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ARTHUR B. POOLE
AWARD
1976 Honoree
NORMAN
F. BARBER
Harwinton Volunteer Fire Chief Norman
Barber became the second recipient of the Arthur B.
Poole Award.
Norman “Brother” Barber was instrumental
in starting the Harwinton Volunteer Fire Department.
Norman worked for 35 years for the State Highway Department,
retiring in 1962. Andrew Kasznay Jr. commented that
Norman’s devotion to his job showed in his once
snowplowing for 64 straight hours during a bad 1955
snowstorm.
Among Barber’s accomplishments is his work with
the Harwinton Agricultural Society, he was once vice
president of that organization and has long served on
its board of directors.
One of Norman’s greatest services to the town
was his hard work in renovating the fairgrounds in the
fall of 1963. It included tearing down the old two story
structure on the front part of the fairgrounds and moving
an existing structure back.
Last year’s recipient Ray Bentley told of a trick
Barber once played on him. He had hired Barber to cut
a cord of wood for him. Bentley said he was happy when
soon after the wood was neatly piled. The job seemingly
complete Bentley paid him the agreed upon fee. Much
to Bentley’s chagrin, on close inspection, it
was found that Barber had found a large rock which he
used as the center of the woodpile and had meticulously
piled logs around it to hide this fact. “This
was the time Bentley had purchased a cord of rock,”
Bentley remarked with a note of dismay in his voice.
Of his many community services Barber said, “I
did it all, never thought about it and I enjoyed it.”
He said the award came as a shock when he was notified
by the Poole Committee member Lloyd Shanley Jr., that
he had been named the recipient. Barber said he was
hesitant until an unidentified voice on Shanley’s
end of the phone connection said, “tell that man
he has to take the award! So I took it.”
Barber said he was most grateful and that winning the
award was a moment he would never forget.
Soures:
Harwinton Historical Society Scrapbook
The Torrington Register Newspaper
For Photos
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