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PAGE 2 ---_._- _.. _.."'.~.Cheryl Simon Receives Brian Piccolo Award • Water, Water Everywhere

• Steinem: 'legal Equality' JPAGE 3 A Century Away'John Oldham Settlement'

pproved by Zoning Board GOODTIMES:

• Art Captures Jamaican lifePAGE 15 SPECIAL SECTION: - includingTlC Makes The long, wet, winding road ... • .Swing Era Revisited Summertime town recrea­The Teacher - Second Section living tion schedule

AN IMPRINT NEWSPAPER

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Wethersfield VOL 12, NO. 23 • WETHERSFIELD, CONN. FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1984 • 68 PAGES • 3 SECTIONS

i'

198 Flood Crawls through ·To .({

By JOYCE ROSSIGNOL and SUZANNE GRANDE

It started to rain on Memorial Day. Seven days and more than $1 million in losses later, Wethersfield was digging out and drying off after the worst flood here since the Hurricane of 1938.

The dirty water crawled over the meadows and through the eastern streets of Old Wethersfield, isolating 125 people, drowning crops, disrupting lives and final­ly sliding back to the river bed, leaving t

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jbehind a dreary mess.

Nobody was hurt. No buildings or bridges were destroyed. The flood of 1984 was menacing as a snake to homeowners and )

)farmers watching it rise and helpless to stop it. But ultimately no lasting damage was done

At 11:30 p.m. Friday lhe nVl'r en'sled al l31.14 feet. Wethersfield closed Pulnam Bridge, which was re-opened at 10 p.m. Saturday when the water began to drop.

Exits 25 and 26 to I-91 were closed Friday 1and not re-opened until Tuesday.

STREETS CLOSED included one lane of the Silas Deane Highway from Abdow's to Denny's, Elm Street, parts of Middletown Avenue, Maple Street east of the Silas On the Cove, or in the Cove (also vice versa) new residents flood of 1984 surrounded them. This picture was taken Sun­Deane, Wells Road east of the Silas Deane, from Texas moved into the last house on Main Street on day, by boat from the Cove side. Spring Street, Sharon Lane, Warner Place, Wednesday and moved out again Thursday, evacuated as the Sldff Photo by Joyce Rossignol Marsh. Street from Broad; Main Street ___L~~

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and drying off after the worst flood here since the Hurricane of 1938.

The dirty water crawled over the meadows and through the eastern streets of Old Wethersfield, isolating 125 people, drowning crops, disrupting lives and final­ly sliding back to the river bed, leaving behind a dreary mess.

Nobody was hurt. No buildings or bridges were destroyed. The flood of 1984 was menacing as a snake to homeowners and

More flood stories and pictures on paqpc; 8.9.11, 12 cmd 1

farmers watching it rise and helpless to stop it. But ultimately no lasting damage was done.

At 11:30 p.m. Friday the river crested at 31.14 feet. Wethersfield closed Putnam Bridge, which was re-opened at 10 p.m. Saturday when the water began to drop.

Exits 25 and 26 to 1-91 were closed Friday and not re-opened until Tuesday.

STREETS CLOSED included one lane of the Silas Deane Highway from Abdow's to Denny's, Elm Street, parts of Middletown Avenue, Maple Street east of the Silas. Deane, Wells Road east of the Silas Deane, Spring Street, Sharon Lane, Warner Place, Marsh Street from Broad, Main Street north from Hart Seed and all the streets east of Main - Hart Street, River Road, Howard Avenue, Kelley Avenue.

There was an estimated $300,000 worth of damage done to residences. Forty-eight homes were surrounded by water; 23 of them were evacuated.

Many residents chose to stay in their homes.

Please tw;n to page 12

On the Cove, or in the Cove (also vice versa) new residents from Texas moved into the last house on Main Street on Wednesday and moved out again Thursday, evacuated as the

flood of 1984 surrounded them. This picture was taken Sun­day, by boat from the Cove side.

Stall Ph010 by Joyce Rossignol

Far ers Suffer Loss of. Crops By SUZANNE GRANDE

Spokesmen for Anderson, Morris, Win­ding Brook farms and Comstock, Ferre are certain they have been seriously hurt by the flood waters yet all say they will have to wait before they know the complete ex­tent of the damage.

Town Manager Henry Allen reported to the Town Council that a loss of $630,000 in farm damage had been estimated as of Monday night.

"We haye 150 to 200 acres and it's all under water. It is all obviously damaged but we still don't know how severe the damage is yet," said Bob Smith of the Win­ding Brook Turf Farm Inc., in the meadows. "All we know right now is that our access to the fields is' inhibited by the water. But we've had to deal with flooded fields before and we usually fare well."

Mr. Smith added that high temperatures could cause the grass beneath the flood waters to boil. "The grass's needs are a lot like those of a person. It needs oxygen to breathe, air, sunlight," he said.

Because of the raw sewage in flood waters Mr.. Smith says they mus.t be aw~re

State 'Golf Title, They shot well, very well, and then had to

wait in the clubhouse of The Farms Coun­try Club in Wallingford to see if their scores 'were, in fact, the state's best. .

And even then,' when it became official Monday that Wethersfield High School was state Division I golf champion, it seemed like fantasy.

"It felt like a dream," said coach Rod Cyr, winning his first state championship in 23 years here. His Eagle foursome of John Shea, Dan Cathcart, Brian Griffith and Ed Michaels combined for a 315, five strokes ahead of a Simsbury team which had~beaten them twice en route to a

of the tOXIC heavy metals and nutrIents which may seep from the soil at night.

"We'll just have to wait and see. Once the soil has dried, the vehicles will be able to mow the grass. But that will take some time," he said.

