Playing Crocodile Club Catch Up

 meant to get all caught up with Crocodile Club last week, but I didn't. So here are the tidbits left out in the telling:

Host Ray Dunaway did a good job. He wasn't prepared to say the blessing before the meal, but the expected preacher didn't show, so Ray had to man up and do it. He figured his credentials as club president gave him "the authority" so he plunged right in. I don't think he'll be running off to theology school anytime soon, but I'd say he passed. On a side note, he told me his accordian was in rough shape, so he didn't bring it. Hope he gets it fixed in time for next year.

Ray had a bell that he said he'd ring if anyone didn't abide by the five-minute time limit on the speeches. The only time he had to use it was on the first speaker -- Bristol Mayor Art Ward -- who was just getting warmed up and hadn't even tried to be funny by the time the bell rang. The bell didn't stop the mayor from moving ahead with his remarks, though.

The picture here is one of me and Wally Barnes, and the mayor, before he got the bell.

Carolyn Norton was the only Norton at this year's dinner. She was the toast of the town and the belle of the ball. She had fun, too.

Lots of old timers were happy to see the club back, thanks to the permission of the Norton family, who owned the rights to it, the hospitality of Lake Compounce, the great food provided by Nuchies catering and the hard work of the New England Carousel Museum, which brought the event back as a fundraiser.

Tons of newcomers were excited to get to attend the club for the first time. Many of them were seated up front at the head table and they had to give speeches. There could have been some better briefing by staff, since a couple people didn't understand how the humor was supposed to be playful and remarks weren't supposed to be mean. Hopefully next time, they'll know what it is and get with the program.

The worst offender was Mark Boughton, who is running for lieutenant governor on the Republican side. He took a serious shot at Dan Malloy and the crowd definitely didn't like it. As he made his way back to his seat, I heard Malloy tell him his "joke" didn't go over "any better than when Ned Lamont told it."

Malloy and Tom Foley were both there for the first time. I'm not sure they were excited or enjoying themselves, though. When they weren't working the crowd, they sat next to each other at the head table and didn't look all that comfortable. When they spoke, they both tried to be funny. They were, but only a little bit.

Worst joke of all? Tom Marsh, the independent candidate for governor. "What's brown and sounds like a bell?" Marsh asked. "Dung."

No, I'm not kidding.

Linda McMahon surprised me with her wit. She had a few off the cuff remarks that were pretty good, including a swipe at Dunaway for noting her age when he introduced her and no one else's. Her opponent, Richard Blumenthal, joked about how un-funny he is and sure enough, wasn't especially amusing, except when he talked about being camera shy.

George Jepsen recited a short limerick, which in my book gets a few props for creativity:

"It is the year 2010

The crocodiles have assembled again

At long tables they eat

Some really odd meat.

For me, I will stick with the gin."

Classiest speaker, in my humble opinion, was Nancy Wyman, who raised a glass to the memory of Stretch Norton, recognized Carolyn Norton and just stayed in the spirit of the Crocodile. It's not hard to see why she's popular.

Not sure why the carousel museum decided to take a "break" in the middle of the program to draw a raffle number. It could have been done quickly but instead, a break was announced and a whole bunch of people, including many of the candidates on stage, beat a path to the door.

John Larson and Ann Brickley had to wait until after the break to speak, which didn't seem right to me, since much of the room had emptied by then. It is the U.S. Congress, after all.

The award for best patient goes to Betty Boukus, who is healing from total knee replacement surgery. She's getting around pretty well, she said, and is definitely following doctor's/physical therapist's orders.

Most conspicuous absence that day? Stretch Norton. Everybody missed him.

Biggest delight for me? Wally Barnes was there. My favorite moment of the whole thing was taking a spin on the park's antique carousel with him.

I discovered that, like me, he also prefers a jumper to a stander. He didn't get the brass ring, he said, but I felt like I did.

Wally hadn't expected to be in town, but when he found himself there, he "didn't want to miss it," he told me. I'm glad.

Crocodile Club, One Of The Missing Pieces

I wrote two stories about the Crocodile Club for today's edition of The Bristol Press, but I guess there wasn't room for everyone's comments, so in case you're the kind of reader who wants the whole enchilada, here goes:


First-timers joined old “crocodilians” at the Crocodile Club dinner at Lake Compounce Tuesday, rubbing elbows with many of the state’s candidates and reconnecting with old friends.

