,. ,.t I .• ,'It . . . "' , ' ~ CORNWALL CHRONICLE ) VOLUME 5: NUMBER 2 MARCH1995 NESDCto Dr. P.T. Schoenemann of Harwinton, whose "When I started, our truck field of expertise is business management. was a 1932 Sanford. It cost Schools: Reorganize Their recommendations: hire an assistant $5,000. It had no cab, so Penn Dr. W.G. Zimmerman of the New England superintendent and business manager post Higginson gave us a horsehide coat with a School Development Council, hired to tell us haste; pull the central administrative offices coonskin collar for the driver. Back then you why we're at each other's throats come bud- together for better communication and more could outfit a fireman for maybe $50. Nowa- get time, described Region One's governance efficient clerical support; rewrite job descrip- days it costs over $1,000 to put a man on the structure to a group of Northwest Corner tions on two pages each; reduce the six el- front line. Add an airpack, for going into citizens gathered at the North Canaan School ementary-school board memberships to smoke, that's another $2,000." as "fundamentally flawed." Comparing our three each and leave the principals out of Fred remembers every fire he fought: fragmented school system with more unified their meetings; and-long-range-adopt a bam fires, house fires, brush fires. Some of ones throughout the state, he sees the 4.8 region-wide K-12 school system which the the worst were in winter, like the mess-hall members of the Region One central office as report's authors claim would save us "hun- fire at Mohawk, when Bill Scius's boots froze underpaid, overworked, and bogged down dreds of thousands of dollars." to his feet, or Ted Starr's house fire on a night in clerical work. On the other hand, our Copies of Dr. Zimmerman's report are socold"ittookusaweektothawoutthehose." teaching and clerical forces he judged to be available at the Town Hall. "Before we had an ambulance," Fred con- underworked-that is, if economy of opera- -Scoville D. Soule tinues, "you got to the hospital as best you tion is our prime concern. Also overstaffed could. Doc Walker had his car fixed up so he are our six local school boards, which he sees Looking Back with Fred Bate could drop the seat and lay the injured right as cumbersome and overly concerned with in. He took me to Sharon once, when I broke day-to-day minutia. "Back then, if you could run the pump and my arm as a kid. Then sometime in the '60s · · d k · · hold onto a hose you were a fireman." Fred Dr. Zimmerman h a d mterVIewe ey c1ti- we got our first ambulance. It was an old van zens of the six towns in Region One, the prin- Bate chuckles. "Not so today. It takes six that we bought from the Board of Ed for $1 cipals of the seven schools, school-board weeks of fire school to make Firefighter One. and fixed up. We kept a "steal list" on the members, and the administrators them- And that's just the beginning." dash when we went to the hospital, for selves. He had also held three focus-group "Back then" was December 1939, when things we needed-extra pillows, blankets, sessions wi th intereste d voters to get amul ti-. Fred, age 20, was sworn in as a member of bandages. Our new ambulance, w h ic h we dimensional picture of local thinking. Com- the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department. got last October, cost over $100,000, not . Fifty-five years and one month later, he pilation of these interviews, cost an d staff mg counting some $50,000 worth of equipment. figures from other sc h oo l systems, and a talked about his days as a fireman and later "A little later Doc Reyelt over in Sharon two-week time log of administrators' daily as a member of the rescue squad, and about decided if we were going to play doctor we'd routines were the raw materials he drew on some of the changes that time has brought. better learn something about medicine, so he ..fo_r_hi_·_s_re_p_o_r_t._H __ e_w_a_s_a_i_d_ed_b_y_a_v_o_l_un_te_e .. r, __ MARCH 199 5 ------(-co_n_ti..nu_e_d_o_n_pa_g_e'"l2)

