Issues. People. Events. Waterbury Connecticut's Independent Newspaper
In celebration of Manufacturing Month in Connecticut, Naugatuck Valley Community College and the Smaller Manufacturers Association (SMA) invite the public to two viewings of “American Made Movie,” a documentary showing the positive economic impact of domestic manufacturing, at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 10 in the College’s Mainstage Theater.
The public is invited to attend the swearing in ceremony of Waterbury Police Chief Vernon L. Riddick, Jr. on Friday, October 4, 2013, at 6:00 pm, at the Palace Theater on 100 East Main Street in Waterbury.
Deputy police chief Chris Corbett issued the following press release this afternoon...
Waterbury Police have completed the investigation into last night’s suspicious items/ explosive devices investigation that occurred right outside the PD. At around 7:45 pm a male complainant came to the front desk saying that he had found two possible pipe bombs in a backpack left behind by one of his employees and that the backpack was on the sidewalk outside the PD.
Celebrating 20 years of publishing The Waterbury Observer, John Murray decided to leap out of an airplane 10,500 feet above Connecticut. The plunge reminded Murray that launching a business with no money, or chasing dreams of world travel all have one thing in common, facing fear, and letting go.
Story By John Murray
Photographs By SkyDive Danielson
For most of the twenty-minute ascent I tapped into breathing exercises, and positive imagery, to try and keep myself calm.
“That’s the University of Connecticut,” said Norm Nault, my tandem skydiving instructor, “and if you look to the south you can see Long Island Sound.”
At 5000 feet my attempt to relax faltered, and the metallic taste of fear marched across my tongue. I looked around the plane - which was no bigger than a car - and checked on my daughter, Chelsea. If I was starting to lose it, I was sure Chelsea’s heart was clanging against her chest. Chelsea was tandem jumping with instructor Scott Barylski, a dead ringer for actor Ben Stiller. There was something comical, and terrifying, about hurling yourself out of a tiny airplane with Derek Zoolander strapped to your back.
By John Murray
Vernon Riddick has been a busy man the past eight days.
On September 12th he attended the funeral service of Fortune, the former slave in Waterbury whose skeleton was on display for 170 years. During Fortune's burial in Riverside Cemetery a woman injured herself climbing a steep hill walking towards the gravesite. Riddick left the service to check on the woman, and then walked back to pay his respects to Fortune.
Six-year-old Christian Mullins prayed as the coffin of a former slave named Fortune was lowered into a grave in Riverside Cemetery last night in Waterbury, thus ending 200 years of disrespect.
Fortune was a slave in the 18th Century and when he died under mysterious circumstances in Waterbury, in 1798, his master, Dr. Preserved Porter, boiled him, and used his skeleton in his medical practice.
With a quick snip from oversized scissors at 11:35 am today, the new city wide senior center at 1985 East Main Street is officially opened for business. Pictured here holding the scissors is Alexis Rotella, who will run the center, and is in charge of dealing with senior issues for the city. The Waterbury Senior Center is a city-run building for all seniors ages 60 and over, and completely dedicated to the senior population.
By Victor Lopez Jr.
President of the Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury
Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
By John Murray
During an interview with Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary yesterday he announced the results of a civil service test for the opening of police chief in the city. Vernon Riddick, pictured here, has been the acting police chief since the sudden retirement of Michael Gugliotti in January, and Riddick is seeking to become the permanent chief.
By John Murray
An old school detective who served in the Waterbury Police Department for 48 years will be buried Friday with full police honors. Jake Griffin lived his entire life in Waterbury, and passed away September 9th at the Village at East Farms.
Griffin had a reputation as a tough cop, and Waterbury Neil O'Leary, who worked beneath him for 20 years in the detective bureau, said, "Jake Griffin was tough, but fair, and he was by far one of the best investigators the city has ever seen."
The Mattatuck Museum has announced that Cathy and Jim Smith will be this year’s honorees of the Brass Button Award Celebration on Friday, September 20, 2013. The award ceremony, sponsored by Webster Bank, American Savings Foundation, Warburg Pincus, KPMG LLP and Secor, Cassidy & McPartland, P.C., will be held at the Museum beginning at 6:00 p.m. The event will include a cocktail reception with remarks by Museum Board Members and the presentation of the award by Senator Joan Hartley followed by a seated dinner in the Museum galleries. The Brass Button Award recognizes outstanding contributions of individuals in the greater Waterbury area who are dedicated to the cultural and social enrichment of their community.
