By Priscilla Searles
A Look Back
Priscilla Searles sticking whipped cream into New Haven Journal Courier editor Richard Roy’s face during Orange’s 150th birthday celebration. Photo courtesy of the Priscilla Searles.
As Orange approaches its 200th birthday in 2022, some of us are reflecting on the town’s 150th celebration. The weeklong event included a variety of activities designed to appeal to all Orange residents. There was something for everyone.
My boss at the time, Richard Roy, editor of the New Haven Journal Courier, decided to take full advantage of one of the activities. He contacted the Keystone Kops and had a warrant issued for my arrest. They obliged by coming to my door – in costume of course – and served me a summons to appear in Kangaroo Court, located in the Firelite Shopping Center. I arrived in time (in costume) without a clue about what to expect. A judge read the charges and then announced that since Roy was a resident of Milford and I lived in Orange, he must be guilty and I clearly was not. Poor Roy was sentenced to the stocks.
The result can be seen in this picture. That is me giving my boss a face full of whipped cream as one of the Keystone Kops looks on. Roy took the whole thing with a smile, but he didn’t run the picture in the paper. Hmm, interesting….
That was almost 50 years ago; he must have forgiven me by now.
If you have a vintage photo of Orange and are willing to loan it to Town Historian Priscilla Searles, contact her at publisher@theorangetimes.com. All photos on loan will be scanned, with the scan becoming the property of the Orange Historical Society. Originals will be returned.