1 2 W.Cornwall Judy Gafney Note: Deadline tor April Events & Announcements Merchants Association Children's Story Hour and Calendar listings is March 15. eo@•• - " J'l( t.Q 10 a.m. Cadwell's 10 a.m. Cornwall Library 9 16 23 30 Town Meeting 8 p.m. CCS Gym (see p.2) 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Scott Cady Park & Rec Agri. Advis. Comm. CCS PTA Board of Education Judy Gafney Square Dance 4 p.m. Cornwall 7:30 p.m. Town Office 7:30 p.m. Firehouse 7 p.m. CCS Lib. presents budget to 10 a.m. Cornwall Library Benefit for Extras for Library {see p.4) Board of Selectmen Inland Wetlands Special Olympics Comm. Board of Finance 7-10 p.m. CCS Gym 7:30 p.m. Town Hall 7:30p.m. Town Hall* 7 p.m. Tow~ Hall 7:30p.m. CCS Library (see p.4) itt A 12 13HVRHS Bd. of Ed. 14 Repub. Town Comm. 15 16 17 ST. PATRICK'S DAY 18 Poetry Reading 7 p.m. High School 7:30p.m. CCS Cont. Rm. Board of Finance Judy Gafney Cornwall Assn. 8 p.m. Cadwell's 7:30p.m. CCS Library 10 a.m. Cornwall Library p.m. Prentices' Art Show, Scott Zuckerman Dem. Town Comm. 4 129 Lake Road 3/13-4/8 Cornwall Library 7:30 p.m. Town Hall Board of Education 5 p.m., CCS Library P&Z _a Housatonic Riv. Comm. 7:30p.m. Town Hall l!fl. 7:30p.m. CCS Library 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Bd. of Selectmen 1 Yale Glee Club 7:30 p.m. Town Hall Benefit for hospital in Haiti 8 p.m. Hotchkiss School itt (see p.4)

26 27 28 29 30 31 ZBA Elderly Health Screening, Comedy Night/ 7:30p.m. Town Hall* CCS (see p.4) Spaghetti Supper Benefit for Conservation Comm. Special Olympics, HVRHS 7:30 p.m. FirehousA Call Gordon Ridgway for time,

time and place at Town Office 2 CORNWALL CHRONICLE MARCH1995

(continued from page 1) When there is no snow, Justin trains with set up a first aid course. When the EMT pro­ his cart, but when there is snow he uses a gram came in I got certified. I took the exam dogsled. If he is not training around Sharon with both hands bandaged from having fro­ and Cornwall, Justin, a student at zen my fingers in a fire. From then on I Middlebury College, trains his dogs at the worked on the rescue squad. At first, some of college, where he keeps them on a campus the older doctors didn't think we knew baseball field. much-we were farmers-and some of the Tightening the Budget Screws This shows that in Cornwall, you never nurses resented our getting into their terri­ The first draft of the selectmen's 1995/96 op­ know what is going to surprise you around tory, but after a while we were accepted. erating budget, as detailed to the Board of Fi­ the next comer. -John Zinsser "Cornwall was the first town in the state nance on February 16, earned high marks to have a woman in the fire service. Joan La from that body. The bottom line shows a two "Poetry and Song" a Winner Placa. Dick Dakin was fire chief, and at the percent reduction as compared to 1994/95. Pews packed with appreciative listeners ap­ monthly fire chiefs' meetings the other chiefs The capital expense side is more conjectural plauded Sam Waterston and the Litchfield would talk about this new truck or that new at this point but looks to be equally encour­ County Children's Choir at their perfor­ firehouse and Dake would say, 'Yeah, and aging. "Impressive" and "hard work" were mance on Sunday; February 12, at the United I've got the only pregnant fireman in the some of the accolades thrown at presenter Church of Christ. The rapt audience relished state of Connecticut.' There was some resis­ Gordon Ridgway. He attributed the hard work Sam's versatile and sensitive reading of some tance at first to having girls on the squad, but to all those involved in the budget process. of his favorite poems; and I wasn't one. They're better at dealing with In other business last month the select­ they enjoyed the choir, kids and elderly ladies than men, and be­ men, in conjunction with the Board of Educa­ which includes Com­ sides, they're damn good at their jobs. tion, called a town meeting for Friday; March wall singers Maja "I guess I've seen just about everything," 3 (8 P.M.) to vote on some proposed changes Gray, Davina Piker, Fred says, "shootings, stabbings, suicides, in the Board of Education's election regula­ and soloist Kate car and motorcycle accidents, drownings. tions: (1) reduce term of office from six years Sandmeyer. The About the only thing I've managed to avoid to four (to provide time off for good behav­ choir, directed by is helping deliver a baby; for which I'm just ior?); and (2) have open elections without re­ Christopher as pleased. I had the training for it, though. I gard to party affiliation in order to increase Shepard, sang a va- remember Doc O'Connell telling us, 'You competition, the only proviso being that no riety of challenging want to make sure you've got a good more than four members of a given party selections with catcher's mitt, 'cause they're slippery little may serve on the board at one time. This or­ composure and cusses.' dinance would be phased in over a four-year elan. "In spite of all the bad stuff we saw, there period. The program were always