1. Today, rain is expected throughout the day, with a high around 56, according to the National Weather Service. Tonight, there is a slight chance of showers, with a low around 36, according to the service.
2. This weekend, Francis “Fran” Sweeney, Waterford’s legendary athletic director, died at the age of 86.
Sweeney was hired in 1951 as a physical education teacher. In the years that followed, he became active in athletics, starting up or coaching nearly every sport that is now played at Waterford High School. Also, Sweeney would always ensure that for every men’s team, there would be a women’s team as well.
In February of 2011, Sweeney was given a plaque that hangs in the Waterford High School auditorium to honor his 56 years of service to Waterford schools. At that event, Patch spent more than a half-hour with Sweeney, where we asked him everything from the key to life to how he met his wife.
Sweeney told Patch he loved his job and “loved every single kid I coached, every single one.” He said if he met somebody he didn’t love, “he would work on loving them.”
“My father always ignored me, never had anything to do with me,” Sweeney said. “I told myself I was never going to be like that, I was going to love everybody.”
To read more about that interview, click here. And to his read obituary, click here. He will be missed.
3. Also, this month 89-year-old Robert Bachman died, a longtime Waterford resident who wrote the book “An Illustrated History of the Town of Waterford.”
People can buy the book at the Waterford Public Library and the Book Barn in Niantic. The book costs $35 for the hard cover version and $25 for a soft cover.
Bachman was a Navy veteran who taught history at Waterford High School for many years, according to his obituary. He also will be missed.
4. Tonight, the Board of Selectmen meets at 5 in Waterford Town Hall. The meeting is open to the public. Meanwhile the Waterford Utility Commission meeting set for 6 tonight has been cancelled.
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5. On this date in 1996, the Oakland, California school board passed a resolution recognizing Ebonics as a distinct dialect. And on this date in 1932, the Chicago Bears defeated the Portsmouth Spartans, 9-0, in the first ever NFL Championship game. Because of a blizzard, the game was moved from Wrigley Field to Chicago Stadium, which could only hold an 80-yard field.
Quote of the Day
“I’m a reflection of the community.”
-Tupac Shakur
Trivia of the Day
On this date in 1787, this state became the third to ratify the US Constitution. In recent years, the state's shoreline has gained fame for being the preferred summer destination for Nicole Polizzi and Michael Sorrentino. What state is it?
Yesterday’s Answer: Fox Mulder was the main character in the show The X Files.