Dust-off the scrapbooks and help the Palace Theater take a stroll down memory lane as the organization begins gathering memorabilia for an historical exhibit scheduled to debut in the Fall of 2014, in honor of the performing art center’s tenth anniversary.
Two running legends cruised around the streets of Waterbury today during the Bob Veillette 5K road race. On the left is American Bill Rodgers who won four Boston Marathons, and four NYC Marathons. On the right is New Zealand's Rod Dixon, a 1972 Olympic medalist in the 1500 meter race, and the winner of the 1983 NYC Marathon. They started at the back of the pack and spent the first half mile chatting. At one point Dixon turned to Rogers and asked him, 'Are we going to start running yet?" When Rogers said no, Dixon said, "If I knew this was how we were going to run I would of had a big lunch first."
Xhevat Limani is an Albanian actor born in Struga, Macedonia, who now lives in Waterbury, Connecticut. During a Labor Day Albanian Festival in Waterbury, Limani opened his heart about his love of Struga. The following is a translation of his speech, which was delivered in Albanian. Photograph by John Murray
Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, fellow countrymen..
Good evening and welcome to the Annual Albanian Labor Day Festival, this year celebrating 30 years since the formation of the “Hasan Prishtina” cultural center here in Waterbury, Connecticut. A special thank you is in order for the founding members of the cultural center, and all community members present and past, who worked so hard to maintain and manage the cultural center with such great success.
During my whole career in theatre, film, television, radio, newspapers, and festivals all around the world I have presented myself as an Albanian artist. Tonight, allow me to step aside and present myself at a local level. Given that I was born in Struga, allow me to present myself as a Strugan artist.
Photographs By John Murray
A wide variety of traditional Albanian breads stuffed with cheese and spinach are being baked in ovens and are served hot at the 30th anniversary celebration of the Albanian American Cultural & Islamic Center at 106 Columbia Blvd in the Overlook section of Waterbury. The Albanian Labor Day Festival continues today (Sunday)from 11 am to 11 pm.
The Observer just received this message from one its readers, Reza Farzan...
"I was one of the hundreds of passengers on the 8:30 p.m. train to Waterbury [from Bridgeport] last night. The 3-car train arrived a little late, but it left the station rather promptly. I was sitting the car # 6127 where I noticed that the red light showing the “Toilet Out of Order” sign. Soon after our departure, passengers, both young and old, came to use the toilet and after seeing the sign, they all left disappointed. When one of the passengers inquired about the situation, the ticket agent told her that “there is no toilet on this train, and she had to hold it!”
The Mattatuck Museum will host a special evening event on Wednesday, September 4, 2013 from 5:30 to 7: 30 p.m. to discuss the latest scientific research on the bones of “Fortune,” an African-American man who was enslaved by a Waterbury bone surgeon in the 1700s. The discussion will be led by a panel of faculty members from Quinnipiac University and Central Connecticut State University. Professor Gerald Conlogue, co-director of the Bioanthropology Research Institute at Quinnipiac University, will introduce the discussion.
The Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury is staging its 12th Annual Coqui Scholarships & Awards Banquet on Friday, September 27, at La Bella Vista, 380 Farmwood Road in Waterbury.
Cocktails and registration begin at 7 pm, and dinner and the program begin at 8 pm. Tickets $50 per person and can only be purchased in advance of the event.
For more information, tickets, or sponsorship opportunities please call Angie Medina or Nancy Gonzalez at 203-754-6172
The Waterbury Police Department will host their Fall Citizens Police Academy, September 16th through October 28th. This seven week program will be held on Monday evenings, from 6-8pm, in the department’s Training Division, located at 240 Bank St, across from Diorio’s restaurant.
Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary inspects the rear entrance to Walsh School yesterday with Prinicpal Gina Calabrese, and they both agreed the fence should be locked, and students should arrive at the front entrance where the area was supervised.
Story and Photographs By John Murray
It was the first day of school in Waterbury, and Mayor Neil O'Leary climbed in his black SUV and drove up to Walsh School to see how Principal Gina Calabrese was faring at her her new assignment on Dikeman Street, in the city's North End.
Walsh School has done very poorly on standardized testing, and it's previous principal, Eric Brown, was removed from his position last year after an investigation into his management style inside the building. Brown - who is black, had strong support in segments in the black community, but was replaced.