Aldo “Squash” Travaglini, manning the soda fountain at Bissell’s in the 1950s. He later bought the news store across the street, and ran “Squash’s” for many years. It, too, once had a soda fountain, but it was removed in the 1970s. That’s the front of Ridgefield Hardware, visible through the window.
Ice cream and sodas were on the house at Bissell’s Drug Store, the Jan. 30, 1964, Press reported.
From late afternoon until the soda fountain finally closed at 8 p.m. it was standing room only as youngsters and their nostalgic elders crowded around the fountain and marked the end of its 68-year existence. The soda fountain in Bissell’s was built in 1895 when Harvey Bissell re-built his drug store after it had been destroyed by the Great Fire on Main Street. Youngsters stopped there for sodas after school. The soda fountain also did a booming business after the evening movie show in the town hall.
For a number of years Bissell’s also had an ice cream parlor with marble-topped tables and wire-backed chairs in the center of the store. Among the people who worked at the soda fountain were Fred Romeo, Doug Coleman, Tom and Jim Kilcoyne, and, of course, Aldo “Squash” Travaglini, who went on to buy Finch’s United Cigar Store and opened up his own soda fountain on the other side of Main Street.
Ridgefield police announced that because of the number of complaints received by the selectmen about illegal sales on Sundays, they would start enforcing the Connecticut state “blue laws.” The laws prohibited the sale of any product that was not necessary or merciful. Sgt. John F. Haight, in the absence of Chief of Police James J. Brady, announced that the police would start investigating complaints immediately.
Ridgefield’s first library building was transported by truck from Governor Street to Great Pond, where it became the Great Pond Beach administration building. The building had served as a library on Bailey Avenue and was moved by former Gov. P.C. Lounsbury to Governor Street, where it later served as the Ridgefield Water Co. office.
Fashion designer and Nod Road resident Larry L. Aldrich announced that he had contracted to buy the “Old Hundred” building on Main Street from the First Church of Christ Scientist of Ridgefield for use as an art museum. Old Hundred was built about 1783 by two Ridgefield Revolutionary War army officers, King and Dole, to house a grocery and hardware store. For 100 years the original building served as a mercantile establishment, hence the building’s name, “Old Hundred.” Workers at the carriage-making “Big Shop’ farther south on Main Street would stop in the evenings to discuss affairs of state like the new federal Constitution, elections and slavery. Old Hundred later inluded the Ridgefield Savings Bank’s first office, and later served as a residence and a church.
The Conservation Commission purchased its first parcel of open space from donations it received primarily from the Thrift Shop and the Caudatowa Garden Club. The 8.85 acres of swamp on Limestone Road had been formerly owned by Kaj Christiansen of Norwalk, who had hoped to raise bullfrogs for commercial purposes on the property.
The town’s grand list increased by $4 million, due primarily to the construction of 285 new houses.
The Board of Education announced that Ridgefield High School would go on double sessions starting in the fall and would continue on double sessions until the new junior high school was built. The earliest possible date for that opening was thought to be September 1966. It was the second period in the 1955-65 decade when the high school was put on double sessions. The first was 1958-60.
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Kertesz announced the birth of their second daughter, Amy Elizabeth.
Mrs. Richard N. Serfilippi, the former Miss Barbara Carol Torcellini, was married to Richard N. Serfilippi on Jan. 25 at St. Mary’s Church. Mrs. Robert Bass was matron of honor and the bridesmaids were Miss Dawn Baldaserini, Miss Mary Ann Ascolese and the bride’s sister, Miss Carol Torcellini. Peter Serfilippi, the groom’s brother, was best man and Richard Manna and John McCrystal Jr. were ushers.
James Leonard became the newest faculty member of the Ridgebury Elementary School.
Ed Helminski, who joined the Ridgefield Boy’s Club staff as assistant director, returned to his position at the club after a two-year hitch in the Army.