advertised Larry Geremia ' s latest book. The Bobsie Twins in Afghanistan. The sound of jack hammers filled the air outside. The street was being systematically torn up by the Calvin Lewis Construction Company as part of the Berlin improvement program. A crew, consisting of operators Donald Mitchell and Robert Boy, proceeded efficiently. Across the street stood the Goodrich Diaper Service owned and operated by Arthur Goodrich. Jim Ulkus was just leaving with a bulky package under his arm. Jirh is now a history teacher at the new Berlin High School. The school ' s domestic science department is being taught by Josephine Frazzetta and Jean Wasilewski, while the commercial department is being supervised by Rose Rector and Joan Pickett. At a corner drug store operated by pharmacist, Doris Carriere, I bought a copy of the Berlin Blast Berlin ' s progressive newspaper total circulation 7. The paper is being run by Norma Beaulieu. The advice to the lovelorn is given by Cynthia Trueheart, in reality. Cliff Hamilton. Fashion news is by club woman, Alice Vibert. A glaring headline on page one caught my eye. George Kucharczyk made army Corporal. Local boy makes good after ten years of undaunting service. Page two held a feature story on Professor Fernand Brochu ' s coming trip to the moon. Page three gave the sad news of the wreck of a train load of apples from the Hrubiec orchard. Page four had a full page ad for Dorothy Hrubiec ' s Old Fashion Apple Sauce. I hailed a cab and found that Emil Vigra was running the Honest John ' s Cab Service. I asked Emil about Mike Hines. He drove across town to where, at the end of a side street, a huge green shamrock swayed in the breeze over Mike ' s Shamrock Club, Proprietor Mike Hines. I went in and found Mike changing the sawdust on the floor. He brushed a spot of dust off his kelly-green vest and greeted me. The floor show had just come on. Blues singer, Lucille Hanes, accompanied by a water-front pianist, Joe Cavallo, started the entertainment by singing that French hit Bon Soir, Irene. As I got up to leave, Myrna Nolan came on with her tap dance routine. I headed back across town to the Town Hall. On my way. Bob Bacon careened by in his souped up Essex Six. They told me that Hot Rod Bob, as he is now known is a race-car driver. I arrived at the Town Hall and weni in for a copy of the latest town report, Progress Digest. Ted Ziel, town clerk, was at work on the report of dog warden, John Gadzik. Fire Chief, George Kron, was heading the modern consolidated fire company, Berlin Smoke Eaters — Ladder Company Number 13. First selectman, Dave Doolittle ' s office was staffed by Laurette Dubuc and Elsie Marino. Outside I ran into that local man about town, Gerry Barr. Gerry was on his way to Mike ' s Shamrock Club for an evening of entertainment with one of his current girl friends. He invited me to join him, and having nothing better to do I went along. As I hurried along the street back to the rubble-strewn site of the old Berlin High School, the luminous hands of my watch pointed to the hour of mid-night. I groped among the rubble until I found the time machine. Climbing inside, I fastened the hatch and set the controls back to nineteen fifty-one. With a terrific roar the future vaporized and vanished before my eyes. Signed, Roger Rochefort Mike Hines Dick Hall 25