1957-58: Sectional Power-house

After 38 years as an officer of the Cambridge Valley National Bank, many of them as its president, Malcolm Parrish announced his retirement. He joined the bank as Teller in 1918, following service in WW I. In 1921 he was elected Cashier and in 1924 President.

On January 8, 1957 he was elected president of the Board of Directors for the 34th consecutive year, and in that capacity he would continue after retirement.

CCS basketball team continued to roll, taking their sixth straight 58-54 over St. Mary's Academy. "Duke" Nennstiel continued to throw down 20 or so points per game.

CCS Indians took over top spot in the league with a 44-40 win over Argyle. Don Record scored 18 and Nennstiel l0.

The $320,000 proposed addition to the central school would provide seven new classrooms, expansion of the cafeteria for more general use, a yard storage room to give the ag. shop more space and a new cafeteria-playroom.

Of course, if the community had have spent this extra money back in 1951 when the school was first built, it would have avoided the cheap work of the new school and would have gotten twice as much for its money. It is a classic example of how being "cheap" can be wasteful.

Cambridge Indians continued to roll, downing Hoosic Valley 63-58. Nennstiel had 31 pts., Don Record 16.

The school addition passed over-whelmingly, 92 percent of the voters for it, 565 to 46.

Charles Ackley announced that he would not be a candidate to succeed himself as Village mayor. In a full-page ad in the same issue, Charley let the public know that he was going to attend to his new businesses. He held a week long, 2nd anniversary sale at his furniture store.

The Indians reeled off their 9th straight victory, 71-50 over Greenwich. Coach Herbert substituted liberally. John Bell was high scorer with 15.

CCS rolled along, 64-37 over Fort Ann, despite a postponement because of poor roads. "Duke" bucketed 20.

John Pockette and James King, of Shaftsbury, Vt. announced that they would soon open a bakery in the James Estramonte building on East Main. To be called the "Tasty Bake Shop", it was the fore-runner of the highly successful (in 1995) King's Bakery near the railroad.

CCS took down Salema 63-49, for their second win over their arch rivals. They were undefeated in the League. Larry Decker was high schorer with 19.

In mid-February, the Indians brought their season record to 13 wins against a single loss whena they downed Williamstown, Mass. 65-52. Don Record scored 23. Coach Herbert used subs most of the second half.

Playing their final non-league game of the season, the Indians fumbled the ball, stumbling before St. Mary's Academy 66-55, in the second meeting of the clubs.

The following week they were back on track, downing Hoosick Valley 75-51. This assured them of at least a tie for the Washington County Championship.

Then their hopes for an undefeated league season went out the window when Argyle got even with them 65-54.

In '56-57 the CCS faculty associated themselves with the NEA.

Two local newspapermen shifted jobs. Linwood Strout took over as sports editor of the Post-Star of Glens Falls as Rogers Gorman resigned to move to the sports dept. of the Albany Times-Union.

That March, Floyd R. Smith was elected mayor of the Village without opposition.

Despite having dropped one game in the league that year, CCS wrapped up the championship with a decisive, 94-63 victory over Greenwich. "Duke" had 31 points. They were 15-3 on the season and 11-1 in the league.

Their first sectional opponent was Warrensburg.

Members of the Washington County League Basketball champion team: John Pemrick, Dick Record, John Bell, William "Duke" Nennstiel, Larry Decker, Don Record, David Herrington, Andy Anderson, Frank Cristaldi, Bruce Wands, Jim Lull, Dick Greminger, and Tony Olff. Edward Atwll was manager and John Herbert was coach.

CCS, playing at Saratoga, rallied past Warrensburg 63-59 to advance to the Class D semis, where they would face Berne-Knox.

Lindy Strout wrote that Nennstiel took scoring honors with 22. But it was Don Record who, with the score tied 57-all, threw in the bucket that put Cambrfidge ahead for good.

