Westerly High School - Westlyan Yearbook (Westerly, RI)

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Tm. Senior Year Book — 1949 there Ellen Leete, the general manager, and owner of a chain of department stores throughout the country. There is a fashion show going on when we enter, and we recognize Nancy Lenihan and Gretchen Grills modeling costumes designed by that famed designer of Fifth Avenue creations, Blanche Urso. Finding our supply of ready cash insufficient, we cross the street to the Barber Trust Company (successor to the Washington Trust Company), and borrow a few dollars from Benjamin Barber, president. Allans Roode is a teller, and we notice Julia Rozanski at the Christmas Club window. We find Arthur Ahern running the elevator in the bank, but decide it’s too hot to take a trip up. As prices are too high to eat out too often, we go up to the First National to get some meat for supper. (We’ll make our own and like it.) We find that Jimmy Augeri is the manager of the meat and produce counter. His able meat-cutter, Clifford Tyler, offers us a wide selection of choicest meats. Bidding them farewell we notice while walking up the street that the Westerly Band is rehearsing under the baton of Ed Ruisi. Continuing up the street, we bump into Tom Toscano who is working with the FBI on an important case in Westerly. Seems like Bob Dion, now coaching State, was offered a bribe to throw a game against R. I. State’s bitter rival, Brown. Tom informs us that along with Jackeye Mitchell, who is director of the music conservatory at State, Esther Dawley and Beverly Cruickshank are teaching there, too. We see Sam Fiore and his fleet of taxis, and ride home in one. After supper we decide to take in a show and find Lucy Cross selling tickets at the Bijou Theatre owmed by Frank Gencarella. We notice Joan Pickering’s name in lights starring in “The Silent Guest,” and decide that the movie will be very interesting. Also co-starring with Joan is John Tierney, who has come a long way since his high school days. We find that Gay Blake also has a bit part. It makes us proud to learn that Kenneth Brightman was the director. In the newsreel we learn that Westerly’s own astronomer, Dave Gray, has discovered a new planet. Hungry after the show, we go to that ultra-modern night-club jointly owned by Lucy Paterno and Marion Comolli. Featured there are Jeremy Balentine and his orchestra with vocalist Marilyn Martin. On the bandstand we see some familiar faces such as Charlie James, Eleanor Marino, Connie Barber, Shirley Murray, and Billy Barber. Some of the pert waitresses are Eleanor Bruno, Florence Abruzzese, and Lois Eccleston. Looking around, we notice Lil Grillo and her football team eating and talking incessantly. Our eyes are attracted by the color of Red Lees’ hair, and we see that he is head bartender, assisted by Ralph Bavasso and Ted Underwood. Our waitress, Lois, tells us that Audrey Hodson is the chief—cook-and-bottle-washer and that she is assisted by Betty Neeley. Getting our hats checked is not a problem because Anne Casey is right there to help us out in every way possible. We bump into Tony Liguori, who tells us that he is the establishment’s official bouncer. He also informs us that Adair and Andree Fenelon are employed by the Toni Home Permanent Company for the “Which Twin Has the Toni” ads, and that Gilda Liguore and Martha Schwarz have their own art school. Bidding him farewell, we return to the hotel where we are staying. Having overslept the hotel’s breakfast hour, we found out that we must eat elsewhere. We go to Sally Manfredi’s “Breakfast Nook” for a delicious breakfast of waffles and all the syrup we want. We see in one corner Joe Pappadia and Albert Ceplenski busily devouring bacon and eggs. Joe is sports editor of the Hobo News, and A1 has become a famous stock-car driver known as “Flash.” We spend the rest of the morning on a sightseeing bus driven by Ann Greene. Among the views, we see the huge mansion of Hazel Crompton who made millions by saving during high school days. We leave the bus at Atlantic Beach, where, behind the counter of their hotdog stand, we see Joyce Parker and Olive Harding. Business is apparently good, for a large crowd is standing around. Or maybe it’s Joyce's witty remarks that draw the crowd. Proprietor of the combination skating rink and riding academy is Jean Stites. Outside at the wharf, sits a large aircraft carrier. Going out on the beach, we are amused by the difference between the “new look of our high school days and “the stare” of 1969. Anne Sweeney and Patty Turano are sporting it very becomingly. Attracted by a crowd of screaming girls, we decide to investigate and find that John Terranova, lifeguard, is the center of attraction. He is telling about some of his spectacular rescues. About twenty minutes ago he rescued Grace Parnigoni who was looking the other way when a wave came. The wave was caused by a speedboat driven by Sal Parise, who, in turn, waves and continues on. Finding time slipping rapidly by, we hear the booming voice of Lois Grinnell calling everyone to “Hurry, hurry, hurry, etc.” Entering the Big Top, we are just in time to catch the first act. Paying “Ish” Anderson the fee to get in, we hear the snappy music of a band and see Anna Bcokataub strutting out ready to do her twirling act. Anna puts on a fine performance, as usual, and the next act is introduced by Larry Wheeler, emcee, who announces the “Man vs. Beast” act: Chester Cekala, the lion tamer. Chet tires his lion out with his intricate plan of attack and is vigorously applauded. Next on the program is an acrobatic exhibition by Ann Lazzaro, an old friend and classmate. Annie gives a breath-tak-

