Waterbury City Guide 2020

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

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Waterbury Photograph By John Murray

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The Waterbury Observer’s City Guide 2020

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155 THOMASTON AVE. WATERBURY, CT. 06702 TEL:203-754-5700 FAX:203-754-5701

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Welcome To Waterbury

A view of downtowan Waterbury from atop Holy Land USA. Photograph by John Murray

The city of Waterbury, with a population of 109,679 and acreage of 28.96 square miles, is the largest city in the Central Naugatuck Valley Region, the fifth largest city in the state and the ninth largest in New England. Located in the region’s geographic center, the city offers a variety of regional retail, commercial, health, education and social services. The city is also located along the Naugatuck River, Interstate 84 (Yankee Expressway) and Route 8, and has a Metro-North railroad station with connections to Grand Central Terminal and is situated 77 miles (about 90 minutes) away from New York City. Waterbury lies in the humid continental climate zone, and normally sees cold, snowy winters and warm, humid summers. Waterbury was once known as the “Brass City” because of its long history as the center of the nation’s brass industry and it is now home to citizens of diverse ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds.

Today Waterbury is taking steps to build a sustainable future that makes the links between transportation, housing and the environment so that neighborhoods are livable and walkable. With the presence of a skilled and educated regional

workforce, affordable real estate, and the convenience and culture of city life balanced by the nearby rural beauty of the country and riverside, Waterbury continues to be known for its advanced technology capabilities, historic architecture and facades, and most importantly, its strong communities, culture and neighborhoods.

Downtown Revitalization

Waterbury offers affordability and one-of-a-kind urban planning. With well over 150 businesses located within its boundaries, which include professional offices, restaurants, entertainment venues, educational facilities, and retail establishments. The central business district offers elegantly refurbished brownstones and turn-of-the-century architecture with affordable housing opportunities, retail and office space.

Main Street Waterbury

The National Main Street Center has recognized Main Street Waterbury as a National Main Street Community by granting

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

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Program Accreditation for “outstanding accomplishments toward the goal of downtown revitalization.” This recognition is presented based on the results of work done and progress made in the preceding year.

Mission Statement: Advocate, educate, and collaborate for downtown revitalization to enhance downtown through the Main Street four point program focus on economic restructuring, promotion, organization and design.

Vision Statement: Easily accessible regional center and downtown neighborhood to learn, live, work and play.

Connecticut residents, many of whom have distinguished themselves in the fields of community service, business, education, law and politics. Today, the campus is located in a modern, state-of-the art facility in the heart of downtown Waterbury.

University of Connecticut at Waterbury 99 East Main Street Waterbury, CT 06702 Phone 203-236-9800 www.waterbury.uconn.edu

Main Street Waterbury 83 Bank Street Waterbury, CT 06721 Contact: Carl Rosa, Executive Director Phone: 203-757-0701 ext.302 www.mainstreetwaterbury.com www.vibesafterfive.com www.brasscitybrewfest.com

Western Connecticut State University

Waterbury Development Corporation

The Waterbury Development Corporation is the premier economic development agency servicing the City of Waterbury. WDC provides direct business financing as well as recommends technical assistance providers, financial counseling and site selection information.

Waterbury Development Corporation 24 Leavenworth Street Waterbury, CT 06702 Phone: 203-346-2607

Downtown Merchants Association

The Downtown Merchants Association is a free forum for all merchants in Waterbury’s central business district to share ideas and work together to improve our mercantile area.

The association strives to unite the Waterbury community through updates on upcoming events and opportunities to participate in making downtown a cleaner, safer, and more lucrative place to be!

Downtown Merchants Association 158 Grand Street Waterbury, CT 06702 Phone: 203-757-2279

Education

In addition to the public school system Waterbury also has a number of non-public, private, and parochial K-12 schools as well as five institutions of higher education.

UConn Waterbury

The University of Connecticut’s Waterbury campus serves more than 1,000 students annually. In its sixty years of operation, UConn Waterbury has opened the doors to educational access and excellence to thousands of

Waterbury is located on the campus of Naugatuck Valley Community College. It offers a convenient location for students in the Greater Waterbury area to take the same academic programs for a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in management or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The same classes are offered n Waterbury as those in Danbury, so Western students may take classes at both locations. All courses are conveniently scheduled to accommodate working students, and are taught by Western’s faculty members.

Western Connecticut State University 750 Chase Parkway, Ekstrom Hall 627 Waterbury, CT 06708 Phone: 203-596-8777 www.wcsu.edu/waterbury

Naugatuck Valley Community College

At Naugatuck Valley Community College, students learn in technologically advanced classrooms amid beautiful, safe surroundings that are conveniently located at exit 18 off of I-84 in Waterbury. The College offers more than 100 accredited programs leading to associate degrees or professional certification and more than 100 non-credit courses to sharpen proficiencies and improve employable skills.

As a member of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (ConnSCU), NVCC offers its students the most affordable prices in higher education and the opportunity to complete their first two years of college right here in Waterbury. Plus, NVCC students receive free unlimited rides on city buses, which makes it easy to get to class day or night. For students looking to complete a bachelor’s degree or beyond, NVCC also offers full credit transfer to Connecticut State Universities, Charter Oak and more.

NVCC is the only Connecticut community college to offer associate degree programs in aviation science, horticulture, and visual and performing arts (dance option). The campus is also home to unique facilities including two theaters, a freestanding greenhouse, an observatory, many teaching and learning gardens and the new Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center. All students have access to the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE ) for tutoring seven days a week, computer use, English as a Second Language help, research assistance, a specialized Math lab and writing center.

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The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

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Waterbury City Hall is an architectural jewel in the heart of downtown. It was designed by world renowned architect Cass Gilbert and completely restored in 2010. Photograph by John Murray Through NVCC’s Bridge to College programs, the College provides early intervention, mentoring programs and academic support services to at-risk students, ensuring the completion of high school, matriculation and college graduation. We are proud to be the first Connecticut community college to grant more than 1,200 associate degrees and certificates at commencement in May 2014.

NVCC alumni become productive employees, raising families and helping to make the Waterbury community economically stronger to live, work and thrive in. Our students find work through the Job Placement Center where they learn how to write a resume, practice their interview skills, attend job fairs and connect with employers who are actively hiring interns or employees. They continue to give back to their College and their community through volunteerism, civic action and annual giving. To learn more about attending your community college, visit www.nv.edu or call us for a tour.

Naugatuck Valley Community College 750 Chase Parkway, Waterbury, CT 06708 Phone: 203 575-8000 www.nv.edu

Post University

Celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2015, Post University provides students with the knowledge, personal skills and experience required to be leaders in their chosen fields.

Located on a 58 acre campus in Waterbury, Post University offers a wide array of undergraduate and graduate degree programs for on-campus and online students of all ages, and is known for its quality, career-driven academic programs, small classes, and competitive NCAA Division II athletics.

The University’s full- and part-time resident, commuter, and online students come from the United States and abroad, and are supported by faculty whose mission is to prepare students to compete and succeed in today’s global workplace. To learn more about Post University, call 800.345.2562, or visit www.Post.edu or http://blog.post. edu.

Post University 800 Country Club Road Waterbury, CT 06723 Phone: (800) 345-2562 www.Post.edu

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Waterbury Public Schools

Approximately 17,445 children attend the Waterbury Public Schools which consists of 19 elementary schools, two Interdistrict magnet schools, three middle schools, three high schools, one alternative education school and one learning center.

Waterbury Public Schools Superintendent’s Office 236 Grand Street Waterbury, CT 203-574-8000 www.waterbury.k12.ct.us Non-public, private, and parochial K-12 schools can be viewed through the City of Waterbury’s web site - www. waterbury-ct.gov Al Yaqeen Academy, Alpha&Omega Christian Academy , Blessed Sacrament Catholic Day School, Chase Collegiate School, Childrens Community School, School Of Norwalk/ waterbury Site, Holy Cross High School, Lighthouse Christian Academy, Our Lady Of Mount Carmel School, Sacred Heart High School, St Peter & Paul School, St Mary School, St. Francis Xavier School, Stepping Stones School, Waterbury Christian Academy, Wee Care Nursery & Day Care, and Yeshiva K’tana Of Waterbury.

www.waterburyobserver.org

Quality of Life

Waterbury is conveniently located at the crossroads of Interstate 84 and Route 8 in one of the most historic and beautiful areas of the country. Approximately one-third of the nation’s total population is within a 500-mile radius.

Known as the “Brass City” because of its long history as the center of the nation’s brass industry, With a population of over 110,000 people Waterbury is the metropolitan center of a thirteen-town region known as the Central Naugatuck Valley Region (CNVR).

Centrally located, this Southern New England City is less than two hours away from New York City, Boston and Providence. The region is widely recognized for its abundant and affordable housing and the city’s neighborhoods offer a wide variety of style and price. Housing costs are competitive and currently below the state average. With comfortable two-bedroom condominiums and three-bedroom homes available in a family neighborhood setting, you’re sure to find accommodations to meet your needs.

For more information, the National Association of Realtors maintains a website known as realtor.com at: www.realtor. com - a comprehensive source for realtors and homes in Connecticut.

One of the unique and interesting aspects of life in Waterbury is its strong sense of community. Waterbury counts as its strengths its ethnic diversity and strong neighborhood associations. Waterbury is proud of the

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Chiropractic is based on applying scientific fact to stimulating your body’s own remarkable resources. These important self-regulating and self-healing functions are controlled by your brain, spinal cord, and nerves.

When the nervous system is impaired through illness, injury or stress it can cause tissues and organs throughout the body to function poorly.

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The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

Questions? Report an Issue?

Citizens Service Center Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (203)597-3444

citizenservicecenter@waterburyct.org www.waterburyct.org

@mayoroleary

City Hall, 2nd Floor • 235 Grand Street • Waterbury, CT 06702 • (203)574-6712

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Waterbury

www.waterburyobserver.org

Registrars of Voters

Hours of Operation: 8:50 a.m. to 4:50 p.m.

Republican Registrar, Timothy De Carlo (tdecarlo@waterburyct.org)

Democratic Registrar, Teresa Begnal (TBegnal@waterburyct.org)

The polling places for November 3rd, 2020 wil be State Districts

Mission Statement The Registrars of Voters are responsible for conducting elections, primaries and special elections and maintaining accurate voter records. Other activities include redistricting, canvassing and registering voters, having special voting sessions and conducting registration sessions at high schools.

Registration Requirements U.S. Citizen | Waterbury Resident | At least 18 years old on or before the next election

Waterbury Polling Places 71-1 Kennedy High School, 422 Highland Ave. 71-2 Gilmartin School, 94 Spring Lake Rd. 71-3 Tinker School, 655 Congress Ave. 72-1 Mount Olive AME Zion Church, 82 Pearl St. 72-2 Jonathan Reed School, 33 Griggs St. 72-3 Woodrow Wilson School, 235 Birch St. 72-4 Regan School, 2780 North Main St. 72-5 Edward D. Bergin Apartments, 70 Lakewood Rd. 73-1 Carrington School, 24 Kenmore Ave. 73-2 Catholic Academy of Waterbury, 386 Robinwood Rd.

73-3 Kingsbury School, 220 Columbia Blvd.

73-4 Sprague School, 1443 Thomaston Ave. 74-1 Chase School, 40 Woodtick Rd. 74-2 Crosby High School, 300 Pierpont Rd. 74-3 St. Peter and Paul School Gym. 74-4 Our Lady of Lebanon, 8 East Mountain Road 75-1 Willow Plaza Community Center, 60 Elmwood Ave. 75-2 Washington Park Community House, 283 Sylvan Ave. 75-3 Maloney School. 233 South Elm St 75-4 St. Francis Xavier Church Hall, 625 Baldwin Street

Voter Registration Forms: Register to vote in Connecticut | Change your name and/or address on current registration Enroll in a political party or change party enrollment

236 Grand Street, 1st Floor, Waterbury, CT 06702 Phone (203) 574-6751 Fax (203) 346-3533

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

Office of the City Clerk Mission Statement The Office of the City Clerk of the City of Waterbury is committed to providing accurate records of all Municipal Board and Commission meetings of the City of Waterbury in a friendly and expedient manner.

Michael J. Dalton, Core Functions • Receive correspondence and keep records for municipal boards and commissions • Provide public access to records of all municipal boards and commissions • Oversee the creation of agendas for municipal boards and commissions • Post and advertise meeting notices and agendas • Schedule, staff and record various meetings of municipal boards and commissions • Oversee and assist the Board of Aldermen in the legislative process, from introduction of proposed legislation to final approval and publication • File, maintain and store all legislation, minutes and other recorded documents related to the operation of city government • Provide copies of ordinances, meeting notices and minutes, and other matters of public information to members of the public • Serve as a document and resource center for the Mayor, Board of Aldermen, City departments and members of the public • Assist in the research of requested information and/or documents • Serve as a direct contact for City departments, outside agencies, and the general public on behalf of municipal boards and commissions • Accept and process claims and suits filed against the City

City Clerk mdalton@waterburyct.org The following is a list of the current fees as charged by the Office of the City Clerk: Charter Operating Budget Capital Budget Three Year Financial Plan Digital Copy of Charter Labor Contracts Copies per page

$30.00 $20.00 $10.00 $10.00 $15.00 $10.00 $0.50

For any documents that exceed $10 in cost, payment will be required prior to the duplication of the documents.

