25 years ago: Guilford resident John Kovacs restored cannons on the historic HMS Rose and was announced as the supervisor of the cannon's firing at the anniversary of the Statue of Liberty and the Fourth of July in New York Harbor.

25 years ago: The District 17 BOE received a report from a district planning committee that cited temporary grade-level redistricting and some form of building program as the only viable solutions to crowding and other problems at the District’s two elementary schools.

25 years ago: Chester and Deep River senior citizen were assured that they would be able to continue using the meal site at the United Scandinavian Society Hall on Riverview Avenue for several more months, but Essex participants had to trek to Old Saybrook if they wanted a hot lunch. The council provided transportation for Essex senior citizens to and from Old Saybrook.

25 years ago: Fire department officials in Clinton decided to test a new engineering study on the 12-acre subdivision off Carter Hill, Pleasant Valley and Valley Roads. The study had to show the width of the bridge and whether it could support fire department apparatus.

25 years ago: The Portland High School class of 90, 1986 graduates, had their commencement under the student-created backdrop of a medieval castle. The theme had been carried through in the 1986 Highlander yearbook and also in the school crest designed by graduate Diane McDougall, symbolizing the school in the highlands.

25 years ago: It was announced that Marina Melendez had been hired to teach Spanish and History at the Hammonasset School in Madison. Melendez joined the school from the Community Action for Greater Middletown’s adult learning center where she was coordinator for six years.

25 years ago: A parade for the 150th Anniversary for the town of Chester was planned and announced to be held for Oct. 11 of 1986. The parade was to be park of the town’s program to celebrate its incorporation as a town in 1836, when it seceded from the former Sayrbook Colony.

25 years ago: Vinal Regional Technical High School graduated its 1986 class. Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce President Larry McHugh encouraged the students telling them they were needed to fill job demands in Middlesex County.

25 years ago: The General Assembly in Chester re-approved a state grant to help the town rid Cedar Lake of bothersome weeds growing along the boat launches and swimming areas at the time. The grant was for $30,000.

25 years ago: The Portland Board of Selectman set a date for Aug.25 for a referendum to decide the question of whether the town should discontinue an unused portion of Great Hill Pond Road.

25 years ago: Fourth graders in Cromwell were eye-witnesses to the emergency care rendered at the scene of an accident when the Cromwell Ambulance Division and Cromwell police responded to a mock accident in the school’s parking lot. The ‘victim’ was teacher Howard Gunther, trapped in a car. A student made the call to 911 to emphasize the use of the emergency number.

25 years ago: The Cromwell High School Class of 1986 graduated during an outdoor ceremony that was nearly threatened by rain. The speeches by the superintendent, chairman of the Board of Education and principal were accompanied by occasional rolls of thunder and flashes of lightning.

25 years ago: The Regional District 17 Board of Education gave special recognition to Haddam Elementary School first grade teacher Margaret Sundell. The honor was part of the board’s program of special recognition for outstanding teachers in each of the five district schools. Principal Edward Lewis had recommended her for the award.

25 years ago: Urine testing of students suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or durgs while in school in Old Saybrook was recommended to the Board of Education by a subcommittee that studied a broad spectrum of board policies governing student life.

25 years ago: Valley Regional High School graduated 125 seniors, the culmination of 21,060 days of school bells, hall passes and cafeteria food. The graduates were bid farewell with a balloon launch, boom of a cannon and a plane overhead with a banner saying ‘Congratulations VRHS Class of 1986.

25 years ago: East Hampton High School awarded diplomas to 81 graduates during the school’s 47th annual commencement exercise.

25 years ago: It was announced that The Smokey Boys would open the annual two-day Old Home Day program at Center School in East Hampton. The four-member group played a variety of country western music from traditional to hard country sounds.

25 years ago: The Conn. Siting Council announced it was leaning towards approving the construction of a 100-foot lattice-type tower on top of Mount Beseck, according to Christopher S. Wood, the council’s executive director at the time. The proposal for the tower came from Hartford Cellular, a Norwalk-based mobile telephone company.

25 years ago: Jim Lash of Hadlyme, a recognized authority on environmental issues and real estate development was the featured speaker at the monthly meeting of the East Haddam Chamber of Commerce. Lash was the president of Envirland and served as the president of the development corporation that produced the Wesleyan Hills development in Middletown.

25 years ago: The Physical Occupational Therapy and Cardiac Rehabilitation Department at the Shoreline Clinic at Southwinds in Essex had an opening of its expanded treatment and physical therapy area. The area also included a whirl pool and gym used to help retrain stroke patients to walk and regain balance.

25 years ago: The town of Essex received a $32,609 state grant to help pay for the repaving of more than three miles of local roads, according to state Sen. Pierce F. Connair, R-East-Lyme. The funds came from the infrastructure trust fund which Connair had helped establish in 1985.
After months of research and digging for facts, students in the gifted and enrichment program at

25 years ago: Essex Elementary School compiled an historical booklet on three churches located on the top of Zion Hill overlooking Essex Village. Teacher Kathy Marois organized the project for grades 2-4.

25 years ago: Patience and Rambo, two swans who occupied Piano Key Pond in Deep River were reunited after a two-month separation. Rambo had spent time healing at the Branford home of Carol Lemmon, who with Janice A. Skalandunas nursed back to health the swan’s wing which had been injured from a shooting incident.

25 years ago: The East Haddam Rotary Scholarships Corporation recognized local classroom teachers with a thank-you dinner.

