Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Remembering What we are losing with the closing of The Winsted Journal
The Winsted
W
hat are we losing in everything and anything in regard ally The Winsted Journal would reluctant sources. Their level of
our community when to Winsted. appear. Under the umbrella of The professionalism was never in
Journal The Winsted Journal Im from the school of native Lakeville Journal Company and question and their commitment
This is the last issue of The closes shop after this weeks edi- Winstedites whose families the experienced guidance of its to getting to the bottom of an issue
Winsted Journal. In the last tion? Plain and simple: an integral relied heavily on the Winsted publisher, Janet Manko, Winsted was nothing short of admirable.
few weeks of the newspaper, part that contributes mightily to Evening Citizen for any and all once again had its own newspaper. All three can share in their com-
through a series of articles, our sense of community and a information in regard to what For over 20 years the Journal did bined accomplishments.
we took some time to vital ingredient in maintaining was going on in our town its very best to keep our residents In the end, what we are losing
remember the stories, a robust sense of community from births to deaths, meetings informed by keeping a close eye is the most important source for
people, places and events spirit, as well. and cancellations, from the little on the movers and shakers in our promoting the sense of commu-
that we reported on in our So what is community, or for
that matter community spirit?
leagues to the high school sports
and bowling results. New stores
A Leftys View political scene as well as most
everything and anything news-
nity and community spirit in our
town. It will be greatly missed by
21 years of publication.
Those pages can be Worthy of an expansive definition, opening, old stores moving C. Pink Bunel worthy they were made aware of. those of us who care about our
found online at www. Ill look at it in a more simplified or closing, most anything you Three wonderfully talented community and its future.
tricornernews.com. manner. If a sense of community wanted or needed to know would and devoted editors would guide To Janet Manko, the Lakeville
and community spirit is desired eventually be found in the paper. beginning of the demise of our the paper for the duration of its Journal family and all of the fine
and welcomed by our residents, Unfortunately, we lost the paper to communitys sense of community. publication. First by June Peters- people that were part of the Win-
quite frankly you need a viable Torrington and it was combined People knowing less and less about en, followed by Mike Marciano sted Journal family, job well done
Below, the first front source of information about what with the Torrington Register what was going on in town led and finally Shaw Israel Izikson. and you will be missed.
you want to know and need to which adjusted its name to the our community into a gradual An earmark of all three of the
page of The Winsted
know about what is going on in Register Citizen. decline in regard to public interest individuals was their ability to ask C. Pink Bunel has written
Journal, published and around the town the desire This loss was devastating to in our town. tough questions when pursuing for The Winsted Journal for many
June 21, 1996. to be as informed as possible about Winsted and in my eyes was the But all was not lost as eventu- vital information from sometimes years.
The Flood of 1955 and the Centrella Case
Two significant upheavals in Winsted history
Remembering
The Winsted Journal
The last issue of The Winsted Journal will be published on
Friday, Aug. 25. In the last few weeks of the newspaper,
through a series of articles, we will be taking some time
to remember the stories, people, places and events that we
reported on in our 21 years of publication.
The Flood of 55
W
hile The Winsted and historical society direc-
Journal started tor, who lived through the
its publication in flood and its aftermath.
1996, 31 years after The [Main Street] looked like
Flood of 1955, the effects a war zone after the flood,
and the impact of the event Hudak said. Thats what it
still linger many years after it was, just a war zone.
took place. Over the years The Win-
Back in 2005, former sted Journal has published
Winsted Journal Editor articles commemorating the
Michael Marciano wrote a flood, including in August
four-part series on the flood 2015, which included inter-
for its 50th anniversary, views with residents Moe
which included memories by Gabelmann and Tom Casey.
residents who endured the Oh my God, the flood
disaster. ripped out holes on Main
The series also included Street six to seven feet deep,
pictures of Winsted from Gabelmann said. Gas mains,
before the flood and pictures water mains, sewer mains,
that showed how it devastat- everything was exposed in
ed the town. the street. All the buildings
As Winsted families on the river disintegrated or
awoke the morning of August moved down the street.
