Higgins Junior High School - Tatler Yearbook (Thompsonville, CT)

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A. D. HIGGINS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 9 nurses in hospitals in different parts o f the country. Mary insisted that we visit the hospital and also the Enfield Trade School. These were, as you know, just idle rumors when you were here. We assured her that we would. We re- turned to our car and soon were in front of a large structure of about eight floors, which we learned had been designed by Emil Haber. We were ushered into the waiting room by Bernice Henry. Soon the head nurse came in to see us and we recognized her as Hazel Ghabour. She told us that several of our old classmates were nurses at the hospital. They are. Pearl King, Barbara Mallard, Elizabeth Tov cr, Eleanor Tokarczyk, and Josephine Ankiewicz. She also told us that our old classmate, Stephen Gracew’ski, was in the hospital suffer- ing from a severe case of mosquito bites which he had acquired on his last trip to Mars. He said the mos- quitoes were fierce up there and on his next trip he would bring the in- habitants several cases of mosquito oil that had recently been invented by Robert McIntosh. Again we got into our car and rode along the paved streets until a large building came into view. We stopped in front of the elaborately decorated gateway which had been designed by James Apostle and read the name, Enfield Trade School. At the door we met Clarence Moody, principal of the school, who showed us through the building and told us that Amelia Chmura was his secretary, Stella Rarus, Carmela Secondo, Henry Pitoniak, and Edward Mendrala were members of the faculty and Edward Jarose was coach. Feeling hungry we decided to go to a nearby restaurant which we found was owned by Joseph Arietti and Benjamin Alaimo. We were ushered to our table by Amelia Albano who called Emma DeCara to take our order which was cooked by Enrico Gualo, a famous chef. Joseph called our attention to his Bajek television radio and tuned in to station WJZ where we heard the following program announced by Caremlina Gaetani. A talk on housekeeping by Caroline Drost Illustrated drawings by Kath- leen Quinn. Songs by a chorus made up of Stella Salva, Amelia Wasowicz, Ruth Snow, Sophie Petrakis, and Stella Nowak. Poems by Pauline Aloisa. The next feature was a style show put on by a leading New York store. We recognized the following models: Madeline Sherman, Alice Pellaio, Stella Zaleski, Olive Lees, Gertrude Longmore, and Mary Ze- browski. We finished our dinner and thanked Joseph for the fine reception he had given us. In paying our bill we recognized Anna Yakubus as cashier. As we were riding down Enfield Street someone called our attention to the sign “Reunion of the Class of ’31 in Higgins Auditorium at 3.30 this afternoon.” I knew this would be my chance of finishing this report, so we started right for Higgins. As we arrived we were greeted by Rita Fay and Helen Wojnar, teachers in that very school. They told us that Enrico Casiughino v as a dentist, Joseph O’Brien owned a drug store in Boston, Genu Pacyna was golf instructor at the Country Club, Helen Piepul and Helen Mika, secretaries to famous movie actresses, and Bernice Pawelcik was a stenographer. In the auditor- ium we met Joseph Buezkowski, a prosperous farmer, Nickolas Dell ’Aquila, Anthony Reveruzzi, and William Testoni, business men in the city. James Liucci, a proprietor of a bowling alley, told us that Frank Borys, Andrew Jedziniak, Raymond Bocchino, and Onofrio Resta were playing baseball in the big leagues. Harold Reader told us he was a famous barber and had his shop right next to Marguerite Baronian’s store. We saw Anna Cygan, Rose Deforge, Lena DiSciasca, Mary Feranzoviz, Marion Mbrril, and Margaret Mac- Cracken, all who had chosen either bookkeeping or stenography for their work. Mildred LaGrange, Josephine Somceski, Carmela Vella, Sophie Yurevich, Josephine Grimaldi, and Stella Bonk told us they were tele- phone operators. Carrie Pease told us that she owned a tea room and that Margaret Charette was a domestic science teacher in Camibridge. Adela Klaus was teaching nhysi ' al training here in Thompsonville. Lilly Pallila was running her ov n hemistitching shop and in the same building Anna

