PLYMOUTHTERRYVILLE - Terryville's favorite son, the selfproclaimed Polish prince of comedy Thaddeus Konopka, better known as television's Ted Knight, returned home Wednesday for the first time in more than two years.
Knight, who won two Emmy Awards for his role as a bumbling television news anchorman on the Mary Tyler Moore Show, decided to stop for a leisurely visit in Terryville between business talks in New York City and his former military unit's reunion in Providence.
"I feel the need for an emotional trauma," Knight said of this weekend's reunion of the 296th Combat Engineer Battalion, First Infantry Division. Knight saw service with the unit in Europe during World War II.
"This will be the first time I've seen these guys in 33 years, " Knight said.
Knight spent about an hour in Town Hall swapping stories with Mayor Donald Kucinskas, with whom he attended local schools, Office Manager Helen Grabowski, his cousin Henry Kovaleski and several visitors. The subjects ranged from what makes comedians tick to what Knight sees as the need for urban renewal in downtown Terryville.
"Now I remember who you are," Knight said as Kucinskas entered the office. "You look almost the same, only you're a little burlier," Knight said grasping the mayor's outstretched hand. Kucinskas had not been in office when Knight was in town for Bicentennial festivities.
[Ted's Back In Town: Terryville native Thaddeus Konopka, better known as television's Ted Knight, greets Plymouth Police Chief John Krinitsky at Town Hall during a Wednesday visit. Knight was in Terryville before a weekend reunion of his World War II Army unit in Providence. Knight played Ted Baxter in the popular Mary Tyler Moore television series.]
The two traded school day yarns and Knight recalled that Kucinskas had worked in his family's bakery business driving a delivery wagon. "I see you've stopped eating the jelly doughnuts," Knight quipped.
"I would endorse this fellow for the presidency," Knight boomed in his best Ted Baxter voice.
On a more serious note, Knight said he was concerned over what he described as a deteriorating, "tacky" downtown section. He reminded the mayor of his idea to renovate part of the abandoned Eagle Lock complex as a theatre and "cultural mall."
"If you can get a little theatre started there, I'd come back and put on a play every now and then," the actor promised.
Knight said this trip was the first opportunity he's had "to discover what's happening to the town economically and politically" and led him to comment that he "was glad" to see Kucinskas involved in politics.
"This is a special town, " Knight said in all seriousness.
"I wish every kid could grow up where there were traditional values, the kind we had that were brought by the immigrants. We don't have them anymore, but over the years those values have been my sustenance."
Knight said he was in no hurry to return to a regular television series and in fact backed out of an agreement with CBS to deliver a pilot program for a series using the Baxter character. He may return to that but Knight said the programming situations at all the networks was "insanity."
He said he would be happy with guest roles and an occasional special until he can do a series more on his own terms.
[The Bristol Press, Thursday, October 5, 1978]