Property of the Watertown Historical Society watertownhistoricalsociety.org Timely Coverage Of News In The Fastest Growing Community In Litchfield County Vol. 33 No. 20 Subscription Price $8.00 Per Year PRiCI 20 CENTS May 17, 1979* an editorial L. J The name of the sponsor changed, but like the three Principal Issue scholarship pageants run before it, the Miss Watertown 1979 affair last Saturday at the high school auditorium again proved to be a most enjoyable experience and a highlight of the spring season in this community. Still Draws Debate We extend hearty congratulations to the UNICO Club for its first-time running of the pageant, and Water- Spokesmen for the throng of supporters of Watertown High town's new queen for 1979, Miss Kathy Moffo, The Spring Concert And Arts School Principal William P. event, combining the talents of the eight lovely contes- Williams said It may be time to tants with some snappy musical numbers by several cool the Issue off before the next other performers, was a treat. Miss Moffo, who wins Festival This Weekend move is made. the $1,000 scholarship plus other niceties, is a fine The annual tradition called the The choir will open the "I really don't know what the Spring Concert and Arts Festival program with highlights from the next step Is," said Charles choice to carry on the representation of the town from will be presented by the Water- Broadway musicals, Including Taylor, a recreation com- departing queen Suzette Meyer, and previous Miss town High School music and arts "Comedy Tonight" from "A missioner who was among the 300 Watertowns Lydla Aureli and Jodie Luth. departments Friday and Satur- Funny Thing Happened on the or so people at the wild and day, May 18-19, at 8 p.m. in the Way to the Forum"; "It's a woolly Board of Education We also congratulate first runner-up Connie Griffith, WHS auditorium. who broke the usual tradition of a strictly "live" talent Grand Night for Singing" from meeting Monday night. The 100-member Concert Band, "State Fair"; choral selections "Everybody would like a little performance by combining a film of her ice skating under the direction of Robert M. from "Oliver"; and "I Don't time off. It's been quite energy with a verbal recitation, and won that portion of the Pettinicchi, and the Concert Need Anthlng But You" from draining," show; second runner-up Alane McHale; June Choir and Blue Notes, conducted "Annie," Thomas Nolan, who left the Berehonak and Laura LaBelle, the co-Miss Con- by George J, Hawley Jr., will be Also featured will be two meeting vowing the supporters genialities ;• and Laura Kelly, Donna Martinelli, and the featured performing groups. (Continued on Page 16) would be heard from again, agreed in part, but noted the Eloise Grace Clark for their excellent run at the title. situation will be "watched very Truly there were no losers. Zoning Code Amendments Closely," especially to Insure We'd love to mention all those folks who contributed against any "repraisals," (Continued on Page 4) The controversy over whether Head For Public Hearing Mr, Williams would be released Proposed amendements to the Another change would reduce from his post appeared to have Summer School Six- Week Planning and Zoning Commis- the front footage required for an quieted down last week, when sion's zoning replations will be interior lot to 50 feet. Presently Superintendent of Schools Dr. heard in public hearing on Wed- lots in R-60 and R-80 zones need Anthony King announced he Session Listed For WHS nesday, May 23, at approx- 150 feet on the front. would not recommend any action Watertown's Tuition Summer Academic classes will be one imately 8 p.m. in the high school removing the eight-year prin- School will be in session for a library. Wetlands, water courses, silta- cipal. hour jn length daily. The typing tion basins will have to be in- period of six weeks beginning class will last two hours each Most of the proposed changes But the stormy Issue flared July 9 and ending August 17. are in definitions and use stan- dicated on site plans, Mr, again Monday, It was not Mr. day, A minimum of seven stu- Masayda said, and application The purpose of the summer dents is needed, to establish a dards, said Zoning Enforcement William's removal that generatd school is to provide students the Officer Stanley Masayda, with fees for public hearings on the verbal heat, but the con- class. Students must also furnish special uses will be Increased, Qpportunity4o make up failures their own transportation, and all the commission "trying to flicting statements from the and incomplete work in subjects, classes will be held at Watertown clarify some of the words used." Other "very