2 Banks Robbed
Webster 5 -
Webster & Dudley
At approximately 1:15 p.m. Tuesday a man
walked into the Webster Five Cents Savings Bank on Thompson Road, Webster.
Ignoring the many security cameras, he handed a teller a demand for money
note saying he had a gun. The suspect is about six feet tall, in his early
twenties and fled the bank in a gray pickup truck.
About two hours
later, another robbery took place, this time at the Webster Five Cents
Savings Bank on West Main Street in Dudley. At presstime these were the
only facts available. It is possible that the same man committed both
robberies.
Both banks have excellent photos of the thief and of his
vehicle.
Mrs. Jacqueline Puliafico at the
piano, directing her BHS Alumni Choir and Friends in concert Sunday
evening surrounded by the new stage drapery dressings that the benefit
concert provided.
BHS Alumni Choir & Friends
Fill Webster’s Town Hall
with Music
By Florence Kuzdzal
Choirs of the world - rejoice! A new star has been added. The
Bartlett High School Alumni Choir and Friends has reached a pinnacle of
success.
The Reverend Mother brings the house
down!
To plan a concert, choose the music,
stage the rehearsals is a project in itself, but to have to renovate the
place where the concert is being held at the same time is something most
men would shy away from. Not our Jackie. She will put on her boots, pull
up the straps, don a hard hat if necessary and plunge right in. Never
giving a thought to what lurks behind the walls, or in the ceilings above
and how to make everything complete by a deadline while at the same time
choosing her musical scores and the artists to perform them.
Color of
paint, or angle of light, fabric for drapes or budget overrides - a mind
boggling endeavor.
I was privileged
to meet with Jackie on Friday afternoon as she put the final touches to
the preparations for Sunday’s concert. Ed Bazinet, one of her star
performers was busy pacing off the stage and checking the lighting. Linda
Bazinet and Dianne Smith were cleaning and polishing every chair that had
been put out. It was at this meeting that Jackie spoke of those behind the
scenes and their dedication to and pride in the project. 
Years
of neglect had left the auditorium and the stage in deplorable condition.
Backdrops were torn, the piano was desecrated with coke canes everywhere,
and the paint was peeling. John Sielawa and his crew unearthed 3 layers of
paint before they could begin. Did you know that the ceiling would appear
dark if it was painted only one color? Because of the configurations of
the panels, Jackie chose a heavenly shade of blue to accent the base
color. This same shade of blue was used to paint the lower walls of the
auditorium. John and his men painstakingly applied gold accents to the
ornate framework surrounding the stage giving an elegant simplicity to the
entire room.
Concert halls are usually curtained in deep reds or greens.
Jackie chose a royal blue velvet for the stage curtain and gray for the
backdrops. She went further to enhance the auditorium with shades of royal
blue velvet valances on all the windows. The Major Theatre Equipment Co.
from Boston were so impressed with the final outcome that they will use
this small town project as a prototype for other concert halls.
The
stage floor was refinished by local people, the New England Floors of
Webster and the result was spectacular. Throughout the interview Dianne
Smith kept appearing with a sheet of paper full of questions and details.
Little did I know she was suffering from an acute case of laryngitis. She
should have been in bed with a warm cup of tea and honey, but no way, the
choir came first as explained by Mrs. P, as she is affectionately
called.
Jackie informed me that the initial estimate of $15,000 was
soon exhausted and the final figure would go over $30,000. There was
rigging left hanging that was a danger to anyone who ventured on the
stage. Take it down, Jackie commanded, and down it came. Everything at an
added, unseen cost. When the budget was going dry, Evelyn Heller, a long
time friend of Jackie’s and a patron of the arts for many years, came to
the rescue. She made the calls and civic minded residents of Webster came
through with donations. Now Jackie received her boost and she was
unstoppable.
My interview was coming to a close. Jackie spoke so rapidly
and with such enthusiasm that I could not pen the words fast enough. I
left the interview excited about Sunday’s performance.
I arrived about
7:30 p.m. and the parking spaces around the auditorium were already at a
premium. The hall seats approximately 1600 people and there was not an
empty seat to be found. Bishop Daniel P. Reilly was expected to attend and
I know he loves Jackie and her music, so this night’s performance had his
favorite number in the repertoire.
Sisters from the
parochial schools in Webster arrived followed by Monsignor Czarnecki from
St. Joseph Basilica. Father Joseph Szwach from St. Andrew Bobola Parish in
Dudley, Father Thomas Tokarz, a Webster native and Father Michael Roy from
Sacred Heart Parish were seated in front in the reserved section. Mrs.