“It think it’s a grand event,” said Jill Fitzgerald of Bristol, who is the Republican candidate for the state House in the 77th district and attending the dinner for the first time. “I really like it.”

Many of the people there, both candidates and non-candidates, said they enjoyed the friendly, social aspect of the dinner that left serious politics at the door.

“It’s bringing back a lot of memories,” said Bristol City Councilor Ken Cockayne, who said he used to come to the park to watch his late grandfather, Patsy Cistulli, help longtime organizer Stretch Norton with the cooking.

“So far, it’s great,” said Republican Ann Brickley, who is hoping to unseat Congressman John Larson in November and was attending her first dinner.

“This is an excellent crowd,” said state Rep. Betty Boukus, a Plainville Democrat. She said she’s happy that the carousel museum has taken over the dinner and will benefit from it.

Wallace Barnes of Bristol, whose attendance at the Crocodile Club goes back to the 1950s, said he came back early this week from an out of town trip and came to the dinner because he “didn’t want to miss it.”

Thomas Morrow, executive director of the Bristol Community Organization who has attended many Crocodile Club dinners in the past, brought his friend James Gatling of Southington.

“It’s got a rich history,” said Morrow, who said he’s glad that the Crocodile Club dinner now benefits a non-profit agency.

Gatling, who runs a similar agency in Waterbury called New Opportunities, said he didn’t know quite what to expect but was wowed by the number of people there and the fact that politicians from both parties came together in one place.

“I’m really impressed,” Gatling said.

George Sobestanovich of Bristol, who wore a Crocodile Club shirt and hat he bought at the last dinner in 2002, said it was a good afternoon.

"I'm glad they resurrected it," Sobestanovich said. "I hate to see these old traditions fade away."

John Lodovico of Bristol also said he’s glad the club is back, adding that the ballroom at Lake Compounce provided a “very comfortable setting” for the event.

State Sen. Tom Colapietro, a Bristol Democrat, said he saw a lot of friends he hadn’t seen in years. He said he was happy to support the dinner, which was a benefit for the New England Carousel Museum.

“This is non-political,” said Colapietro.

“It’s entertaining,” said Tunxis Community College President Cathryn Addy, who attended the dinner for several years before it ended with the last one in 2002. “I’m happy to see it back.”

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who had a reputation of arriving late and leaving early at the dinner each year, vowed to stay “for the duration” this time, and did.

“It’s a great tradition,” Blumenthal said. “I’m just delighted to be here again.”

Crocodile Club President and host Ray Dunaway pronounced the dinner a success.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever been at an event when Dick Blumenthal stayed till the end,” Dunaway said.

The Crocodile Club was videotaped for later broadcast on CTN.

Malloy Ready To Be a Crocodilian

Democrat Dan Malloy is taking time out from his race for governor to attend the Crocodile Club tomorrow.

Malloy was kind enough to call me today to let me know that he's looking forward to the event at Lake Compounce.

"I've never been, so I don't know what to expect," Malloy said. "I feel uninitiated."

He wondered if it's a casual event, so though I told him most people dress pretty casually and normally, I warned him about the likelihood of seeing old guys in plaid shorts and black socks.

He said he's working on his remarks, and I advised him to be funny. He said he didn't play an instrument, so he won't be jamming with host Ray Dunaway, who is expected to bring his accordian, or Rep. Frank Nicastro, who will bring his trumpet.
Malloy, who was mayor of Stamford from 1995 to 2002, said he never got an invitation before.
But then, he said he's never had so many friends as he seems to have right now.

No Butts - Cigar Smoking Tradition Snuffed

One of the traditions of the Crocodile Club -- enjoying an after-dinner cigar -- is over this year.
The state law prohibiting smoking inside bars and restaurants, which took effect in 2004, means that Crocodilians won't be able to light up and puff while listening to the speeches at tomorrow's dinner.
That's good news for those who like to breathe.
For those who like to smoke, there's an outdoor smoking area just outside the building, said Jerry Brick, general manager of Lake Compounce, which is hosting the dinner.
The last dinner was in 2002, before the smoking ban.
The New England Carousel Museum is reviving the Crocodile Club dinner, which for many generations was put on at the park by the Norton family. The dinner is now a fundraiser for the non-profit museum.
I wrote about the change in tradition for Tuesday's edition of The Bristol Press, so you can see the full story at http://www.bristolpress.com/.
So if you're a Crocodilian inclined toward a cigar, be prepared to take it outside.

