1962:

"Coach!" Shunted Aside

Track, Wrestling Teams Shine

Charles F. "Bud" Cary, Jr. was recently named director of recreation for the Mohonasen Central School of Rotterdam. Cary was a Cambridge athlete and grad and a Mohonasen faculty member the previous five years.

Hoosick Falls' 47-37 win over Cambridge put them into a three way tie for the League lead. The Hoosier win streak went to five. They were tied with Stillwater and Fort Ann.

John Harrison led scorers with 23. Stinner with 14 was the only Indian in double figures.

The new Hoosick Falls Central School was dedicated that January.

No bus transportation was available, but the Cambridge Recreation Committee went forward with the Willard ski program, using private cars. Equipment could be rented at Willard for $1.

Thirteen area high school girls were participating in the McClellan Candy Striper program.

That January, voters from Union School District No. 10 (the Village) voted yes on two propositions affecting the Village Library. Proposition no. 1 passed 167-13. It allowed the discontinuation of the facility for school purposes.

Proposition no. 2 passed 178-7. It allowed Dist. 10 to convey the lot and building to the Village.

The Village Board had already obligated itself to accept and finance the library, and a charter was applied for.

A Monday night developmental basketball league opened at CCS, with such titles as the "Primadonnas", the "Jets", the "Bears". English teacher Okie O'Connor ran the league.

The Grand Jury indicted four individuals for entering a house in Town of Jackson and stealing shot-guns and sporting goods. indictees were William J. Herrington, 20, Eagle Bridge; William G. Schneider, 11, Camden Valley; William James Blondin, 20, Hoosick Falls and William LeRoy Barber, 20, a transient formerly employed in Shushan.

The Indians brought their season record to 4-3 when they fell to Hoosic Valley 55-53. Stinner's 31 points didn't have enough support. Only Purdy joined him in double figures.

The BOE announced in January that the building construction proposal would go before the voters.

A discussion centered on "overall extention of federal aid" to schools. The CCS Board felt federal support would not help in New York, as it was one of the richer states and voted 4-1 for a resolution saying members are not in favor of extending federal aid programs.

CCS students went through posture rating tests to detect problems and to reveal a student's degree of fitness.

Cambridge lost to Salem 69-58, then downed Schuylerville 56-40.

CCS lost its first home game of the season when Hartford surprised them 40-42.

The vote on CCS school construction was Feb. 18. The Board was asking for 21 more classrooms, another gym and other items. They projected an enrollment of 1,245 by 1968.

Because of diminishing interest the Cambridge Valley Grange sold their hall at Main and N. Park Sts. This was 100 years ago The Old White Church. Ralph Carpenter, Schenectady, tried to buy it, without disclosing plans. It would be torn down to make room for an A & P store.

The Indians bounced up and took two games in early February, winning at Greenwich 55-45 and hosting Fort Ann, a team that had beaten them earlier in the season. CCS won 58-41. Tom Parsley was high scorer both games, 21 in each. CCS went to 8-5 on the season.

The sport of wrestling was introduced in the area. Hoosick Falls and Cambridge boys wrestled between the halves of a Hoosick Falls and Schuylerville basketball game.

Wrestling in the first match in the history of CCS were John Hunt, Ed Saari, Ed Jordan, Carl Wulff, and Bob Harrington.

Cambridge, Schuylerville, Greenwich and Hoosick Falls started the sport. Steve Tierney was the proponent at CCS.

Weather and sickness delayed some Washington County League games. One that was delayed involved Cambridge. Stillwater sat atop the league with a 12-1 record, followed by Hoosick Falls at 12-2. Cambridge was stuck in the middle at 8-5.

The Cambridge Central Ski Team placed second in class B competition at Lake Placid Winter Carnival Feb. 3-4. Peter Proud and the George Morses took the seven competitors. Boonvilled edged them. Competing were Beaver Ross, John Romack, Peter Morse, Richard Morse, Stephen Morse, Seth Craig and Terry Briggs.

Peter was third on the cross country. Fifty boys competed.

The only significant air disaster in the history of Old Cambridge occurred shortly before 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26th when a USAF F-102 jet fighter, flying out of Westover AFB "augured into a pasture in Center Cambridge.

The heroic pilot, Capt. Carl Evankovich, deliberately delayed bailing out until the ailing aircraft had cleared the Village. He aimed the plane into land owned by Town Supervisor Ben English and ejected. But he was too low. He died of multiple bone fractures. A monument to his memory stands in front of the Town of Cambridge Archive.