Irene Martel, Robert Miller and Jan Kujawski were in attendance
representing the Town Fathers. Lorraine Kujawski was escorted by her son,
Rep. Paul Kujawski and there were too many more to enumerate. The town’s
people and friends from surrounding towns were there to witness this
event. Just before the lights flickered to announce the start of the
concert, Bishop Reilly and Rev. Robert Johnson arrived much to the delight
of the crowd.
The lights dimmed
and the royal blue velvet drapes parted. The audience beheld a vision as
14 men in white tie and tail as well as most of the 39 women dressed in
basic black and pearls appeared. Such class, it took your breath away.
This was Webster, small town in comparison to the big cities, yet one
could literally imagine sitting in a great concert hall in any one of
those big cities.
If you arrived
sad or depressed, your mood was instantly changed as the group presented
When You’re Smiling. After the first chorus the remaining members of the
group came down the aisle from the rear of the hall, shaking hands and
greeting the seated guests, adding a dimension to the opening number. The
repertoire of music ranged from Boogie Woogie and the Blues to excerpts
from Broadway musicals. Soloist Susan Hughes entertained with Summertime
followed by the Trio of Ursula Faber, Joyce Johnson and Marlene Piehler
with three numbers.
Five Foot Two,
Eyes of Blue was rendered by the men of the choir on the floor of the hall
as they flanked the piano. Five foot two - could they be just singing this
to their director, Jackie? After all, she cannot stand much taller than
that.
The curtains parted once more to reveal 39 women dressed as
nuns. With fabric supplied in part by Cranston Print Works and the talents
of designer Dorothy Belanger, a choir member, the outfits were
authenticated with long rosaries supplied by the Sisters of St. Anne’s
School. The vision they presented brought the house down. Jackie appeared
dressed as a nun carrying a huge sign - REVEREND MOTHER. She informed
Bishop Reilly that she was indeed Mother Superior, much to the delight of
the audience. The “nuns” rendered music from the movie Sister Act.
Rendering solo parts in the medley were Nadine Lada, Mara Salvaggio and
Dianne Smith. Their songs and tempo ranged from Angelic to Devilish and
the audience responded with a thunderous applause and standing ovation.
The first to stand were the Nuns in the audience. The sisters and the
clergy were especially thrilled with this portion of the concert as was
evident by their facial expressions and laughter. The men of the choir
joined the “nuns” in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Climb Every Mountain.
Intermission followed and the comments were positively glowing.
The
2nd half of the evening’s performance began with The Lake Song. Written in
the 1930s using the famous name of Webster Lake, it was formerly sung by
the three Heller brothers, Hyman, Sam and Abe, at functions and benefit
shows in the area. The program book provided the lyrics so that the
audience could participate in the singing.
The men appeared
next in a special number choreographed by Ed Bazinet. They danced to the
tune of Top Hat, White Tie and Tails. They could pass for Rockettes with
their high strutting routine. A medley of Andrew Lloyd Webber tunes from
the plays followed. Solo performances were by d Bazinet, Helen Tetrault
and Ben Craver, Veronica Jacobs and Douglas Stewart rounded out the
program.
One could not even begin to imagine the thrill of the
youngest musical artist, Lindsay Puliafico, granddaughter of Charles and
Jackie Puliafico and student at the Pomfret School would bring the very
soul of the audience to attention with her rendition of Pie Jesu from the
Requiem. A favorite of Bishop Reilly’s, he sat there mesmerized as this
young lady with vitality and beauty of voice sang her heart out. She is
truly gifted and a credit to her parents and grandparents.
The
choir rendered songs from The Phantom of the Opera and then America the
Beautiful. The voices crescended to a fever pitch. Such a fitting tribute
to the Memorial Day concert. The last selection of the evening, Battle
Hymn of the Republic was sung by the entire choir and the audience. The
audience went wild with their applause. Bishop Reilly rose to personally
escort Jackie, a.k.a. Reverend Mother, from the stage to a session of
popping flash bulbs, hugs and presentation of flowers from the choir
members.
We, the people of Webster, owe Jackie a debt of gratitude.
What more fitting tribute to this woman and her choir than for the town
fathers who oversee the town activities to assure her that this
magnificent auditorium now restored to concert hall status, will be
maintained for future generations.
Students of the
high school who have, up until now, held their proms in various halls,
will now consider returning to the tradition of having the prom held in
the newly renovated auditorium.
To Jackie and
her choir who spent numerous hours rehearsing for this event goes our
deepest thanks. We eagerly await the next Jackie “P” production. 
Prom time in Webster, Dudley and Oxford 
The Bartlett Prom was held at
Indian Ranch Friday evening. Pictured above are some beautiful girls who
attended. Oxford was held the same night at Mechanics Hall and The
Shepherd Hill Prom was held last week at Mechanics Hall - a great time for
students to shine.
Oxford High School Queen and her Court