Tickets to the dinner are still available, until 5 p.m. Monday at the museum and at the door on Tuesday. The party starts at noon.

Croc Tickets On Sale Today!

Until 5 p.m., you can buy your ticket to the Crocodile Club dinner at Lake Compounce for $50.

Tomorrow, at the door, they'll cost $55.

Not that the $5 will go to a bad cause -- proceeds are going to the New England Carousel Museum, which is worth a donation, but still, five bucks is five bucks and you might need it.

So you heard it here, folks -- get your tickets today at the museum on Riverside Avenue, or call them at 860-585-5411 and charge it.

A little while ago, Louise DeMars, the director of the musuem, told me nearly every candidate for statewide office, including both Dan Malloy and Tom Foley, candidates for governor, will be at the event.

About 300 tickets have been sold so far, which is impressive for the first year back since the last Crocodile Club dinner in 2002.

Larson Will Attend Crocodile Club

I just learned from Congressman John Larson's aide that he will be attending the Crocodile Club dinner on Tuesday at Lake Compounce.
The Crocodile Club is being revived after a break of several years. It will benefit the New England Carousel Museum.
Lake Compounce is donating the use of the uber cool Starlite Ballroom, Nuchies is catering and Ray Dunaway is the emcee.
This is an event not to be missed, especially in this election year.
I'm not sure what political heavy hitters will be making an appearance besides Larson but I will try to find out and pass it along to you.

Crocodile Club Retrospective

I've been talking with people about the Crocodile Club's history.

The New England Carousel Museum is reviving the tradition started long ago by Gad Norton and continued until 2002 by his descendants at Lake Compounce, the family's amusement park.

The late, great Stretch Norton hosted the last Crocodile Club event in 2002 and sadly announced the next year that he could no longer manage it. That was the end of an awesome gathering, until the carousel museum this year got the permission and the blessing of the Norton family to start it up again.

Watch The Bristol Press for an upcoming story that looks back at the club's history and ahead to its revival, but don't wait to get your ticket -- contact the museum for that at http://www.thecarouselmuseum.org/.

As Stretch would say, "No tickee, no lambee!"

Former Crocodile Club Prez Warns Dunaway

Gerry Brooks, a Hartford NBC news anchor, served as Crocodile Club president some years ago, at the request of the late Stretch Norton, who ran the dinner for decades.

He's clearly got a good memory of the event and told me organizers made a good choice in picking WTIC's morning talk show host, Ray Dunaway, as this year's emcee.

“I'm glad they got Ray to preside over the festivities,” said Brooks. “He knows everybody, everybody knows him, and he's an equal opportunity offender.”

But Brooks said being the emcee won’t be all fun and games.

“His biggest challenge, of course, will be to try and deny Dick Blumenthal's request that he speaks first because he's ‘gotta run.’ And believe me, that is a challenge.”

The Crocodile Club used to draw hundreds of politicians, local celebrities and hangers on to the Starlite Ballroom at Lake Compounce every August. The last dinner was in 2002. After that, Stretch, whose great-great grandfather, Lake Compounce founder Gad Norton, started the tradition, announced that he couldn't manage it anymore.

The event is being revived as a fundraiser for the New England Carousel Museum, which seems fitting, given the love Stretch had for carousels.

Tickets are $50 each for the dinner, which begins at 2 p.m. in the ballroom following a social hour. Mail orders to the Crocodile Club, c/o the New England Carousel Museum, 95 Riverside Ave, Bristol, CT 06010. For more information, contact the museum, at (860) 585-5411 or download the reservation form on its website at www.thecarouselmuseum.org.

What Wheezy Windbag May Appear at the Croc

I'm not sure why the story I wrote yesterday for The Bristol Press about Ray Dunaway hosting this year's Crococile Club didn't make it into today's paper.
I think it's pretty interesting news.
It's not on the Press website yet, either, and I'm not supposed to reproduce stories on the blog, so I'll just give you a little bit of it.
Ray Dunaway plays the accordian. He might, and I say MIGHT, mind you, bring his up out of the basement, dust it off and bring it to Lake Compounce for the big event.
That would be sooo cool!
There are places an accordian really fits in, and the Crocodile Club is one of them.
I hope this year's Crocodile Club president (that's you, Ray!) brings his squeezebox to the Starlite Ballroom and favors us all with a tune.
In case you didn't hear, the revived club will meet again this year on Tuesday, Aug. 31. It's a benefit for the New England Carousel Museum and tickets are $50, available through the museum.