COMSTOCK, FERRE & CO. was able to salvage many ·of the plants at its Elm Street farm and was swift enough to move equipment at the first word of the flood.

"We removed our tractors and motors and generally made provisions for a flood," said Comstock's Corinne Willard. "We're old flood hands from the flood of '55."

"That was about the same depth as this one. We had more of a seed problem then, though. We were producing for wholesalp

Please turn to page 11

ike A Dream regular-season Central· Connecticut In­terscholastic Title.

"We try every year," said Cyr, named Connecticut golfing coach of the year by a national organization. "Three kids play super, one has a tough day and you're just another team. But the kids this year were great." . /

It was Wethersfield's first high school state championship outright since the girls' field hockey team won Class LL in 1980, although the boys' soccer team in 1982 was named Class L co-champion with Bethel.

Details on the win are in this week's sports section.

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Kit larson and his neighbors watch the flood go down Ezekiel Porter Road Sunday. Kit and his neighbors did not evacuate their flooded properties. 'I stayed put in '36. '38, '55 and in '84," he said. "Who would take care of my house if I left it?"

Staff Photo by. J!'yce Rossjgnol

.',

4 WETHERSFiElD POST, JUNE 8, 1984

viewpoints

Heroes of the Flood The emergency services in Wethersfield

don't often get a chance to show us just what they can do.

Fortunately, we don't have that many emergencies. It's been nearly 30 years since the last big flood in 1955 and nearly 50 since the Great Flood of 1936. We had one serious ice storm and one blizzard in the past 15 years.

Then as now people helped each other, as Myles Daughn did last weekend when he went to Spring Street to pump out his father-in-law's cellar and stayed all night pumping the neighbors' as well.

Or like Cahill's Supermarket that kept in its own freezer the frozen food of at least one evacuated family whose electric power was off for days.

Or Mal and Martha McMillen who in­vited an evacuated neighbor to stay with them until her home was livable again, like many Wethersfield families who opened their homes to friends and neighbors. The emergency shelter at Webb was not used by anyone, though the Junior Women stood ready to provide coffee and comfort.

Because the plans were made, with con­siderable foresight, a long time ago and ef­ficiently carried out when the floods came, the need for helping one another was not so great as in floods of the past, though when the need was there it was filled.

Though the flood days were dreary and sad, no one was hurt. There was only- one incident of looting, when two 'sightseers' climbed down the bank from 1-91 and helped themselves to plants. and peat moss floating out of Comstock's greenhouse in the meadows.

The streets of Wethersfield, both flooded and dry, were orderly.

The town government and staff worked

EDITORIALS

long hours and handled this potential disaster in a highly professional and effec­tive manner. Town Manager Henry Allen, Police Chief William Knapp, Town Engineer Jack Petkus, Fire Chief Clinton (Jiggs) Hughes, John McAuliffe, Tim Low, Red Duncan and everyone who worked with them, deserve the highest praise.

The new (started broadcasting with the Grand Parade on April ~9) community ac­cess cable Channel 32 proved to be a valuable tool for emergency/ use, and, Wethersfield Community Television Vice President Gary Santoro and Mayor James Boesch deserve credit for thinking to use it.

The real heroes of the flood of 1984 are the volunteer firefighters, the police and the town crews who carried out t/)e plan, working around the clock, warning and evacuating families, moving furniture and valuables, guarding the flood area and, for the firemen, pumping cellars, a total of 63 by Sunday and as many more still to be done.

The firemen do not get paid for what they do. Many took time off from their jobs and businesses - 'vacation' time in some cases - to give it to this town when it needed them so much.

The town's best respect must be paid to these good men for the hours spent training so they were ready to do what had to be done and its eternal thanks for having the heart to do it.

The members of Wethersfield's Volunteer Fire Department honors us with their exceJlence, courage and dedication.

Who Was William Polglace? There is no Vietnam Veteran listed on the

tablet in the lobby at town hall honoring the memory of those who died in military service.

Two years ago Leslie Sherman of Randy Lane proposed to the Exchange Club to cor­rect that omission as a club project and he has been searching ever since to find the names of Wethersfield servicemen who died in the Vietnam War.

He finally found two. One of them, a David Paul Speith, whose parents. lived on Folly Brook, did not live in Wethersfield himself. The other William R. Polglase, was the son of a family named Johnson who lived on Goff Road.

William Polglase was born Dec. 22, 1947

, Best_in So Manu Waus

and died Jan 8, 1969 while serving with the U.S. Army in Vietnam.

That's all Mr. Sherman has been able to find out about him. He would like to hear from anyone who knew William Polglase so that his life story can be told when his name is aaded to the roll of honor.

Mr. Sherman also needs to know if any other Wethersfield servicemen died in Vietnam or in military hospitals outside Vietnam from wounds suffered during that war.

Perhaps people who were in high school in the '60s, or their parents or teachers, would have some knowledge of thi~ young man who would have been 37 now, that could help Mr. Sherman in his quest.

Our Wethersfield Ted Tolman's house on Warner Place was flooded for the 11th time in this century; 14 times in the 1800s. The principal living quarters were moved to the second floor a long time ago. This picture was taken by Mayor James Boesch, who is tall and was able t.o wade in close to the house. .

Photo by James R: Boesch

postscripts ___ By JOYCE ROSSIGNOL _

We were in Car 99 (the town manager's car) Saturday surveying the flood. Wear­ing big boots borrowed from the fire department, the mayor and the town manager were assessing the damage and 1 was ·taking pictures - though the best photograph of the afternoon was taken by Mayor Boesch (of Ted Tolman's house, above).

Because we couldn't get the car anywhere near Ted Tolman's house at 27 Warner Place, we all started wading in but it got too deep for me so the mayor took my camera in close and got a shot of the house, nearly up to its second floor in the water, as it has been 10 times in this century alone and 14 more in the 1800s.