The big news in March was that the voters of Cambridge decided 457-226 to build an addition to the central school that cost over $1 million, about the same as the entire original school had cost.

The Cambridge Ski Team won the first Willard Mountain Invitational, with five teams competing for the Vanderzee Cup. Beaver Ross and Capt. Dick Morse led the local skiers. They defeated Mt. Greylock (Williamstown), Benningt, the Johnstown B team and Averill Park.

CCS could only shoot 28 percent in their loss to Schuylerville 58-41.

With Glens Falls as an affiliate, McClellan opened a school of practical nursing.

Five new members were tapped for the National Honor Society. They were seniors Betsy King, Peter Kent, Sandra Elliott and Seth Craig Jr.

CCS closed its initial wrestling season with an exhibition win over Schuylerville. Alan Bell, Vince Cristaldi and Ed Saari scored pins. Paul Virtue "Showed that he is a promising prospect, as he fought his man to a close decision".

In its initial wrestling season, CCS won the county title, taking first place honors in the 115, 130 and 155 lb. classes. Cambridge had 26 pts., Greenwich 18, Hoosick Falls 17 and Schuylerville 14.

Saari won the 130 lb. crown,. Bell the 115 lb. and Bassette won the 155 lb.

Stillwater, in their last league game, downed CCS 72-57.

CCS continued to tumble. Salem took a second game from the Indians 47-40. They did well on the Boards, with Stinner and Knapp getting the most, but continued to be plagued by a poor shooting percentage.

The Indians then closed out the season with a 52-37 victory over Hoosic Valley. Senior Fred Knapp and Sophomore Tom Parsley scored 16 points each.

William Artemas Scott died. He was born in 1886, the son of Rev. John C. Scott, Coila UP pastor. He and his brother Walter were outstanding track athletes at Cambridge Union School.

In April the Old White Meeting House (a.k.a. The Grange Hall) at Main and Park was torn down to make way for an A & P.

Cambridge and Bennington high schools did eschange visits with their bands.

That spring, the hard surface tennis court on the north end of the Central School grounds was opened to the public.

A reading lab went into action at CCS, as one of the unending string of "cure-alls" that set out to undo the damage no one would admit TV was doing to attention spans and reading levels.

Dick McGuire led a group of Shushan residents in protest of the plan to remove the covered bridge and substitute a modern one.

The CCS track team defeated Stillwater and Argyle, but lost big to Greenwich. They were very good in the running events, having won 12 of 15 in the three meets.

The Gus Thums opened "Cambridge Books" in the Hitchcock Block, E. Main.

The CCS baseball team went to 3-1. Hartford beat them 16-3, getting nine runs in the first inning.

Then Mike Baratto fanned 10 in leading the club past Hoosick Falls 6-4 and Darryl Decker pitched a three hitter to get them past Argyle 8-2.

Betty Boeker was awarded a fellowship to study biochemistry at the University of California, Berkley. She would be working toward a Ph.D in biochemistry.

Holding a National Merit scholarship, miss Boeker did her undergraduate work at Radcliffe. During the past year she did research at Massachusetts General, under the auspices of the National Science Foundation and Harvard Univ. She made the Dean's List each year and graduated Cum Laude.

CCS track team finished second in the Washington County meet to Greenwich. Cambridge runners were without parallel. Jerry Coon took the 100 and 220 dashes in the record times of 10.3 and 23.3 secs, as the Indians swept every running event except the 880 relay.

Carrol (Beaver??) Ross won the 2 mile, the first time it was ever run in Section II.

The running attack of Coach Carson Fuller's team had gone through all competition that season without a defeat. Coon was unbeaten in the sprints and Saari and Walrath had done the same in the mile and half-mile.

Darryl Decker had lost his specialty, the 440, once, and that to teammate Peter Morse.

Ed Saari led milers with a time of 4:53.

Carson Fuller's varsity track team made up for two basketball pratfalls by John Herbert's charges to retain the "Oaken Bucket".

To avoid losing the "Bucket" the locals poured it on, winning 73-31. The Indians swept the running events, Jerry Coon, Darryl Decker, Cliff Walrath, Ed Saari all winning.

Ray Purdy won the pole vault.

Salem won only the high jump and the discus.

The track team placed fourth in Section II. Ed Saari dominated the mile, winning Section II. Cliff Walrath won the 880.