laughs and good times, like the Tentative plans for expanding the town netted more than poker games in the firehouse. It's changed offices at the present site have been prepared $3,500, which is to be now. What with all the training and re-certifi­ pending the outcome of Marvelwood nego­ used to carry on the part­ cation and classes in this and that, who has tiations and voter decisions. A town meeting nership begun last year the time? on this matter is anticipated in April or May. with the Jubilee School of Philadel- "Ever since I lost my leg in 1981 and could -Scoville D. Soule no longer work in the box [the back of the phia. Several Cornwall children and par­ ambulance], I've been driving the ambu­ ents will visit the school this month, and 45 lance. So I'm still active. But one of these students and teachers from the Jubilee The Steppes of Cornwall School will come to Cornwall for a five-day days I'll tum in my radio and my pager and There were ten of us walking along River step down." stay in June-all made possible by the sup­ Road that day-six adults, two small chil­ port of the community. -Ken Keskinen On February 1, Fred did just that. dren and two dachshunds. We had just -George Kittle reached the railroad crossing at the foot of the long, gentle hill (at the top of which is a red house), when suddenly six enormous Goodbye to a Friend dogs burst into view and came running George A. Bouteiller down the hill at top speed, piloted by a man in a four-wheeled cart. We stared transfixed Land Transfers as they barreled down the road, moving to Estate of Ronald H. Strohl to F.S.B. Associ­ the left and right as their master yelled "gee" ates, L.L.C., 10 acres of land on Kent Road for and "haw" at them (or "ahead" for straight $70,000. ahead or "hike" for go faster). We cowered as they whirled past us and then disappeared CHC Marches On down the road. We felt as if we had been in a Restoring Church Records The Cornwall Housing Corporation held its scene from a Russian novel. The Cornwall Historical Society has under­ February meeting in the dining room of Mike We did a little research and found out that taken a special conservation and restoration DeGreenia's comfortable and attractive new the intrepid driver was Justin Hajek of program for old church records that it now home on Pierce Lane, the first of CHC's new Sharon and that he became interested in dog holds. Some are on loan from the United housing on Pierce Lane to be occupied. sledding nine or ten years ago when he read Church of Christ for safe storage in the Lonnie Carter's house on Town Street about the northern outdoors in books by Jack society's vault; these include an item dating will be completed in March. The homes of London and others. His dogs are Alaskan from 1755, and later ones from the First and Debra Tyler and Sally O'Shaughnessy are huskies and he is training them for the na­ Second Churches. Other items are from four under construction on Pierce Lane and tional championships in Sprint Mushing that Methodist and Baptist churches that once ex­ should be occupied by midsummer. will take place in Lake Placid this month. isted here. Some items are in such poor con­ The four leaseholders have obtained Each team will have to go five miles a day on dition that they can no longer be made avail­ mortgages through the helpful cooperation three consecutive days. Their times will be able for public examination until restored. of the New Milford Savings Bank. added up and the team with the best (short­ These records reflect the pervasive role -Ken Keskinen est) time wins. that religion has played in Cornwall's his- MARCH1995 CORNWALL CHRONICLE 3 tory, as well as the history of its churches. They also contain information often not available elsewhere on baptisms, marriages, and deaths, of great interest to persons seek­ ing their roots. The program will proceed on an item-by­ item basis subject to available funding, giv­ ing priority to items in greatest need of resto­ Letters to the Chronicle ration. Conservation and restoration mea­ sures are costly, well beyond present means. ORGANIZE FOR CABLE TV safety with my cane. Six or seven volatile little The Society has therefore established a spe­ February's article "TV or DTV?" prompts puffs offur raised stiff black tails straight up in cial fund, to which it and the United Church this Laurel customer from just over the Warren protest against such indignity (the tails, fortu­ have made initial donations. Persons inter­ line to offer some advice: organize! nately, were as yet