Date: Fri 22-Mar-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Glorydays-March-22-1996

Full Text:

Glorydays - March 22, 1996

This week in 1991

The Pistons defeated the Lakers 45-40 in the championship of the Newtown Parks

and Recreation Basketball League's Junior Division as Brian Wassman scored six

points inside the final minute to finish the night with a team-high 15. Mike

Czaplicke added ten points for the winners and Patrick Czaplicke scored six.

Other members of the championship team were Kevin Fitzgerald, Chris Qualey,

Kevin McDonnell, Harris Towne, and Glenn Watts. The game's leading scorer was

Lakers' Greg Gallagher who netted 24 in a losing cause. Matt Zelno led the

league with a 29.8 ppg average followed by Chris Murphy 24, Gallagher 23,

Jason McCallum 22.1, and Wassman 21.2.

This week in 1986

Newtown High School graduate, Joe Crimi, slammed a two-run home run to lead

Eastern Connecticut State University to a 7-5 victory over Point Lome College

in a game played in San Diego, California. Crimi, a junior third baseman at

Eastern, went 2-for-4 in the game and hit the first homer of his college

career in the second inning.

This week in 1981

The Lions, coached by Hank Gellert, captured the championship of the Newtown

Parks and Recreation Girls' Division by virtue of their 7-1 record during the

season. The team was comprised of Heather Huntington, Kim Severnak, Sue

Petrick, Diana Denlinger, Martha Huntington, Debbie MacDonald, Jenny Tinkler,

Cindy Amaral, Julie Pearlman, Laura Unger, Elizabeth MacLellan, and Kerry

MacLellan. Assistant coaches were Sandy Severnak and Sue Roman.

This week in 1976

Newtown High junior Pete Meier became the first wrestler in school history to

win a State Open Championship when he pinned Ledyard's Bob Caron 28 seconds

into the second period. Meier had lost to Caron in the Class M finals a week

earlier. A three-sport standout at NHS, Meier had set a school record in the

fall when he rushed for 1,375 yards and kicked seven field goals. In track and

field last spring, Meier set a school record with a javelin throw of 195 feet.

This week in 1971

The Newtown Parks and Recreation Commission announced that it will be

sponsoring a Middle School intramural swim program to be coached by Tom

Roberts (the Newtown High swim coach) and Jane Dana. The eight-week program

will be held at the Newtown High School pool.

This week in 1966

Under the coaching of John Russo and Louis Saloom, the Sandy Hook youth

basketball team finished its season with an undefeated record. The team

included David Ellis, Albert Edwards, Keith Saad, Gary Stikkel, Timmy Palmer,

Boyd Saxton, Bill Reinheimer, Russell Skiff, Peter Piccirillo, Stephen Jones,

Steven Edwards, Conrad Rell, James Martin, Clifford Rothe, Jimmy Hinkley, Sam

Jones, and Jim Yakushewich.

This week in 1961

Donald Steisel was the top scorer, at the high school level, at the NHS

mid-winter fitness tests. Paul Feli placed second and Dwight Steisel took

third place. Jack Seldner was the top scorer in the junior high division. The

tests, held annually for seven years, consist of pullups, pushups, situps,

wallbounce, and basketball goal shooting.

This week in 1956

The Newtown AC basketball team overwhelmed Bullards of Bridgeport 92-54 and

earned the right to play in the War Memorial Gold Medal Tournament. Bobby

McMahon scored 21 points to lead Newtown while Bob Shannon and Emmy Farrell

threw in 19 points each.

This week in 1951

After 128 days on the front lines of the Korean combat zone (at the Korean

War), Newtown's Dick Dean - Private First Class - penned a three-page letter

to his buddies at the Social and Athletic Club of Sandy Hook. The letter,

which was partially published in The Newtown Bee read, " . . . it looks as

though we are going to be over here for a long time . . . I was happy to read

of the good record the SAC teams ran up in basketball. Remember me to them

all. Your friend always, Dick Dean. "

This week in 1946

Five Newtown Boy Scouts, Joseph Digilio, Dwight Johnson, Franklin Miller,

Fritz Heinmeyer, and Morris Eaton, started with a full pack of food and other

camping articles, and set off on a 15-mile hike through the woods and back

streets of Newtown. The Scouts' adventure was reported in The Newtown Bee,

written by Digilio.

This week in 1941

The Newtown FFA Basketball teams slashed with Housatonic Valley's teams.

Newtown's first team lost 40-20 despite nine points by Whittle and eight by

Kearns. The second team, though, was a big 38-4 winner, paced by the double

digit scoring efforts of Leibold and Hunnihan. Mayer scored nine and Richmond

seven in the Newtown win as well.