New fire chief, whitewash Hendrix, Columbus Day parade, derailment

Richard W. Nagle was appointed as the town’s new fire chief, the Oct. 12, 1989, Press reported. Nagle, 47, had been the manager of fire prevention for Metro-North at Grand Central Station for four years. The former New York City fireman, who retired as a lieutenant in 1985, was chief of the Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., Volunteer Fire Department. Nagle said one of his tasks would be to look at the needs of the volunteer and career firemen because the relationship between them was important. Mr. Nagle’s salary was $50,000 at the time of his appointment. There were seven finalists in the appointment process. Assistant Chief Richard Dingee was the only Ridgefield fireman to make it into the final selection.
More than 200 friends, relatives, co-workers, and Ridgefield residents turned out for a testimonial dinner at the Ethan Allen Inn to formally say good-bye to fire Chief Richard McGlynn. Chief McGlynn, who retired in the summer, spent 34 years as head of the Ridgefield Fire Department. A native of Ridgefield who had lived across the street from the Catoonah Street firehouse, he started as a firefighter in 1947, when he joined the town’s volunteer department. Three years later he got a job on the small paid fire force and made firefighting his career. “We’re not going to find anybody who can replace Dick McGlynn,” said police Chief Thomas Rotunda. “Dick always had time for everything.” Ann Marie Gabianelli, Pat Markert, Dick Aarons, Dick Dingee, Bob Roth, Matt Silk, William Warner, and Lou Yarrish were the organizers of the retirement dinner.
A painting of Jimi Hendrix, one of several murals that graced the halls of Ridgefield High School, came under criticism from a number of students because of Hendrix’s drug-related death. The mural had been on a wall at Ridgefield High School for nine years before the controversy arose. “I’ve been thinking about it since the beginning of school,” said student Jon Fulkerson, the author of a resolution to remove the image of Mr. Hendrix. “I walk by that mural every day, and it occurred to me that it really was out of place in the school.”
The Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce announced it had organized the town’s first Columbus Day parade. “We want to bring up everyone’s awareness of the Italian heritage and we’re gearing up now with this first parade for Columbus Day — leading to a big celebration for the 500th anniversary in three years when we plan to have a large-scale celebration. I’ll even dress up like Christopher Columbus,” said Chamber President Lenny Frisaro. Pamby Motors, Montanari Fuel Service, Nano Marconi Construction, and Ridgefield European Motors underwrote the cost of the parade.
To help Connecticut’s homeless who suffered from AIDS, jazz musician Dave Brubeck performed a concert at Ridgefield High School. Joining Mr. Brubeck on stage were his sons, Dan and Chris, and noted jazz guitarist Larry Coryell.
For the second time in six months, a public hearing audience reacted with deep skepticism and flashing anger to a proposed master plan revision which would have allowed more multifamily housing in town. “I’m against the whole multifamily concept the way it’s being applied right now,” said Edward Zandri of Mountain View Avenue. “ I don’t think it’s right and I don’t think it’s going to benefit the town one bit.” The meeting’s most active speaker was Dr. Jean Harder of Deer Hill Drive. “There are many people here in Ridgefield,” she said, “that are very concerned about increasing crowding, the traffic, the increasing numbers, the overcrowding.” She said she could not understand why the Planning and Zoning Commission was proposing an increase in multifamily housing when a League of Women Voters survey had shown that 60% of the residents opposed it and only 30% favored it. “Perhaps you are pandering to the needs of the contractors and developers,” she said.
A Metro-North commuter train derailed when it struck a large boulder at 1:45 p.m., just 150 yards south of the Branchville railroad station. None of the passengers were hurt. The four-foot-wide, two-foot-high stone apparently became dislodged due to heavy rains and fell onto the tracks, where it was dragged for several hundred feet before derailing the engine and forcing the train off of the tracks.
The Press “New Neighbor” column noted that Thomas and Maureen Kozlark moved to town from Ossining, N.Y., looking for a larger house. The Kozlarks and their two children, Matthew, 3, and Kathryn, 6 months, liked a house on Yankee Hill. Ms. Kozlark grew up in Montgomery, N.Y., and graduated from SUNY Albany. She was, until recently, a fashion buyer for a West Coast firm. Mr. Kozlark grew up in Poughkeepsie and graduated from New York University law school. He was an attorney for Chemical Bank in New York. Ms. Kozlark said they were attracted to Ridgefield’s “beautiful community” and “we love it.”
William and Susan Craig announced the birth of their third child, Kimberly.