unarmed). No sooner had one ested in joining this effort may send contri­ Buying cable TV isn't at all like taking elec­ skunklet reached the bank than his brother butions, designated for "Church Records tric service. It's like ordering in a restaurant. would reverse course and scurry back. Fund," to the Cornwall Historical Society, Cornwall residents can greatly influence what Into the midst of this drama, along came two P.O. Box 115, Cornwall, CT 06753. All dona­ they get if they make clear now that they won't cars. Their drivers observed a nutty old woman tions are most welcome, no matter how order the service if they don't get a good menu. plunk in the middle of the road, waving her cane small. Together we can preserve this part of We get some great programs in Warren: for officiously at the noonday traffic while she our town's history. -Michael Gannett about $26 a month Laurel sells us the three ma­ played with unidentifiable whatevers, but being jor networks, PBS from Hartford, the Discovery good Cornwallers, they waited politely, not even Channel, Arts & Entertainment, Weather, honking, until the last little tail had disappeared CNN, C-Span, movies, music video, sports down the bank into the underbrush and the channels, home shopping, etc. But Laurel does crazy old woman and her cane had retreated to NOT offer us some other terrific stuff, such as her car. -Mary Schieffelin alternative children's programming, history and foreign language programs, and so on. Channel UNAFFILIATED VOTERS space is limited, yet we have TWO NBC sta­ This letter is directed at Cornwall's largest tions, TWO home shopping services, TWO mu­ group of voters-those who choose to be unaffili­ sic video channels, and more made1or-TV mov­ ated. Most of you, I'm guessing, are not inter­ ies than you'd believe even existed. But we don't ested in participating in town government. But get a PBS feed from New York, which has supe­ there must be some who are highly qualified and rior programming. interested in serving on our elected and ap­ Writing Woes Cornwall is in an excellent bargaining posi­ pointed boards and committees. I and my fellow tion if it stands together and says what it wants Democratic Town Committee members think Discussing the disappointing writing scores you are being overlooked under our present sys­ achieved by Cornwall Consolidated School and doesn't want. Why don't you set up a small working committee to investigate: 1) what Lau­ tem (in which nominations for town offices are students in this year's state mastery tests, made by the local party organizations). We Principal William Oros said bluntly, "It was a rel intends, and 2) what else Laurel could supply if it had to-and also what DTV could supply. would like to know who you are because your tactical error on our part. We wanted them to talent and interest are being wasted. Please con­ do quality work, but quantity won out." Then the committee could report back to the town. -Stephan Chodorov tact me or anyone else on the Democratic Town Oros explained that CCS students are taught Committee. I suspect some of our Republican to outline, then do a rough draft, and finally BACK TO PRESS friends may agree with us. Please let's hear from write their finished version of an assignment. The Cornwall Yellow Pages, the free guide you. -Marie Prentice In the mastery tests' 45-minute time span, to local businesses and services published by the many of the fourth graders-the youngest Cornwall Association last fall, is going into a CHICKADEE FOLLOW-UP group tested-were cut off in mid-sentence. second edition. Those not listed in the first print­ It's worse than I thought. One of my chicka­ "Next year, we'll coach them, for the pur­ ing can get in on the new one by clipping and dees thinks he's a woodpecker. I caught him in pose of this test, to skip the rough-draft filling out the sign-up form in the front of the the act the other day. A bona fide red-head was stage, to organize quickly, and then to just Yellow Pages; mail it to the address shown on hammering on an old wasp's nest on the side of write like crazy," Oros said. the form. Or you can call. Charles Osborne at my house when this chickadee dive-bombed him As they have in past years, CCS students 672-6296. If your listing was incorrect, we are and began pecking away furiously with his tiny chalked up the highest scores in Region One sorry; send a copy of the page, with corrections, beak. Obviously bonkers. Not only has he forgot­ in math and reading. -Barbara Klaw to Cornwall Association, P.O. Box 