New Milford High School - Schaghticoke Yearbook (New Milford, CT)

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The United States celebrates its bicentennial in 1976 with fireworks, parades and commemorative coins. The celebration starts when the sun is seen on Mars Hill in Maine. New York hosts the most extensive celebration. Fifteen large ships and 200 small ones sail through Upper Bay and up the Hudson as hundreds of thousands watch from the shores. A sixty foot cherry pie is baked in Washington, while in Boston a six foot pancake and a sixty nine thousand pound cake arc baked. Ford warned the country “not to be content with its past and to look to the future to increase its freedom and improve its quality of life.” - 86 million Hospital expansion started at New Milford Hospital - Cantebury builds the first local indoor skating rink - In April 1976, Mr. Bayers takes NMHS Band to Disney World - In April 1978, Alton Wheeler of XM files suit against President Carter and Senators Ribicoff and Weickcr, charging them with illegal conspiring to give away the Panama Canal. Dr. Tripp Dr. Tripp, the Mathematics Coord I nator, has a deep commitment to our school and community. The biggest change in the school over the years is the growth in size of the student body and faculty. According to Dr. Tripp our school has improved the ’arts’ area of instruction — Industrial and Fine Arts. Dr. Tripp is known for his high standards and for his stressing that the faculty and students should strive to reach their potential. Dr. Tripp sees the school as a place of continuing change and that the school must be ready to meet these demands. 1. Class of '88 begins kindergarten. 2. First test tube baby born in London. 3. Baryshnikov, Soviet ballet star, defects to US. Bruce Sprinsteen becomes the biggest hit since the Beatles in the late Seventies, while the Grateful Dead is making their world debut. Elvis Presley, the King of Rock, dies after 28 gold records and 106 hits in the Top 40. Gerald Ford assumes the presidency when Nixon is named a co-conspirator in the Watergate scandal. Ford issues a pardon to Nixon. Two assassinations are made on Ford' life; he escapes both attempts alive. 1974 American and Soviet astronauts meet in space for a two day international mission. During these two days, the six crew members shared meals and cooperated on scientific experiments as they moved from one craft to the other. The commanders shook hands through the hatches of their spacecraft and then traded gifts as the Americans entered the Soviet ship. The interaction occurred 140 miles above the Atlantic Ocean. 24

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After Bpending nine ycurs in Vietnam, the I'oitcd States finally pulls out of South Vietnam. This is the longest time we have ever spent fighting in one war and those nine long years has left the United States a divided country. The war has been devastating for everyone involved. 68,000 United States soldiers were killed and 866,000 were wounded. The United States entered into this war hoping to stop the North Vietnamese from taking over South Vietnam and spent over 8150,000,000 only to fall at this tusk. On March 29, 1973 the United States puLls it’s last troops out of South Vietnam and ends our involvement in a war that accomplished HUle more than to tear our country apart. People are watching Sweet Charity at the movies, along with East Rider, Midnight Cowboy, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Marlon Brandon is portraying The Godfather. Other big hits are Jesus Christ Superstar, Sleeper, The Sting, and The Exorcist. Star Trek the series cuts Its five year mission to explore strange new riorlds to only three and goes off the air, but MASH proves to be a great smash. Kids are introduced to Jim Henson’s Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, and Oscar the Grouch w hen Sesame Street makes its debut. Parents are introduced to Edith and Meathead when Carroll O’Connor stars in “All in the Family.” j 1973 The SENIORS OF 88 are being born in hospitals around the world. Besides the war, Nixon also had his next election to worry about. He w'ins by a landslide, but five burglars are caught in the Watergate offices and are connected to the President. Top Nixon’s aides quit over the scandal and the United States Senate begins the Watergate Hearings. The Washington Post and its reporters Woodward and Bernstein are honored for their coverage of Watergate. The famous blues singer, B.B. King, presented a benefit concert at New Milford High School. The performance w'as an attempt by the senior class to raise money. B B KING in CONCERT BENEFIT FOR JIMMY WARNER FUND SPONSORED BY N M H S. CLASS OF '70 THURSDAY. DECEMBER 4. 1969 N M HIGH SCHOOL 7:00 P. M DONATION 00 Miss Vago 1961 Miss Yugo remembers the strict dress code that was enforced at NMHS for many years. It was ta- tboo for women to wear slacks including the £ faculty. But Miss Vago how-i H ever was given « the exception, mKk S ' • as she was a Physics teacher and it was necessary for her to climb on shelves for inventory. The administraUon allowed this only when It was absolutely necessary. One thing Miss Vago really misses is the close knit relationship that existed between the students and faculty. In her early years of teaching every teacher knew each student on a first name basis and the students and teachers depended on each other for help and friendship, even outside of the classroom. The enormous growth in the staff and student body has made It difficult for this to huppen. But, Miss Vago has stuck with us for 26 years because “XM has become my home, my friends have become my family, and I care deeply about my students.” 23

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Jimmy Carter, a peanut farmer and fomcr governor of Georgia, is elected president. Carter is the first man from the deep South to become president in 125 years. He defeats President Ford in a close election. He credits his victory to his showing in the televised debates between the two candidates. Jaws is a thriller! Saturday Night Fever hits the disco scene by storm. Star Wars and the Force are a box office smash. Superman becomes every boys hero and every girls dream Rocky mukes its debut and paves the way for others to come. Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a favorite for all ages. Other favorite movies are The Godfather Part II, One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest, All the President’s Men, and The Enforcer. In television, “Waltons” and “Happy Days” made their debut, as TV networks try to reduce violence on TV. Roots draws 80 million view ers, the largest audience ever. The Dallas saga starts, and Wonderwoman captures the heurts of children and men alike, 1978 Ford is introducing the Pinto Pony, but Volkswagon Is phasing the Bug out of the United States market. People are living alone—and liking it! Kids are wearing T-shirts with writing on it. Zoologists observer World Whale Day. First protest staged at a nuclear plant. Carter offers farm aid after protest. Families begin to leave'Love Canal. The gasoline shortage becomes worse than ever. In New York, more than half of the gas stations were closed down due to a lack of gas. Open stations have lines up to six miles long and w'ere limiting sales up for three dollars per visit. Nadia Comanici stuns the w'orld wdth her gymnastics ability. Hank Aaron hits 750 homeruns, beating Babe Ruth’s record. Dorothy Hamill skates her wfay to the top. Nine hundred nine people die in a mass suicide. Followers of a fanatical Californian commit suicide in the jungle of South America. Survivors say Temple members took part in a mass suicide rite by swallowing a concoction of Kool-Aid and cyanide. Mr. Bourdeau 1960 Mr. Bourdeau was the first Vice Principal of the new high school in 1963. A man known for his strict cn-forccment of the dress code, it was not uncommon to find him checking for unbuttoned collars or measuring hemlines. In the early 70’s when the Schaght-icokc Middle School was built. Mr. Bourdeau left the High School as Vice Principal to become Principal there. He Is now a math teacher at Schaghti-cokc. When asked whut difference Mr. Bourdeau would like to have made in the school system over the past 26 years, he replied, “to preserve those values and characteristics of the school which instills pride, dedication and responsibility. ’ 25