Jerry Coon took first in the 100.

Fort Edward won the meet. Whitehall was second and Greenwich third.

CCS won a dual meet with Hoosic Valley 60-44, although Jerry Coon, the undefeated 100 dash man, lost out. He missed the starting call and was left in the blocks. He made up for it by taking the 200.

Five of Carson Fuller's track stars went to Linton High, Schenectady for the Regionals: Ed Saari, Walrath, Decker, Coon and Ross.

The Cambridge Indian Band was a sartorical "hit" at the Memorial Day parade that year. They had their full uniform of black slacks, orange blazers, white bucks and sailor straws (black ties and white shirts).

The Village was plagued by late night malicious mischief. Flower boxes overturned, porch railings removed, bird houses destroyed. Construction sites were vandlaized. Three plate glass windows had been broken on Main St. Street lights were broken. Ten windows were broken from the Russo plant on Pearl St. Fireworks were regularly exploded in the dead of night.

The Cambridge Youth Commission and Recreation program was about to kick off. It was chaired by Richard Ross and directed by (who else?) Carson Fuller. The program is still supplied free of direct charge to the youth of the Village.

The annual school budget rose to $775,400.

There was some controversy when it was revealed that $400 had been cut from the summer recreation program. When the crowd erupted in indignation, the sum was restored and the budget passed over-whelmingly.

The Village Library had been given to the Village with the understanding that its budget would be funded through Village taxes. However, William J. Robertson, chairman of the Library Board, came to the school meeting and asked that the District by an additional tax levy raise $1,500 toward the Library budget. This was roughly half of the projected budget.

There was the question of double taxation of Village residents, who would have to come up with the other half of the Library budget, but someone had figures showing that 40 percent of the users lived outside the Corporate limits. It was an argument that carried the point, just as it has at every school budget meeting since.

A Cambridge Saddle Club Gymkhanna drew 97 participants.

The CCS Band and The Cambridge Band combined that August for a concert at Railroad Park. Peter Proud conducted.

The football season opened without Carson Fuller. The veteran coach had been honored at a testimonial dinner that August and then sort of turned out to pasture, after 13 years at the helm.

The Carson Fuller Trophy was established. Each year an athlete of Mr. Fuller's choice would be honored at graduation by having his name engraved on the three foot trophy.

In the meantime, 40 boys, most of then new, showed up as Jim Reilly, assisted by Dick Ross and Don Record, became king of the CCS grid-iron.

In September the BOE let the bids for the construction of the latest addition to CCS.

The CCS football team prepared to launch against St. Peter's. The proposed starting lineup was: Mike Meagher and Paul Harris, E; Carl Wulff and Peter Morse, T; Denny Saari and Ed Jordan, G; Bob Potvin, C; Steve Morse, QB; Darryl Decker and Dick Morse, HB and Ray Purdy, FB.

Others on the team were Doug Dornan, Dick Eddy, John Bassett, Thur Johnson, John Hunt and Steve and Bruce McLenithan.

The boys eeked out a 7-0 victory. Using a single wing attack, Darryl Decker ran around end 35 yards for the lone score. Decker passed to Paul Harris for the PAT. The score came in the second quarter.

The Brick Hotel passed into the hands of the Dibbles, who dubbed it The Cambric Inn; Cambric formed from "Cambridge" and "Brick". In September they featured the John Ogden Trio in "The Cupboard Room".

Matt Meagher Sr. added banquet facilities to his Town House Restaurant. Its design would allow five rooms to become one, and featured an auxiliary bar and kitchen.

As hunting season approached, the Ashgrove good old boys kicked up their heels. Taking advantage of the new people running the paper, they sneaked a piece onto page one of the WCP, in which George Guber turned 70 and was at the same time elected "mayor" of South Hollow.

The article continued, "His opponent in the election, genial Walter Collamer, stated that he almost hated to run against such a stalward citizen, however he just wanted to clear all the issues involved.

"Prior to the town hall type election, both candidates gave stirring speeches, clarifying their platforms...."

Dan Severson was a starter on the Univ. of Maine football team that season.

CCS lost the second football game of the season 7-0 to Greenwich.

This was the first season when tooth protectors were made mandatory in football. Cambridge dentists took impressions of the boys' teeth and poured the latex casts.

In October, the Cambridge Bank foresook its 100 year old stately red brick building for a modern brown brick non sequitur further west on Main.

