Life in the Fisbowl!

Admittedly there were some drawbacks concerning Fred's News ownership. These drawbacks were viewed through the eyes of our children and only when it concerned the lack of privacy in their lives. Mom and Dad were busy providing for the children and yes, there were hardships. Living with memories that we could not always attend functions with and for our children, is sometimes be an extremely hard pill to swallow. On the positive side, Fred's News' patrons were like a giant paparazzi. They would let us know of our kids' location on a daily basis. Great for us, not so great for the kids. Everyone knew the "boys"! Irritating doesn't even begin to describe their feelings. Middle son Matt owned a Volkswagen Rabbit with flames painted on the side. That alone made the statement..."look at me, teenage wheels!" Oldest son Todd also had a VW Rabbit until he was in a minor accident near Carlson's Pond on Rte. 207 in Franklin. A loyal patron immediately came into the restaurant informing us of the mishap, at the the same time letting us know Todd was okay. He then purchased a Pontiac Fiero. "Hello", this also said "look at me!" Youngest son Mark opted for what his brothers called "the family truckster" or a "pepere car". It was a black Ford sedan with a luggage rack. Nothing about it screamed "look at me!" Mark figured he could "fly under the radar!" buy rarely did he "fly alone." That boy always had a group of friends with him and the "family truckster" was the vehicle of choice. Mark got his license shortly after his sixteenth birthday. The next day, without our knowledge he headed to Boston's Quincey Market in the "family truckster" with a load of friends. We probably would of never known, however, the "patron paparazzi" sighted him and immediately checked in at Fred's News. No wonder Mark had opted for the "pepere car".

It wasn't until they were older and my Dad passed away that we realized how lucky we were the "patron paparazzi" really existed. After Dad's funeral, family and friends had gathered at Fred's News. We had a small reception upstairs at the house, everyone remembering Dad and Grampa stories. The boys started telling us some of the crazy things they had done during their teen years. OMG.....its seems Mark was not the only one who flew under the radar. There were times they had all outwitted the "patron paparazzi!

People always came to Fred's News for the food, friendship, conversation and info. We always joked that the banner provided by "The Last Green Valley" organization, hanging outside the place. advertising "INFO" was more than just tourist info. The publics' need for info had gotten to the point that if a state trooper car was parked down the road and they were talking with someone, Fred's News received a call "hey what's going on down the street?". Really folks! Our "boys" purchased a scanner for their parents at Christmas one year. Great idea for the "concerned public", bad idea for Mom and Dad. We now realize it was their way of saying "Okay, we own a restaurant "news stand", thanks for the life in the fishbowl!" Gotta love those boys!

Yuk...Brussel Sprouts!

"Just taste it, you might be surprised, you'll like it!" laments a frustrated parent. "No way!" is the immediate response from their disgusted child. I cannot remember how many times during the course of a day I hear remarks along those lines. Thinking way back I can remember still sitting at the dinner table, two hours after dinner was finished, with two peas on my plate. I had made the ultimate mistake of announcing before the dinner hour started "I ate peas at Teresa's house the other night and they were good!" For the record, Teresa was my best friend during my early childhood years. Although we didn't see much of each other after our school years, we would occasionally bump into each other at the grocery store. The friendship was once again renewed after she began frequenting Fred's News every weekend. As she entered the front door with her now grown daughter and grand kids, (she had no idea we owned the place,)we both just stared and then laughed, totally amused at how our lives had come first circle. It was a though we had seen each other everyday for all those years. Teresa continued to be a regular at Fred's News until we sold the place in November of 2007. About a year or so after we relocated to Florida, I received the news she had passed away. Looking back I see only the happy times of youth. We walk to the school bus together every morning. During the summer months we'd swim in the Yantic River swimming hole,(OMG), and during the winter, sledding at Sharp's field, now the Norwich Industrial Park and yes, we'd eat dinner at each other's homes on a regular basis. Which in a round about way bring me back to my original point. My God, I am beginning to write like I talk...get to the point!