Hours of operation: Mon-Fri, 8:50 a.m.-4:50 p.m.

City Hall- 235 Grand Street, Waterbury, CT 06702 203-574-6741|Fax: 203-574-6745

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The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

Mission Statement

The mission of the Town Clerk’s Office is to preserve and protect all records placed in the custody of this office and to provide a wide range of services to the public in a professional and courteous manner.

OFFICE OF THE TOWN CLERK Core Functions

• Record and Index City Land Records • Issue and Record all Vital Records including Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates • Issue Marriage Licenses • Issue Burial and Cremation Permits • Issue and Maintain List of all City Dog Licenses • Record and Issue Military Discharge Papers • Record and Certify Notary Public Certificates • Record and Maintain List of Justices of the Peace • Maintain City Liquor Permits • Enforce Campaign Finance Filings and Make Available to Public • Various Elections Duties including Issuing Absentee Ballots • Maintain Permanent Records of Elected Officials and Election Results • Provide Graphic Design, Printing and Mail Services to All City Departments

Antoinette “Chick” Spinelli Town Clerk Antoinette “Chick” Spinelli aspinelli@waterburyct.org Town Clerk aspinelli@waterburyct.org

Hours of Operation Mon-Fri 8:30AM-4:30PM City Hall - 235 Grand St., Waterbury, CT - 1st Floor Town Clerk (203)574-6806 | Vital Statistics (203)574-6800

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The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

City of Waterbury DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS 526 Huntingdon Ave (203) 574-6851

185 South Main St (203) 574-6851

Bureau of Refuse

Bureau of Engineering (203) 574-6857

(203) 574-6851 Bart Startup, Supervisor

Paul Bellagamba, City Engineer

Central Vehicle Maintenance

Bureau of Public Buildings (203) 574-6965

(203) 574-6860 Mario Ferrucci, Acting Supervisor

Bureau of Streets

Bureau of Recreation (203) 574-8261

(203) 574-6793 Brian O’Donnell, Supervisor

Victor Cuevas, Acting Supervisor

Bureau of Parks & Golf Courses (203) 574-6860 John Egan, Acting Supervisor Chris Mauro, Golf Course Superintendent

Director of Public Works Deputy Director of Public Works Deputy Director of Public Works

David B. Simpson Mark Lombardo Pat Mulvehill

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Waterbury Senior Center

“Now is the time for you to take advantage of all the resources that our City has to offer!”

The Waterbury Senior Center is a “one stop shop” for Waterbury residents 60 and over. The Senior Center hosts programs like:       

nutrition and wellness seminars fitness classes plus a fitness room weekly blood pressure screenings arts, crafts, and music lessons a pool table and card tables a weekly lunch program and much more!

Participation in these programs and services can help you feel empowered, while improving your mind, body, and spirit. We aim to keep you informed and involved in your community. We can also provide you and your family with information about local agencies and services. The Waterbury Senior Center staff invites you to visit and explore all that the senior center has to offer. If you need transportation to the Center, please call us. We hope to see you soon!

Danessa Marshall Director/Municipal Agent for the Elderly

Waterbury Senior Center 1985 East Main Street St., Waterbury, CT 06705 203-574-6746 www.waterburyct.org/seniorservices

Joan V. Hartley

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

State Senator 15th District

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Best Legislator Most Powerful Woman

Representing Waterbury, Middlebury & Naugatuck

Deputy President Pro Tempore Chair: Commerce

Vice-Chair: Appropriations;Insurance and Real Estate Member: Executive & Legislative Nominations; Legislative Management

Contact Senator Hartley at...

Legislative Office Building, Room 2101, Hartford, CT 06106-1591 Web: www.SenatorHartley.cga.ct.gov

What’s happening at the State Capitol and around the state? Find me on Facebook and find out. It’s paperless, informative and immediate. www.facebook.com — Search: “Senator Joan Hartley”

Joan.Hartley@cga.ct.gov 1-860-240-0006

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Several thousand Waterbury students dash a mile through downtown Waterbury in late May to complete 26.2 miles of training for the Mayor’s Kids Marathon.

The international running fitness and nutrition program was launched a decade ago by New Zealand’s Rod Dixon, an Olympic runner, and the winner of the 1983 NYC Marathon. With the guidance of City Clerk Michael Dalton, YMCA director Jim O’Rourke and Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary, the city now runs one of the most successful programs in America. The Mayor’s Kids Marathon is one of the most positive events in the city every year.

many neighborhood-based community groups that actively promote quality of life for their residents. This type of enthusiasm creates a positive atmosphere in which to live, work and raise a family. Senior Resources are also listed for your reference. Other community resources that provide activities and programs for local families and youths are available below.

Senior Resources East End Senior Center 117 Southmayd Road Waterbury, CT 06705 Phone: 203.757.1307 Meals on Wheels is the most recognized name brand of senior nutrition programs. But other senior meal programs by various names are in many communities in the U.S. and around the world and often go by names other than Meals on Wheels (a generic term generally reserved for home delivered meal programs). While Meals on Wheels programs are delivered to the home, seniors may also find congregate meal programs at local senior centers, churches, or community centers.

Meals on Wheels 232 North Elm Street Waterbury, CT 06704 Phone: 203-756-5261

South Waterbury Senior Citizens South Congregational Church 160 Piedmont Street Waterbury, CT 06706 Phone: 203-754-8154 Transportation provided for Waterbury senior citizens for medical visits, shopping and recreation. Door-to-door service is offered at no additional cost. Van is lift-equipped for seniors who are disabled. The shuttle transports Waterbury seniors to all Waterbury doctors and medical services, including medical buildings in Prospect and Middlebury.

Waterbury Senior Shuttle Phone: 203-757-5355 Hours: Reservations: M-F: 9am-12noon Fees: Donation requested Eligibility Requirements: Resident of Waterbury; Ages 60+; Call in advance New Opportunities’ Elder Services Division offers older citizens a variety of supportive programs which provide everything from affordable household help on a sliding scale, nutrition services including Meals On Wheels, fuel assistance, subsidized volunteer opportunities and more.

Age requirements vary from 55 and above to 65 plus, depending on the individual program.

Animeals, BRASS (Bringing Resources to Action to Serve Seniors), CHORE, Comprehensive Outreach Project for

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

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With experts proclaiming water to be the gold of the future, Waterbury is well positioned as it has one of the finest reservoir systems in the country. An elaborate series of dams and tunnels across Litchfield County diverts the precious resource to the city.

Elders (COPE), Emergency Response System - VoiceCare, Foster Grandparents Program, InHome Services, Meals On Wheels, MedSmart, Money Management Program, RSVP, Senior Cafe, Senior Companions, Senior Dine, Senior Nutrition Hotline, Tribury Friendly Visitors NOI Elder Services 232 North Elm St., 3rd Floor Waterbury, CT 06702 T: 203-575-4268 Elder@NewOppInc.org

Community Resources

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Waterbury is one of the oldest Clubs in America, Established in 1888, the Club has been serving Waterbury youth for 125 years. The Club’s goals stem from our Mission and the goals are for all youth to have a positive self-identity, community involvement, health & well-being, a well-rounded moral compass and educational, employment, social, emotional and cultural competencies by the age of eighteen. The Club does this by promoting the development of young people by instilling a sense of competence, a sense of usefulness, a sense of belonging and a sense of power or influence.

Boys and Girls Club of Greater Waterbury 1037 East Main Street Waterbury, CT, 06705 Phone: 203-756-8104 www.bgcgwater.org

Girls Inc. provide girls with strategies to overcome social, intellectual, and economic challenges while helping empower them to be the change agents for the coming generations. Open six days a week during the school year, Girls Inc. of SWCT offers both summer and after school programs in safe, girl-only empowerment zones.

Each girl can learn, explore, create, and interact with their peers and overcome any challenges. Service area spans from the Greater Greenwich to Greater Waterbury area, including cities such as Stamford, Greater Norwalk, Weston, Bridgeport, Watertown, Prospect and Beacon Falls.

Girls Incorporated of Greater Waterbury 35 Park Place Waterbury, CT 06702 Phone: 203-756-4639 www.girlsincswct.com Waterbury Youth Service System, Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization committed to providing services that promote the overall wellbeing of children, youth and families who reside in Waterbury Connecticut and the 11 surrounding towns.

Waterbury Youth Service has grown to include a wide range of programming and services for children, youth and families and has a diverse client base representative of the demographic makeup of the area. Many services target at risk youth; extensive programming that is non-targeted and open to any youth who desires to participate. Programming

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www.waterburyobserver.org Bill Pierpont leads the Mattatuck Drum Band in the annual St. patrick’s day Parade through the South End of Waterbury. Formed in 1767, the band is the oldest active musical organization in the United States of America.

Photograph by John Murray

and services for children, youth and parents treat the family as a whole.

Waterbury Youth Service System, Inc. 83 Prospect Street, Waterbury CT 06702 Contact: Kathi Crowe, Executive Director Phone: 203-573-0264 www.waterburyyouthservices.org The YMCA is a membership organization open to all people; it welcomes women and men, girls and boys of all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, abilities and financial circumstances.

YMCA programs and branches embrace diversity, reflecting the needs and composition of the community and embody a commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering responsibility.

YMCA 136 West Main Street Waterbury, CT. 06702 Phone: 203-754-2181 Fax: 203-754-9095 www.waterburyymca.org

Healing

Greater Waterbury has two major teaching hospitals, The Waterbury Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital, with a

total of over 600 beds. Both are equipped with Level II trauma centers, have emergency helicopter pads and both are affiliated with Yale University School of Medicine.

The Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center, a partnership between St. Mary’s Hospital and Waterbury Hospital, is home to a collaboration of the outpatient cancer services and resources of both hospitals including: outpatient radiation and chemotherapy treatments, oncology consultations and patient and family support services. Services include: education programs, nutrition counseling and pastoral care.

Most recently both hospitals formed their second partnership to create The Heart Center, an advanced cardiac care program, offering patients at St. Mary’s and Waterbury Hospital immediate access to a complete range of cardiac services, including angioplasty and open heart surgery.

Approximately 400 licensed physicians in all major health fields serve the region’s hospitals and clinics. Multiple ambulance services with trained paramedical personnel provide emergency services.

Today, more than 3,700 of your neighbors and friends are hard at work caring for you, your family and our community.

Both hospitals continue to expand their network of services, forging alliances with other key health care providers and exploring new ways to comfort and cure. The Orthopedics Center for Joint Reconstruction at Waterbury Hospital ranks in the top 5% for orthopedic care, garnering five star ratings

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

The Hummingbird Cafe

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Fresh Juice, Smoothies, Baked Goods, Books, Artwork, Music, Special Events

Michael Kaneb Chelsea Murray Kaneb

“If you’re looking for a cozy spot to have coffee, do a little work on your laptop, read a book or watch traffic on Main Street, there is a place to do it in the heart of downtown Torrington.” The Register-Citizen Tuesday through Thursday 11 am to 5 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am to 9 pm hummingbirdcafe.org

“BYO cup or mug and get a discount”

No Single Use Plastic

79 Main Street, Torrington, CT (second floor)

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203.753.9505

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Featuring a 70' Walk-In Cooler The Largest in Greater Waterbury!

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Best Liquor Store 21 Years Best Beer Selection 17 Years Best Wine Selection 15 Years

The Spirit Shop 657 Watertown Avenue • Waterbury, CT

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State Representative Geraldo Reyes Jr. Reyes is Deputy Majority Leader in the State Legislature and serves on four committees. He represents the 75th District (Downtown, Hillside, Brooklyn East Main Street, Lower Walnut Street and the South End)

• Authored legislation protecting public from sewage spills, plastic bags and straws • Introducing Environmental Justice Law to keep polluters out of Waterbury • Vice Chairman of the Black & Puerto Rican Caucus • Supported fight opposing F&G trash plant • Championing fight for Roberto Clemente Sports Complex at 313 Mill Street • Supported local hurricane relief effort to aid Puerto Rico

• Co-organizer of The Gathering • President of South End Neighborhood Association • Leading 2020 Census Count in 75th Distict

Fighting To Open Up The Process For Everybody

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1833 Watertown Ave • Waterbury

www.waterburyobserver.org

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www.highlinecarconnection.com

Browse our inventory, search for your preferred vehicles, read reviews and find forms and a credit application.

Our website offers convenience; but we still like things the old fashioned way, face-to-face. Please stop by and let us show you what great customer service is all about!

We specialize in auto finance ~

With an excellent credit history you will receive the best rates in the market. No Credit / Bad Credit? No Problem! We understand that bad things happen to good people. Our finance officers will make sure you drive away in a choice car.

– SHOWROOM HOURS – Monday - Thursday 9am - 7pm Friday 9am - 6pm Saturday 9am - 5pm

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com for kip and knee replacement, back and neck surgery, including spinal fusion and overall orthopedic care.

St. Mary’s has combined wellness and convenience through a wellness outpatient facility. The 5,500 sq. foot building is the new home of St. Mary’s Outpatient Physical Therapy Center and includes Sleep Disorder Laboratories.

In addition, the Waterbury Region has numerous licensed residential care homes, nursing centers, assisted living facilities and retirement communities.

St. Mary’s Hospital 56 Franklin Street Waterbury, CT 06706 Phone: 203-709-6000 Waterbury Hospital 64 Robbins Street Waterbury, CT 06708 Phone: 203-573-6000 www.waterburyhospital.org The Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center 1075 Chase Parkway Waterbury, CT. 06708 Phone: 203-575-5555 www.leevercancercenter.org Heart Center of Greater Waterbury Hospital 1075 Chase Parkway

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Waterbury, CT 06708 Phone: 203-575-1992 www.heartcentergw.org

Entertainment

The Palace Theater is a majestic, landmark theater that first opened in 1922. After hosting all the greatest names in entertainment history for almost sixty years, it closed in the late 1980s, following the fate of many similar theaters of its day.

It was saved from the wrecking ball and reopened in 2005 amid great fanfare after undergoing an extensive $30 million restoration transforming it into a state-of- the-art performing arts facility. Boasting a 5,000 square foot stage, a 2,600-seat main hall, an intimate dining space that can accommodate up to 80 for dinner, a grand staircase, and several ornate lobby spaces, this presenting theater offers the national tours of Broadway shows, headline acts and emerging new talent in music and comedy, family and education entertainment.

The Palace has become one of the area’s most desirable venues offering outstanding entertainment choices and a unique backdrop for all your special events and receptions.

Palace Theater 11East Draher Street Waterbury, Connecticut 06708 100 Main Street Waterbury, CT 06702 Telephone: (203) 574-8038 Fax: (203) 597-3438 Phone: 203-346.2000 www.palacetheaterct.org

WATERBURY ADULT CONTINUING EDUC

WATERBURY ADULT CONTINUING EDUCATION

WATERB

11 Draher Street Wolcott Waterbury, Connecticut 06708 Telephone: (203) 574-8038 Fax: (203) 597-3438

Wolcott

Beacon Falls Wolcott Learning is Lifelong...

Prospect

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Waterbury adult Continuing eduCation Learning is Lifelong…

11 DraherLearning Street • Waterbury, CT 06708 is Lifelong...

Telephone: 203-574-8038 Fax: 203-597-3438

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Terrence J. Ballou, Fire Chief

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Hon. Neil M. O’Leary, Mayor

William Quinn, Director of Health

An Important Public Safety Message From Mayor O’Leary’s Opioid Task Force Free Narcan® (Naloxone) Resources Are Available

VISIT WWW.LIVELOUD.ORG

FREE onsite Narcan training is available to businesses & community groups to help prevent fatal Opioid overdoses. The training is provided by a certified trainer from the Waterbury Fire Department.

If you or someone you know is struggling with opioids or other substances, you are not alone.

There are ways to connect and get the support you need. Talk to a peer, call for treatment options, connect on social media, or search for support groups in your community.

To schedule a training, call the Waterbury Health Department at 203-597-3417

OVERDOSE APP NOW AVAILABLE

VISIT WWW.NORASAVES.ORG • • •

LEARN: How to recognize an overdose How to respond to an overdose How to give Narcan®(Naloxone)

Connect:

• • • • • •

Learn:

What are Opioids?

What is Opioid Use Disorder?

What are Treatment Options?

What are the Do’s & Don’ts for Families?

Where is Treatment Available?

What is Connecticut’s Crisis?

Where can I get naloxone?

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: WWW.WATERBURYCT.ORG/OPIOID

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

Want a flexible fuel that gives you year-round comfort?

We offer automatic delivery of high-quality propane, installation, maintenance services, plus a full array of equipment including propane heaters and fireplace inserts, stoves, space heaters and pool heaters. So if you need propane, call us. We’ll help you stay comfortable all year long.

Licenses: B1-306393, S3-385748 S7-308682, HOD-192

860.274.3284 baribaultfuel.com

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600 Main Street Oakville, CT 06779

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Oil, Diesel, Propane, AC, Installation and 24-Hour Service

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Best Local Beer 3 Years In A Row!

A lifelong native of the City of Waterbury, Ed Silva has been brewing beer in his hometown for nearly 15 years. He began as a 10-gallon home brew production delivering high quality, authentic and hand-crafted brew to local enthusiasts.

Ed quickly immersed himself in the craft beer community, participating in local competitions, beer tastings and other community events. His passion grew along with his supporters and within 15 years he began Lasting Brass Brewing Company. Along with six unique recipes, Ed continues to evolve his brewing techniques with experimental batches brewed as often as possible. Lasting Brass brewery is in the Old Pin Shop building in Oakville, CT. The building was originally erected in 1729 by James Williams and used as a gristmill. Lasting Brass is honored to be located in such a beautiful old building whose rich history and character inspire our drive to experiment with our own form of brass.

Thursday 5pm to 9pm Friday 3pm-9pm Saturday 12pm - 9pm Sunday 12pm - 5pm

@lastingbrass www.lastingbrass.com

The Old Pin Shop 1864 Watertown Avenue Oakville, CT 860-417-2581 (Across from Highline Car Connection and on the opposite side of the building as Hardcore Sweet Cupcakes)

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WATR is a part of the fabric of the community.

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Tune in at 1320am or on line at WATR.com for News, Talk and Entertainment, 24 hours a day.

Local News | Local Sports | Local Issues like no other radio station can do it!

Join us!

Steve Noxon

STREAMING LIVE AT WATR.COM AND TUNEIN RADIO

WATR’s personalities include: Tom Chute - Barbara Davitt - Steve Noxon -

Chris Fortier - Bob Sagendorf - Jay Crawford - Suzi Banda - Tom Graves - Joe Costa Larry Rifkin, Nathaniel Zembruski , Tom Hill - Fox News - Tom Shillue - Todd Starnes

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Thousands from the local African-American community attend the Waterbury Ole Skool Cookout every year during Labor Day weeked at Lakewood Park. Former Waterburians travel from all across the country for a celebration of friendship.

The Seven Angels Theatre produces a Main stage

series of quality professional plays and musicals from fall through spring. Seven Angels also presents a summer theatre series, children’s theatre and cabaret concerts. In addition, Seven Angels Theatre runs the Stage II Community Theatre, the Seven Angels Youth Company, a Summer Theatre Camp, and a summer program for “at risk” inner city youths. Also offered are workshops, classes and apprenticeships.

Seven Angels Theatre 1 Plank Road, Hamilton Park P.O. Box 3358, Waterbury, CT 06705 Box Office: 203-757-4676

the only fully-professional symphony in Connecticut. The WSO is now led by Leif Bjaland, Musical Director and Conductor since 1994.

The Symphony draws over 100 talented musicians from across New England to perform in our concert series at the Naugatuck Valley Community College Fine Arts Center in Waterbury and various locations throughout Litchfield County.

Waterbury Symphony Orchestra 110 Bank Street, Waterbury, CT 06720 Phone: 203-574-4283 www.waterburysymphony.org

The Waterbury Symphony Orchestra (WSO) founded in May 1938 under the direction of Maestro Mario DiCecco, has spent the past several decades promoting the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of symphonic and orchestral music. Originally incorporated as the Waterbury Civic Orchestra (1940), the Symphony and its mission have grown in both vision and artistic merit, expanding from a community orchestra to the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra (1956). By the early 1970s, it became

The Mattatuck Museum, located on the Green in downtown Waterbury, is a treasure house of collections focusing on over three centuries of the heritage of the region and the master artists of Connecticut. The museum houses a 300-seat performing arts center, an art studio classroom, and a research library. The Mattatuck Museum was established as the Mattatuck Historical Society in 1877 to preserve the history of that part of Connecticut “anciently known as Mattatuck” - roughly the ten town region surrounding

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FIVE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS: CHESHIRE 1154 Highland Avenue (203) 709-4825 NAUGATUCK New location!

58 Maple Street (203) 723-5636 WOLCOTT 503 Wolcott Road (203) 879-7900

Get in, get out, get on with your life.

Saint Mary’s Hospital Urgent Care Centers have five locations - all conveniently located close to home. Urgent Care you can trust in your own neighborhood, with x-rays, lab services and immediate care for injuries or illnesses.

We also offer OrthoSwift, specializing in treatment of sports injuries, sprains, strains, fractures and injured joints.

With shorter wait times, you get in, get out, and get on with your life.

WATERBURY2 locations!

1312 West Main Street (203) 709-4575 3801 East Main Street (203) 709-4030

CONVENIENT HOURS: URGENT CARE Monday thru Friday: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

LAB/BLOOD DRAW Monday thru Friday: 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

RADIOLOGY Monday thru Friday: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

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Day and Evening Classes Available

Get Your Career In Gear

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

present-day Waterbury. The Mattatuck Museum collects, preserves, studies, and exhibits American art and history with a focus on the art and cultural history of Connecticut.

For more than two decades the Mattatuck Museum has been identified as a leader in youth educational programs, services, and outreach, receiving regional recognition and state awards. It also offers an extensive and varied calendar of Gallery Talks, Lectures, Programs, Tours, Trips, and Events.

Mattatuck Museum 144 West Main Street, Waterbury, CT 06702 Phone: 203-753-0381 www.mattatuckmuseum.org

The Waterbury Chorale brings outstanding choral music to the Greater Waterbury area, while providing an opportunity for amateur and semi-professional singers to enjoy the performance of great musical literature. The Chorale, now in its 45th year, performs a wide range of repertoire, from established masterworks to varied programs of contemporary music and music from other cultures.

The Waterbury Chorale Post Office Box 36

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Middlebury, CT 06762 Phone: (860) 274-0577 www.waterburychorale.org

Shakesperience is a professional theater company located in Connecticut that reaches a Northeast audience of adults and students alike with outdoor and in-studio performances, Saturday and private acting classes, school & camp tours, and residencies. Shakesperience was founded in 1996 by Emily Mattina and Jeffrey Lapham, with a mission to educate and inspire students, families, and theater professionals through the arts. The non-profit organization is headquartered on Bank Street in the heart of downtown Waterbury.

Shakesperience Productions 117 Bank Street Waterbury, CT 06702 Phone: 203-754-2531 Waterbury Movie Theaters: Regal Cinemas Brass Mill Center Mall 495 Union Street Waterbury, CT 06706

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The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

Potholes, Blight Downed Trees Barking Dogs, Etc...

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM 311 or (203)597-3444

@mayoroleary

citizenservicecenter@waterburyct.org www.waterburyct.org

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Phone: 203-757-2244 Apple Cinemas 920 Wolcott Street, Waterbury, CT 06705 Phone: 203-295-7777 www.applecinemas.com Affordable matinee and evening tickets for adults and kids.

Interesting film options.

Recreation

Waterbury has a wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities for you to enjoy. A number of parks, golf courses and other recreation facilities are sure to satisfy even the most discriminating person’s needs.

It’s also recognized as a regional destination for shopping.

From the “Magical Retail Mile” on Wolcott Street/Lakewood Road to the first rate Brass Mill Center Mall and Commons to our bustling downtown district you’re sure to find a variety of activities to suit your fancy.

Waterbury is also known for its top quality dining

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establishments. Whether looking for a quiet dinner for two or family style restaurant you’re sure to satisfy your culinary desires.

For information on entertainment and tourism destinations contact the Northwest Connecticut Convention & Visitors Bureau located by web at www.northwestct.com, by phone at 203-597-9527.

Approximately 902 acres of municipal park property are located in Waterbury. Included in the many parks and playgrounds are 42 tennis courts, 35 softball and baseball fields, and a public lake with a swimming beach. The City of Waterbury’s Municipal Stadium is the perfect venue to take in a variety of High School, College and professional sporting events.

Waterbury Parks Dept: 203-574-6793 Children’s Programs: 203-574-8292 • Bunker Hill Park, 265 Bunker Hill Avenue • Bucks Hill Park, Montoe Road • Fulton Park, Cooke Street • Hamilton Park, East Main • Lakewood Park, Lakewood Road • Murray Park, Leone

SACRED HEART HIGH SCHOOL 97 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE!

HEALTHCARE

Please contact our Admissions Office at 203-721-6354.

142 S. Elm Street . Waterbury, CT 06706 . www.sacredhearthighschool.org

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

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22 Years Voted Best Health Care Facility in Greater Waterbury

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StayWell Health Care, Inc. is committed to providing high quality, community health care and social services, including preventive medical and mental health services to the underserved population of the Greater StayWell Health Care, StayWell Inc. is committed to providing highInc. quality, Waterbury community.