19, 1955, residents quickly Everything on Main It was devastating. But
realized the date would be Street was all torn up, Casey even though I owned
bitterly ingrained in the said. Whole bedrocks of a business I felt I was
towns history, Marciano road were all pulled up. Jag- young and I felt I could
wrote in the August 12, 2005, ged pieces of concrete were start up again. For people
issue of The Winsted Journal. sticking up, almost like an
who were ready to retire
In 36 hours, 14 inches of earthquake had happened.
rain had fallen, turning Main Everything on the river side and had their whole
Street into a river of death was gone. We saw cars from businesses destroyed, it
and destruction. several dealers floating down was really awful.
In the article, Marciano Mad River. It was pretty Anthony Cannavo,
quoted resident Milly Hu- horrific. former mayor; Aug., 2005
dak, now the town historian Shaw Israel Izikson
[Winsted] was all of the things you hear about the great
50s. We had a very closely bonded group of friends.
We went to everybodys houses and we knew all the
parents. Very few of us drove. We would just ride bikes
or walk. It was such a small town it was an absolutely
great environment.
Richard Hughes, July, 2005
Firefighters tried every road possible
to get to Winsted after they were
activated by civil defense officials,
but the roads were impassable. They
tried for more than eight hours to
reach friends and family.
Larry Hurlburt, chief of the Winchester Center
Fire Department in 1955; Aug., 2005
The Henry
Centrella case
A
nother story that had was missing.
a great impact on the The investigation
town and its residents determined Centrella was
was not a natural disaster responsible for the daily
but was manmade. bank deposits that were
Nevertheless, the whole short of cash.
saga of former Finance Di- BlumShapiro also discov-
rector Henry Centrella was ered, after researching 58
PHOTO BY MICHAEL MARCIANO
a tragedy. months worth of docu-
A once highly respected ments, that cash deposits by
Henry Centrella
longtime town employee, Centrella had been replaced
at a Selectmans the first finance director the with forged checks.
meeting in 2013. town had ever had, plead- A state police investiga-
ed guilty to five charges of tion concluded that Cen-
larceny in January 2014. trella stole cash deposits
He was eventually sen- from the towns tax office
tenced to 11 years in jail in and inflated his income tax
April 2014. withholdings since at least
The investigation into 1995 by at least $180,000.
Centrellas criminal acts The state police also
started in June 2012 when a found that Centrella and his
months-long investigation wife, Gregg, had incurred
began after town auditors $548,000 of gambling losses
BlumShapiro discovered from 2008 to 2012 at state
an unusual general ledger casinos.
account titled Change Line Just before his sentencing
item. on April 4, 2014, Centrella
When questioned about was led into the courthouse
the account, Centrella told in prison shackles. He wore
auditors that funds had an orange prison uniform
been withdrawn from the and looked down in sadness
bank and placed in the as he was led in by officers.
towns safe for future emer- This defendant is a
gencies. cancer to this town, Town
The auditors noted that Attorney Kevin Nelligan
$54,106 was missing from said to Judge James Ginoc-
town accounts, but was de- chio at the sentencing. He
posited in small increments used town tax payments
over the course of the week. as his own. He covered
An investigation was up facts, and he left both
instigated by then Town co-workers and his friends
PHOTO BY SHAW ISRAEL IZIKSON
Manager Dale Martin. In out to dry. This defendant
the investigation, conduct- is not Winsted. Winsted is
Henry Centrella ed by BlumShapiro, it was a hardworking town. The
being transferred discovered that between defendant can never call
to Litchfield County 2008 and 2012 a total of Winsted his hometown.
Courthouse to be $2,073,340 in tax revenues Shaw Israel Izikson
sentenced in 2014.
Parades, Parties, Festivals and Fairs
Celebrations strengthen the community
Remembering
The Winsted Journal
The last issue of The Winsted Journal will be published on
Friday, Aug. 25. In the last few weeks of the newspaper,
through a series of articles, we are taking some time to
remember the stories, people, places and events that we
reported on in our 21 years of publication.
