Historical Disclaimer
Please Note: The following historical account contains terminology such as "retarded," "mental retardation," and "subnormality." While these terms are recognized today as outdated and discriminatory, they are preserved here solely for absolute historical accuracy to faithfully reflect the legal titles, primary source documents, and public records of the mid-to-late 20th century.
From Isolation to Inclusion: Mainstreaming Special Needs in Cheshire
It wasn't a top-down mandate that started it; it was a dedicated group of parents who refused to let their children be hidden away. On March 10, 1959, this movement solidified locally when The Cheshire Association for Retarded Children, Incorporated was officially chartered.
The Early Grassroots: 1950s and 1960s
Before the mid-20th century, community programs or public education options available for children with intellectual disabilities were virtually non-existent. Local efforts to build visibility and provide localized enrichment started almost immediately following incorporation:
- The Chapman School Exhibit (May 1959): In mid-May 1959, an exhibit of handcraft articles made by children in a special class at Chapman School was proudly displayed at the Cheshire Public Library in observance of National Retarded Children's Week. During this public relations push, the association presented the library with a copy of the landmark text "Mental Subnormality" by Masland, Sarason, and Gladwin. Mrs. Malcolm White served as the treasurer of the concurrent financial drive to aid these local children.
- The Fight for Summer Programs (June 1968): By the late 1960s, regional parent groups began lobbying municipal leadership directly. On June 22, 1968, records show that John Neardon, board chairman of the Meriden Regional Center and Work Shop for Retarded Children, petitioned the Cheshire Board of Selectmen for an $880 town contribution to secure a seven-week summer day camp experience for 12 local children. While First Selectman John Mark Bishop and Selectman William E. Kennedy Jr. debated where the town budget funds would come from, a group of more than a dozen local parents personally attended the session to advocate for town-subsidized transportation.
Camp Culture and Community Holiday Bazaars: The 1970s
By the 1970s, the push for local recreational inclusion was turning standard public facilities into hubs of summer and civic activity:
- Camp Highlight at Highland School: This dedicated day camp became a staple of Cheshire summers. In June 1976 and July 1978, public notices confirmed that Camp Highlight operated right out of Highland School, providing bus transportation, swimming, and structured recreation for the town's special needs children. Concurrently, separate regional programs like Camp Caravan at the Mixville Recreation Area expanded nature study, cooking, and craft options.
- The Cheshire High School Christmas Bazaar (December 1976): Community fundraising became a true town-wide affair. On Sunday, December 10, 1976, the Cheshire Association for Retarded Children hosted its holiday bazaar at Cheshire High School. Children's room librarian Mrs. Betty Lawlor screened movies to occupy children while parents browsed booths featuring hand-sewn knits, crocheted items, home-baked goodies, and a raffle. Publicity chairman Mrs. Wilmer Specht coordinated the collection of donated tag sale items, funneling the proceeds back into local activities.
The Rise of Vocational Independence: COCO and Beyond
As special needs children grew into adulthood, the town quickly realized that inclusion could not stop at high school graduation. In 1977, a foundational non-profit organization was established to address this gap: Cheshire Occupational & Career Opportunities (COCO).
[Late 1970s: Darcey School Grounds] ───> [1980s: 539 West Main St. Sweet Shoppe] ───> [1991/1995: 691 Business Park]
(Temporary Trailers) (Candy Production Workshop) (Accredited Expansion)
(Temporary Trailers) (Candy Production Workshop) (Accredited Expansion)
COCO fundamentally transformed adult transition services across three major eras:
- The Darcey School Trailers: In its early years, COCO operated under cramped, highly modest conditions, utilizing temporary trailers parked on the front lawn of the Darcey School parking lot, which shared a single bathroom for 30 workers.
- The Sweet Shoppe Solution (1988): To provide realistic vocational training, COCO ran a sheltered workshop on the Darcey grounds alongside a dedicated retail storefront located at 539 West Main Street, teaching clients how to make, package, and sell candy. In late February 1988, newly hired Executive Director Peter Mason took over operations. Local families, including Mr. and Mrs. Neil Longobardi of Sharon Drive, hosted community welcoming teas to display the candy handiwork of their daughter and other workshop participants.