Health Care, has adopted a community health care and social services, including preventive medical, dental, andcommunity mental health services the underserved the comprehensive, basedtoapproach to population serving ofpeople by providGreater Waterbury community. StayWell Health Care, Inc. has adopted a ing education, advocacy, and bilingual/bicultural comprehensive, community based approach to serving people services. by provid- All patients ing education, advocacy, and bilingual/bicultural services. All patients are accepted regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status. are accepted regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status.”

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“We at StayWell would like to wish all of you a happy holiday season. We do our very best year-round to help make the Waterbury community healthier and happier. Here’s to a new year of improving health and increasing access to care!

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47 years of providing quality healthcare services in Waterbury

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1302 South Main 203.597.9044 1302 South Main 80 Phoenix Ave. 203.756.8021 203.597.9044 80 Phoenix Ave. 95 Scovill St. 203.805.4930 203.756.8021 WATERBURY

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Fahd Syed grew up in the South End of Waterbury the child of Yemeni parents. He has evolved into a strong community activist speaking out against discrimination, and in favor of strong human rights. Photograph by John Murray Street • Town Plot Park, Rosemont Avenue • Washington Park, 283 Sylvan Avenue • Waterville Park, 1443 Thomaston Avenue •Woodtick Recreation Area, Nichols Road, Wolcott • Municipal Stadium Chase Park, 150 Sunnyside Avenue •Waterbury East Mountain Park, Route 69 There are two 18-hole municipal courses and a private course located in Waterbury.

Municipal course with 18 holes: Western Hills Golf Course Park Road, Waterbury 203-756-1211 East Mountain Golf Course 171 East Mountain Road, 203-753-1425 Private Golf Course Country Club of Waterbury Oronoke Road Waterbury, CT 067202

Recreation Centers:

203-756-6644

Chase Park House Debra Damicis – Assistant Director of Recreation James M. Geary – Recreation Leader 150 Sunnyside Avenue Waterbury, CT 06708 203-574-8292 ddamicis@waterburyct.org jmgeary@waterburyct.org North End Recreation Center Maria E. Torres-Padua – Director of Recreation Darius Butler – Recreation Leader Dwayne Clements – Recreation Leader 262 North Main Street Waterbury, CT 06702 203-574-8294 mtorres@waterburyct.org River Baldwin Recreation Center Victor Cuevas – Director of Recreation Jessica Donahue-DiBattista – Recreation Leader 135 East Liberty Street Waterbury, CT 06706 203-574-8342

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World-Class Technology, World-Class Care.

For over ten years, the Leever Cancer Center has brought together today’s leaders in cancer diagnosis and treatment, along with the latest technology – Synergy, the most advanced radiotherapy system available in the world today – and a comprehensive array of cancer programs and services: • PET/CT Imaging Center

• Nutritional Counseling

• Medical Oncology

• Clinical Trials Program

• Radiation Oncology

• Social Services

• Patient Resource Library

• Support Groups

• Stepping Forward Cancer Survivorship Program

• Reflections Boutique • ACS Office

It’s world-class cancer care right in the Waterbury area.

1075 Chase Parkway Waterbury, CT 06708 203-575-5555 www.leevercancercenter.org

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

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The Festa di San Donato put on each summer at the Pontelandolfo Community Club is a celbration of all things Italian, and begins with a two-mile procession from St. Lucy’s Church.

203-574-8342 vcuevas@waterburyct.org jdonahue@waterburyct.org Washington Park House Joyce Hotchkiss-Dubicki – Recreation Leader 283 Sylvan Avenue Waterbury, CT 06706 203-574-8297 jhotchkiss@waterburyct.org Waterville Recreation Center Debra Damicis – Assistant Director of Recreation 1433 Thomaston Avenue Waterbury, CT 06704 203-574-8352 ddamicis@waterburyct.org

Madre Latina Inc.

www.madre-latian.com Madre Latina Inc., is a 501(c) 3 non profit organization based in Waterbury, Connecticut and surrounding areas. We were founded in November 2011 and attained nonprofit status in 2013.

We initially began as a support group for Latina Mothers quickly turned into a philanthropic group. We offer many opportunities to our participants to connect through various networking mixers, professional development workshops, group mentoring activities, health and wellness and much more.

Madre Latina Inc., help Latinas banish insecurities and break barriers. Madre Latina educates, connects and empowers Latinas to rise to their full potential.

Our programs and meetings are held monthly, quarterly and yearly, in person and virtually, offering our community the opportunity to build a Network for Latinas.

For more information visit: www.madre-latina.com/ office: 475235-2044

Rail

Metro-North Railroad provides rail service from Waterbury to Grand Central Station and New Haven as well as other locations.

Phone: 800-638-7646 www.mta.nyc.ny.us

The Waterbury Observer P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 1-203-754-4238

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For More Info 203-755-2233 or info@latavolapizzatruck.com

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For the past decade Nicola Mancini and Pasquale Salvatore have taken the Waterbury dining scene by storm. Their restaurant, La Tavola Ristorante, has repeatedly beenvoted the Best Restaurant and Best Fine Dining in greater Waterbury. Connecticut Magazine has named La Tavola one of the ten best restaurants in CT, Nicola was the 2016 Chef of the Year in Connecticut, and La Tavola was choosen #1 in a survey of “10 Italian Restaurants In Connecticut That Serve Pasta To Die For.” As successful as La Tavola is, both Pasquale and Nicola decided to expand the business and take their talents on the road; catering weddings and serving artisan pizza out of a wood fired oven/food truck.

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Catering and Special Events

Let our culinary professional at La Tavola Ristorante help plan the perfect event for your catering needs. Host your occasion with some of our classic dishes from Lasagna Bolognese to our Chicken Francaise. Our pan catering is available for pick up or delivery. Delivery charge apply. La Tavola Ristorante also offers full service catering from set-up to staffing. Chef Mancini will work with you in planning your menu to ensure you and all your guests are satisfied.

For more information email robin@latavolacatering.com

2016 Connecticut Chef of the Year Nicola Mancini

702 Highland Avenue . Waterbury .

203.755.2211 latavolaristorante.com

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Lifestyles

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$5 off any purchase of $25 or More

203-757-6196 858 Lakewood Road, Waterbury | www.shop-lifestyles.com Exp 12/31/20

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Jahana Hayes

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

“I’m Still The Same Girl You Sent To Washington D.C.”

Paid for by Friends of Jahana Hayes

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Neil O’Leary singing “Downtown” on Election Night 2019.

Mr. Downtown Neil O’Leary’s Quest To Re-imagine Downtown

Sory By John Murray

Neil O’Leary launched his inaugural campaign for mayor on February 6th 2011 inside a dilapidated store front on East Main Street in downtown Waterbury. O’Leary vowed to make downtown revitalization the centerpiece of his administration. At the end of his speech O’Leary sang along to Petula Clark’s “Downtown”, and he appeared to be having the time of his life.

Flash forward to election night 2019, and many of the same O’Leary supporters stood in a different empty

storefront in downtown Waterbury, this time on Bank Street. After O’Leary snared 69% of the votes in a five-way race for mayor he strode to the microphone as “Downtown” blared through the speakers again.

O’Leary was fired up after winning his 4th term as Waterbury mayor and implored the crowd to join him in singing. Some did, but many in the room simply clapped and cheered another Election Day win. Eight years ago the song represented hope and imagination as O’Leary made downtown re-

vitalization the signature issue of his campaign.

Much has happened since that frigid winter afternoon in 2011, and as it turned out revitalizing downtown Waterbury turned out to be more like running a marathon, than a 100-yard dash.

O’Leary spent much of his first year in office facilitating a proposed merger between St. Mary’s Hospital and Waterbury Hospital, and the construction of a $500 million state of the art hospital in downtown. The merger and new hospital was described as a “opportu-

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

The expansion of rail service and the upgrades at the train station are critical for Waterbury’s future.

nity that comes along once every 50 years”, but the project was thwarted at the 11th hour by the Catholic Church’s unwavering opposition to abortion.

Portions of state money pledged to the hospital merger was eventually redirected to the revitalization of the 120,000 square foot Howland-Hughes Building on Bank Street. O’Leary announced the project in a joint press conference with Governor Dan Malloy in the summer of 2014, but it took three years of wrangling with Green Hub Development, Post University and Hank Paine (the principal owner of Howland-Hughes) to close the deal.

After a year of renovations Post University opened a hub inside the Howland-Hughes building, a move that has delivered 500 employees into the heart of downtown.

So far it’s been Neil O’Leary’s signature downtown moment, but there have been others.

It took years to happen, but O’Leary finally hit a downtown homerun when he recruited Post University into the Howland-Hughes Building on Bank Street.

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O’Leary envisions a new downtown area on Freight Street.

The Green went through a massive overhaul in 2017 and 2018 and now has improved walkways, benches, electrical hook-ups and free wi-fi. East Main Street from the Green to the Waterbury police station will be repaved and bright lights installed in this critical artery that includes Waterbury UConn, the Palace Theater, and the Waterbury Magnet Arts School. Work is underway now.

Green Hub Developers built modern dorm space in the Lombard Building at the corner of East Main Street and South Main Street, and O’Leary and his economic development team played a critical role in making that happen.

Bringing more students downtown is a goal of the O’Leary administration, and a third Green Hub Development project at 36 North Main Street might accelerate that prospect.

In 2013 the mayor was appalled at the entrance to the Silas Bronson Library and ordered hedges removed and the entrance opened to be more inviting. There is now a fountain at the entrance and public art on the lawn leading into the library.

In the Autumn of 2012 the mayor attended a city planning conference in Pittsburg and urban experts looked over maps of Waterbury and identified Library Park as an under utilized asset. O’Leary returned to the city determined to focus on Library Park, and his administration has been

essential in creating The Gathering and the Waterbury JazzFest. Partnering with the Rod Dixon Kids Marathon in 2012 brought thousands of students into downtown Waterbury to run a mile along city streets and end in a celebration inside Library Park.

Library Park is now closed as it undergoes a massive renovation and when the project is finished (most likely in 2021) it will be better equipped to handle bigger festivals and will continue to be a community centerpiece.

Public art has popped up during O’Leary’s time in City Hall creating a transformative visual change in downtown Waterbury. A fish mosaic of tiles called “Cool Waters” was installed on the side of a building on South Main Street in June 2012, a “Greetings From Waterbury” mural was created in 2016 followed by five Calder-inspired sculptures in 2018.

And then there is Freight Street.

Six years ago O’Leary stood in a sun-splashed Library Park and announced that the city had received a $15 million TIGER Grant to begin a massive revitalization project on the Freight Street corridor.

He called it the “aha moment” of his administration, and said the impact would create a whole new section of downtown nestled between I-84, Route 8, the Naugatuck

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

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Neil O’Leary capped off the announcement that he was going to run for mayor in 2011 with a lively rendition of “Downtown”

by Petula Clark.

River and a transportation hub located at the city’s iconic train station.

The money was from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIGER grant program, and the $15 million was believed to be an initial installment.

“Once the Feds invest in a project,” O’Leary said at the time, “they usually keep funding it until completion. This is a game changer.”

And the demolition of the former Anaconda Brass factory will begin soon on Freight Street, the Jackson Street extension will punch through Freight Street and onto West Main Street.

During a recent tour of downtown with Mayor O’Leary he was asked how all these projects fit together, and what was the glue to keep them together as the city moved forward into a new era of vibrancy.

“That’s easy, he said as he pulled his black SUV in front of the train station on Meadow Street. “It all starts here

with the rail line.”

There are big changes underway at the railroad station. State funding helped take down the old SNET Building that blocked portions of the train station parking lot to provide increased visibility and volume. “The parking lot is being paved right now and we’ll have cameras and lighting installed,” O’Leary said. “It will be a significant step forward.”

The rail line between Waterbury and Bridgeport is getting upgraded and rail service will increase in and out of the city. CT DOT is negotiating with the Pape Family (owners of the RepAm newspaper and the train station) to lease the south side of the building to create a train station that would provide shelter from the elements, and offer coffee and snacks.

O’Leary said real estate in the city is starting to bounce and some of it is coming from young couples with good

jobs in lower Fairfield County. “They can’t afford houses where they work and they are attracted to Waterbury’s affordability,” O’Leary said. We’re beginning to repopulate the city a bit.”

A lot has happened in the past eight years, and Neil O’Leary believes if increased train service can get more people in and out of Waterbury, the city is well positioned for a renaissance.

“The Millenials don’t even want cars,” O’Leary said. “We need to keep developing the rail line, a transportation hub, and redevelop Freight Street.”

When you take a hard look at the past eights years with Neil O’Leary at the helm of City Hall there is no denying he has made significant strides in downtown Waterbury. It hasn’t been easy, or as quick as he had wished, but O’Leary has earned the right to belt out “Downtown.”

•

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2020 Census

www.waterburyobserver.org

Monroe Webster assured Waterbury residents that the data collected by the Census Bururea was protected by law.

Why Bother?

Civic Leaders Tie Census To Money and Political Influence

By John Murray

Waterbury has launched an aggressive effort to accurately count all of its residents during Census 2020; including the homeless, the marginalized, the untrusting, the uneducated, the poor, the undocumented, those with language barriers, and residents on the fringe of mainstream society.

Why? “Federal dollars are allocated to a community based on the number of people living there,” State Representative Geraldo Reyes Jr. said. “If a community is under counted, then it is underfunded. In federal calculations each person is worth $2900 in funding. If we miss counting 1000 people, we lose $3 million dollars coming back into Waterbury.”

Reyes estimates there may be thousands of people living in Waterbury that fell through the cracks of previous census counts.

“Some people perceive this to be an undocumented immigrant problem only,” Reyes said, “but that is not the case.

There are thousands of Puerto Ricans living in Connecticut – they are Americans – and they don’t trust the system and don’t participate.”

Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz heads up the Connecticut Complete Count Committee and there are 100 smaller committees organized around the state. There are also several “Hard To Count” committees, and Waterbury has one headed up by Monroe Webster, an aide to Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary. The committee has been meeting since June, and several weeks ago Lt. Governor Bysiewicz came to Waterbury for a press conference to draw attention to the census.

Bysiewicz applauded the efforts in Waterbury and said the city is way ahead of most communities in Connecticut.

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Lt. Governor Sussan Bysiewicz has been to Waterbury twice in the past month encouraging community leaders about the impact of census numbers. She is pictured here at a meeting with grass root community leaders at RIBA Aspira in the South End of Waterbury.

Monroe Webster said his committee has identified more than 100 nationalities living in Waterbury, and a few years ago Board of Education statistics revealed 45 different languages being spoken in the public school system.

“The main message we want to get out to the public is that the census is not something to be afraid of,” Webster said.

“No one has to fear ICE, the FBI or the CIA when filling out a census form. No one can use the census data.”

Mayor O’Leary stated that, “political and economic power

is based on census numbers” and has encouraged every resident to be counted.

The results of the census are used to determine how much funding local communities receive for key public services and how many seats each state gets in Congress. State and local officials also use census counts to draw boundaries for congressional, state legislative, and school districts.

Everyone living in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Com-

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www.waterburyobserver.org

Geraldo Reyes recruited dozens of local pastors and homeless advocates to a meeting at RIBA Aspira.

He also recruited Susan Bysiewicz to return (lower right).

monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) is required by law to be counted in the 2020 Census. Filling out the census is considered a civic duty for anyone of any age living in the United States, even if you are homeless, or an undocumented immigrant.

There are four groups identified in the hard to count population; hard to locate, hard to contact, hard to persuade and hard to interview.

One of the hard to count pockets in the city is the South End of Waterbury, and Geraldo Reyes has made it a personal mission to fully engage his state representative district with Census 2020.

Reyes attended a national conference of Latino politicians sponsored by NALEO two years ago and attendees were asked to identify the most significant issue facing Hispanic leadership.

“The executive director of NALEO, Arturo Vargas, told us that Census 2020

should be our top issue,” Reyes said.

“We all just looked at each other, but he told us that getting Latinos counted meant money and increased political influence.”

Reyes began to unfold a grass roots effort in late January when he organized a meeting in the Riba Aspira Career Academy on Mill Street, and invited 25 pastors from black, white and Spanish churches, and organizations and individuals working with Waterbury’s homeless population. Reyes also invited the Lt. Governor back to the city to speak to the group to inspire the community leaders who worked closely with the hard to count population.

Bysiewicz told the group that children 0 to 5 are the individuals most likely not to be counted, and stressed the importance of getting that message out to the community.

The census can be filled out online, via mail or phone, and many of Connecticut’s public libraries will be providing

the resources necessary for residents to complete their census.

Raechel Guest is the director of the Silas Bronson Library and said her staff is trained and ready to help anyone in the community fill out the census form on one of the 65 computers in the library.

“Many people in the community don’t have access to the internet,” Guest said, “and we want them to know they can come into the library and we will help.”

The Census Bureau is bound by Title 13 of the U.S. Code to protect personal information and keep it strictly confidential. That’s every answer, to every question. Answers cannot be used to impact your eligibility for government benefits. Answers are only used to create statistics about our country.

The paper form will go out in the mail starting March 2020 but the “official” date to start the census is April 1, 2020. If you don’t complete it, census takers will start knocking on doors around May/June and throughout the summer. Make sure you participate, it counts in more ways than most people realize.

•

“Some people perceive this to be an undocumented immigrant problem, but that is not the case. There are thousands of Puerto Ricans living in Connecticut – they are Americans – and they don’t trust the system and don’t participate.”

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

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A GRAND DESIGN

During The Glory Days Of The Brass Industry, World Famous Architects Were Brought Into Waterbury To Help Design Some Of The City’s Most Magnificent Buildings. 100 Years Later, The Buildings Remain Community Treasures.

This article was written by Raechel Guest and published in 2008 in The Waterbury Observer.

Photographs By John Murray One of Waterbury’s greatest resources is its architecture. People have come from all over the country to see our buildings; renowned architectural historians have included some of our buildings in surveys of American architecture; and outside consultants for downtown development have praised our buildings as an asset that

is envied by many other communities.

This past April, Hollywood paid a visit to Waterbury to use City Hall, Drescher’s, Diorio’s and the Hitchcock apartment building as sets for the movie “All Good Things,” starring Kirsten Dunst, Ryan Gosling and Frank Langella.

Downtown Architecture

Waterbury’s most famous buildings are located downtown. Union Station (now home to the RepublicanAmerican) and the Buckingham

Building (torn down in the 1960s) were designed by the McKim, Mead & White architectural firm, who also designed the Boston Public Library, the New York City Municipal Building, portions of Columbia University, and mansions in Newport, Rhode Island. The firm was brought to Waterbury by John H. Whittemore, president of the railroad’s Board of Directors. Whittemore had previously worked with McKim, Mead & White to create a beautiful town center in Naugatuck. The Buckingham Building, modeled after Renaissance palaces, was completed in 1906 and

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com contained a theater and several stores.

Located on the corner of Grand and Bank Streets, the Buckingham Building was donated to Waterbury Hospital to serve as a source of income. At the other end of Grand Street, the red brick Union Station replaced earlier, smaller train stations in 1909. The building’s clock tower, one of the tallest structures in Waterbury, was inspired by the fourteenth-century Torre del Mangia in Siena, Italy.

The construction of Union Station and the Buckingham Building on either end of Grand Street set the stage for further development of this street. In the early twentieth century, cities around the country were being transformed by the City Beautiful movement, which sought to improve urban life through the creation of beautiful and inspirational buildings, parks and streetscapes. Wealthy individuals, like John H. Whittemore, sought to give back to their communities by hiring the best architects to create public buildings and parks. Whittemore’s example was followed by Waterbury industrialist Henry Sabin Chase, president of the Chase Brass & Copper Co., who became friends with architect Cass Gilbert during the construction of Waterbury’s Municipal Building on Grand Street.

In 1913, Cass Gilbert became internationally famous as the architect of New York City’s Woolworth Building, which was the tallest skyscraper in the world until 1930. Gilbert would later design the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. He first came to Waterbury in 1914, when he was hired to design a new city hall building to replace the one that had been destroyed by fire in 1912. The new Municipal Building was constructed on Grand Street, roughly halfway between the two McKim, Mead & White buildings. The brick and limestone exterior harmonized with the two other new buildings, while the Colonial Revival style of the city hall reflected the city’s colonial heritage. The area in front of the Municipal Building was meticulously landscaped as a piazza, with brick and marble walkways and a central water fountain.

Once the city hall building was

completed, Henry Chase hired Cass Gilbert to design several more buildings on Grand Street. Chase believed that Waterbury was destined to become the most prosperous and beautiful city in the country, anticipating that Waterbury’s other corporate leaders, all residents of the city, would follow his example in sponsoring the creation of elegant buildings and picturesque public parks and thoroughfares. Tragically, Chase died from appendicitis in 1918, shortly after the completion of the Lincoln House on Field Street. His brother Frederick and his daughter Edith oversaw the completion of several other projects with Cass Gilbert as the architect, including the Chase Companies

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office building, facing the Municipal Building, in 1919; the Waterbury National Bank on the corner of Field and Grand Streets in 1921; the Henry S. Chase Memorial Dispensary on Field Street in 1923; and the expansion and beautification of Library Park in the early 1920s. Gilbert also designed the Waterbury Club on West Main Street.

Although that building was torn down in the 1960s, Waterbury still boasts more Cass Gilbert buildings than any other city.

“As for the expense, why we have got to pay what it does cost. While we know it is a very expensive time to build, at the same time, we don’t want to wait. It may be a long time before building is cheaper, and by that time

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www.waterburyobserver.org who designed five sets of stained glass windows for St. John’s Episcopal Church on the Green.

Home Design: Mansions

business may be so smashed as to give us discouragement as to building at all, so we are inclined to go on with the building now....”

-letter from Henry S. Chase to Cass Gilbert, Nov. 8, 1916 (Collection of the New-York Historical Society) The expansion of Library Park was overseen by Cass Gilbert, who worked with the Olmsted Brothers landscaping firm, founded by the sons of Frederick Law Olmsted, architect of New York’s Central Park. Gilbert personally approved (or disapproved) every element of the park’s design. The Olmsted Brothers originally designed an ancient Roman style turret and wall to run along Meadow Street, but this plan was emphatically rejected

by Gilbert, who instead designed the graceful Colonial Revival pavilion and wall that we have today. The park was the final piece to the project started by Henry Chase. Waterbury’s Cass Gilbert buildings were designed to work together as a unit, stretching from Field Street to Union Station as a planned city center.

The buildings designed by Cass Gilbert and McKim, Mead & White are not the only notable buildings

in downtown Waterbury. The 1932 Art Deco post office, with its granite relief panels depicting the history of transportation and communication, and its spectacular Art Deco lobby, is dazzling. Commercial buildings on Grand Street, Bank Street and East Main Street, built in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, are the envy of many city centers. The Palace Theater is another dazzling downtown building, originally constructed in 1922 and meticulously restored to its full glory in 2003.

Downtown Waterbury also features the work of Cesar Pelli, architect of Canary Wharf Tower in London, the United States Embassy in Tokyo, World Financial Centers in New York and Beijing, and improvements to the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

In Waterbury, Pelli designed the front lobby and courtyard of the Mattatuck Museum. Other famous names involved with buildings in downtown Waterbury include Henry Bacon, architect of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. and the Citizens’ and Manufacturers’ National Bank on the corner of Leavenworth and Kendrick Streets in Waterbury; and Louis Comfort Tiffany, known for his stained glass windows, lamps and jewelry,

Waterbury’s magnificent architecture is not limited to buildings designed by internationally recognized architects.

Homegrown talent designed beautiful buildings throughout the downtown area. Perhaps the most prolific of Waterbury’s architects was Wilfred Griggs, who designed numerous Renaissance Revival commercial buildings and apartment buildings throughout Waterbury. Griggs also designed numerous private homes in the Hillside neighborhood for his family and other clients, creating beautiful houses nestled in carefully landscaped gardens.

One of the most ornate, and perhaps the largest, mansion in the Hillside neighborhood is the Benedict-Miller House, designed in the Queen Anne style by Bridgeport architects Palliser & Palliser in 1879 for industrialist Charles Benedict. The massive house, with 18 projecting gables and four chimneys, overlooks Hillside Avenue and has a commanding view of the city. The Palliser brothers also designed two neighboring houses; while there have been extensive changes made to the properties, they retain much of their original grandeur and elegance.

In other neighborhoods, spacious, suburban-style homes were constructed by developers in the early twentieth century. Overlook and Bunker Hill were effectively suburbs in the city, designed for the growing number of middle class professionals who wanted to enjoy the luxuries of large homes and private yards without having to leave Waterbury.

Home Design: Factory Workers

Waterbury’s population grew rapidly during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During World War I, Waterbury faced a severe housing shortage when the city was inundated with new residents who came to work in the factories. Inner city tenements

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com were packed beyond capacity; owners of larger houses rented out all available rooms; and still many people, who could not afford to buy a house and refused to live in tenements, had no other option but to live in tents in Town Plot, Reidville and other undeveloped areas on the outskirts of Waterbury.

In 1916, Waterbury hired John Nolen, a city planner based in Boston, to assess the situation and come up with a solution. On September 3, 1916, Nolen’s report was published in the Sunday Republican. Nolen determined that the housing crisis had been created by the factories, which had quadrupled their work force, and he therefore declared that the manufacturers had an obligation to solve the crisis.

Short term solutions had included temporary barracks built on Long Hill

by Scovill and in Waterville by Chase.

Nolen, however, urged the companies to construct at least 500 new homes for their employees. His published report included floor plans of several factory housing projects in cities like Philadelphia and Bridgeport.