Festive events
through time
O
ver the past 21 years Laurel Festival, which is typi-
The Winsted Journal cally held in June.
has covered cele- For years, the festival
brations throughout the included the crowning of a
Northwest Corner. Laurel Queen, but over the
Whether it is the Pet Pa- past two years the event has
rade, the Gator Parade, the included the crowning of a
Laurel Festival, the Riverton Laurel King. Photos from the 2005 Pet Parade
Fair, or school events and This year marks the 155th
graduations, each is a cele- year of the Winsted Fire
bration of the culture and Departments Carnival and
the people of the Northwest parade. People keep
Corner, as well as a celebration The event is the depart- attending the Pet
of traditions. ments main fundraiser and Parade because it
While the way these events includes a variety of carnival
are held may have changed games and a parade down
is a great tradition
over time, the basic principles Main Street featuring both and the town loves
for each event always remains department members and it. Children always
the same. surrounding departments. love to participate
Each January for the past This year, local organiza- in it.
27 years, The First Church of tion Friends of Main Street Sarah Dziedzic,
Winsted has held their Boars will hold its 20th annual Fall 2017 event co-organizer
Head Festival. Foliage Festival.
The festival is held right af- The festival typically in-
ter Christmas and represents cludes booths from local or-
the end of the Christmas ganizations, music and food
season. from local vendors. Photos by Winsted Journal Staff
It tells the tale of the Epiph- Another event held in
any and is a celebration of October is The Riverton Fair.
the Three Kings, all done in The fair, which dates back
medieval fashion with unique 108 years, includes down Its past all
period costumes. home fun with lumberjack that commercial
Each Boars Head Festival events, livestock judging, mu- stuff, all that
includes Christmas caroling, sic and carnival rides.
live animals, dancers and Finally, The Gator Parade
has gone by, and
handcrafted period costumes. will mark its 14th year this now we have a
For the past 14 years, ei- December. chance to reflect
ther in late February or early The event, which is held by on the true
March, the Penguin Plunge the Winsted Fire Department, meaning. Its one
has been held at Highland is named after Gaeton Ga- of those things
Lake. tor Gangi, a member of the we couldnt
For the event, a benefit for fire department who passed
the states Special Olympics, away in Dec. 2004. do without all
residents and participants The parade includes fire the help of the
from surrounding towns engines and emergency vehi- community.
plunge into the cold waters cles from throughout the area Debbie Storrs,
of the lake to raise money for all decked out in Christmas Youth Choir director
the organization. lights. at First Church of
The Pet Parade, a Winsted The vehicles drive in a pa- Winsted; Jan., 2017
tradition, has been held for the rade route that encompasses
past 81 years. a large section of town.
At the parade, any resident These are the celebrations
can take part and walk with that help to define our com-
their dog, cat, chicken, horse munities and make them
or any kind of pet that they good places to live in and
have. to visit.
This year marked the 83rd Shaw Israel Izikson
Photo from the 2007 Boars Head Festival
Photos from the 2017 Gilbert School and Northwestern Regional High School Graduation Ceremonies
TriCornerNews.com
Since then I have covered whelmed me and I feel so lucky
I loved dealing with the Lauren DiMauro
stories from New Hartford to to have been given somewhat of
schools, churches and nonprofits Winsted
Norfolk and have been exposed a backstage pass that allowed me
preparing briefs that were vital to
to so much more of the area than to experience it first hand. I could
their cause or activity. Everyone DiMauro was the office man- The Best Regional News Site
I ever couldve imagined. I have not have asked for a better way to When you need to know whats happening in your area, were there.
knew me by name and I knew all ager for The Winsted Journal for
met dozens of wonderful people fall in love with my new home.
of them by name. 12 years.
and even been lucky enough to Alicia Kirsch
join one of the groups that I met Norfolk