Berne-Knox knocked them off. Unbelievably, the Indians had to play the fourth quarter with Pemrick, Record and Nennstiel and Decker on the bench, having fouled out. Cambridge led at the end of the third quarter 51-39.

John Bell sank a last second basket to send it into over-time, but too many big guns were missing. They lost the sectional title 71-67.

Colgate basketball coach Howard Hartman was the principal speaker at the CCS basketball banquet that spring. The committee in charge was John Briggs, Irving "Bus" Hedges and Fred Severson. The banquet was held at McCarty's Log Cabin, with 70 in attendance.

Three students, Mary Ellen Watkins, Dorothy Campbell and Carol Brewer, were initiated into the National Honor Society at CCS.

John Marsh was reelected president of the PTA.

The gypsy moth was a plague that spring. Extensive DDT sprying was expected to do the trick.

O.K. Spurr had finished his camp on Moosehead Lake in Maine, and many local fishermen enjoyed his hospitality.

That year the annual Tri-State Music Festival was held at Tanglewood, sponsored by the Lions of Lenox, Mass. Fourteen schools from New York, Vermont and Massachussetts participated, including band and chorus from Cambridge.

Based upon the sorry state of affairs in 1995, it is hard to believe that the Cambridge High School Band, in 1957, could handle the original version of Washington Post March.

Cat murders caught the attention of the local community that May. Floating down Rice's Brook past the WCP offices came the bodies of several cats. Ropes were looped around their necks. They had been either hanged or thrown in the water to drown.

"Who could be so cruel?" wondered the Post Editor. "We hope somebody finds out!"

Carson Fuller coached both track and baseball that spring.

In baseball, Don Record pitched CCS to its fifth victory against a single defeat, with a no-hitter. He faced 24 Greenwich batsmen, struck out 21 and walked two. The first eight strikeouts were consecutive, but the 9th batter popped up to the infield.

They downed Hoosick Valley 13-1, and Argyle 6-2, to give them a tie for the League title with Argyle.

It was their second baseball title of the year. The first came in a contest between all of the teams. The second came when the Class D and E teams were separated.

Cambridge got off to a bad start, their sole loss coming 2-1 to Fort Ann. Then they powered by Hartford 16-1, and Salem 22-4. Argyle had the league lead, having defeated Fort Ann, until Cambridge trimmed them.

Then Cambridge steamed on into the Class D play-offs, beating Salem 9-5 and Hoosick Valley 18-1.

Merl Galusha further cemented the Cambridge connection with Schenectady broadcasting by becoming the manager of WRGB, General Electric Co.'s television station. He had been the manager of WGY Radio.

The year 1956-57 was one of outstanding sports achievement, as summerized in the "Review".

Don Record capped a brilliant four year career by hurling a no-hitter at Greenwich, fanning 21, CCS winning 10-0. This gave CCS the co-championship of Washington County. Then the boys swept through the Class D Sectional tournament to take that trophy free and clear.

In September '56, CCS fielded an ll man football team for the first time in 21 years. They enjoyed a 4-2 season, with a big upset of Ballston Spa there, and finished second in the Saratoga County League.

John Pemrick won the Jerome E. Wright trophy for the most improved football player of the year.

Cambridge really shown in basketball, under the guidance of new coach John Herbert. CCS topped Manchester 63-45 to begin a 13 game winning streak, broken only by a get-even loss to St. Mary's Academy.

Cambridge downed Argyle 44-40 behind the 18 points of Don Record and took over first place in the Washington County League. Then on March 1, they routed Greenwich 94-63, breaking the Washington County League record for most points in one game, and clinched the league championship with an 11-1 record.

The Indians participated in the class D sectionsals for the first time in 23 years, beating Warrensburg 63-59. They lost in the finals.

"Duke" Nennstiel was the top scorer in the county with 245 points, a 20.4 pt. per game average.

"Duke" Nennstiel was awarded a $2,800 grant in aid to Muhlenberg College.