Scovill Manufacturing responded to Nolen’s report by building solid, comfortable and attractive row houses on Ives, Wood and Oak Streets, modeled after similar townhouse style brick buildings in Philadelphia. Originally named Scovill Manor, the development was initially marketed to their factory foremen before being opened to the general public. Construction of the 100-plus houses began in 1916, with the style of each house varying slightly to avoid the “monotonous regularity” so often found in row houses even today.

American Brass’s response to Nolen’s report was to construct 73 Cape Cod style homes in a development originally named Brookdale Park, but now known as “White City” for the color of the houses. Located between East Main Street and Plank Road, the houses were sold to American Brass employees on an installment plan.

Like Scovill Manor, the Brookdale Park houses were equipped with all the latest amenities, including electricity and plumbing.

The Chase Companies took an alternative route to relieving the

housing shortage: beginning in 1920, they sold building lots in the Fairmount neighborhood for one dollar each to their employees, and encouraged purchasers to buy homes from the Sears, Roebuck Ready-Cut House Department. John Neagle, a representative for Sears, assisted Chase employees in purchasing their homes, helping them choose customized floor plans and building materials.

Waterbury, whose factories relied on the rail lines, was ideally equipped for the Sears mail-order homes: the construction materials were shipped only by train. Mail-order houses were built throughout Waterbury during the early decades of the twentieth century.

Home owners and their contractors were provided with construction manuals, blueprints and “already cut” materials. Plumbing, heating

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and electrical fixtures were optional (many of the early Sears homes were not designed with bathrooms, but you could purchase an outhouse).

In 1918, the Federal Government began building quaint, stucco-side cottages on Lounsbury, Laval, Madison and Welles Streets in a housing project overseen by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. (son of the famed landscape architect). The development consisted of 55 one and two family houses, designed to be economical but also attractive. The project architects were Murphy & Dana—Richard Dana later designed other Waterbury buildings, including the St. John’s Parish Hall, the Y.M.C.A., and several buildings at Chase Collegiate School.

The site for the housing project was chosen because of its proximity to Washington Hill School, several large

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factories and a trolley line. While these houses are no longer in uniformly good condition, they are still highly regarded as examples of superior in urban housing design and are a marked contrast to the Federal housing projects of the 1970s.

Triple-deckers were another solution to the housing needs of the industrial city. They are today considered an iconic image for cities in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Built primarily between 1870 and 1920, these threestory apartment buildings were ideal for extended families, often with the building owners living on the first floor; the next generation on the second floor; and the third floor rented out. Located throughout the city, triple-deckers survive in a wide variety of conditions. Many are well maintained, with original woodwork details and aesthetically pleasing combinations of paint colors on the exterior and wood flooring, archways and columns on the interior.

Religious Buildings

Not to be overlooked are the many superb religious buildings in Waterbury. Waterbury’s first residents were Puritans, whose descendents worshipped in Congregational churches. The next religious group established in Waterbury were the Anglicans, who became Episcopalians after the Revolutionary War. St. John’s Episcopal Church was first built on the Green in 1797; the current church building dates

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from 1873. Designed in a style blending Gothic Revival with Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau, this beautiful structure is graced by five sets of Tiffany stained glass windows.

The first Roman Catholics came to Waterbury in the 1840s, at first worshipping in whatever available space they could find. The first Catholic church in Waterbury stood on East Main Street. In the 1920s, the Immaculate Conception parish purchased a building lot on the Green and hired Boston architects Maginnis & Walsh, the foremost church architects in the country, to design a new church modeled after the basilica Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

Saint Anne’s Church, dedicated as a Shrine for Mothers in 2003, was built for the French and French Canadian Catholics of Waterbury. While the church is designed to resemble the Gothic cathedrals of northern Europe, the building is a modern structure of steel and brick with an eight-inch outer shell of granite.

Other religious buildings in Waterbury have their stylistic roots in the Byzantine architectural traditions. St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, founded by Russian immigrants to Waterbury in 1906, constructed a new church building on North Main Street in the Bucks Hill neighborhood in 1980.

The building, with its gold domes, icons and rich interior decorations, blends modern aesthetics with thousand-yearold Byzantine church design.

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The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Chase Parkway was constructed with a central dome supported by twelve columns, symbolizing God’s Heaven supported

by Christ’s disciples. Like St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, the Holy Trinity combines modern and historic aesthetics in its continuation of religious traditions.

The former Beth-El Synagogue, overlooking Fulton Park, was the first Byzantine-style synagogue in Connecticut, with construction beginning in 1929. The stock market crash of that year precipitated a long delay in the completion of the building, followed soon after by World War II, during which time the community’s efforts were focused on rescuing war victims throughout the world. BethEl’s sanctuary was finally completed in 1951.

Preservation

The character of a neighborhood and of a city is shaped by the buildings more than it is by any other factor.

Architectural style, building materials, quality of construction and overall condition can affect our opinion of a location. Here in Waterbury, we are fortunate to have retained so many of our great old buildings. Waterbury, in fact, is famous for a very important contribution to historic preservation on a national scale. The Waterbury Action To Conserve Our Heritage (WATCH) was formed in 1978 by a group of city residents and business owners who challenged the Waterbury Urban Renewal Agency’s plan for wholesale demolition of downtown buildings, preferring instead to rehabilitate the old buildings. Their case was reviewed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1979, and the resultant ruling greatly expanded the protection of properties of cultural, architectural, or historical significance across the country.

The case has been lauded as a landmark case for historic preservation.

Today, Waterbury’s great old buildings range widely in their conditions. Most, like the Benedict-Miller house on Hillside Avenue, still display much of their original grandeur.

Others, like our Cass Gilbert Municipal building, are visibly decaying while they wait for much needed repairs. One of the oldest homes in town, built in Bucks Hill sometime around 1705, is now sheathed in vinyl siding, obscuring its historic

character. New siding and enclosed porches have marred the aesthetics of many houses throughout the city. The good news, however, is that there is an increased awareness of the value of historic buildings, and there are programs available to help building owners restore their properties. Waterbury is a beautiful city, and much of that beauty comes from its historic buildings. Perhaps we will someday see them all restored and maintained the way they deserve. • Editor’s note; in the 12 years since this article was published several historic buildings have been altered or demolished, and the city has created a Demolition Delay Ordinance. Raechel Guest is a leader in the fight to preserve the city’s history.

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Waterbury South End Huskies 7th grade travel team is 89-13 and have won four tournaments.

Spanish American League of Social Activities For More Information Call 1-203-574-8342

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The Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury, Inc. has been in existence since 1988.

The Coalition has three decades of social services experience in the greater Waterbury area and is a principal leader for bilingual services, advocacy, collaboration, education, and policy development in the Latino community.

Bingo

Thursday & Friday 9:30am to 11:00am.

Zumba Class Tuesday @ 11 am

Dominoes

Every day from 9:00am.

Annual 3 Kings Day Celebration

Case Management Program - provides

assistance with obtaining essential vital records, i.e.; birth certificates, divorce paperwork, identification cards, etc. Also Community advocacy, Family crisis intervention, Translation of documents, Medical Transportation and Immigration Services.

La Casa Bienvenida - Our Adult Day Center ensures that the elders within the Hispanic Community have the necessary nutritional supplements and that their social and medical needs are met. Transportation is provided to and from the Center daily.

Cultural Arts Program - provides middle

and high school students with after-school programming to help advance their knowledge of the Latino Culture through art, music and dance.

L.A.C.E. Youth Development - program

seeks to promote youth development via four components: Leadership, Athletics, Community and Education.

Executive Director Victor Lopez

135 East Liberty Street, Waterbury CT 06706

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BAGS Academy and Counseling Services

The BAGS Academy will target students (medium to high risk behaviors) that struggle in the classroom and in the community. The student will become involved in pro social recreational activities, mentoring and therapy. Our pro social recreational activities will consist of 2 days a week. The students can participate in two programs Arts and Sports. Arts will consist of Dance, Rap/beat making and music. Sports will consist

of speed and agility training, participation in a basketball league and athletic training.

Our mentoring program will match students with adults in the community to be a positive role model to our youth.

The students will also meet with a therapist/life coach 1 hour a week to help the student with any struggles or stressors they may be experiencing.

Our mission is to stimulate, educate and motivate the minds of these young students.

We aim to assist students in their development mentally, physically and spiritually. After leaving the BAGS Academy students will be connected to extra curricular activities in their school or their community. If interested please contact us at (203) 591-1182

135 E. Liberty Street, Waterbury, CT 06706

www.waterburyobserver.org

Dear Neighbors- feel free to contact me if I can assist you in anyway.

Email Ron.Napoli@cga.ct.gov

State Representative Ron Napoli Jr. (D) 73rd District of Waterbury

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

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Th

GREATER

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WATR Best Radio Station

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Tom Chute Best AM Personality

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WATR is greater Waterburyʼs #1 local radio station.

WATR is a part of the fabric of the community.

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STREAMING LIVE AT WATR.COM AND TUNEIN RADIO

WATR’s personalities include: Tom Chute - Barbara Davitt - Steve Noxon -

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Injured At Work? Hurt in an Auto Accident?

PERSONAL INJURY LAW & WORKERS COMPENSATION

For a Free Consultation Contact Attorney Thomas Brayton Waterbury: 203.591.8689 | Bethlehem: 203.266.7100 | tombrayton.com

DELLA PIETRA PHARMACY “Let Our Family Take Care of Your Family” Frank Diaferio III, Pharm.D. Frank Diaferio Jr., P.D. Joseph Livolsi, P.D., Mgr.

Vaccinations ~ No appointment needed We bill your insurance directly Flu Pneumonia t Shingles

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203-754-0181

Valuation Realty Group LLC Dennis Jimenez Broker/Owner

GRI/Notary Public HABLAMOS ESPANOL

1036 Baldwin Street, Waterbury, CT 06706 Cell 203-980-4151 Office 475-235-4762 dennisjimenez1024@hotmail.com

Notary, Keratin Treatment, Cut, Color & Relaxer.

We also do Ear Piercing and Waxing.

(203) 756-4407

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Thapa’s Convenience Store Dean Thapa made his way to Waterbury from the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal. He now owns and operates his own convenience store and is thrilled to be living the American Dream. Stop in for your lotto or scratch tickets, to say hello, or to buy what Dean said is......

“The Coldest Beer In Town” 704 Watertown Ave, Waterbury (Next to Carvel & Frankies)

12/31/20

12/31/20

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

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Voted Best Grinder Shop!

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THANK YOU AGAIN, Greater Waterbury for voting us #1 GRINDER SHOP

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A Taste of Tradition since 1922

Family owned & operated by 3 generations and still going strong!

CIRCA 1944 - 1st generation - the three brothers (L to R), Anthony, Fred, and Joseph.

1981 - Everybody works! Rina and Joe, with their 2nd eldest son, Anthony.

Voted Best Grinder Shop in CT for multiple years – Connecticut Magazine –

From their humble beginnings on South Main Street in Waterbury to now multiple locations throughout the state of Connecticut, Nardelli’s Grinder Shoppe continues to satisfy the need for fast and delicious meals. You can count on quality ingredients, huge portions, and the same old school customer service.

THE GRINDER KINGS OF WATERBURY In 1914 Joseph, Anthony and Fred Nardelli emigrated from Italy to the thriving manufacturing city of Waterbury. They worked long hours in sweatshops and pooled the money they earned. They started working in a grocery store which eventually became Nardelli’s Grocery Store on South Main St. During one of their buying trips to New York, they noticed long lines of customers at one of the stores, and a steady stream of customers emerging with something wrapped in butcher paper: grinders.

They started selling grinders out of their grocery store and were amazed at how well they sold.

People were coming from all over Waterbury to get a grinder – the perfect balance of “over-stuffed” ingredients and attractive prices... and the brothers became known as the “Grinder Kings of Waterbury.”

GREATER WATERBURY LOCATIONS

WATERBURY ~ 540 Plank Road 203.754.5600 and 515 Watertown Avenue 203.753.7400 NAUGATUCK ~ 87 Maple Street 203.729.9470 SOUTHBURY ~ 385 Main Street South ~ 203.405.3250 Also in Cromwell, Danbury, East Hartford, Farmington, Meriden, Middletown, Milford, Oxford, Southington, Torrington and Wallingford

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“JUST LIKE A GIRL” From science, to math, to engineering, to technology, to coding, to art, leadership and everything in between…

Karate, dance, gymnastics, cooking, sewing, Fashion design, drawing, Robotics…

After school, school vacations, full day & half day summer camps and Friday nights…

at our facility or off-campus throughout Greater Waterbury...

It’s what we do, every day… for every girl!

