On the Street Where You Live

Bardwell St. 01075


We are walking to the library to pick up some CDs and we see these two chairs. What were they talking about earlier? We think the Presidential debate. "This is more important than convictions." says one. "What would that objectivist say?" says the other.

We like that the porch post on the second floor needs to be painted. But the post on the first floor looks fine.

We like this little pond mostly because the gate is open. Perhaps the lighthouseman is in. Give a knock and say hello!

Back to the conversation. "Did you sleep well?" says one. "I did" says the other. "And did I snore? I wasn't wearing my mask." says one. "I didn't notice" says the other.

Corner of Bardwell and Elm.

Ford F-150. Wow. Does anyone know the year?

We've painted our share of houses but never this color. We like it.

The boy thinks of lighting his pipe. The girl tries not to notice the huge frog to her left.

Litterbug! Litterbug! Fly away home.

I don't think I've ever tried these. You can also get them in low fat. That's good.

America runs on Dunkin. Delicious full-flavored refreshment

Oh, this reminds me. I need to get new tires before winter.

I hope Luis kept his appointment. He dropped his reminder.

I've never tried the French onion flavored. Good Fun!

I sometimes get these out of the machine at work. Eat better all day!

Yummy! I could eat two of these in one sitting.

System wiring diagram for a 1997 Buick Century Custom. Nice ride.

The king of Belgian beers.

Better than soft drinks at Wendy's, some think.

Hey, you dropped something! At least the cap was put back on. Very thoughtful! Thanks!

Easthampton: The Other Side of the Mountain

We live in South Hadley and can't see over the mountain. This is what it's like over here!

Looks like an old farm. The sun is hot but the air is cool. The crickets have lots to sing about. Can you hear them?

This looks like a road we'd like to walk down. We do.

Looks pretty lush in here. We like it.

I think this crossing is going to take awhile. I'll take a rest and have a drink and watch.

The sunflowers look down and laugh at us. HA!

Remembrance: Robert S. Bator 1934-2008

Community Volunteer, Artist and Saloon Singer Searched for Productive Tranquility

Bator wrote his own obituary in the late '80s. Here it is transcribed from handwritten notes. Bator died in 2008:

He was an Army veteran of the Korean Era, serving from January 1955 to 1958. Two and one half years were spent at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland during the height and beginning of the Cold War. Bator spoke and was further trained in the Russian language and sometimes worked in civilian clothes. Aberdeen Proving Ground was and still is a testing ground for ordinance and Army tanks. It hired many civilians that got through the oracles of its top security personnel structure. There were many covert sting operations that Bator was involved in while the McCarthy hearings were taking place. Upon his discharge and duties that satisfied the Army and the government, he went on to Minneapolis College of Art and Design and graduated with a B.F.A in 1962. He came back to his birthplace of Chicopee and took on additional Art courses in the Springfield School System with 'on the job' training with Rich Lithograph, Whittum Printing and Eastern Etching in Chicopee. He developed his graphic techniques in commercial art with photo lab techniques in time exposures. Eventually he branched out in free-lance work in Cleveland, Ohio and designed many Restaurant menus (chain operations on a national level). In the late 60s Bator started creating record jacket covers, when they were an art vehicle for the commercial artist and had excellent exposure in what was once called Record Stores. Bator also followed up on his musical talents doing various voice blends with chorus and duo groups of that period. He recorded with Shaggy Dog Studios* in West Stockbridge -- a Capitol Records affiliate of that time period. Recorded on Rex Records with Larry Chesky and a few pop tunes with Les Barry in the late 50s. Les Barry was a 17-year-old accompanist for the great Al Jolson and tutored Bator on lyric and poise (phrasing) technique. Also supplying him with a few original compositions that were never published but were performed at various U.S.O. tours around the eastern seaboard and various government medical facilities. Bator sang with the Springfield Symphony Chorus in 1959 and 1960. Also performing radio and television commercials for Yale Genton in the early 70s. He tried saloon singing in the early 50s in great showplaces like the former Red Barn and worked with pop singer Dick Haynes back in '54 for one dramatic evening in Chicopee, Mass.* Saloon singing was popular in the 50s and also early 60s -- if you had the moxie to take the rough crowds. Bator said once 'if they’re drinking and heckling, drink and heckle back at them and sing or do your act...whatever.' Sometimes it wasn't too smooth of an operation and early exits were called upon for certain performers. But it was fun and one heck of a head-trip. The music industry supplied Bator with a visual vehicle to perform and design...but alcohol began to take its toll in the early 60s and there would be numerous rehabs and programs in AA that would give him only brief periods of productive tranquility. He explored fine art, abstraction paintings, trying desperately to find a void where Pollock left off. Funding was limited for large canvas attempts in this action art series. Spin offs of Jackson Pollock's style were not always accepted in the 80s when he tried to develop an extension of what he believed the great artist would have liked trying. Bator exhibited once in New York, in Cleveland and Minneapolis at the Minneapolis School of Art and Design Gallery and the Eastern States Expo back in 1962. He was active in community theater groups such as the East Longmeadow Community players. In the mid 70s while freelancing in art, he worked for the City of Chicopee in the Office of Community Development. While block grants were available, Bator did many rehabilitation projects in cost estimates and code enforcement. He was active in rehab work with the mentally challenged on a state level and retired in the field of commercial art. Bator devoted his time to fine art projects and community volunteer work. An active member of the Board of Health, he broke his anonymity in AA by taking part in community related addiction programs for step-by-step recovery and public relations on his own individual effort. He was tireless in trying to reach out for those who had an alcoholic persuasion (affliction). He leaves his wife Joan, and his former wife Celine of Chicopee. His sons Vincent and Yoland of Somerville, daughter Dominique of Chicopee.

*Many pop singers such as Dick Haynes or Don Cornel were on a downward trend because of rock n' roll and played in nightclubs in Western Mass. such as the Red Barn.

Sports Flashback 1980

Chicopee High School: Valley League Golf Champs

The Chicopee High School golf team compiled a 12-3 overall record and a leading 11-1 Valley League record for the 1980 season. Members of the team are: from left, Coach John Stewart, Rusty Randall, Andy O'Brien, Dave Boudreau, Dennis Houle, Jim DiRico, Jim Genest and Brian Maslak.