The peas sitting on my plate bore no resemblance to the pretty little plump things I had consumed at Teresa's house the previous evening. These two olive drab shriveled things looked disgusting! However, they were peas! Point well taken but those ugly "bad boys" were not going to pass my lips. Had I kept my mouth shut, I could of been outside playing with the rest of the neighborhood kids on an awesome summer night!

At Fred's News were spent many years joking and laughing with young children not wanting to eat what the parents had ordered. Although none ever sat there for two hours, with two ugly peas on there plates, there were some tense moments at best. Kids preferred sausage patties over sausage links, crusts cut off the toast and made into little triangle shapes. Cinnamon sugar was also a big plus. Apple Jacks and Alpha Bits cereal also wiped away many a tear. One young man, who later worked for us, had been coming into the store from birth. Josh was a character at best,an outstanding young man whose taste buds were developed well beyond his years. Both his parents, professional people, were at times at wits end as to what Josh wanted to eat. As a toddler he'd spend the day at daycare being picked up by the parent who was finished with their day first. So that Mom and Dad could enjoy a late dinner, many times Josh would have a quick snack at Fred's News on the way home. His loving daycare provider served him his nightly dinner. Josh's snacks were not that of normal three year old palate. Olives and anchovies just to name a couple gives you an idea of his preferences. By the times Josh was eleven or twelve he was able to cook the family a gourmet meal, really!! Although a fantastic athlete, Josh preferred to cook, browse through restaurant magazines or catalogs which we provided, grow herbs on the edge of the sunken tub in the family bathroom, (the humidity and light from the skylight provided excellent growing conditions!)or just plain experiment with foods. To bad he hadn't been my mother's child...he loved peas...just for the record..."No, I did not consume those peas...they scarred me for life." Actually I love peas now...fresh one only, much better color. My diet is mostly and quite ironically...VEGETARIAN.....and yuk, I don't do BRUSSEL SPROUTS, ugly and slightly larger green things!!

"Is a Coffee Shop Just a Coffee Shop?"

As a young child listening to parents and grandparents talk about their "good old days", I often thought,"I'll never be that way!" OMG...I have probably never been more wrong!. For the record, "I made a mistake!" It's not that we talk about the "good old days", it's more like we miss certain things from that era. My husband grew up in the City of Norwich. He lived in the Breed building above the Sugar Bowl. Ah yes, a coffee shop! We've talked often about that. Although he was only six when the family moved to Scotland Rd. in Norwich, he remembers awakening to the aroma of fresh brewed coffee. Years before we became the owners of Fred's News, we would talk about those days and how it must of been very comforting to the patrons of the Sugar Bowl, just knowing that a fresh cup of coffee and newspaper would be waiting for them every morning. Ironically, neither one of us ever went there, it was just one of those neatly tucked away memories or just part of an overheard conversation from our parents. We have no idea if the coffee was great, or if it was the company of the early morning crowd that made it unique, perhaps a little bit of both. We remembered listening to friends talk of similar circumstances and each one of these memories made our final decision to purchase Fred's News, a "no-brainer."

Other than babysitting and being "Candy-Striper" volunteer at the Backus Hospital, my first job with a paycheck was at Goldberg's Store in Norwich. Friends and I would walk from Norwich Free Academy everyday to Beverly Tea Room, have some fries or a burger and soda, then head off to work or whatever. It was for our age group, the "thing" to do. Our own hangout. Mr. Valace would yell at us, his son would do the same. Many years later, the son would visit us at Fred's News. We'd talk about those days and how they were so much fun. He DID NOT "feel the fun" at that age. He admitted he felt much the same way my kids did, "growing up in a fishbowl", only now realizing how much he misses it. Memories like that assurred us we had made the right decision in owning Fred's News.