For over 154 years, we are Inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold! *Summer camp registration opens in March* Girls Inc. of Greater Waterbury, 35 Park Place Waterbury, CT 06702 PH # 203-756-4639 info@girlsincswct.org www.girlsincswct.org facebook.com/GIWCT

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Issues. PeOPle. evenTs. Project Clear Water October 24th

The Waterbury Observer

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October 2016

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The Gathering Waterbury’s Angie Vargas performed a traditional Peruvian dance, Valicha and Anaconda, at The Gathering on September 24th

Photograph By John Murray

The Waterbury Observer

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December 2016

Civil Rights and Donald Trump

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Albania

A shepherd outside of Bilisht, Albania.

Photograph by John Murray

The Waterbury Observer

June 2016

Best Of Waterbury waterburyobserver@gmail.com

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The Waterbury Observer

July 2016

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Positive Change At The Library

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Thousands of ethnic Albanians fled the Balkan Peninsula in the past 70 years and have settled in Greater Waterbury. Here is a peek at where they came from, and why they left their beautiful homeland.

Project Clear Water Tackles Issues

The Waterbury Observer

August 2016

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bserver The WATERBURY

Person Of The Year Kennedy High School Teacher Jahana Hayes Was Selected National Teacher Of The Year

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The Traffic Stop

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The nation is on edge after shootings in Minnesota, Louisiana and Texas have taken the lives of black civilians and police officers. As advocates for Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, and All Lives Matter are engaged in raucous debate, members of the Waterbury Police Department organized a community forum with black clergy and role played a routine traffic stop for the audience at Mount Olive A.M.E. Zion Church. The police went through three scenarios to give the public safety tips, and stirred a controversy with a handout about “surviving” a police stop. Photograph by John Murray

The WATERBURY

Home Run Waterbury’s Maryam Moaken graduated from Crosby High School in June and recently received a $1000 Connecticut Red Sox Service Scholarship presented on the field at Fenway Park in Boston.

Photograph by Vanessa Cook

waterburyobserver@gmail.com waterburyobserver.org facebook.com/TheWaterburyObserver

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School . Performing Company . Community Outreach discover the art, technique, & joy of dance Recreational & Concentrated Study Programs Ballet, Modern Jazz Hip-Hop, Yoga, Zumba Age 3 to Adults Join us for a free trial class!

1255 Middlebury Road Middlebury, CT 06762 www.brasscityballet.org or call 203-598-0186

building strength of character, one step at a time, through the art, technique and joy of dance

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Near Key Food MarKet iN towN Plot 296 FairField ave • waterbury 203.755.0058

HOURS Mon-Sat. 9am-9pm Sunday 10am-6pm

Wide array of wines & liquors ~ including your favorite local wines

We Welcome Special Orders of any size... Call Now for your Celebrations!

Delightful Customer Service ~ Visit us once & we are confident you will return ~ Ample off-street parking ~ Great prices!

HUGE Selection of Local Craft Beers ~ Most items priced at State minimum pricing

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Waterbury Hospital Infectious Disease and Travel Clinic Serving the Greater Waterbury Community for over 20 years We offer: • Free rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing • Pre– and Post-exposure HIV Prophylaxis (PrEP/PEP) • Pre-travel counseling and immunizations • General Infectious Disease Treatments - Tropical Diseases - Urinary Tract Infection - Sexually Transmitted Infections - Fever of Unknown Origin - Lyme and Other Tick-Borne Infections

140 Grandview Ave. Suite L-01 Waterbury, CT 06708

(203) 574-4187

waterburyhospital.org

Voted Best Butcher Shop in greater Waterbury

485 Main St • Watertown • 860.945.MEAT (6328) • www.watertownmeat.org

35 Years in Watertown

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Voted Best Butcher Shop 3 Years in Row!

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VISIT US

Mon ~ Fri 8am - 7pm Sat. 8am - 6pm Sun. 8am - 2pm

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Fun Charter Bus Trips to Sporting Events, Entertainment, and More…

Offering convenient pick-up locations in CT for all trips …

Hop on the Bus and leave the details to Us!!

UPCOMING TRIPS IN 2020 Saturday 3/7 CT Brewery Trip Sunday 4/5 Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics Saturday 5/30 LA Dodgers at NY Mets Saturday 6/6 Belmont Stakes

LATEST REVIEWS…

Friday 6/19 US Open Golf Championship @ Winged Foot Sunday 6/28 Chicago Cubs at NY Yankees Friday 7/3 thru Sunday 7/5 Red Sox at Pittsburgh Pirates Sunday 7/19 Nascar – Loudon, NH Sunday 8/23 Motley Crue & Def Leppard at Citi Field

For all details and a full list of trips please visit our website

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GREAT company! Excellent selection of events, reasonable prices, and a staff that goes above and beyond to ensure an amazing experience. I love not having to worry about driving, parking, absurd fees, or any of the other usual stresses that come with attending such events. Last year was a blast.

I can’t wait for this year’s trips! Absolutely 10 out of 10 recommend RJ’s Tours!

– Kay. J My sons and I went on the Baltimore trip to see the Pats and Ravens. Bob did a great job coordinating everything, all we had to do was show up. I would definitely take another trip with RJ’s Tours.

– Mark. S Me and my son did the Baltimore trip. It was alot of fun. He gives you a lot for your money. very well done. we would definitely choose them again.

– Patricia. D

Contact Us with any questions

rjstours@yahoo.com 860-378-9420

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Holy Land USA is open to the public now during daylight hours. Photograph By John Murray

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Voted Best Florist in Greater Waterbury for 21 Years!

Local Deliveries To Waterbury, Watertown, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oakville, Southbury, Prospect, Wolcott, Cheshire, Thomaston, Plymouth, Woodbury & Bethlehem

One Chase Avenue Waterbury v

203.573.0690 www.orchidflorist.net

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Considering Cremation?

How Casey's Eastside Memorial Addresses the Top 4 Cremation Concerns of Waterbury Families Concern #1 - Paying more than they need to

At Casey's Eastside Memorial, we take care of all of the tasks for a price which is typically lower than any other funeral home in the area. We also back our services with our exclusive Exceptional Family Care™ Guarantee.

Concern #2 - Finding a place for a ceremony

Casey's Eastside Memorial is the newest and largest funeral home in the area and offers the following: tastefully decorated visitation and ceremony rooms, comfortable seating, state-of-the-art multi media equipment, completely handicapped accessible, children's play room, parking for over 275 cars.

Concern #3 - Having the opportunity to say goodbye one last time

At Casey's Eastside Memorial, when possible every family is given the opportunity for a private farewell in one of our tastefully decorated visitation rooms. If a public visitation is planned the private farewell is typically scheduled to precede the public time.

Concern #4 - Taking care of everything else

When you choose Casey's Eastside Memorial our care for your family extends far beyond the actual cremation. After helping thousands of families over 50+ years we have found that help is needed in two key areas; practical and emotional.

At Peace Cremation™ Exclusively at Casey’s Eastside Memorial

1987 E Main Street Waterbury, CT 06705 For GPS use 40 Southmayd Rd. (203) 753-1550 www.EastsideMemorial.com

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

Mitchell Hoffler Law Offices Thomas K. Mitchell Hoffler, Esq.

General Law Practice specializing in

CriminalgPersonal Injury Car AccidentsgSlip & Fall Social SecuritygFamily

Special concentration in tax collection cases (Former gs-11 collection officer with the Internal Revenue Service)

Ask about single parent consideration!

CALL our office ~ 203.755.2274 cell ~ 347.581.4658 41 Holmes AvenuetWaterbury

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Imagine a Future You Love!

www.waterburyobserver.org

Clay Johnson

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Choose from 100+ associate degree, certificate or work-force ready programs that prepare you for a career or transfer for a higher degree.

Financial Aid opportunities for those who qualify, payment plan options, free bus pass to credit students, free tutoring and flexible class schedules make it the smart choice to a future you love.

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The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

Dr. Jose Altamirano, D.C. Dr. Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon, D.C.

Altamirano Chiropractic Center, LLC Specializing in : Motor Vehicle Accidents • Workers Comp Cases • Slip and fall Accidents 195 Grove Street Waterbury, CT 06710 Phone - 1-203-596-0031 18 Downs Street, Danbury, CT, 06810 Phone 1-203-743-4042 622 Clinton Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604 1-203-362-2381

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Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

FREE MUFFLER INSPECTION (at Major Muffler)

BINGO Thursday Nights 7PM - 10PM Two Progressive Jackpots Two Winner-Take-All Games

Any Complete Exhaust System

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Voted Best Muffler Shop Years

G. S. Regan Associates, Inc. Life, Health, Disability, Long Term Care, Medicare Insurance & Financial Services Quality Insurance Since 1980

Tune in to “Medicare and You”, Wed. 1pm-2pm on WATR 1320 AM, or www.WATR.com

Michael Regan

447 Wolcott St Waterbury, CT 06705

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September 19th, 2020

www.waterburyobserver.org

The Gathering

Mexican folkloric performer Abe Fragoso danced down East Main Street in September 2019.

Culture from more than 100 countries will be represented at The Gathering this year; including Vietnam, St. Lucia, Brazil. Spain, Ecuador, Japan, Pakistan, Colombia, Mexico, Italy, Uganda, Argentina and Ireland The Gathering is now the most culturally diverse festival in New England.

The next festival is September 19th, 2020, and Gathering recruiters have already secured commitments for cultural tents for Poland and England, and have made it a priority to re-engage with several ethnic groups that couldn’t organize in time to participate in 2019.

“Everyone is welcome to march in the parade,” Reyes said.

“And we expect we’ll be back on Grand Street next year with an even bigger and better festival.”

Eight African cultures were on display in 2019.

waterburygathering@gmail.com

With Library Park under construction the decision was made in 2019 to craete a street festival along Grand Street and Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary called it the best Gathering yet..

“I think everybody really loved having it in the street, “O’Leary said. “It gave The Gathering a new feel and it reminded me of the festivals we used to have in the city back in the 1980s.”

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

“We all came from somewhere, now it’s time to come together.”

Police Pipes and Drums of Waterbury was founded in December 1992, and at The Gathering they led Mayor Neil O’Leary, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, and a host of elected officials and political candidates up Grand Street to the opening ceremony.

Kelvia has performed Middle Eastern belly dance six times at The Gathering

Karime Pimentel of the Dominican Republic

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Jeff Henderson Jeff Henderson Expert Mechanic

• • • • •

1-203-592-2215

Great Car Repair Shop Any Brand Tire Any Size Tire Available Same Day New & Used Tires

The business name has changed, but Jeff is still there to help.

1284 Thomaston Avenue. Waterbury, CT

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

WIFFLE Ball

Summer Is Time To Play.........

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Online Only

The Connecticut Store

“Wiffle Ball is played “Wiffle Ball is played in Waterbury, in the deserts of Saudi in Waterbury, in the Arabia, on the ice in Canada, and under the ice in Antartica.” deserts of Saudi Wiffle Ball was invented in David A. Mullaney’s backyard in Fairfield, Connecticut, in 1953. The neighborhood kids used a plastic golf ball and a broom stick handle to keep the action intense, and confined to the Mullaney’s backyard. David’s father, David N. Mullaney, watched the games ongamethe with curiousity and thought if they could come up with a plastic baseball that curved theArabia, kids might like the evenice better.in Three nights of trial and error resulted in the invention of the original wiffle ball, which is the same design used to this day.

“It took three nights of screwing around with stuff and we got it. After we got the ball designed it was like, viola! like Holy Cow!” Canada, andIt wasunder The balls are all still made in Connecticut and are sold over the internet throughout the world. Hank Paine, the owner of The Connecticut Store, located in downtown Waterbury, is the man who fulfills most of the Wiffle Ball orders on the internet. Wiffle Ball is the biggest seller at the ice in Antarctic.”

The Connecticut Store.

“We have shipped Connecticut made Wiffle Balls to 52 countries and all fifty states,” Paine said. “We’ve packaged and shipped them to China and Vietnam.”

“Wiffle Ball is played in Waterbury, in the deserts of Saudi Arabia, on the ice in Canada, and under the ice in Antartica.”

www.theconnecticutstore.com The Connecticut Store .

116 Bank Street • Waterbury, CT • 203-753-4121

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The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

Free Bird

By John Murray

On a crisp afternoon high above the city a small group of environmentalists and Catholic priest Jim Sullivan released a rehabilitated peregrine falcon from atop Holy Land USA on December 8th, 2019. The injured male falcon had been captured by Kevin Zak from the Naugatuck River Revival Group three weeks before and rehabbed at A Place Called Hope in Killingsworth, CT. Zak grew up in the Platts Mill neighborhood with Jim Sullivan, and invited his childhood friend to release the peregrine falcon with Christine Cummings, the co-founder of A Place Called Hope.

Father Sullivan opened the carrying crate and with a tap at the back of the crate the falcon exploded forward and soared into the sky above the city. One of the photographers on the scene asked Cummings if the falcon had a name, and she said it didn’t. But as she watched the bird glide across the cityscape she changed her mind and named the bird “Waterbury.”

The falcon named Waterbury can teach us all a lesson; you can suffer injury, get rehabbed, and soar again.