CCS lost 19-13 to Salem.

In October it was announced that the Shushan Covered Bridge would be preserved.

CCS took it on the nose again, as Stillwater bested them 20-6.

And at least one of Carson Fuller's former players had enough. He fired off a letter, saying it was prompted by Fuller's removal as football coach.

"A football coach must not only teach his players the fundamentals of the game, he must also teach them to be able to 'take it' as well as 'dish it out'.... Having played three years of football under Coach Fuller, I realize how well he has accomplished this task. I believe the many other athletes who played under him feel like-wise....

"It is most unfortunate that an individual can obtain the power to remove a man from a position which he loved and at which he was very capable.

"One look at the trophy case at Cambridge Central will point out the fact that the teams under Coach Fuller's direction have brought home their share of gold.

"In closing, I must say it was not just a mistake to remove Mr. Fuller as head football coach; it was an injustice."

(Signed) Edward C. Cantwell.

Then the Schuylerville Black Horses had their turn, romping through hapless Cambridge 39-6. Ray Purdy punched the only Indian score through the second and third Schuylerville teams.

Andy Bell shot a 400 lb. black bear near Saranac Lake.

Hoosick Falls then took its turn whacking Cambridge, 25-0. It was the first time in four years that HFCS beat them.

Cambridge blamed its failing season upon injures, although some of Fuller's former players might have thought differently.

Then it was the turn of Fort Edward, who did it by a single point, 14-13. Defensive End Mike Meagher picked up a fumble and raced 30 yards for the first CCS score.

In a snowstorm, Paul Adams picked off a lateral and ran 25 yards to give CCS the lead.

Fort Edward's first score came on a 99 yard run from scrimmage. The victory dragged Fort Edward out of the cellar, which must have become the sole possession of Cambridge.

John Briggs, Old Cambridge's beloved, "resident Democrat" came close that November, but could not defeat Larry Corbitt of Fort Edward for State Assembly. Corbitt had 9,800 while Brigs got 8,200.

An issue in the school in 1962 was how to protect the children in the event of nuclear attack.

A junior senior assembly to commemmorate the Thanksgiving holidays featured as speaker Col. William C. McLaughlin USMC retired, a veteran of WW II in the Pacific Theater.

The Holy Name Society hosted the CCS football team, again.

Charley Bowler had the good sense to send his "regrets".

The athletic program at CCS had by this time, like the "cold war", gone completely out of control.

The PTA that November had as its topic of discussion, "What Cambridge Will do if the Bomb Drops" "a subject much in the public mind during the Cuban crisis".

Although restricted to "play days" instead of interscholastic competition, the girls of CCS played with gusto. They had four play days that fall and defeated Hoosick Falls 4-0, Hoosic Valley 3-0, Stillwater 2-1 and nailed down the championship with a 3-1 win over Schuylerville.

The squad was coached by Eva Hopkins. Scoring leaders were Elaine Peters, Mary LeBarron, Laurie Craig, Ruth Boeker and Carol Nygard.

Dr. Joseph Pender was elected head of the McClellan medical staff.

In November, Dick McGuire was elected a director of the New York Farm Bureau. He was a past president of Washington County.

A race-horse belonging to Mario Cicotti of Troy was shot while at pasture on the Morris Bentley farm. Concensus was that some hapless hunter mistook it for a bear.

John Bell completed his varsity football career at St. Lawrence.

The PTA, after hearing from the Washington County Civil Defense Director, called for a radio monitor to be installed to give immediate warning in time of crisis. The CCS BOE declined to participate in the meeting. On the plus side was Charlie Bowler's "go home" plan which he drew up in 1959.

The Basketball season got off to a better start. The Indians defeated Ft. Ann 61-38 behind the 21 points of Tom Parsley. CCS picked up a second league win 54-43 over Schuylerville.

Dan Severson, a 220 lb. tackle, was named co-captain for the 1963 Univ. of Maine football team.

The Petersburg Pass ski resort was listed in the guides as about to open.

The basketball Indians went on the road in December and took their first loss. As was traditional in WCP reporting, when the local team loses, little attention was paid to details, such as the score.

Then Hoosick Falls came to the Village and wallopped the Herbert team 69-48. Skip Starr led HF with 24 points. Thirty years later, his children would star for CCS.

Then Hoosic Valley brought in an undefeated team and they thrashed the Indians 63-46.

Then Greenwich beat Cambridge 68-53.