Frank Nicastro and Dick Inglis, with an alligator, at the last Crocodile Club gathering in 2002.
The Crocodile Club, once the nation’s oldest eating club, drawing hundreds of people each August to Lake Compounce for political gladhanding, is being resurrected as a fundraiser for the New England Carousel Museum.
“We’re very excited,” said Louise DeMars, executive director of the carousel museum. “It’s going to be wonderful bringing everybody statewide, I hope, back to Bristol for this event.”
Invitations, by mail and electronically, are already out for the August 31 event. DeMars said they will also be on the museum website for anyone to access.
“The more, the merrier,” she said.
Jerry Brick, general manager of Lake Compounce, said the amusement park is donating the use of its ballroom, furnishings and some park workers to help. He said the park’s only profit will be from the drinks sold at the bar.
Here is the story on the Press website.
We don't yet know if candidates for governor, the U.S. Senate and more will make an appearance, but this is the perfect year to resurrect the club.
Former Mayor Stretch Norton didn't want it to carry on unless the Norton family was running the yearly dinner, but I always thought he was wrong. The tradition belonged to more than just the Nortons after so many years. It belonged to all of us who participated.
I'm glad the New England Carousel Museum and Lake Compounce are bringing it back.
Now we have to round up the usual suspects and get them to show up.
I hope somebody's calling President Obama. He could use a few hours at Lake Compounce with iffy food, bad cigars and corny jokes.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
5 comments:
Does this mean it is the return of Nicastro too?
I learned from the organizers that the old club that Stretch ran was by invitation only, but this new version is open to the public (for the required donation, of course).
That wasn't really clear to me at first, but the invitations they refer to in their press release were sent to candidates, government officials, etc.
So if you didn't get invited but are a political junkie, you can still go.
Slight revision to my prior post. It is initially by invitation only. (Got mine, thank god.) If tickets remain, they will be available at the door.
To those who say Stretch wanted this to end, I am informed that his widow is on board with the revival. I'm sure there will be a well-deserved and fitting memorial to him as part of the festivities.
Al is absolutely right. We would never have done this without the blessing of the Norton family.
Stretch?? Isn't he the owner who let The Lake run down so badly it looked like a dump for years?
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