128, West ten where he stashed his food, he's forgotten Cornwall, CT 06796. -Charles Osborne what kind of bird he is. What's next? A chickadee that hoots like an SKUNKS AND SKUNKLETS owl? Walks like a duck? P&Z Gets I have never numbered skunks among Maybe I'll go away after all. Slowly Back to Work Cornwall's more lovable wildlife, not, that is, -George Kittle until one wonderful day as I sped along Route Even after a two-month vacation due to lack 128 toward West Cornwall, and there, right in TAX FORMS AVAILABLE of applications needing review by the Plan­ the middle of the busy thoroughfare, I saw a dis­ In the past, the treasurer's office has been ning and Zoning Commission as a whole, the tracted mother skunk, desperately trying to happy to provide employer tax forms to towns­ February meeting lasted only half an hour. shepherd innumerable little miniatures to the people who are faced with ugly IRS deadlines Business accomplished included setting safety of the Klings' vegetable garden. Back and and have nowhere else to go to find them. How­ public hearings for March 13, at 7:30P.M. on a forth, back and forth she nuzzled first one, then ever, this year we almost ran out. resubdivision for Ella Clark on Town Street another, until she disappeared into the under­ The 1995 order forms for these various tax to create an additional building lot; and on a brush with about half her troop. forms are in my office. Drop in and pick one up use clarification for Trinity Conference Cen­ That left a confused mass of skunklets still so that next January we're not all having night­ ter-it is proposed that use be limited to cer­ milling around helplessly in the middle of the mares about driving to Danbury at 11:45 on the tified nonprofit organizations, under Special road. I rushed to the rescue. Unable to bend night o!January 31 to find missing forms. Permits, section 3.3.1.£ of the regulations. down and pick one up, I tried to guide them to -Lisa Lansing -Ginny Potter 4 CORNWALL CHRONICLE MARCH1995 Events and Announcements Young Artists Honored: Congratulations to mental illness. The music of Mozart Ravel Maja Gray, Caitlin MacNeil, Adam Scriabin, and Richard Strauss will 'be fea~ Raffle for Youth Fishing: It is time for young Rosenback, and Winfield Wilson for being tured. A reception will be held in the hall fol­ fishermen to get that fishing tackle ready for selected to enter the statewide Scholastic Art lowing the concert. Tickets are $12 and can be opening day. The Fishing Committee of the Awards Competition. We have two winners purchased from Ann Schillinger, 672-6862. Cornwall Conservation Com- this year. Maja Gray won a Gold Key mission has been busy getting Award (first place) in drawing, and Calling All Speakers: Alice Cadwell wants permits, ordering fish, and, Caitlin MacNeil won a Place speakers in her travelog series. Anyone who best of all, getting the prizes Award (third place) in sculp­ can give a talk on an interesting place, please ready for our annual raffle on ture. Maja's drawing will go on call Alice at 672-6316. April 15. These prizes are all to the National Competition. Elderly Health Screening: There will be a high quality stuff-a $300 fly­ Their art teacher is Cynthia screening on Tuesday, March 28, at the Corn­ fishing outfit from Orvis, a se­ Jerram. wall Consolidated School for Cornwall resi­ lection of hand-tied flies, and a· dents age 60 and over. A wide range of tests quality landing net. Raffle tickets is ~ffered, including hearing, vision, height/ ($1 apiece) can be obtained from Susie R.eturn Cards ~lease: Jayne Ridgway and Lisa Cruse remmd all registered voters in we1ght, blood pressure, urine, blood, stool, Williamson or Jim Bate at Northwest Lum­ glaucoma, electrocardiogram, and PAP /pel­ ber, or from Steve Hedden, Scott Zuckerman, Cornwall to return their canvass cards promptly by mail. vic/breast or prostate exam, as well as health or George Brown. All the money from the education. The suggested donation is $20 (or raffle goes towards the stocking of Mill Screening for Preschoolers: Early childhood $25 with PAP test). For an appointment, call Brook and the Youth Fishing Program of the screening continues at the Cornwall Consoli­ your Agent for the Elderly, Jill Gibbons, at Conservation Commission. If you can't make dat~d School on a .m~nthly basis, offered by 672-2603 or 672-0033. it here for the raffle but would like to partici­ Regional School District One. It is open to all pate, mail a check (any amount) to Youth three- and four-year-olds. Each