NCCC celebrates 50th with car show

WINSTED — A car show featuring automobiles from the 1950s and 1960s was held on the campus of Northwestern Connecticut Community College (NCCC) Aug. 20 as part of its ongoing celebration of the school’s 50th anniversary.

The 20 vintage cars made a shiny, colorful display. 

Some examples were  Camaros like the two 1969 models owned by Harry Coon and Randy and Renée Pirie;  the 1981 Z28 owned by Sue Deangelis; the 1973 Nova owned by John Cyr; and a 1956 Thunderbird owned by Tom Hanecak. 

“This is my addiction,” Cyr said. “I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. I work on my car. I have to put a clock up in the garage because I lose track of time while working on my Nova.”

“I have three clocks in the garage so there’s one that can be seen from any angle so I don’t  lose him in his work on my Camaro,” Renée Pirie said.

Some of the cars have been with their owners for decades and others are fairly recently acquired. 

Deangelis said she has had her Camaro since 1988. 

“I always liked Camaros and I’ve wanted one since I was in high school,” Deangelis said. 

Coon said he found his 1969 Camaro in a field in Arizona in 1981. 

“I was in the military and stationed in Norfolk, Va., so I had it shipped to me,” Coon said.  “I  really started working on it after about 12 years when my wife finally asked, ‘Are you at least going to paint it?’”

When asked what the draw to the car shows were for each owner, there was a common theme — the comradery of the owners. 

“I like getting to see my friends,” Deangelis said.

“It’s great to be able to keep in touch with people and know that you can call someone up and say ‘Hey, there’s a car show on Friday. Do you want to go?’” Cyr said.

“It’s nice that we’re all interested in the same thing,” Hanecak added. “In all the years I’ve been coming to shows, I’ve never seen an argument.”

Meanwhile, across the street at East End Park, the college co-sponsored the last of the summer concert series with the Friends of Main Street. 

The tie-dye-clad band Sixties Satisfaction serenaded the crowd with such hits as “Happy Together” and “I’m a Believer.”