Thank you Waterbury.

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Naugatuck River Revival Group Nothing Is Impossible Just Act

It’s beeen a busy year for the Naugatuck River Revival Group (NRRG) as the watershed has been battered by sewage and oil spills. After millions of gallons of raw sewage was dumped into the Naugatuck River in October, it was the NRRG led by Kevin and Sondra Zak that became the voice of the Naugatuck River.

The Zak’s hiked through the damage to document the enviromental disaster, and did so again in January 2018 when thousands of gallons of oil spilled into the river. Despite the environmental impact on the watershed, Kevin Zak has been bolstered by the public outcry from the spills. “Thirty years ago no one would have cared,” Zak said, “now it’s statewide news. This is progress and I believe the river will heal itself.”

Kevin Zak at (203) 530-7850 e-mail kznrrg@sbcglobal.net

The mission of the NRRG is to increase awareness of one of the great environmental comeback stories in New England.

For two centuries industrial giants used the Naugatuck River as a glorified toilet to wash away toxins, dyes and garbage. Bald Eagles and Great Blue Herons have returned. The factories are gone, but they left behind chunks of iron, steel and brass in the river. Inconsiderate city residents continue to deposit tires, shopping carts and mattresses in the river. In response, the NRRG has declared war on trash in and along the river. NRRG has organized clean-ups with local schools, sponsored Annual River Day celebrations, and is committed to winning the war on trash.

If you’d like to get involved cleaning the Naugatuck River please consider contacting the group. It doesn’t matter if it’s for a few hours, or a few days....your help is appreciated.

BANNED!

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

By Carmine Capobianco One hundred years ago, I was in second grade at Saint Mary’s School. I was sitting in the first row about five seats back. The desks had unused cast iron ink wells built into them from the days when you had to dip before you wrote. We used pencils. Sister Elizabeth, a short stocky nun, was standing in front of the class talking about our future. She wanted to go around the room to ask each child what they wanted to be when they grew up. The first four kids in front of me gave standard answers, I’m sure. Doctor, fireman, whatever. Then it was my turn.

I’ve always tried to impress people when I was little by using big words so when the good sister asked me, instead of stating the diminutive word “actor”, I chose the longer word, “actress”.

I didn’t know the word “thespian” as of yet but that wouldn’t have gotten the gales of laughter from my classmates. Sister Elizabeth very nicely corrected my error and she moved on.

When I entered college, I was a music major for five minutes and then switched to English, Secondary Education. When the school added on Communication Arts with Concentrations in Photography, Film and Television to their curriculum, I switched yet again. I knew it was hard to have a career in front of the camera but behind the camera? Yeah. I can do that. So I graduated after five years of college with that major.

Now what do I do?

I opened up a photography studio in downtown Waterbury on the seventh floor of the Apothecary Building. I used film

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because digital cameras weren’t yet invented. I hired another photographer to do weddings because I was the piano player in a wedding band and I was slowly growing tired of attending weddings. I still hate weddings. I remember the last wedding I did personally, I improperly loaded the film and had no pictures of what went on at the altar. So, I did the portraits, medical before and after photos for a plastic surgeon and model portfolios.The model portfolios kept me the busiest because word got out that, if you bought a proof sheet from me, you were also added to my model book in case clients needed you for photo shoots or trade shows.

Some models got work, some didn’t. I never judged but some who thought they were potential Cindy Crawfords were, let’s just say, very wrong. But they went into the book anyway.

I was about to get married and my future father-in-law helped me land a job working for the city at the branch of the Welfare Department known as “Workfare”.

This was a brilliant program instituted by Governor Ella Grasso that allowed welfare recipients to “work” for their benefits by assisting in cleaning city offices, cutting overgrown trees and shrubs and cleaning up litter. The city never looked so good. The recipients worked only the amount of hours needed to cover their benefits and, if they opted to work a little longer, they received a check over and above to buy whatever they wanted. It was usually cigarettes, chips and cheap vodka.

So I was at Workfare from 7 to 3 and the rest of the day I managed my studio.

One day, I received a call from a gentleman my age Gorman Bechard, who was going to shoot a music video and asked if he could get a model. I told him to come down and review the books.

A few days later he came and chose a model. We began to discuss his project and he was going to shoot on 16mm film not video. We talked about our education in film-making and he asked if I wanted to work on a short film with him

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and, naturally, I agreed.

We shot our first short film in my studio but I ended up in front of the camera in a silly little film called “The Only Take”. Sister Elizabeth wouldn’t have approved of this film where I started my “actressing”.

The second short film ended up being our first feature where I did do a lot of behind the camera stuff – everything from going to meetings with investors to setting up shots.

Gorman offered me a small part in the film. He chose my character’s name by opening the phone book and blindly pointing to the first Italian name he landed on. I was Detective Joe Tramaglio.

That film, “Disconnected” was met with lukewarm reviews but we still were able to sell the home video rights around the world. I think Taiwan gave us four bucks.

Viewers were amused by my performance as Joe Tremaglio so we co-wrote Gorman’s next film which we cheaply shot on video. I was a lawyer in the film – Attorney Joe Tremaglio. We don’t speak about this movie much but I did get to be friends with Andy Kaufman’s brother, Michael. It was pure crap.

A friend of ours at Cable 5 in Litchfield was willing to show it late night on his station. There was nudity and bad language. When I attended a high school reunion, one of my classmates related the story that he was up late channel surfing and came across the scene in the movie where I was dreaming of a menage a trois. He immediately called another classmate and screamed, “Turn on Cable 5 right now!

Capobianco’s in bed with two naked chicks!”

My wife was so understanding.

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I ended up winning a Laurel Award for Best Supporting Actor from Cable 5 and this prompted Gorman to suggest that we co-write a movie together that I would star in. That movie was “Psychos in Love” and later became a worldwide cult classic phenomenon. We have thousands of fans all over the world. I played a lovable serial killer named Joe Tremaglio.

We sold the rights to the movie and were offered a four picture deal with Empire Films. They wanted us to come up with ten ideas and they would choose four and we would do scripts. They would finance everything and we got to shoot in 35mm – just like the big boys.

Empire chose “Club Earth”. Gorman and I wrote the script about a broccoli-man on a planet of vegetables who wins a trip to earth on a game show to sample the bourbon, the cigars and, of course, the women. He takes human form and lands in a town called Prospect which is populated by nottoo-smart mafiosos and their woman and Hassidic hillbillies complete with curly sideburns and yarmulkes. Since aliens probably didn’t have Italian names (although I often wondered about my Uncle Jimmy), we reversed the spelling and I was Eoj Oilgamert fro Kroy Wen. Some friends still call me Eoj, 35 years later. Not the most intelligent of scripts but done all in fun. During the 80s, when home video was new, studios wanted, no needed, movies to keep up with home video demand. They could have done a lot worse. And they often did. But they made a lot of money.

We finished it up and the next thing we know, the movie is playing in theaters nationwide on a double bill with “Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowlarama”. So a bunch of us

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com drove to New York City to the OLD Times Square when it was cool and gritty and slimy with tons of art house cinemas (and “other cinemas”, too) and there wasn’t a walking Elmo or a naked cowboy to be found.

I was excited to see myself 20 feet high in this so-so excursion into bad cinema. We sat down in a half-filled theater minutes before our movie was about to begin when I hear heavy wheezing.

“This isn’t THAT kind of movie,” I thought.

I turned around and saw an enormous black woman, waddling down the aisle carrying a tray filled with popcorn, candy and soda. She sat down hard a few seats in front of me and I hoped to hear a lot of sincere wheeze-laughing and screen-trash-talking from her while she viewed our silly little movie.

A minute later, the theater slowly darkened, a few trailers played (which this lovely woman laughed hard at), the warnings not to smoke and then the theater got even darker.

The game show on the planet of vegetables began where my character wins a trip to Prospect after Frank the carrot starting quizzing me. My face was painted green and I have on a badly made costume that somewhat resembled a broccoli.

Suddenly, and without warning, the big woman screamed out, “Dis ain’t Robocop!”, collected her food and waddled out of the theater.

Disappointedly, we knew immediately that we would have to do the laughing.

We stayed and watched the movie and, although it was hokier than we remembered, we all thought it was so cool to see ourselves on the big screen. Three hours later we sadly realized that “Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowlarama” was a much better movie. A few months later, the movie was released on home video which, at that time, meant VHS tape – today’s dinosaur, but highly collectible in some circles.

I showed it to friends and family and it generated a lot of laughs and I’m sure a few of them were pity giggles.

Years,later, “Galactic Gigolo” has garnered, for some weird reason, a pretty big following and a Japanese homage song.

In fact, I was cast in a pretty big horror movie called “Model Hunger” when my friend, Debbie Rochon realized that I was THE Galactic Gigolo and she thought the movie captured the silliness of 80s movies perfectly. She has been in well over 200 movies and this was the first one she directed.

I was honored – although she did spend most of the time telling me to stop being funny. So I had a serious role – way at the other side of the spectrum of Eoj Oilgamert.

Now, I was still working for the “Workfare Department” in the city of Waterbury and had my own city car. I was on my way to a job site when I get a call over my radio to return to base immediately. Base was an old garage in the city yards where they kept the Street Department, a gas pump and that huge pile of sand they used in the winter for the streets. It’s gone now and replaced by Home Depot.

I entered the old garage when Joe, the dispatcher, told me I needed to call the Mayor’s Office right away.

I did and I was patched through immediately to the may-

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or’s aide.

“Do you have a copy of your movie, “Galactic Gigolo” that we can take a look at?”

“Yes, I have one at home.”

“Go home now and get it then come to the mayor’s office.”

I agreed and hung up wondering why Mayor Santopietro wanted to see this movie. I know we filmed some in City Hall but we also used City Hall as a location for “Psychos in Love”.

I picked up my VHS copy of the movie and went to the Chase Building where the mayor’s office was located. I was ushered into a large room by the aide. In the room were a couple of city officials and Dennis, the city lawyer. Everybody was quiet as I handed over the tape and someone went to fetch the mayor. I turned to Dennis and the aide.

“What’s going on?” I asked nervously.

They asked if I thanked Mayor Santopietro at the end of the film. I nodded.

“We got a call from Mayor Chatfield in Prospect and apparently a few citizens of that town are not too happy with your version of Prospect and they noticed that you thanked the mayor at the end of the movie.”

“Seriously? They took a movie seriously about a broccoli from a planet of vegetables who wins a trip to earth…”

“Umm,” interrupted one of the men in the room. “A trip to Prospect, CT – the horniest place in the galaxy.”

The mayor came in and we shook hands and Galactic Gigolo was pushed into the VCR. They fast-forwarded through the trailers and silently watched the game show. Fast forward again and they watched another few scenes. I was nervous but I saw smiles on everybody’s faces. Fast forward a bit more and there were a few chuckles. They went all the way to the end of the tape when the credits rolled displaying how grateful we were to Joe Santopietro .

Everybody was in a better mood when the lawyer claimed that everything was fine and I was thanked and allowed to leave with my movie.

The next day, the Waterbury Republican announced on the front page that “Galactic Gigolo” was essentially banned in Prospect and pulled off the shelf at Prospect Video.

I have been to Prospect several times and NEVER once ran into an Hassidic Hillbilly.

Eventually, I opened a Funstuff Video there on Route 68 and, naturally, carried the movie. The sign in front of the movie said “Banned in Prospect!”

I did this, not out of disrespect as I can understand how someone would take offense at someone making fun of their hometown, but rather to show the residents that what we did was all in fun. And after renting the movie several times to Prospectonians, I saw that a good time was had by all.

Sometimes “actressing” can bring a few smiles. And that’s why I do it.

Any comments or questions, please contact me at movieguy58@ hotmail.com and don’t forget to get a copy of my book about MY beloved hometown of Waterbury called “Tall and Short Tales of My Hometown” on Amazon – available in softcover and Kindle.

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The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

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The

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GREATER

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Waterbury residents have made their way to the city from every corner of the globe, and for one day each year the people come together to celebrate music, food and dance from around the world. The Gathering is now the most culturally diverse festival in New England. Waterbury is the world.

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Gathering SERVE

Best Festival Best Community Event Best Family Entertainment

Library Park, Waterbury, September 19th, 2020

waterburygathering@gmail.com

The Waterbury Observer | P.O. Box 910, Waterbury, CT 06720 | 203.754.4238 | waterburyobserver@gmail.com

STRESS MANAGEMENT After All...Who Said Massaging Yourself Was Easy?

900 Straits Turnpike, Middlebury CT (203)-598 (203) 598(203)598-7525 7525 Vbguilford.com

Visobello.com

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THE POWER OF

Working together, the organizations of Waterbury HEALTH are providing comprehensive, high quality care to our community. From primary and specialty medical care to acute and emergency healthcare services to home health and rehab services, Waterbury HEALTH offers a vast network of services to help keep you healthy and well and take care of you when you are sick or injured. That’s the Power of WE.

The Greater Waterbury Health Network is now...