- Santa’s Secret Shop (1986): COCO quickly wove itself into Cheshire's holiday fabric. Led by Director Diane Link, workshop instructor Diane Yarish, and event co-chairwoman Clare Bauknecht, COCO ran its annual "Santa's Secret Shop" fundraiser at the Cheshire First Congregational Church. Essential to daily retail candy operations, Penny Lynn Smith worked hand-in-hand with this core leadership team, managing the bustling candy retail store at 539 West Main Street. This public boutique network drew nearly 350 children in its first year, allowing local youth to buy affordable holiday gifts handcrafted by COCO clients.
- Industrial Relocation and Accreditation (1991–1995): By March 1991, under Mason’s continued leadership, COCO officially graduated from its cramped Darcey School trailers into a modern corporate suite at the 691 Business Park on East Johnson Avenue. Receiving a prestigious three-year national accreditation from the National Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, the program supported 28 adult clients. In these rooms, workers like Michael Stango, Anna Cintron, and Joseph Hoffman were trained for mainstream employment.
Civic Support and Infrastructure Integration
This push for inclusion was consistently bolstered by Cheshire's civic clubs and infrastructure planning:
- The AARP Transit Petition (January 1979): On January 18, 1979, the local Cheshire chapter of the AARP actively petitioned the Town Council for funds to operate a specialized, wheelchair-accessible transit van. The vehicle, purchased by the State of Connecticut, was explicitly designed to bridge the gap for 60 local mobility-impaired individuals traveling between regional medical facilities, the Darcey School Program, the public educational system, and the Cheshire retarded association. The meticulously kept budget from that year reveals the exact grassroots costs of early integration: operating the single van cost $10,763 per year in driver/dispatcher salaries, with fuel budgeted at a mere 72 cents per gallon.
- The Kiwanis Club Colonial Breakfast (November 1986): On Sunday, November 22, 1986, the Cheshire Kiwanis Club held its 16th annual Colonial Breakfast at Cheshire High School. Led by first vice president Nat Messina and former president John Wolff, the feast served over 325 residents and raised more than $1,200 to benefit the town's special needs citizens and local youth leagues.
Local Corporate Partners: Putting Inclusion to Work
When Peter Mason took the reins at COCO in 1988, his immediate objective was to look beyond the sheltered workshop and secure state Department of Mental Retardation funding to support "community-based training". By March 1991, COCO successfully partnered with several prominent area employers to place adult clients into minimum-wage positions and commercial subcontracts:
Partner Type
Employer / Business Name
Nature of Historical Work / Subcontract
Industrial / Manufacturing
The Siemen Company
Subcontracted client crews to assemble and manufacture wire terminals in-house.
Nutmeg Utility Products Inc.
On-site placement of adult workers for industrial utility assembly lines.
Thompson Candy Factory (Meriden)
High-volume confectionery packaging subcontracts extending from Sweet Shoppe training.
Commercial Retail & Service
K Mart (Wallingford)
Commercial floor maintenance, product stocking, and retail logistics.
McDonald's Restaurant
Early food service enclaves and individual kitchen/dining area maintenance.
Kurtz and McKinley Farms
Agricultural processing, sorting, and seasonal bulk packaging.
Local Civic / Municipal
Sport Club
Bulk promotional mailings; club manager Clay Yalof praised COCO teams for sorting and envelope-stuffing.
Convalescent & Private Homes
Early independent placements; individual clients worked directly in local convalescent homes and eldercare assistance.
The Enduring Legacy
The blueprint laid by these mid-century parents, educators, and early business partners completely restructured how Cheshire viewed community accountability. Today, that original framework survives directly through Abilities Without Boundaries, the modern successor to COCO based right here in town. The multi-decade timeline of advocacy proved that local inclusion was not only a moral imperative but an executable reality—ensuring that Cheshire's special needs children grew up integrated into our schools, employed in our businesses, and valued as lifelong neighbors.
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