minor" changes superintendent and some Board to review and strengthen High School. He said words such as building, are in residential, commercial, members over whether the mat- background in basic subject The following schedule has club, and convalescent home will and industrial property use ter had been discussed before in areas, and to take part in enrich- been adopted for the six-week be more specifically defined, and language, and the non- executive session. ment and. supplementary-type session: 8 to 9 a.m., junior high what constitutes a "home oc- conforming section of the regula- Member Ronald Russo said In courses. (Continued on Page 4) cupation" will be more detailed. tions has been revised. (Continued on Page 16) Annex Employee Knows The Perilous But Rewarding Road To Freedom BY TOMMY VALUCKAS Would you take me to Ger- tablished after World War II, had many?" Elena remembers'ask- five departments and consequen- It was Nov. 20,1963, and dawn ing someone at a service station tly broadcast in five languages. was breaking over Bucharest, in Austria, where she and her un- "This was the ideal job I could the capital of Communist- cle — the occupant of the other ever dream of," she said, adding controlled Rumania, A large, box - eventually parted com- in another breath it also was light blue van sped out of the city pany with the van. She found a "demanding" and "terrible," towards the Hungarian border, "nice couple" at the Vienna train RFE broadcast 20 hours a day several hours away. depot, and on Nov. 23 whisked from 4 a.m. to midnight, and Inside the truck were two away to Munich, the closest big workers were required to report boxes with holes in them; inside city in a Promised Land. in for their seven-hour shifts on one of the boxes was a deter- Freedom, however, was not to ever-changing schedules, mined 19-year-old girl, "escap- come easy for the girl who sometimes at a moment's notice, ing" her homeland. finished high school, three years Elena said she didn't know of Elena Maltopol remembers of learning at Bucharest In- anyone at the station who didn't that day well. She was the girl in dustrial College, and watched have "internal problems" — ul- the box. family members carted off to cers, stomach disorders, etc., in- Shipping herself away from a prison for "making politics" cluding herself. "If you don't government system she despised against the Communist regime. take two weeks off" from time to was only the beginning in what Because of her refugee status, time she mused, "you end up up- was to become a rather storied she was sent with her uncle to a side down I" life for Elena, the new CETA em- detention camp in Cologne. But $ 1,200 a month take home ployee at the Town Hall Annex, "These were the most terrible pay soothed quite nicely the The trappings for a decent James 11 months of my life," said the nerve racked bodies, Elena Bond movie were to come: the attractive woman in a detectable Indicated. continuing • escape, trains, the East European accent. She might The excitement and humane refugee camp, and the American have stayed there longer, but the connection, Importance of what RFE does American Army intervened, and also made things interesting. She Add to that several years spent took her away from "the big Ger- remembers translating with Radio Free Europe on the man mess." messages into Rumanian that .Rumanian staff as a secretary Elena, now 34, landed a job had come from as far away as and translator, and it's easy to with the Munich-based Radio New Zealand and California, believe she is not one of the more IN HER LITTLE CUBBYHOLE of an office space in the Town Free Europe because of her from people concerned about Hall Annex, Elena Maltopol types and files for the building inspec- ordinary persons working under language skills, and was assigned relatives caught in the 1977 the employment training act, tor's office and others, Her work here, though, is a far cry from to the 45-person Rumanian Rumanian earthquake, her former job as secretary and translator for Radio Free Europe "I'm a Rumanian refugee. department. The RFE, es- (Continued on Page 16) (Valuckas Photo) Page 2 Town Times (Watertown, Conn,), May 17, 1979 Get Out The Youth 45-64. Moreover, political par- 13 registered Democrat, IB ticipation of young people has Republican and 51 unafflliated. Vote Week Marked dropped more sharply since 1972 Property thaofn has thathet of any otheWatertownr age Progress Of Town Historical\ Society By Sec. Of State , group. Last year's statewide drive to Sqhools Subject The office of theSeeretry of register 18 year olds was an un- State has set aside May 21-25watertownhistoricalsociety.org as mitigated success.