Ray Dunaway is Top Crocodilian

WTIC's morning host, Ray Dunaway, will be the emcee for this year's Crocodile Club on August 31 at Lake Compounce. The Crocodile Club, which is being revived by the New England Carousel Museum as a fundraiser for the museum, is the nation's oldest eating club. The museum is lucky to get Ray, a well-known talk show host with a good following. He's also a fan of the Crocodile Club, having attended for many years before the late Stretch Norton ended the tradition in 2003 with the sad announcement that he could no longer handle the workload of pulling off the party for hundreds.

So Ray knows the history of the event, which helps a lot. He sounded happy and excited about doing it when I talked with him today. He wants it to be a success and so do I.

The Crocodile Club dinner used to be the place to be each summer, drawing politicians of all stripes from all over the state and sometimes beyond. It was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to its revival.

I wrote about the selection of Ray for Friday's edition of The Bristol Press, so you can see the whole story at http://www.bristolpress.com/.

The Croc Is Back!

Yesterday I wrote a story for today's edition of The Bristol Press about how the New England Carousel Museum is bringing back the wonderful tradition of the Crocodile Club to Lake Compounce.
The "club meetings" were one of the most interesting, fun and charming events I discovered after moving to Connecticut in 1993 to work for the Press. I loved going to the Crocodile Club and attended every year. I even went while on maternity leave, bringing my infant son. I think he should be on record in Stretch Norton's book as the youngest Crocodilian!
Anyway, it's a great tradition. I will miss the late, great Stretch Norton, because he and the club were interchangeable in my mind. But Stretch had a lot of support to pull off the party every year, so I've no doubt some of them will lend a hand to make it happen this year. It's hard to imagine it going on without him, but then again, it's a very cool legacy for Stretch to have. I'm sure the museum will do everything it can to make sure his presence is felt.
The photo above is an old one of the Casino at Lake Compounce, where the Crocodile Club always meets. Jerry Brick, the general manager of the park, is donating the Starlite Ballroom and furnishings and Dave and Mike Pasqualicchio at Nuchie's are handling the traditional meal of barbecued lamb, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sliced tomatoes, watermelon and a beer.
Louise DeMars at the museum tells me that Tom Barnes has the secret corn recipe (how did he get that???) and that Jack Driscoll is in charge of cigars, so it seems they're on track for a wonderful time.
So mark your calendars for August 31. Tickets are $50 and are available from the museum, or on its website: www.thecarouselmuseum.org.