The first recorded flood in Wethersfield was in 1620 but the Appleton Robbins house __ rn_..J, __ 1 ..J L L __ ~l ... ...~ ~1

Many people refused to be evacuated, choosing to stay and somehow guard their homes, from burglars and vandals as much as from the flood perhaps.

The police really did have the situation under control.

SOme photographers and local folks were allowed to walk - but not drive - down to the Cove Thursday and Friday. But Kit Carson told me the residents there called town hall and complained. Because 1 was with the town manager and the mayor on Saturday, 1 was able to ride right into the flood but on Sunday on my own, with my daughter-in-law, 1 got stopped at the blockade, even though we were on foot and even though 1 was wearing my press badge, which 1rarely need in Wethersfield.

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s~ SECOND SECTION A SECTION OF THE WEST HARTFORD NEWS. WETHERSFIELD POST, ROCKY HILL POST. NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER. BLOOMFIELD JOURNAL, WINDSOR JOURNAL, WINDSOR LOCKS JOURNAL AVQN NEWS. FARMINGTON NEWS.

Every 50 Years? Too Soon Record Floods

Volunteer firefighters from Windsor's four fire departments, state police scuba team, state Department of Environmental Protection staff, members of the Connecticut Humane Society, South Windsor Fire Department volunteers, Bolton Fire

responded to a flooded pasture to rescue 50 cows stranded by the rising floodwaters of the Connecticut River. Some cows (as shown above) were weakened by exposure but survived. At least a dozen cows did not.

Soak Towns WQrse flooding hadn't occurred since the

hurricane of 1938. But after the Connecticut and Farmington rivers had crested and no human, life had been lost, Enfield Town Manager Robert Mulready's observation, "We were very lucky," was echoed by of­ficials from other riverfront towns.

Enfield wasn't as hard hit as other area towns, according to its Department of Public Works Foreman Geoffrey McAI­mond. In East Windsor, numerous residents living along the Connecticut River were forced to evacuate their homes. East Windsor public schools were closed for a day and several roads and bridges were shut down as flood waters inundated the area.

Residents living along Water Street in Warehouse Point found several feet of

\ water flowing through their homes late last week and were forced to abandon their homes.

The American Red Cross set up an emergency shelter for residents who were forced to evacuate their homes and were unable to stay with nearby friends or relatives. The Salvation Army also came to the rescue, providing those in the shelters with meals.

By late last week, the water was still too high for anyone to assess damage from the

Please turn to page 2 Department volunteers, and the Enfield Marine Police Staff Photo by Mark Jahne

Flood Waters· Still Coming from Dams Up North Millions 01 Gallons, Held by Dams, Would Halle Created Worse Flooding

By MARK JAHNE All along the Connecticut River's

tributaries, millions of gallons of water from last week's rain and flooding are waiting - ready to be released to flow

downstream and pass already sodden places like Enfield, Windsor Locks, Wind­spr, Glastonbury, Wethersfield and Middletown.

All this unwanted extra water didn't

come rushing down with a more powerful vengeance last week because - after the disastrous flood of 1936 - the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed fifteen flood control dams and retention reservoirs

along the Connecticut River's tributaries, to hold back as much water as possible to lessen the impact of any flood.

In the past week, these ponds have filled up to an average of eighty per cent of their c:apacity..~it!Iou.tthem, Nick Forbes of th~

,.

2 SECOND SECTION, JUNE 7, 1984

'We Were· Very Lucky'

Continued from page 1

flooding, with officials and residents say­ing they would have to wait until the river receded before trying to determine the ex­tent of damages.

In addition to Water Street, which was covered with several feet of water and clos­ed to traffic, the Omelia Road bridge over. the Scantic River was shut down late last week along with Route 191.

THE STATE ALSO closed the Route 140 bridge between East Windsor and Windsor Locks as the Connecticut River rose to the point that the river's water was all the way up to the bridge roadway.

One woman who lives off Water Street said that the water coming into her yard Wednesday night last week was rising at more than one foot an hour by the time she evacuated her home.

In Enfield, the DPW kept track of the water levels in streams which run through. the town: Freshwater Pond, Grape Brook, Beemans Brook and the Scantic River.

"We lifted logs and any debris when' necessary to keep things moving," said Mr. McAlmond of Enfield's DPW. "The The record floods last week wreaked Although the school buildings themselves bulk of the problems were created with havoc in riverfront towns all along the Con­ stood out above the high water mark, the smaIf streams flooding, causing storm necticut and Farmington rivers - and two access roads into the school were inun­drains to back up." Windsor, where the two rivers meet, dated and the campus population had to be

One house on Betty Lane required sand­ received more than its share of the muddy evacuated. bags placed around the house to prevent overflow. The most tragic story of the day came water from entering the basement, he said, The first problems began Thursday mol'- . when dozens of town firefighters and state and about a half dozen homes on Bridge ning, when the effects of four consecutive officials enacted a Dunkirk-like sea rescue Lane, near the town's Water Pollution Con­ days of rain became obvious. One of the of a herd of nearly fifty beef steer which trol Plant, and right on the shore of the first areas to overflow beyond the usual were stranded more than a half mile from Connecticut River, had (looding in their meadows was the extreme north end of the nearest dry land af~er the river rose basements. Palisado Avenue, near the River's Edge rapidly overnight. Although the rescue ef­

Restaurant, which later that day became forts started early in the morning, by the'Enfield Town Manager Robert Mulready flooded itself. It was quickly closed by the time the boats hit the water, many of thefelt the situation could have been much state Department ~f Transportation. frightened animals were up to their necks worse for Enfield if the water had risen It also didn't take long for the Loomis­ in the rushing water, suffering weakness another foot. "We were very lucky," he Chaffee School, which sits on a rise near from exposure and hypothermia. Some, as said. "The river came close to rising 11 feet the Farmington and Connecticut's con­ they fought to stay afloat despite their in this area, and at 12 feet, the sewer plant vergence to be surrounded by water. weight, even tried to climb trees. would have been under water." .