child's devel­ Swing Your Partner: Cornwall Extras for Fishing Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cornwall, CT opmentallevel is assessed in the areas of mo­ Kids is throwing a square dance on Saturday, 06753. tor skills, language development, cognitive March 11, 7-10 P.M. at CCS. Adults ($5) and kids (free) may do-si-do to the music of Rob Stretch and Tone Class: Utilize small hand skills, and social development. If your child has already turned three and you are inter­ and Dave Paton on various instruments and weights to firm and tone upper body. Stretch Scott Heth on piano. Caller Jim Gregory will slowly and methodically (to beautiful music) ested in this service, please call Martha Bruehl at 672-2939 to schedule an appointment. give instruction for the first half hour to any to increase flexibility. Sponsored by Park and who want to brush up on the energetic art of Rec. Everyone welcome-no age limit. In­ Songs for Haiti: At 8 P.M. on March 25, there quadrille. Refreshments will be served. structor: Alice Cadwell. Thursday evenings, will be a concert at Hotchkiss School by the 5:15 to 6:15, Town Hall. Yale Glee Club to raise funds to buy a truck Cady on Israel/Palestine: At the Cornwall Li­ brary, on Sunday, March 5, at 4 P.M., Scott Property Tax Credits: Cornwall property for the Alb~rt Schweitzer Hospital in Haiti. C~dy, pastor of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, owners who were 65 or older by December The concert will be sponsored by the local Rotary Club, of which Peter Hammond is will talk about the people and politics of Israel 3~, 19~~, or who are receiving Social Security and Palestine. Cady will be reporting (with disab1hty payments, may be eligible for vice-president. John Leich, Paul Baren, and Tom Bechtle are other Cornwallians in slides) on his 12-day study trip to Israel and the credit on their property tax. The property West Bank (he was there the day Yasir Arafat must be their principal residence and total charge of the arrangements. The concert will consist of classical, traditional, and popular returned to Gaza). Sponsored by the Friends of income including Social Security must be the Cornwall Library. Everyone invited. less than $21,200 (single) or $26,100 (mar­ musical numbers. Tickets, $15 at the door, ried). Applications may be filed in the may also be reserved by calling John Leich, assessor's office until May 15 and, if ap­ 672-6193. proved, will apply to the July billing. The of­ ATM Comes to Cornwall: The Corn­ fice of the assessor, Barbara S. Johnson, has wall Bridge branch of the National both application and reapplication forms. Iron Bank has opened an auto­ (Once in the program one must reapply ev­ matic teller machine. Area resi­ ery two years; forms have been mailed to dents can now get cash 24 hours homeowners who must reapply this year.) a day. Cardholders from the Na­ Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 tional Iron Bank or from any mem- A.M.-noon; and Wednesdays 1 to 4 P.M. ber bank of the NYCE or Cirrus networks can use the machine, which is mounted just be­ Changing Shapes fore the drive-up window. CORNWALL CHRONICLE On Wall Street, the bear is turning into a bull, ILLUSTRATIONS Marc Simoni Benefit Concert: On Sunday, April2, at 8 P.M. and in Cornwall the March lion should start MARCH EDITORS looking more lamb-like each day. The in Cornubia Hall, Anne Chamberlain, pia­ Anne & fohn Zinsser Scoville D. Soule Chronicle's treasurer is also a changeable sort; nist, and her niece, Katherine Hannauer, vio­ APRIL EDITORS he's been known to grow hair on his hands linist, will give a concert for the benefit of Scoville D. Soule Ken & Peg Keskinen and howl at the full moon when our bank Prime Time House, a Northwest Corner re­ DIRECTORS: Tom Bevans PRESIDENT balance falls to a certain level. So please send habilitation center (located in Torrington) for Spencer Klaw VICE PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER in your tax-deductible contribution and keep those recovering from severe and persistent Edward Ferman SECRETARY • Robert Beers TREASURER Hendon Chubb • Barbara Dakin • Audrey Ferman ------,him in the shape we like him. Barbara Klaw • Charles Osborne CORNWALL CHRONICLE, INC. Bulk Rate Yes, I want the Chronicle to continue. Car-Rt Sort Here is my tax-deductible contribution of: $ ____ 143 CREAM HILL ROAD, WEST CORNWALL, CT 06796 U.S. Postage Nrune ______PAID West Cornwall, CT Address------Permit No. 6 City/St/Zip ------CORNWALL RESIDENT $10 will get the Chronicle mailed out of town.