We now live in sunny Florida, a universe away from the days of Fred's News. We, of course, miss our friends. We miss the aroma of fresh brewed coffee and the early morning chatter of everyone who ever came through the door, they were all friends. We are often asked, "Are you ever sorry you sold the place?" Of course not, it wasn't a snap decision, we thought of all the pros and cons. What does cause our sadness? There will be no further memories created within the walls of Fred's News. Stories, however, will live on.

Recycling at Fred's News

Fred's News employees were as diverse as the patrons they served. Early on in our career as small business owners, it was basically family that helped. There were however, some very loyal friends that would step up to the plate whenever uncontrollable chaos would surface. Joe, also fondly known as "Egger" was always willing to assist. An educator by choice, an outgoing and naturally funny personality by birth, Joe, for years, was a regular at Fred's News. Although as a teenage he was not allowed to "hangout" in front of the place, that quickly changed. Joe actually was on our payroll on weekends and whenever his schedule allowed. As we started changing the format inside Fred's News to reflect more of a restaurant atmosphere than an extremely cluttered coffee shop/junk shop/convenience store, Joe was always willing to help go through boxes and boxes of merchandise and whatever else that was found in every nook and cranny. Between our kids and Joe their discoveries were at times, different. In an earlier blog, I mentioned that the place was a precursor to todays' CVS or Walgreens. Visualize what possibly could of been found in those boxes. One of the first discoveries were fifty year old eye-glasses with rims that reminded you of cat eyes. They wore these around the restaurant much to the delight of the customers. Another popular find was old plastic pop bead necklaces, a short-lived Fred's News wardrobe accessory, cases of Witch Hazel and Bromo-seltzer tablets that no longer fizzed. "How do we know they didn't fizz any longer?" you ask. Silly, silly question, "they tried them!" Not literally by drinking them, but by lining up glasses of water and checking them out. They found old boxes upon boxes of "fleet enemas." No, they DID NOT try these! Perhaps the most enlightening piece of old merchandise to be found, at least for our youngest, at age ten, were packets of old condoms. No, they DID NOT try these either! At least not in the way they were meant to be used. Instead they got the brilliant idea, let's blow them up and hang them on door handles for "party decorations". Lovely! Scared the crap out of me as I reached for the back-door to enter the restaurant. Luckily, it was the time of day that only a few of the regulars joined in the festivities. As the days and weeks moved on, they thoroughly enjoyed "their archeological digs" into the long lost inventories of an earlier Fred's News.

Our first holiday party for employees of Fred's News was interesting. Joe got the brilliant idea everyone should have a festive hat. If my memory is correct they were made from cleaned and recycled tub butter containers, all of which were adorned with many other items found in the catacombs of Fred's News. These "new wave chapeaus" made from recycled "finds" were quite the rave! At least within the confines of Fred's News!

Shetucket River Valley Rescue

As I have mentioned a number of times before, Sprague was once a bustling textile center. The original mill owners constructed duplexes otherwise known as "mill houses or company houses" for all employees of the Baltic Mills. There were other buildings, all part of the Baltic Mills Enterprise. The nursery building and the company store, where employees would do their weekly shopping and be able to "charge it". Of course monies were taken out of every paycheck but it was all part of the process of taking care of their employees. As the textile industry waned, the mill owners decided to sell the "company houses". These homes were sold to their current residents if they wished to purchase them. Others were just bought up and used a rental homes. I do believe the most expensive homes were not much more than $3800.00. This however did leave the village of Baltic intact. Today the mill houses still exist. Many have been remodeled and are beautiful, a few, however, in desperate need of TLC! The former company store is now used for other purposes, the nursery building is home to "The Nephew" and most other businesses are few and far between. It is no longer fashionable to have a shop on Main or West Main St.