HE ALSO SAID the town was fortunate the dam at Shaker Pines Lake held. A few residents evacuated from that area over­night because of the rising water and the possibility of a dam collapse.

Mr. MUIready said the town's DPW and Police Department responded quickly to the situation, and he singled out Police Chief Walter Skower and DPW Coordinator James Quinn as deserving special praise for the long hours they worked during the height of the storm.

He said the town was also assisted by the National Guard Unit Company C, "and we were ready to make a move to Enfield High School for an emergency shelter center ifthe need arose."

"All our crews were out pumpingh"]l~o..-ft_"L' ...... ..:1 .....1... ...... _ .... _ ..... _ • .1..] L _"1__ ,t

East Windsor's Water Street lives up to its name during last week's flooding.

In the Confluence of Two Rivers Staff Photo by David Kenny

To rescue them, three and four men per small boat had to chase them through the water, which had a dangerously fast cur­rent, lasso them Western-style and then lead them back through a neighboring horse pasture over mostly-submerged stable fences at an agonizingly slow pace. In many cases the animals were so weak that one of the rescuers had to lean precariously out of the boat to hold their head above water with his hands.

At least a dozen of the steer, valued at about $500 a head, lost their lives, including six calves. Two were alive when spotted, but died by the time they reached the shore. Others were so weak it took up to two hours and injections of strenghtening steroids ..administered by a state veterinarian, to get them up on their feet and into the shelter of a nearby barn.

Their owner, Walter Bednarz, assisted in the rescue efforts, but was criticized by some of the rescuers for not bringing in hIS cattle the night before. Such action, they said, would have both saved the animals' lives and avoided the risk of injury under­taken by the sea-borne rescuers. The Con­necticut Humane Society, which was at the scene, is reportedly investigating the inci­dent to determine if Mr. Bednarz should be arrested on cruelty to animal charges.

No human deaths or injuries were reported, but the floodwaters also spread '" through the rest of town. In the Wilson sec­tion, a house on East Barber Avenue had to be evacuated, as well as homes along Meadow Road and Wilson Avenue near the ~art~ord town line. Many streets leading

\;1"Ul-rlam:;-amrngm on me~snore ot me Connecticut River, had flooding in their basements.

Enfield Town Manager Robert Mulready felt the situation could have been much worse for Enfield if the water had risen another foot. "We were very lucky," he said. "The river came close to rising 11 feet in this area, and at 12 feet, the sewer plant would have been under water."

HE ALSO SAID the town was fortunate the dam at Shaker Pines Lake held. A few residents evacuated from that area over­night because of the rising water and the possibility of a dam collapse.

Mr. Mulready said the town's DPW and Police Department responded quickly to the situation, and he singled out Police Chief Walter Skower and DPW Coordinator James Quinn as deserving special praise for the long hours they worked during the height of the storm.

He said the town was also assisted by the National Guard Unit Company C, "and we were ready to make a move to Enfield High School for an emergency shelter center ifthe need arose. "

"All our crews were out pumping basements and wherever we could help," he said.

The town of Suffield was apparently high enough above the Connecticut River to escape any problems· related to th.e flooding waters.

Suffield police and public works officials said that no residents had to leave their homes in town and all roads and bridges re­mained opened throughout the period. .

Ilrs[ areas- W overuow oeyona me usual meadows was the extreme north end of Palisado Avenue, near the River's Edge Restaurant, which later that day became flooded itself. It was quickly closed by the state Department 9f Transportation.

It also didn't take long for the Loomis­Chaffee School, which sits on a rise near the Farmington and Connecticut's con­vergence to be surrounded by water.

were s[ranaea more man a nan mue Irom the nearest dry land after the river rose rapidly overnight. Although the rescue ef­forts started early in the morning, by the· time the boats hit the water, many of the frightened animals were up to their necks in the rushing water, suffering weakness from exposure and hypothermia. Some, as they fought to stay afloat despite their weight, even tried to climb trees.

Floodwaters at Ferry Park in Rocky Hill Thursday before'rhe river covered the Pilot House (above). Boat is anchored in the parking lot because of strong currents. (Below left) Warehouse Point firefighters prepare for rising water from the Connecticut River. (Below right) manhole in Newington is lifted by surging water.

Staff Photos by Douglas Penhall and David Kenny

precanowsly OUL or me uoaL LO nom melr head above water with his hands.

At least a dozen of the steer, valued at about $500 a head, lost their lives, including six calves. Two were alive when spotted, but died by the time they reached the shore. Others were so weak it took up to two hours and injections of strenghtening steroids ..administered by a state veterinarian, to get them up on their feet and into the shelter of a nearby barn.

Their owner, Walter Bednarz, assisted in the rescue efforts, but was criticized by some of the rescuers for not bringing in hIS cattle the night before. Such action!. they said, would have both saved the animals' lives and avoided the risk of injury under­taken by the sea-borne rescuers. The Con­necticut Humane Society, which was at the scene, is reportedly investigating the inci­dent to determine if Mr. Bednarz should be arrested on cruelty to animal charges.

No human deaths or injuries were reported, but the floodwaters also spread through the rest of town. In the Wilson sec­tion, a house on East Barber Avenue had to be evacuated, as well as homes along Meadow Road and Wilson Avenue near the Hartford town line. Many streets leading into the meadows flood plain were overrun, and the firefighters at the Wilson fire house spent the better part of two days pumping· more than a foot of water out of the sta­tion's rear garage bays. Nearby, a short section of Windsor Avenue was closed because of flooding. '

Windsor public works crews worked vir­tually around the clock from Thursday through Saturday pumping flooded basements: .

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lUl!j1l lUI" anyone LO assess aamage trom the South Windsor Fire Department volunteers, Bolton fire least a dozen cows did not. Please turn to page 2 Department volunteers. and the Enfield Marine Police ~taff Photo by Mark Jahne

Flood Waters· Still Coming from Dams Up North Millions of Gallons, Held by Dams, Would Have Created Worse Flooding ~I

By MARK JAHNE All along the Connecticut River's

tributaries, millions of gallons of water from last week's rain and flooding are waiting - ready to be released to flow

downstream and pass already sodden places like Enfield, Windsor Locks, Wind­spr. Glastonbury, Wethersfield and Middletown.

All this unwanted extra water didn't

Route 159 as it passes beneath a railroad bridge resembles a canal during the height of the floodwaters in Windsor.

come rushing down with a more powerful vengeance last week because - after the disastrous flood of 1936 - the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed fifteen flood control dams and retention reservoirs

Staff Photo by Douglas Penhall

along the Connecticut River's tributaries, ~ to hold back as much water as possible to lessen the impact of any flood.

In the past week, these ponds have filled Iup to an average of eighty per cent of their

I ~

capacity. Without them, Nick Forbes of the Corps said that local flood levels would have been four to five feet higher.

"Had the reservoirs not been there, you would have seen higher stages last week ­this is the highest stage we've had since the '> 1938 flood and that was a hurricane," he

.~said. Mr. Forbes said that once the river

recedes to more manageable levels, the water held behind those reservoirs will be gradually released. This\ will' keep local 1 levels unnaturally high, but not threaten­ing. This must be done as soon as possible, he said, to lower these reservoirs in preparation for future rains.

How long would the river stay high from 1these releases? "I would suspect that it ~ probably would stay well above that for a , week or so." He added, "As soon as we can, we would start making releases up to chan­nel capacity."

As of late Monday afternoon, only a few of the smallest spillways in Massachusetts had been opened. The dams are located in New Hampshire, Vermont, Masssachusetts and Connecticut, with the largest being the Colebrook project along the West Branch of the Farmington River.

He noted that once the reservoirs and dams along the northernmost stretches of the river are opened, it will be a couple of ~

days before that water gets as far south as Hartford. {

Bruce A. Whyte, a Windsor resident who works as a hydrologist at the River Forecast Center in Bloomfield, said the i

\Corps is in contact with his office and is \,most careful not to release so much water that it again floods residences or business \

)property. He noted that as of Monday mor­ning, the water level behind Colebrook Dam was still rising, and that it has already reached its highest level since the project was completed. 1

'\

SECOND SECTION, JUNE 7,1984 3

Evacuation Easy as Water Crawls In By JOYCE ROSSIGNOL

And DANIEL NAHORNEY After the river hit its dike-produced high

at Hartford - 33.22 at the Bulkeley Bridge - the Connecticut crested at Wethersfield at 30.47, by MDC measure, higher than the flood of 1955, lower than the flood of 1936.

The water crawled in slowly giving plen­ty of time to evacuate the 125 houses that were involved. Wethersfield Mayor James Boesch and town police went door to door warning those residents on Friday that they would be isolated and without power for some days. Many, perhaps most, chose to stay put. '

"I stayed ,in '36. I stayed in '55 and I stayed in '84," said Clarence "Kit" Larson of 7 Kelly Ave., as he watched the flood receding down Ezekial Porter Road on Sunday aftemoon. 'Who would look after my house if I left?'

Wethersfield Town Engineer Jack Petkus said this was a 100-year-flood, which means it may happen once in a hun­dred years or has a one percent chance of happening in any given year. The 1936 flood was a 200-year-flood.

This one did precisely as predicted by town planners and by members of the Great Meadows Trust when opposing development in the flood plain.

The houses closest to the Cove on Main Street were surrounded by water; Marsh Street's flooding was eight feet deep; the town garage was surrounded. Some sec­tions of Middletown Avenue, all of Warner Place, Spring Street and Sharon Lane were under water, also Elm Street, and Maple Street, as it approached the Putnam Bridge.

The Putnam Park site, east of 1-91' exit 26, was totally under water as anticipated. The high rise office building, now under construction, is being built on stilts to allow for flooding.

East of the Silas Deane Highway, behind the Ramada Inn, the new high-rise housing for the elderly is also using its ground level for parking. The parking garage beneath the building was full of water but the floods did not reach the apartments.

Also, though there was water on the east side of the Silas Deane Highway from Denny's to Abdow's, it was passable. Had there been any residents in Executive Square (they'll move in in July) they would not have been isolated.

On Friday traffic was moving slowly, partly because the eastern-most lane of 1-91 was closed but also because home­bound commuters couldn't get to the highway. Exits 26 and 25 were both closed because water was over the local streets at the access points.

Sightseeing was not a serious problem. Mayor Boesch had gone on the radio and on Wethersfield's community access televi­sion channel asking people to stay away, by fo~~, ca~ or ~oat, fro~ t~e f!o~ded ~reCl:~'

."

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The Route 140 Bridge, usually well above the Connecticut River, is battered by the 'current as the waterway rose. The bridge connects East Windsor to Windsor Locks.

whom the flood caused financial hardship. Residential and farm financial losses in

Wethersfield were estimated at $1 million.

IN ROCKY HILL the flood waters were not as bad as for its neighbOring town, Glastonbury across the river, but nonetheless several families along the river felt its wrath.

Police cordoned off the access to Meadow Street, via Glastonbury Avenue, but allowed sightseers and residents to move freely to view the flood. The National Guard was on hand to provide security at the ,area over the weekend, and the Red Cross was also on hand.

Ferry Park was inundated by water in the middle part of last week and by Thurs­day afternoon, the pilot of the ferry made the decision to move the ferry from the park to the Hadlyme mooring of the Hadlyme ferry.

The Pilot House, which serves'snacks to tourists throughout the summer, was total­ly submerged over the weekend and many feared the water would cause serious damage to the structure. A lamppost

~,11'I '0 .• 41 _ ".---:'-...- ... _,,__ 'I.

detour at Marshal Road, as one family at­tempted to sandbag a portion of their home from further damage. Next door, a builder was busily hammering in studding inside of a new home, even though the site was sur­

, rounded on three sides by the rising water. : Sandbagging was also done at the Metropolitan District Water Control Plant on Meadow Road to prevent floodwaters

S,all Photo by David Kenny

from entering into the plant. A dike is in place surrounding the plant, with the only gap where the driveway enters, and flood­waters were nearing that driveway on Friday.

The meadows area in Rocky Hill, past Ferry Park onto Great Meadow Road, were totally submerged. Crops usually planted include corn, stringbeans and sod.

"'

side- of --theoSii~s' D~~~e" High~~Y·-f;~;;; Denny's to Abdow's, it was passable. Had there been any residents in· Executive· Square (they'll move in in July) they would not have been isolated.

On Friday traffic was moving slowly, partly because the eastern-most lane of 1-91 was closed but also because home­bound commuters couldn't get to the highway. Exits 26 and 25 were both closed because water was over the local streets at the access points.

Sightseeing was not a serious problem. Mayor Boesch had gone on the radio and on Wethersfield's community access televi­sion channel asking people to stay away, by foot, car or boat, from the flooded areas.

The streets were blockaded and police were not allowing eyen pedestrians into the flood zones.

Sightseers were flocking instead to Glastonbury where the Connecticut River was flowing down Main Street and to Mid­dletown where Harbor Park restaurant was up to its second floor in water.

In Wethersfield, the flood of 1984 was orderly, quiet, without serious incidents oraccidents.

The town's farmers lost all the crops that had been planted and their financial plight was serious. Mayor Boesch and state Sen. William DiBella were seeking state and federal aid for them and for any others for

Meadow Street, via Glastonbury Avenue, but .allowed sightseers and residents to move freely to view the flood. The National Guard was on hand to provide security at the area over the weekend, and the Red Cross was also on hand.

Ferry Park was inundated by water in the middle part of last week and by Thurs­day afternoon, the pilot of the ferry made the decision to move the ferry from the park to the Hadlyme mooring of the Hadlyme ferry.

The Pilot House, which serves'snacks to tourists throughout the summer, was total­ly submerged over the weekend and many feared the water would cause serious damage to the structure. A lamppost leading to the ferry, usually approximately 25 yards from the water, showed only the top five feet, and other landmarks at the park were submerged.

The water crested at 30.47 feet at the Rocky Hill-Wethersfield border, well above the flooding which usually takes place each spring along the river. Rocky Hill Town Planner Thomas Hooper said the town had been keeping track of the river's progress, as it rose to heights not seen sice the 1938 flood, but that the tree on which they had hammered spikes into became inaccessi­ble on Friday afternoon with the rising waters.

Old Main Street was blocked off with a

Dam Inspected Daily As Farmington Floods

In Farmington, two roads were closed because of the expanding Farmington River. On Town Farm Road, near the Tunxis Plantation Golf Course, the water was as high as three feet, while on Meadow Road, the road was closed for two days as the river covered a large portion of the sur­rounding corn fields.

According to Farmington Town Engineer Jon Streeter, the river crested at 1~ feet in Farmington at approximately 10 p.m. Thursday. The 12-foot'measurement, which was measured from the bridge on Plainville Avenue in Unionville, is equal to the flood stage ofthe river in Farmington.

The heavy rains did cause some concern over the status of the Lake Garda Dam. But according to Victor Galgowski, state superintendent of dam maintenance, the dam heid up fairiy weif.

"We had inspectors inspect the (Lake Garda) dam there ever day," Mr. Galgowski said. "We were a little concern­ed about it during the day because there was a bit of erosion from some repair work we had been doing. But that was just a minor problem."

The owner of the dqm, Harry Battistoni, had been asked by state officials to submit plans for structural repairs to the dam becaus~,it had been listed as hazardous by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1982. ­

Except for the concern over the dam, and the damage to the corn fields on Meadow Road owned by Leo Grouten, the town suf­fered little.

"The flooding was more of a nuisance to pe?ple than anything else," Mr. Streeter saId.

A family prepares to move their possessions from their home on the banks of Wethersfield Cove responding to town officials' recommendations to evacuate.

Staff Photo by Dougl~s Penhall .

, Floodwaters from the Farmington River steadily rise over the Bel Campo golf cour.se in Avon. Staff Photo by Douglas Penhall

"

8 WETHERSFIELD POST,JUNE 8, 1984

Great Meadows Are· Modern Flood Control The Connecticut River flood crested high

at 33.22 feet (by MDC measure), squeezed between the dikes in Hartford and East Hartford then swelled over into the flood plain in Wethersfield, isolating the east side of the Historic District.

According to Wethersfield town engineer Jack Petkus, the dikes in Hartford and

East Hartford hurt, rather than help, that 1-91 be built as a dike, 1~91 does not. Wethersfield and Glastonbury, by making keep the flood waters out of Wethersfield. the river jump up between the dikes and spill over at the town line.

Though some Old Wethersfield develop­ment proposals (rejected over the years) have tried to make a case that 1-91 is a dike of sorts, and it was originally requested

1-91 can't hold back the water because there are big holes through it - at the Cove first, then at Exit 26, the Route 3 inter­change, Elm Street bridge, Beaver Brook culvert and Middletown Avenue and the railroad overpass. Water rose through

Photograph courtesy Wethersfield Historical Sociely

them all last week, as high as if there were no 1-91, though perhaps more slowly.

Upriver flood controls in states to the north do restrain the full floods, however, so the water level in Wethersfield, for ex­ample, did not go as high as it would have had those dams and holding areas not been constructed. Some areas, the Cove parking lot for example, will be under water longer than before the upriver controls were built. Once the flood recedes below residential property lines, the Army Corps of Engineers will gradually release the rest of the flood waters from the upstream reser­voirs, keeping water levels higher than normal downstream.

The flood plain known as the Great Meadows is Wethersfield's principal pro­tection and a strict policy against develop­ment of flood plains is modern day engineering's "non-structural' theory of flood control.

If Wethersfield should build a dike, which is prohibitively expensive in any event, then Glastonbury would need to do the same in self defense. Presently both towns have chosen to control land use in the flood plains, as a protection against flooding of the towns, in addition to preserving farmland and wild life.

Hanmer Students To Dramatize Fairy Tale

The fifth grade at Hanmer School will perform the fairy tale "Pari and the Prince" at 10 a.m. Wednesday and 1: 45 and 7:30 p.m. June 15 at the school.

The play is directed by teachers Richard Wachtelhausen and Elaine Steinmiller, and has five songs sung by the 46 fifth graders.

The cast includes Matthew Worthington as the prince, Catherine O'Connor as Pari, Ryan Hollander as the king, Elizabeth Callaghan as the queen, and Andrea Dahlberg as Asghar.

Erik Bartenhagen, Rachel Heath, Jarrod Man,ley, Tamara Marchion, and Jason Roslonek will portray the thieves.

The Great Flood of 1936~ as It Looked at Main Street and Riller Road Except for the clothing worn by spectators, Main Street at River fected 244 homes, in what is still the worst flood in Road looked about the same in 1936 when this picture was Wethersfield's 350-year history. A wild wind lashed waters into taken as it did last Friday. In 1936, however, most of the rest of waves two feet high on the Broad Street Green and up to the Old Wethersfield was underwater, too. Thirty buildings were Silas Deane Highway. The flood level, marked on the Cove moved off their foundations as a result of the torrent that af- Warehouse, was 37.6 feet.

A Happy Father

Is A

THE TOY CHEST HAS MOVED

ACROSS THE STREET! (Next to Sage Allen)

NOW YOU CAN DRESS YOUR CABBAGE PATCH

KIDS! .rllf:f A rri'1pd

"

(~--

What petter way to

Remember that special

Mayor Uses Chan el 32 for Flood It was, the mayor said, the infant ·Chan­

nel 32's finest hour. On Thursday, as the. Connecticut spilled

over, Mayor James Boesch went on the new community access television channel <which has been broadcasting only since April 29) to tell townspeople what to expect and how to cope with it.

"This is not a panic situation," the mayor told townspeople by way of Channel 32 Thursday. "We have been working on this for 24 hours. Control headquarters are set up." .

He listed the streets that were closQ(} and .warned drivers that exits 25 and 26 of 1-91 were also inaccessible.

Residents of Elm Street, Kelly, Hart, River Road, Howard Avenue, the lower end of Main, Spring, Sharon Lane, Harmund . Place and some 'parts of Middletown Avenue were told that their homes would be cut off by the flood and their electricity would be shut off.

He said residents of houses involved were being alerted and town crews and firemen were helping move heavy fur­niture and valuables from the first floor and basements to the second floor. He an­nounced that an emergency shelter had been set up at Webb on Willow Street.

He said the river would continue to rise, .reach a level higher than the flood of 1955 and would peak Friday night.

The mayor warned home owners with water in their basements that once the water reached the level qf the circuit box

DINO'S HAIR

DESIGNS KMS PRODUCTS

20~o OFF ALL SERVICES WITH JOE

(Offer good June 8 thru 15th) I 0'0

945 Silas Deane Hwy. For Appointment Wethersfield, Cf. 529-8244

I ARE YOUR WINDOWS LETTING IN

the electricity must be shut off and under no circumstances should that water be touched or waded in. He told them the police phone number, which he 'was able to repeat several times, should be called before that happened, or in any other emergency.

He reminded residents that the police, firemen and maintenance crew are trained for emergencies and would be available around the clock.

Also, he' said: "We do not need spectators. "

On Saturday morning, the mayor took advantage of Channel 32 again to report in detail what had happened and what was to come.

This time Town Engineer Jack Petkus, Assistant Fire Chief John McAuliffe, Police Chief T. William Knapp and Town Manager Henry Allen joined the mayor on screen.

The river had crested at 31.14 feet on Fri­day night and had receded about three in­ches Saturday morning. Though it was raining, the mayor was able to assure townspeople that this rain would not affect the flooding; that the' decline would continue.

He listed the streets that were closed and asked that no vehicle, boat or pedestrian try to cross the barriers.

Asst. Chief McAuliffe advised people whose cellars were filled with water over the fuse boxes and furnace to dry all motors, and call in an expert, before the

I

town building official could approve to start hosing down the walls as the water subsides and several ways to be careful.

Chief Knapp said 1-91 cut off; that people could use the Berlin Turnpike to reach the interstate. He again asked spectator traffic to stay out of the flood area, reportirig that some cars had tried to get through the water and had to be towed out. He also assured residents that the flood areas were being patrolled by boat and cruiser to pro­tect against looting.