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Thk Senior Year Book. — 1949 forget Gene Wright and his tooting? The twirling corps were organized this year also. Miss Gernsheimer guided us through our ‘ green year.” We thank her for her kindness and help. After the summer vacation, which was full of fun, we again returned to school for our second and most difficult year. We chose very capable leaders for our officers. They were: president, Anthony Liguori; vice president, Maurice Connors; treasurer, Angelo Sanquedolce, and secretary, Marilyn Panciera. Many of the girls took advantage of their chance to try out for cheering. Kathryn Turano, Lois Grinnell, and Lillian Grillo were the three chosen from our class to cheer the boys on to victory. They cheered so well for the basketball team, we won every game and were Rhode Island champions also. Several junior boys were on the Jayvee team. Robert Dion was a member of the first team. Thomas Toscano and Anthony Sisco being substitutes. In the girls’ intramural sports, the champion soccer team was composed entirely of girls from the class of ’49. Marion Comolli proved to be an excellent captain. Anthony Liguori, Robert Pearson, Maurice Connors, and Robert Mandes are representative of the football players from this truly sporty” class. In baseball, Sisco, Pearson, Gray, and Liguori did especially well. We found at the Science Fair that many “forty-niners” were chemically minded. When Fred Corlew won first prize and Gay Blake second in the Martha Babcock Essay Contest, and Joan Pickering was awarded honorable mention in the P. T. A. Essay Contest, we realized that our class was extremely talented in all fields of endeavor. Each year two junior girls are chosen to attend Girls’ State in Providence. Martha Schwarz and Beverly Cruickshank represented Westerly High. The Junior Prom, at which Marilyn “Bunny” Panciera was crowned the spring queen, was a great success. June came again and then September. We returned as mighty seniors ready to “rule.” The officers we chose did their work well. The president was Maurice Connors; vice president, Robert Lees; secretary, Anna Ritacco, and treasurer, Angelo Sanquedolce. John Ruisi headed the Student Council. The band has grown in popularity ever since it was organized. This year Edward Ruisi served his last year as the leader. Anna Bookataub with a difficult job well executed was the head twirler. The first of our social activities was the Senior Prom. This took place in October, and all who attended enjoyed themselves. Again this, our last year, we had many classmates participating in sports. Maurice Connors, Frank Gencarella, and Anthony Liguori were cocaptains of the football team. Robert Dion was the captain of the Class B Championship basketball squad, with Sisco, Toscano, Brown, and Liguori helping him to “roll-up” the score. The captain of baseball was Robert Pearson. Lois Grinnell served as the head cheerleader. She was ably assisted by Trilby Bennett, Kay Turano, Gretchen Grills, Anne Lazzaro, Lillian Grillo, and Gilda Liguore. The girls’ soccer championship team was again entirely from our class, Esther Dawley being the captain. The DAR award for good citizenship was won by Beverly Cruickshank. The Class of ’49 places great value on the guidance and advice of Mrs. Morrison, our advisor during our two final years. We are grateful to the entire faculty for their consideration and patience. We shall never forget their understanding interest. To all our “underclassmen” we say, “May luck and success always be yours.” BEVERLY CRUICKSHANK. Historian. Class Prophecy We find ourselves back in Westerly after twenty years’ absence and indeed the town is much changed. Everyone is preparing for the big event, the Summer Carnival at Atlantic Beach. In order to attend such a festive occasion many new clothes are required. We enter Mearns’ Clothing Store, now managed by our old football captain and class president, Mooney Connors. Who should walk in but Angelo Sanquedolce, the New' England correspondent for Esquire. He, too, is looking around for something to wear to the Carnival. We leave Mearns’ and go across the street to McLellan’s and see that Terry Gilbert is still employed there. After selecting several pounds of costume jewelry for the masquerade ball, we leave, and journey down to McCormick’s, finding