A Peek Behind the Curtain

Exclusively for Extra B.S. readers... here's a bit of insight into the vendor stories.
First of all, it's interesting how many people are commenting on them on the Bristol Press website. My eyeballs are sore just trying to read them.
Though I always wish I had a few more comments on this blog so I'd know people were in fact reading it, I'm even more grateful that I don't get that kind of volume -- or venom.
I'm kind of staggered by it sometimes. The other day I posted why I love readers, because so many people had stepped forward to help Carolyn Norton find the Lake Compounce drawing she wanted to help her design the etching for a gravestone for her husband, Stretch Norton.
By the way, waaay back in 1993 when I first started at the Press and first met Stretch, I asked him how he wanted me to identify him in the newspaper. That, to me, seems the fairest and kindest thing to do for anyone I am quoting. There's not much in life that is so central to someone's identity as their name and I really try hard to respect that.
When I asked all those years ago, he said he wanted to be known as Stretch. Not J. Harwood "Stretch" Norton, like the Courant does with his name. And so I called him Stretch in my stories, out of respect for his wishes. It's the way he was identified for all those years in many stories that I wrote and my husband Steve Collins wrote for almost two decades in the pages of The Bristol Press.
Then, starting about a year ago when we wrote about Stretch after he died, someone editing the stories changed his name to the style used in the Courant without any explanation, comment, or notice to either of us. I say this to let you know that not all the words under our names is decided by us anymore, so if you're wondering about something that was written, ask.
On Extra B.S. and in The Bristol Blog, which is written by Steve, he's Strech Norton.
But I digress. That ramble all started when I was writing about why I love readers. On the other hand... the vendor comments are enlightening (some of them) but also disturbing in their meanness. I won't respond to the meanness, since I haven't got all day and my fingers would fall off, but I will respond to some of the rest.
Some posters griped that I was only writing about the inspection reports on the vendors and not the restaurants, too. Some thought that the health district just recently did the inspections on the vendors. Some demanded to know the inspection reports on all the restaurants in town.
The health inspections were the most recent available for the vendors. Some were done this spring and others last fall. I asked the health district for the reports and they provided them to me.
I only asked for reports on the vendors because people were questioning their cleanliness and sanitation. Until today, no one was questioning any of the restaurants in that way, only insulting the food quality, which is another issue.
Given that this has become such a hot button issue, it seemed important and fair to present the basic facts -- that the vendors have to play by the same rules as the restaurants and that they do pretty well on health inspections.
Compared to the number of restaurants in town, there are not very many vendors. I could manage to sift through those reports in time to write that story, but going through all the restaurant inspections would take much longer.
As a reporter, I have to work under the constraints of time and space. I can't put everything in the story and I can't look at inspection reports for the whole town and write about them all in a couple days, assuming the health district would provide them that fast.
In case you didn't realize it, the number of reporters covering Bristol at the Press anymore is 2.5. One person works half time in Bristol covering the police and the schools and the other half of her time covering Plymouth.
Steve and I write about everything else in Bristol -- government, politics, business (that includes ESPN and Lake Compounce), non-profits, social and human services, land use, public works, sewers, roads, bridges, health, the hospital, museums, veterans, parks, downtown development, blight, housing and the occasional quirky thing that doesn't fit a category. And plenty more that are not coming to mind right now.
The choices that are made as to what to cover and how to spend our limited time are crucial. Sometimes, we make those decisions. Other times, it is an editor who decides. They get the final say, after all.
If you ever want to know why something was covered, please ask me! If it was my idea, I will certainly tell you why I thought that story was worth not only my time, but yours.

Why I Love Readers

I wrote a story for the Bristol Press, which I also put on this blog, about how Carolyn Norton was looking for an old Lake Compounce logo to use as the basis for an etching on the gravestone of her late husband, Stretch Norton, a former mayor of Bristol and a lifelong lover of Lake Compounce, which was founded, owned and operated by his family for generations.

Anyway, not long after my story appeared, a couple of readers -- I believe both are from out of state -- produced this logo.

I'm not sure if this is what Mrs. Norton is looking for, but I suspect it may well be. If anyone out there has anything else, please send it to me. She thought the logo had the outline of Compounce Mountain on it, and three rides -- the carousel, roller coaster and Ferris wheel, but she could be mistaken. It's also possible that there's another old logo out there.

In any case, if you have anything different, send it along to me at jmajerus@bristolpress.com and I will make sure she gets it.

Thanks so much to those who found this one. Even if it's not what she was looking for, I know Mrs. Norton will be grateful for the effort expended on her behalf.

Does Anyone Have Old Compounce Logo?

Carolyn Norton is looking for some help.
She's trying to design a gravestone for her late husband, the former Mayor Stretch Norton, whose family owned and operated Lake Compounce for generations.
Stretch died last spring, and Carrie wants to have a nice design on the gravestone that shows Compounce Mountain, the Wild Cat roller coaster, the carousel and the Ferris wheel. She said the park's old logo from the Norton days showed a nice view of all of it.
If anyone has a piece of paper with that letterhead, a business card or anything else, please let me know and I'll pass the word to her. You can email me at jmajerus@bristolpress.com or call me at 860-523-9632. She doesn't need to have the item, only take a picture of it.
She's a very nice woman and if you can help her, I'd be grateful.

Where A Cellphone Can Take Your Place in Line

Lake Compounce is the first American park to try new cellphone text messaging technology for people who hate to stand in line.

The nation's oldest amusement park is teaming up with Lo-Q, a British company, to offer Text2Ride, which will, for a fee, allow your cellphone to virtually stand in line for you.

I wrote about this for Tuesday's edition of The Bristol Press (http://www.bristolpress.com/). It seems like it might be worth it if you're especially fond of a particular ride and are there on a busy day.

The cost is going to be about $1 extra for each time your phone takes your place in line.

For some people, it's sure to be worth it. For others? Maybe not so much.