There are glimmers of hope that the village will someday return to its' former glory. The beautifully pristine section of the Shetucket River flowing from the Scotland Dam through the Village of Baltic has been designated as an Atlantic Salmon restoration area and is now protected. Fisherman from all over come to the area to fish with barb less hooks and fly rods, all part of a catch and release program. Fish ladders have been installed all along the Shetucket River up to the Scotland Dam. Hopes are running high that someday the river will be clean enough to sustain the salmon and trout as well as numerous other wildlife. Many of the fisherman would frequent Fred's News ever year during this small but encouraging Salmon run. Other conservation groups have also joined in to restore the river to its' natural beauty. Sprague purchased an area upstream once known as the Mukluk Skeet Club. This shooting club was once owned by "the Brothers" and their friends, all of whom were Fred's News regulars from its' humble beginnings in the 1940's. Their heirs are the ones who decided to sell the club to the Town, therefore prohibiting any commercial or residential sprawl along this picturesque stretch of riverbed. During the summer months, kayakers, canoeist and hikers can be seen walking along the river, all hoping for a glimpse of the bald-eagle families that now call the Shetucket River home. Yes, there is a glimmer of hope for Sprague's resurgence into once again becoming a destination. With this renewed hope, maybe someone will once again open a small-town restaurant where the memories of Fred's News will again bring smiles of happiness for all to enjoy.

A Brilliant Life Wasted

Although most characters that frequented Fred's News were known mostly by their good qualities, there was one that stood alone for being just plain strange, bordering on absolutely weird. Oddly enough the reasons he developed these personalities were evident to all and probably why everyone put up with him...to a point. "Crazy Bruce", who is now in that great big insane asylum in the sky, came from a life of privilege, descending into a life of personal hell. He caused pain and suffering to himself as well as his family who tried to help him. Bruce, before his crazy years, was an outstanding athlete and spoke at least five languages fluently. Society saw glimmers of his former life when he would return from weeks of treatment or his athletic abilities surfaced as he was being chased by someone who would no longer tolerate his antics. Drugs, all kinds, had made Bruce into the crazy man that people eventually despised and actually were afraid of. Oddly, one never knew where and when Crazy Bruce might appear. In our early years as proprietors of Fred's News, Crazy Bruce could be seen wondering around the Town day and night. When he had money, he'd stop at the restaurant for something eat. Just for the record, Bruce would work occasionally for Old Man Harrington. He'd have Bruce do jobs that no one else would do. Cutting brush along the banks of Beaver Brook with an electric chainsaw gives one an idea of the hazardous tasks done by him. If Bruce slipped, we all know what would of happened. Bruce just didn't care, he needed the money for more drugs and if anything was left, food. Crazy Bruce wore glasses that had been broken right across the nose piece. So that they would stay on his face, he did what any "brilliant but crazy" person would do...he taped them, many times. Eventually, he got a new pair and came into the restaurant. We made mention that we liked his new glasses. Without a word, he stopped eating, stared, then removed his glasses and did what any "brilliant but crazy" person would do...he broke them in half, then continued eating. The next day, he was seen with new tape on his new glasses! There were times that Bruce would get into some really bad drugs and his paranoia would manifest itself into ridiculously weird outbursts that occasionally landed him in jail, then lockup for short periods. Had he asked any of his old friends, we would of told him, "Bruce, telephone poles DO NOT follow you!" Bruce should of also learned that maybe blue pickup trucks ARE NOT monsters, but if you keep jumping out in front of them, they WILL hurt you. At one point during his "Blue truck fears", Bruce jumped out in front of Sim. Luckily Sim stopped in time, but Bruce had to summons all of his athletic abilities to out run a very pissed-off Sim wielding a mean baseball bat and hollering obscenities at him! I don't recall Bruce ever doing that again, at least not to Sim.