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8 THE TATLER Austins to the natives. Howard Plank had gone with the party also, but did not return as he had become a famous engineer in Tibet and had stayed to finish a big job. Henry had promised to send him an account of his visit and this is the account which he sent. In an incredible short time, we found ourselves approaching the boundaries of Thompsonville, a flour- ishing city. By the unusual activity of the natives we realized that some festivity was taking place. When we landed at Bednarski Field, we re- ceived a rousing welcome from Stanley Kupeck and Edward Pepek, managers of the airport, and Frank Steward and Clifford Richardson, instructors at the port. We learned from them that it was Old Home Day in Thomp- sonville and all former residents had been invited back. You may be sure we looked forward with great pleas- ure to our first day in our former home. We exchanged our plane for a Holt automobile named after our former classmates, Donald and Carl Holt, and proceeded to the main boulevard. Such signs as Kenneth Lebeshevsky — Law Office, Leon Jedziniak — First Class Shoes, Helen Miodowski’s Beauty Parlor, Celia Bigos — Public Stenog- rapher, brought to my mind our former classmates whom you will no doubt remember too. We arrived just in time to see the parade, the first event of the day’s program, and who should be heading this parade but Mayor James Mirabile, accompanied by Representative Donald Comrie and Senator Edmund Rossi, of Connecti- cut. The chauffeur looked rather familiar to me and certainly he should have for he was none other than Frank Portenski. Next in line came Harry Greaves, Chief of Police, Robert Crane, Chief of the Fire De- partment, Karol Dubiel, Superintend- ent of Schools, and Charles Falzone, Principal of the High School, in a large car driven by Clare Tkacz. The strains of a spirited march reached our ears and attracted our attention to a large truck bearing the name Cardone Trucking Co. In this truck, bedecked in all the glory of their new green and white uniforms, sat an orchestra whose leader was an old classmate, Charles Calcasola. On closer scrutiny I recognized Italy Ruggiero, Joseph Vella, Irvin John- son, Chester Przeracki, Edward Pie- trusza, Peter Pobat, and Matthew Alaimo. We learned that the orches- tra had been playing Rose Schianca’s latest m.arch “Hail to Enfield”. Prac- tically every business in the city was in some way represented in this parade. The floats which interested our group most were: The Oriental Garden from Bigelow-Sanford White Carpet Co., The Modern Home by Szczygiel Construction Co., The Rock Garden by the Elizabeth Brainard Nursery, A Market Garden from Rita Manning’s farm. Pure Milk from Adam Polek’s farm. Safe Transporta- tion by the Oliver Bus Co., Necessities of Life from the Delao’s Grocery Store, Health for all from the Devine Memorial Hospital. This hospital, we later learned, was named after William Devine, a prosperous busi- ness man who had donated money for it. The parade moved through the streets in a very orderly manner due to the efficient work of Lieutenant Alexander Gracewski, and his assist- ants, Frank Anzolotti, Walter Borys, Leonard Ruggiero, and Charles Renna, state officers from the Stafford Springs Barracks. After the parade had passed, we decided to ride around and see what changes had taken place. On the steps of the public library we saw chief librarian, Mary Wojnar, who greeted us with a broad smile and her assistant, Constance Emanuele. We stopped to talk to them as we knew they could tell us about many of our classmates. Here is the information which they gave us. Leon Kupeck is now commander of the U. S. S. Lex- ington, and has on board, Joseph Fiore, Stanley Piorek, Angelo Misur- aca, and Adam Pierz. Rose Kolodriez and Frances Attardi are designers of dresses in New York. Gerlevieve Ziemian and Victoria Muzyka are owners of a dress-making shop in Boston. Mildred Taylor is instructor of physical education in Chicago and several are secretaries for New York business men. Among them are Frieda Legienza, Clementine Baj, Helen Colton, and Stella Czech. Stella Par- velac, Viola Roscoe, Lena Rossi, Viola Santanelli, and Frances Marino, are

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A. D. HIGGINS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL