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Rudy Freund had an 8mm camera and a good eye. Here's what he saw.
Town resident Rudy Freund had an 8mm camera and a good eye. His home movie footage documents the 1955 Memorial Day Parade in East Haddam, CT. The footage was digitally enhanced and edited for today’s viewers.
The marchers in military uniform that day were barely 10 years out from WWII. The older veterans had served in WWI. Judging from the jackets and coats, it was a cool May day. The Scouts, Little Leaguers, school children, and the Drum and Fife Corps turned out anyway, along with the dignitaries, the speeches, and the families who gathered at the green.
The adults in the film are long gone. The youngest children on screen are in their 70s and 80s now. And Moodus Center was demolished some 15 years after Rudy took his shots.
Town history and humanity are revealed by local architectural styles
There is a magnificent diversity of architectural styles and building types throughout town. No one knows that better than local architect and photographer George Fellner. He has catalogued, described, and put in context East Haddam's distinctive architectural assets, their characteristics, history, associated people, and the natural environs. Based on his book of the same name, "Expressions of East Haddam" combines beautiful photographs of the built and natural environment, providing the viewer with a delightful visual tour and new insights into local history.
Hale Ray's 1958 soccer team was unprecedented
The 1958 Hale Ray boys soccer team did something no other state soccer team had ever done: They compiled an undefeated regular season with not a single goal scored against them in their 15 wins. It would have been an extraordinary accomplishment for any team but for a school where the senior class had only 32 seniors (with 17 boys), it was simply amazing.
The 1958 season was led by now-legendary coach Tom Nevers, who had arrived at Hale Ray in 1951. He got to work and soon led the soccer team to three state championships in 1952, 1953, and 1954.
The 1958 season was a whole other thing — the Hale Ray boys simply dominated, leading to their nickname, The Zero Boys. 2009 Hale Ray graduate Justin Bellucci directed this sentimental look at how that season came to be and how it ended with mixed results at that year's state championship.
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