An eight lb. "pet" trout was landed at The Tackle Box. The trout was thought to be ll year old. It was 26 1/4 inches long. A female, it was 15 inches in girth, as determined by a Fish Hatchery rep.

At that time the champion Battenkill trout was thought to be the 31 1/2 inch 12 1/2 pounder caught on May ll, 1923 by Roy Brown at the Tackle Box site.

Then five year old Dianne Wilkie landed a 15 inch trout in Seed House Brook.

The governing bodies of the Presbyterian and United Presbyterian Churches united as of June 14. This paved the way for the eventual merger of congregations in Cambridge, where there were three separate churches.

That July, Tannery Pond at the West End was scene of a fishing derby. More than 150 kids caught 142 fish. Paul Virtue Jr. pulled in the largest trout of the day.

Only 37 attended the annual meeting of the CCS District. They passed a $517,500 budget. In '56-57, there were 977 pupils attending, with a cost per pupil of $427.

An enlargement of the school had been let, bids awarded and construction was underway.

John Lylis was selected to lead the BOE, after the Board decided to rotate the responsibility.

The Cambridge Squaws opened another softball season, with a 23-6 win over Eagle Bridge. Delores Skiff pitched the first five innings, then Julia Stefanovich took over.

There were four teams in the league that summer, Cambridge, Eagle Bridge, Greenwich and Easton.

The Cambridge Squaws walked away with the league softball trophy, winning nine straight games with no defeats.

Bernard Stinner was added to the faculty that Sept.

John Herbert was appointed assistant principal, while continuing his other duties.

Patrician Hall was pressed into use to take care of the over-flow of students until the addition was ready. Sixth grade would meet there, taught by Helen Wallace, Alice Murdoch and Verah Parrish.

CCS opened with another record enrollment: 974 students. Twenty of these students were attending the Eagle Bridge school.

The Student Council sold season tickets to home football games that fall to raise money for additional bleachers. CCS had 47 boys out for another season of 11 man ball.

CCS opened the ll man football season that Fall with a 19-12 win over St. Peter's of Saratoga. The starting lineup was Don Vitello, QB; Dick Record, RH; LeRoy Anderson, LH; Cliff Phillips, FB; David Wilkie, C; Richard Evans, RG; Wesley Mook, LG; Bruce Wands, RT; Wayne Laverty, LT; Larry Decker, RE; Dick Wulff, LE. Frank Cristaldi alternated with Don Vitello on defense.

Harold Dewey of Grove St. landed a 6 lb. 10 1/2 oz. large mouth bass in Dead Pond. It was 23 inches long.

The second game of the football season was a loss to Corinth 13-12. The third game was a 13-13 tie with Ballston.

Clifford Phillips of Eagle Bridge received the Eagle Scout award. He was a member of Troop 69, Eagle Bridge. He was the third boy in area history to achieve that level in Scouting.

After a series of close games, Cambridge footballers swamped Stillwater 39-0. Cliff Phillips also enjoyed the distinction of scoring one of the touchdowns.

The Village Board's provisional appointment as Police Chief did not work out. In mid-October, they gave the permanent appointment to Philip Sica.

Legalization of bingo by non-profit organizations was on the ballot that November. The boys of the Fire Dept. and Capt. Maxson Post combined in an ad, urging a "yes" vote.

A game was postponed, then the Greenwich game was cancelled. Finally, the boys got in a football game, a 19-12 victory over Burr and Burton of Manchester, Vt.

In the Nov. 7th issue appears the first WCP issue carrying a story warning of the potential danger of the Russion satellite "sputnik".

The CCS National Honor Society inducted three students, Betty Boeker, Pat Decker and Don Murdock.

The CCS basketball season, the second under Coach John Herbert, took the league opener from Greenwich 69-58, but dropped games to Burr and Burton and Hudson Falls.

CCS downed Fort Ann 38-25.

Betty Boeker of CCS was named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. She was competing against students from 14,000 participating US schools. She would continue in the competition.

CCS basketballers rolled along, downing Hartford 52-45. They were undefeated in the county.