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Tin: Senior Year Book — 1949 ing performance and bows out of the spotlight. The next few selections are from people we don’t lecognize. Then Gene Wright plays a piano solo and Roland Austin warbles the latest ballad. Gene is also doing a little art on the side. The last featured attraction is that daredevil of the autos, Gussie “Speed” Woodmansee, who drives his car through fires, flaming hoops, and up a 50-foot ramp and lands right side up. We talk with him after the show and he appears to be very calm. “No trouble at all; in fact, it’s fun,” he says, as our teeth chatter. We leave the Big Top, because it's getting late and we want to see everything. We are just purchasing some cotton candy from Kay Turano, who looks good enough to eat herself, when someone rumbles by in an old Ford. We hear the screech of brakes, and look up to see Russ Kenyon, with the same Ford he had in high school days. Riding (a point to be disputed) with him is Ray Rathbone, who is on leave from the Army Paratroops. Ray tells us that he has achieved the rank of major and likes it very much. We chat with them awhile and then ramble over to a little booth that Tony Sisco is managing. It’s a basketball concession where one tries to put a six-ounce ball into a bent tin hoop. Tony says it’s good money and keeps him in practice. He tells us he’s coaching during school year at W. H. S. and has produced world champions for seven years straight. We are startled by the familiar voice of Anna Ritaceo, who is just as surprised to see us. She takes three shots and sinks them all . . . still as good as ever. She tells us that she is teaching at a kindergarten now and even has some of her classmates’ children in her group. In one of the side shows, “Women’s Wrestling Matches,” two of our former classmates are the opponents—Jean Restelli and Claire Riddell. They tie up the match and both do very well. In another tent, our attention is attracted by Marjorie Wright’s voice beckoning people to come to see the South Sea Island Girls. We pay a dime to Jane Terranova and walk in. The tom-toms beat, the castanets sound, and out the beauties come in breathless costumes. Among them we recognize Barbe Hinchliffe and Loretta Dawson. Such a moving performance is presented to us that we decide we've seen all we want at the carnival for tonight. Taking one of Fiore’s taxis, driven by Fred Cawley, we return to Westerly. We are met by the cry of a newsboy whom we recognize as John Lallo. The headlines read, “Edward Hein-old. Physicist, discovers the only cure for the theropodismy of the scalozy.” We certainly are glad to know that he’s making out all right with the world. Glancing through the paper, we discover that Larry Carroll is the editor and Trilby Bennett, assistant editor. The paper is called “Larroll’s Gazette.” It is a very good publica-t ion and keeps the public up on all the news, world and social . . . but we don’t know whether to classify it as a daily, a weekly, a bi-weekly, a monthly, a bi-monthly or what, publication dates being so uncertain. Richard Brown is the sports editor and Tena Weeden writes the gossip column. In Dick’s column, we read about Bob Pearson being released by the Red Sox, while from Tena’s, we learn that Fred Guldstrand is making his home in Sweden. Guess he always wanted to live there. Among others who have journeyed to foreign countries is John Gencarella, who is living at the North Pole trying to make a living trading camels with the Eskimos, and Barbara Hamilton who is a missionary to South Africa. Wonder how she’s making out with those bongos. ... In the book review section of the paper is an excellent criticism written by Fran Carlesi of Andrew Sacco’s book, “My High School Daze.” We are glad to see that Joe Barbone’s new book, “How to Be a Successful Mortician,” is leading the best-seller list. According to the society section, the Tip Top Club, composed of girls over six feet tall, have just elected Priscilla Greene as president, and Dagmar Baldwin, vice president. Also in the society news is the article three columns long about Ann Murphy’s marriage to a rich oil man from Texas, the same oil man who employs Robert Johnson as chief well-digger. We turn to the radio section and notice that Dolores Gardella and Elsie Fors have a program on home-cooking. Mayor John Ruisi is scheduled to make a speech at 9:30. His secretary, Kay MacVicar, helped him greatly to win the election. Walking on, we are attracted by a large Neon sign which reads “Salisbury, Auto Repairs.” We stop to chat with Joe who says he’s been in business since high school days. Gert Jones is his secretary and a very efficient one at that, with her pleasant personality. We pass by Champlin’s Telephone Company. “Champlin,” that name sounds familiar: guess we’ll investigate. Sure enough, it’s our old classmate, Jackie, who is the owner. Looking down the aisle of operators, we recognize Gerry Neeley, Fanny Romanella, and Doris Robson. Chatting with Jackie, we learn that Dr. Dorothy Gledhill has completed her research on the psychology of infants and has her own hospital for babies. Ruth Everett and Barbara Knowles are nurses there, and are happy to be doing something for the good of mankind. Wishing Jackie the best of luck with her phones, we leave, realizing that there is too little time left in our visit. Well, we still want to see more of Westerly but our tour is interrupted by two girls who are chatting so enthusiastically that they don’t see us and bump smack into us. They start to apologize, when we recognize Nona Finnie and Dot Rottluff. We stop to talk with them and when we compliment their amazing hair-dos they tell us they’ve just had their hair styled in “Dot and Catherine’s,” an