Engineer Petkus warned that if the flood is within 75 feet of a well head, well water has been contaminated and should not be

Town Offers Aid and Advice For Cleaning Up after Flood

Wethersfield residents concerned about disinfected wells prior to use to determine sanitary conditions due to the recent the bacterial quality of the water. The flooding are advised to contact the wells may only be used once an acceptable Wethersfield Health Department.

An informational packet detailing clean­up procedures for the home and business are available. Special precautions should be taken when considering drinking well water or eating food contaminated by flood waters.

All wells which experienced flood waters within 75 feet are to be considered con­taminated and are not to be used until they have been disinfected. Procedures for the disinfection of wells are included in the in­formational packer.

The Hea}th Department will sample all

I] WETHERSFIELD POST, JUNE 8, 1984 9

Message used without an okay from the town sanitarian; He also advised people to keep 'their kids out of the polluted flood water.

The town manager said if the water won't subside in the basement by itself, homeowners can call the lown and the firemen would pump it out.

So twice during the flood, town officials were able to communicate all the necessary information to townspeople, by way of Channel 32. The value of a com­

o munity access channel in emergencies was clear, the mayor said of the town's newest communications tool.

bacterial level is obtained. The packet also contains information

concerning disinfection of small quantities of water for drinking purposes, septic systems, power outages and a list of com­panies which do clean-up work after floods.

Arrangements have been made to pro­vide drinking water for those residents with contaminated wells. It should be noted that the Metropolitan District Commission water supply system is not contaminated and that those residents served by this water system can consider the water safefor drinking.

j \

~ \

"'" 1 , , "

WETHERSFIELD POST, JUNE 8, 1984

Not Ellen in Your Boat Please'-~. Police barricade, at the bottom of this picture, and several feet of water, kept motorists and pedestrians out of Elm Street as the ftood was cresting Friday. There was a police boat on the scene to help the people who lived there and needed to visit their homes - and to chase away any boating spectators. Staff Photo by Daniel Nahorney

Farm Flood, Loss Estimated at 630,000

Continued from page 1 customers as weB as our own private customers," Mrs. Willard recalled. "We knew where the squash plants were by the bubbles on top of the water. When the water went down there was nothing to salvage. They were a total loss."

This year the Comstock farm will pro­vide for the All-American Selections trial grounds for vegetables and flowers but

, replanting the seeds which were already in the ground will cause a "backup of more than a week."

During the aftermath of the flood the Willards encountered an unexpected pro­blem when they began rescuing some of their plants which were floating on the river: two people who had stopped on 1-91 were taking the floating peat moss and plants. Friends of theirs wrote down the license plate numbers of the cars and with the help of'the police the plants were pro­mptly retrieved.

"The police have been most helpful to us...1can't say enougll. They closed off the roads to let in only the property owners and that in itself was a great help," Mrs. Willard said.

Now the Willards have to wait for the water to settle and in the meantime will work to revitalize the remaining salvaged plants. Says Mrs. Willard, "The irony of it all is that the plants that we saved now need watering!"

THE ANDERSON FARM in Old Wethersfield brought someone in from the University of Connecticut to access the damage in hopes of getting a better overall picture of their situation.

"There are about 50 to 60 acres under­water right now and we figure that we~ll be able to salvage about 20 percent of the crops," said owner David C. Anderson. "We're going to continue to administer tests."

Mr. Anderson knows many of the crops that were already planted and ready to cut before the arrival of the flood will be "total­ly wiped out." The crops which have already been planted include: beans, peas, spinach, squash and corn.

"We really will have to wait until the whole thing is ironed out to find out how

much we can save," he said. "After that we'll just start over again. That's about all we can do."

FRANK G. MORRIS, owner of the Mor­ris farm in Old Wethersfield, says waiting to get back to his land will involve a lot more than waiting for the water to go down. ­

"We are going' to have to start over ­with everything." he explained. "But there is one thing that we can't start over with and that is timing."

Mr. Morris says the farm has acquired one full year's expense for one-half year's income. Because of this, "any hope of pro­fit is gone." .

He too remembers the flood of 1955. "Oh yes, vividly. It was the first year my wife and I were married. The flood began with 13 inches in 24 hours. It rained in sheets and it came down fast so we had no real warning 6f the flood at all," he recalled.

But this time around the rain· was slow and steady and the farmers did get warn­ings - five days worth - and each report quoted a higher level of water.

"I was listening to the news and could not believe that (the water) would come up as high as it did," he says. "It. reached one inch from my garage and stopped. "

Although Mr. Morri,s says his squash, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, and peppers all stayed above water, his sweet corn crop is unsalvagable.

"I took a look at those crops and they were dead, D-E-D," he said with a light­hearted laugh. "The reason why they all died is because they were well oiled by' car fuel which is floating through the water," he added, regaining a serious tone of voice.

Although one might think the warm temperatures would help to dry out the pro­perty, Mr. Morris says the weather is too hot. In addition to the insects that thrive on humid weather, high temperatures can cook the underwater fruit and those crops will be lost. '

After cleaning the rubbish from the land caused by driftwood and other flood debris, Mr. Morris plans to start plowing again. "It's virtuillly impossible to tell exactly when that will be but we will open again. I wish I did know when. "

Red C~oss, Firemen Offer Assistance to Flood Victims

The Red Cross will be setting up a family service center in the Fireside Room at First Church, on the corner of Marsh and Main streets, to help flood victims.

The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, including Saturday and Sunday, providing all kinds of assistance on a case-by-case basis - food, shelter, clothing, replacement appliances, repairs, disaster assistance information, mental and physical health counselling.

Anyone with any flood-related problems may find either direct help or information on how to find it, at this temporary service center.

-The Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Depart­ment is continuing to pump out flooded basements. Residents in need of that ser­vice, should call town hall. . '

Power can not be restored until base­ment has been inspected and declared safe by town building official Fred Valente.