Date: Fri 08-Sep-1995

By Previous Employees

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Girls-Tennis-History

Full Text:

Girls' Tennis History

The Netown High School girls' tennis program is struggling through one of the

longer droughts at the school in terms of WCC championships, but does, like

each of the sports at NHS, enjoy a storied past.

The program began in 1970 with a team that included Sue Marsh, Wendy Garcia,

Jean Whittle, Arlene Morehauser, Joanne Reed, Carol Butler, Nancy Tibbets,

Delly Ozane, and Cathy McCaffrey. That 70 team went through its growing pains

and blossomed into a 5-2 team the following spring.

Delly Ozane became the school's first female tennis star as she guided NHS to

a 5-1 mark in 1973 while going unbeaten in first singles and earning team MVP

honors in the process.

In 1974 the NHS team, and coach Pam Northrup, enjoyed an undefeated season and

a WCC title as Ozane again dominated the opposition while leading teammates

Jill Healy, Donna Kriger, Carlo Butler, Betsy Freeman, Nancy Schmidt, and

Dianne Leavitt.

Leavitt and Mary Leitner guided the 1975 team to a first-place tie in the WCC,

and a Championship at the Class M Sectionals at Nonnewaug High School. There,

Leitner won the second singles championship.

lÂ Sally Leety was the team's star in 1977 as the girls went 8-2 on the

season, while Newtown's 1978 star was Margaret Meyer. Meyer that season was

the WCC's fourth singles champion.

It was the 1979 Lady Indians who started building up towards the finest season

in school history.

The 79 squad went 9-3 behind singles starts Amy Barrows, Pam Leavitt, Sue

Rossiello, and Beth Conover. Barrows, a junior, had gone undefeated all season

until falling in the WCC singles championship to Weston's Nancy Rohman.

Best Ever

In 1980, the Newtown High School girls' tennis team captured its third WCC

title with an amazing leger of 16-1.

Led by Barrows (13-2), Conover (13-2), Rossiello (10-2), and freshman Sue

Murren (13-1), Newtown finished the regular season at 14-1 and in a tie with

Weston for the Wild Division Championship.

Though Weston's record that season had actually been 14-2, its coach protested

because of an extra game and ended up getting a one-game playoff to decide the

Wild Division.

Newtown and coach Pam Northrup didn't put up much of a fuss over the decision.

Instead, the Lady Indians rolled up a 5-2 win in the playoff on the strength

of its doubles teams.

Newtown's only singles winner was Conover while the doubles teams of Pam

Leavitt/ Karen Flood, Kathy Bigham/ Lynn Bulwidas, and Dianne King/ Karen

Borrelli all came up winners to clinch the Wild Division title.

In the WCC final, Newtown whipped Briggs Champion Joel Barlow, 6-1.

All-WCC team members from NHS included Murren (19-2) in singles, and

Leavitt/Flood, and Bigham/ Bulwidas (14-0 all season) in doubles.

lÂ Beginning with Ed Toomey in 1981, Newtown's tennis team started rotating

coaches in and out through a revolving door. The result was a program in

turmoil. Sue Murren enjoyed fine seasons in 82, 83, and 84, reaching the state

semifinals in 82, but the NHS team would only enjoy one more year of

dominance. That year came in 1985 under coach Bob McHugh. Behind the efforts

of Sue Polcyn, Jenny Nitray, Michelle Graber, and Kim Flood in singles, and

Missy Arnold and Megan Kearns in doubles, Newtown wnet 12-2 and won the WCC.

Graber won the WCC third singles title at the conference meet while Arnold/

Kearns captured the first doubles crown.

Irene Stotts succeeded McHugh as coach in 1986, soon to be followed by Joan

Manfredonia, and Claire Willis.

The team's goal since that last WCC title in 85 has been to qualify for the

state meet by playing to a five-hundred record.