A number of times over the years, Crazy Bruce was banned from Fred's News. More often than not it was because, people had become genuinely afraid of him. During one of Bruce's exiles, there were rumors that some "out-of-towners" were looking for him. God knows for what reason, I'm sure it wasn't good. They found him, roughed him up badly, but Bruce managed to escape his hideout in the woods along the river. A chase ensued, Bruce ran and ran until he reached Fred's News, then darted inside, dirty and bloody. I might add that this was on a very busy Sunday morning just after the church crowd had arrived. He said nothing as he stood in the doorway trying to hide. He was so pitiful, dirty and scared, he knew we would help him regardless of his past. I managed to get him into the restroom, looked at his injuries and then called the police. Bruce was gone for sometime after that incident, family tried over and over to help. Bruce did not want help, he just wanted drugs. Over the years there were many, many more even stranger events surrounding Bruce. One of these events caused his permanent banishment from the Town. Crazy Bruce was put into some sort of group home, but still could wander the streets of neighboring towns. Bruce died shortly after we moved to Florida. Even though he was strange and could be dangerous, I remember a feeling a sense of sadness upon learning of his death, such a brilliant life wasted.

The Big One that Didn't Get Away!

As a child I lived in the Town of Franklin, Sprague's neighbor to the north, sort of. Bill lived in Norwich, Sprague's immediate neighbor to the south, sort of. Occasionally, we would drive through Sprague to visit family friends or head to relatives in Jewett City. As we'd drive by the Catholic Church and the Academy of the Holy Family, my Mom would always mention Fred's News or as the locals called it, "Libs"! Her comments really were not positive by any stretch of the imagination. I later found out Daddy only acknowledged Mom's statements, he never agreed with them. The area in which Fred's News was located was always of hub of activity. Young people congregated on the sidewalks on warm summer nights, the bar right next door always had the door open and you'd strain to see inside since it was a "forbidden" territory. Right next door to that "no fly zone" area was Allen's Hardware. It was only after I moved to Sprague that I understood why everyone called him "Old man Allen". There was the senior Allen, the junior Allen and grandson Allen. My Dad always called him Mr. Allen when he stopped at the store but when referencing him in conversation, it was "old man Allen!" I never realized there was more than one of them until I moved to Sprague as a young adult. The old movie house was also in between Fred's News and the bar. It was razed sometime around 1963.

Later in the seventies when there was a need for more housing, some apartments were put in where the bar once stood. The the former movie house location was now the parking lot for these units. Most of these building looked their age and since the Town was no longer a textile hub, these apartments over the years housed a variety of memorable characters. After our purchase of Fred's News, we were dubbed the "caretakers of the block", mostly because we were trying to upgrade the image of our new eatery and we wanted a safer environment for our kids to grow up in. This building was owned by a businessman in the area who just happened to own more than just of few of these places. The locals called the place, "LaPere Estates." One of the more memorable residents was Stacy. He shared the apartment with his friend Gene, both were deep-sea fishermen and at times would be out to sea for a week or more. Stacy was a very small, slight man that loved to party and fight. I think he learned to fight because he would tell whopping big unbelievable stories. When his audience would tell him he was full of shit, the little guy would challenge them all. "Full of liquor" as his roommate Gene would say, Stacy would get his ass kicked. Ironically, most of his stories were true and the man must of had nine lives. He had spent quite a bit of time on the Bering Sea going after Alaskan Crab, had a Russian girlfriend that was drop dead gorgeous, and had netted a three-foot long, thirty pound lobster on his last trip out! We can confirm the lobster story, it probably gave me more than just a few extra gray hairs! I was unlocking the walk-in cooler on the back loading dock, getting ready for our day to begin. I never heard him come across the driveway, nor did I hear him stop at the door of the cooler waiting for me. What I did hear, was out of the blackness of the early morning, a slightly inebriated fisherman in the loudest squeakiest voice imaginable, "Hey Diane, look at what the F#@% got caught in the fishing nets! Couldn't throw the poor bastard back 'cause he lost a Goddamn claw and he would of died if we threw him back. He all yours, ya want him? "What I want is for you to please let me know when you are approaching in the darkness at 4:00am and there isn't usually anyone else out here but me. You gave me a Goddamn heart attack!!!" "Oops, sorry" was all he managed to mutter. With that he said "I'm tired, going home to bed. He's all yours"!!!! What the hell was I going to do with this monster at 4:00am in the morning?!