25 years ago: Trees were planted down the center of Main Street in Old Saybrook thanks to the efforts and funds of the local garden club. Nancy Buebendorf, the coordinator of the project, said that nine snow cloud crabapple trees had been planted in barrels on the roadway’s median strip to help soften the broad avenues appearance and to help with Christmas decorations during the town’s annual Torchlight Parade and Muster.

25 years ago: The National Honor Society induction banquet was held at Cromwell High School. Speakers were Dr. K. Alexander Paddyfote, superintendent of schools, and James L. Gere, principal.

25 years ago: The local Public Health Agency in Killingworth followed the lead of Haddam Public Health Nursing Association and contracted for services with the Visiting Nurse and Home Health Services of Greater Middletown.

25 years ago: The Education Association of Portland started a tradition of honoring teachers with 25 years or more in their profession. The award presented at the first ceremony of nine teachers was a pewter jam jar inscribed with the teacher’s name and years of service. The most senior faculty at the time was Pauline Kabara, business teacher at the high school who had been teaching for 31 years.

25 years ago: Alfred Strempel, a clockmaker from Deep River and his son Mark Strempel returned time to the clock at the entrance of Portland Junior High School. The father and son created and installed hands for the clock, making it the first time in 13 years that the clock told time.

25 years ago: East Hampton’s Park and Recreation Department sponsored a local qualifying track and field contest for the nationally-known Hershey’s Track and Field program. Qualifying participants had to be between 9 and 14 years old and must have been born between 1972-77. First place finishers advanced to the regional meet at the end of the month.

25 years ago: It was announced that building activity increased sharply in Haddam in the month of May 1986 as the local Building Department issued permits for work totaling $462,903.

25 years ago: The town of East Haddam held a rabies clinic at the town garage at Goodspeed Landing. At that time rabies vaccination became a requirement for the renewal of dog licenses in the town.

25 years ago: Elaine Crawford was appointed in Westbrook as the new children’s librarian at Westbrook Public Library. Crawford had worked in the library for a number of years before starting as assistant to Ruth Kinkade.

25 years ago: Senior awards night took place in the Thayer Auditorium at Coginchaug Regional High School in Durham. Parents and friends of seniors were invited to attend the ceremony.

25 years ago: A public session concerning contamination of wells in the vicinity of Cherry Hill Road in Middlefield was held during a Board of Selectmen regular meeting. Officials from the Department of Environmental Protection and the Agriculture Experimental Station in New Haven were on hand to answer resident’s questions about high nitrate counts found in the area.

25 years ago: The Middle Haddam Garden Club completed a project of planting flowers in tubs located in Cobalt at the intersection of Routes 66 and 151. The flowers were donated by Paul’s and Sandy’s Home and Garden Center in East Hampton.

25 years ago: Hazleann Cook, executive director of the Portland Housing authority for 11 months previous resigned to accept a similar post in Hamden. Chairwoman Charlotte Florkoski was appointed as new acting director.

25 years ago: The East Haddam Land Trust announced the receipt of a gift of 20 acres off Sheepskin Hollow Road at the foot of Mount Parnassus, donated by JCB Associates. James M. Curtin, a native of East Haddam, was a general partner in JCB Associates.

25 years ago: Portland residents cast their ballots and voted overwhelmingly to approve spending up to $1.2 million for a new firehouse for Company No. 2. It was the best turnout for a referendum in the previous 7 years back then.

25 years ago: 15 budget items totaling $204,000 were cut in Clinton by the Board of Education in order to meet its allocated 1987 budget of $9,273,445.

25 years ago: Local officials in East Haddam decided to turn to U.S. Senator Chris Dodd and Congressman Sam Gejdensen in an attempt to determine where the buck would stop in the quest for restricted openings of the Route 82 swing bridge during weekends.

25 years ago: 186 Xavier High school students graduated and received their diplomas at the hand of the Bishop of Norwich. Brother John F. Kerr, Superior General of the Xaverian Brothers in England and the first principal of the school was the featured speaker.

25 years ago: Michael Rutty of Haddam, a senior at Vinal Tech specializing in electronics was named a recipient of the Industrial Education Award for 1986 by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.

25 years ago: High winds, heavy rain and marble size hailstones pelted the town of East Hampton in a storm that caused many residents to experience downed tree limbs and power outages due to a downed tree that fell onto power lines on South Main Street.

25 years ago: Michael McCorkle, a junior at Cromwell High School, attained a perfect score on the math portion of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test.

25 years ago: Firemen from all three companies in Portland were called to 597 Main Street after lightning struck the original Company No. 2 firehouse, built in 1889, which was being used by the owners at the time for storage.

25 years ago: Brian Lensink, commissioner of the Department of Mental Retardation recognized the contribution of volunteers who served as puppeteers for the Kids on the Block Program. Since Nov. 1985, 25 puppeteers had given 70 performances of the program to public and parochial school children in the Meriden, New Britain and Middletown areas.

25 years ago: Wesleyan University graduation took place and graduates were urged to use their education to fight world ills.

25 years ago: A levy assessed against all commercial trash haulers using the Old Saybrook town transfer station was up for public vote. The proposed ordinance would charge commercial haulers $5 for every cubic yard of trash deposited at the Middlesex Turnpike facility.

25 years ago: In Westbrook the state granted final approval for DGG Properties INC., to proceed with construction of a septic system for the summer retreat that was being developed on the former Bill Hahn estate.