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Commemorative Book  July 29, 2008 Henry Park, Fox Hill, Tower

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William J.  McGurk, Pauline Schaefer, Raymond H. Lefurge, Jr., Chet Morgan, Marie Herbst, Rudy Rossmy, Cliff Edwards

photos by Bryan Flint

Reminder News July 29, 2008 The Vernon Bicentennial commemorative book is now on sale, featuring pages filled with many never-before published photos celebrating the past 200 years of Vernon history. The limited edition hardcover book is $20 and can be purchased at Rockville Bank’s three Vernon Branches, Friedrich’s Jewelers, Crystal Blueprint & Stationery, Cafe Lafayette, Olender’s and Vincent’s Pharmacy.     Committee members who worked on the yearlong project include Cliff Edwards, Wayne Johnson, Rudy Rossmy, Steve Wakefield, and Pauline Schaefer, and Rep. Claire Janowski, D-Vernon, and Commemorative Book Chairperson, Town Councilwomen Marie Herbst     Upcoming events     National Night Out, Aug. 5 from 5-9 p.m. is sponsored by the Rockville Community Alliance. All activities are free to the community and include music by the 3-piece band 95 South, a magic show and a martial arts demonstration by Hidden Dragon Karate. Radio Station, Hot 93.7 FM will be there along with Sonar from the Hartford Wolfpack. There will be lots great activities for families and over 25 non-profit groups and businesses will be there with helpful information and additional activities to participate in. For more information call 875-1044 or see more details at www.RockvilleCT.com.     “Rockville Rocks!” Sunday, Sept. 14. The Rockville Community Alliance, in association with the Gene Pitney Commemorative Committee and the Bicentennial Committee celebrate with an afternoon and evening of excitement! At 5 p.m., enjoy the high-energy music of “The Nifty Fifties Band,” with a cool retro-style and hot new spin on the greatest hits of rock and roll. Like a turbocharged time machine, this fi vepiece group will transport you back to the manic magic of the golden age of rock and roll, combining their highly charged dance hits of the ’50s the ’60s and beyond with a uniquely entertaining blend of, stage presence, humor and good old-fashioned showmanship. At dusk the Bicentennial “Torchlight Parade” makes its way through the center of Rockville, ending at the Elk’s Lodge on North Park Street.     Bicentennial Parade Oct. 5 - plans are being finalized. The parade leaves Rockville High School at 1:30 p.m. For details and an application form go to www.Vernon2008.org. For information about bands, call William Smith 875-7305; schools call David Lee 875-3150, Fire Depts. call Bill Harris 818-5100, civic groups call Lisa Gardiner 794-6997, churches call Carol Nelson 643-1462, local business call Sam Blonstein 875-1523. Chairperson is Carl Schaefer, who can be reached at 872-3901. Members Cliff Edwards, Carl Schaefer, Steve Wakefield, Marie Herbst and Polly Schaefer present Deputy Mayor Diane Wheelock a copy of the Bicentennial book. Photo contributed.

Reminder NewsBicentennial Book presented to major contributor August 5, 2008 BY JESSICA CIPARELLI Staff Writer     Set against the backdrop of the book’s cover, Fox Hill Tower, members of Vernon’s Bicentennial committee, book committee and representatives of Rockville Bank gathered for a presentation of the “The 200th Anniversary of Vernon/Rockville: Official Bicentennial Souvenir Book” on July 29.     The book was made possible by a substantial donation – up to $25,000 – by the Rockville Bank Foundation.     “It was a gift and sole sponsorship,” said Bicentennial Committee Chairman Rudy Rossmy. “Bill [McGurk, President and CEO of Rockville Bank] has been good to us. I think we came in under $20,000 [for the book]. The entire cost of development of the book was covered.”     “We’re really proud to support Vernon and the 200th anniversary,” said McGurk. “This is where we started and we have a strong commitment to the community.”     The book is a pictorial history of Vernon and Rockville, including a history of past police and fire chiefs, Maxwell family photographs from a private collection, parades, people of interest, entertainment and significant disasters in the town’s history, including the Hurricane of 1938.     “It did take a lot of time and effort,” said Marie Herbst, Bicentennial Book Committee Chairperson. “Ardis Abbott [local historian and director of the Vernon Historical Society museum] was extremely helpful in telling us what we could and couldn’t use,” she added, noting the committee wanted to use unique photos for the pictorial.     “I called a lot of people that I knew were Rockville-ites and Vernon-ites that would have [photos],” said book committee member Polly Schaefer. Since the book came out, Schaefer has received calls from residents who have photos they would like to include. Unfortunately, it’s too late for this book. Her suggestion: label them properly and donate them to the Vernon Historical Society if they have no other use for them.     “Ardis [Abbott] has said they have gotten a lot of donations [of pictures and memorabilia],” Schaefer said.     The book is available at all three branches of Rockville Bank in Vernon, Friedrich’s Jewelry Store, Crystal Blueprint and Stationery, Olender’s, Cafe Lafayette and Vincent’s Pharmacy. The cost is $20. For more information about the Vernon Bicentennial, visit www. vernon2008.org. (front, l-r:) Bill McGurk, Raymond Lefurge, Polly Schaefer, Marie Herbst and (back, l-r:) Rudy Rossmy, Cliff Edwards and Chet Morgan. Photo by J. Ciparelli.

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