Next HRRA Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Event Scheduled In Newtown

Genealogy Club's Next Program To Dig Into 'Dissecting A Civil War Pension Record'

Choral Society Planning ‘Voices Of America’ Performance

Newtown Earth Day Festival Was A Success

Local Fourth Grader To Host ‘Gaming For Change’ On May 16

The editorial took no position on the budget going up or down so you're reading things into the editorial that simply aren't there. The turnout is tied to the lack of passage, in that people who came out to vote last time did not this time, indicating a lack of support on their part. Perhaps it wasn't spelled out clearly enough, but that's what the editorial was driving at, people showing lack of support by not casting a vote. The editorial did address likely concerns among voters that may have led to lack of support and lack of turnout. This lower turnout also follows increasing turnout over the past four referendums in three years (meaning it is an aberration from that), and increased turnout is something that I do push for regularly in editorials. Any disappointment you might be seeing is at the break in that trend, not at whether the budget passed or not. I'd rather see more people come out and vote "no" then not vote at all.

Lower Turnout Results In Two Budget Defeats

Clearly, property owners no longer want to bear the burden of expenses while the state does not meet it’s responsibilities. Rising costs must be addressed by actions that do not include yearly increases of property owners’ taxes. The state of CT must meet its share of the educational costs, and other costs.

Town And School Budgets Fail At Referendum

This feels like an oddly misleading headline and narrative, particularly coming from the Editorial Board. The headline "Lower Turnout Results in Two Budget Defeats" pushes a misleading narrative regarding voter turnout, and then seeks to tie the outcome of the referendum to that misleading narrative. Sure, voter turn out for this year's referendum, 18%, was lower than last year's. However, last year's turnout, 25.4%, represented the highest turnout in the most recent 10 budget referendums. If you take the time to examine turnout percentages between 2017 and 2026 (2017: 19.9, 2018: 15.7, 2019: 17, 2020: 0, 2021: 8.98, 2022: 7.7, 2023: 8.8, 2024: 15.1/17.49, 2025: 25.4, 2026: 18), this year's turnout was actually the third highest in the past 10 cycles. Perhaps the headline of this article should say "Lower Voter Turnout Than Last Year", which is more accurate, rather than creating an impression that this year's turnout is some type of aberration - a narrative that the turnout numbers, in all their binary glory, simply do not support. Further, the headline of this article appears to tie the "lower turnout" to the defeated budgets. Sure, that could be true. But, perhaps, its more likely that Newtown residents are feeling the squeeze of multiple economic influences. In Newtown, we've experienced property revaluations and increased municipal spending. Eversource continues to raise rates. The state legislature gives PURA the authority to impose Public Benefit charges that benefit a tiny percentage of the public (and subsequently burdening the rest of us). At the national level, inflation has run rampant for years and many of those costs remain high to this day. In short, the data tells a far less dramatic—and far more honest—story than the headline suggests. This wasn’t an electorate vanishing in apathy; it was a fairly typical turnout delivering an verdict that, perhaps, some at the Editorial Board didn't like. At some point, it’s worth considering that residents aren’t confused, disengaged, or misled by turnout; they’re simply doing math at their kitchen tables and concluding that “no” is the only responsible answer left.

Enjoyed the forum which only confirmed my support for Brandon Moore as the Democratic candidate to run for the state representative position. Brandon Moore did not waiver about his duty to all the people, if elected, when an issue presents itself that requires that he voice a difference of opinion for the wellbeing of Newtown residents. If Michelle Ku’s 16 years have led to her loyalty being to other elected officials, as she implied, then Newtown is going to continue to witness actions that do not protect its residents. She could not unseat republican, Mitch Bolinsky, during a Blue Wave, and once again, will not do it now. Winning that seat is critical for all. That explains why her previous campaign committee now campaigns for Brandon Moore. It explains all the endorsements he has received from local elected democratic officials. It’s why we need Brandon Moore to be the democratic candidate to run for state representative.

Second Newtown DTC, League Of Women Voters Candidates Event Planned

Appreciated the opportunity to hear from both candidates as we were present for the College Dems forum but only heard from Brandon Moore. It was an opportunity to see who can unseat the Republican incumbent and there is no doubt that Brandon Moore should be the Democratic candidate. One concerned parent posed a question about discrimination unaddressed by the school district and interestingly enough, Michelle Ku, who proudly speaks of her Board membership years, said little, while Brandon Moore passionately addressed the issue along with his experience as an Apache Helicopter Commander. This family is supporting Brandon Moore. We need change and someone who is not afraid to disagree, especially about the rising costs of living in Newtown.

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Date: Fri 08-Sep-1995

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