Issues. People. Events. Waterbury Connecticut's Independent Newspaper
What Happened?
Marcus Brown died after he was tasered by a Waterbury police officer.
The Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches President Scot X Esdaile and Waterbury Branch President Victor Diaz will hold a press conference today, May 16th, at 5:30 pm, at the Waterbury Police Station to announce the NAACP's investigation into the Taser Death of Marcus Brown.
Race Day
It was a spectacular day to paddle down the Naugatuck River from Waterbury to Beacon Falls. The sun flitted in and out, the rain held off, and despite water levels slightly lower than ideal, the event was another smashing success. Photograph by John Murray
Mind Of Steel
Story and Photographs By John Murray
Some might think that genetics and large muscles are the key to Derek Poundstone’s stunning rise to the title of America’s Strongest Man.
They would be wrong.
Main Street Waterbury
Snares Two Awards
Main Street Waterbury was honored for its efforts to restore Waterbury City Hall.
Connecticut Main Street Center has announced the recipients of its 2011 Awards of Excellence. Award-winning initiatives and individuals are engaged in Main Street revitalization in New London, Simsbury, Waterbury, Westville Village in New Haven, and Torrington.
Pitch, Hit, Run
@ Municipal Stadium
(editor's note - the following letter was written to the Observer by Waterbury resident Bill DeMaida, who is involved in planning and organizing a Pitch, Hit, Run competition at Municipal Stadium)
Over the years, our Municipal Stadium has been witness to the development of our local sports scene. This venue, after our latest renovation project, will be second to none. We hope to bring attention to this complex with not only scheduled local sports but also with varied programs that might bring more than just local citizens to our home.
It's Time To Start Your
Own Business
By John Rowland
While many of us may still be chasing those few jobs openings out there, now is the time to start your own business. The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) here at the Chamber has been sponsoring small business workshops for new startup companies here in the Waterbury area. The seminars touch on a variety of issues from writing a business plan to securing financing.
At Last, Color
Brilliant tulips, and temperatures in the 70s, have provided weary residents a much needed reprieve from from a devastatingly long winter. Pictured above are tulips on the Waterbury Green, with St. John's Episcopal Church in the background. Photo by John Murray
A New Day
David Martin originally wanted to be a Waterbury police officer. In preparation for the police exam, Martin decided to practice by taking a fire department exam. After passing both tests, Martin decided to join the fire department because "no one shoots bullets at a fire scene." Now more than two decades later, Martin was sworn in as chief of the Waterbury Fire Department, on April 28th, in front of a packed aldermanic chambers in the newly renovated City Hall.
The Observer's new website is different than most newspapers on the internet. Instead of cramming fifty stories and tiny thumb nail photographs on the home page, we've decided to publish large, bold photographs to accompany in-depth feature articles. We debut with more than 100 articles and columns, with the promise of hundreds more to come.
(Editor's Note - The following letter was written by Joshua Angelus, the President of the Waterbury Neighborhood Council, and sent to community leaders and the media in Waterbury)
Dear Mayor and Aldermen,
I attached a series of pictures that will assist in making clear the tipping point of Waterbury as a functional city and how we suffer from poor public policy, the lack of enforcement and the coddling and tolerance of those who violate our laws and damage our quality of life. They act with impunity.
Exploring The Loss Of
The Hartford Whalers
Story By John Murray
Writer Bob Muldoon, a former Whaler employee, writes about loss and redemption in his book, Brass Bonanza Plays Again.
At the heart of any good book is a writer’s passion, It was French cooking for Julia Child, legal thrillers for John Grisham, and big adventure for Ernest Hemingway.
For Bob Muldoon it’s ice hockey, specifically, The Hartford Whalers.
The Calling
Story By John Murray
Donna Palomba continues to fight back.
This time it’s not against a masked rapist, two incompetent Waterbury police officers, or an insensitive newspaper; now Palomba and her Jane Doe No More organization are taking on modern American society, and its response to sexual assault.
Escape Alive
Story By Chelsea Murray
Catherine Rodgers of Naugatuck learns to evade a choke hold. Photos By John Murray
I was robbed my last night in Greece.
After watching the sunset from the Acropolis, myself and two friends took a short cut back to our apartment. On our way through the cobblestone streets we encountered a young Gypsy couple, who stepped out of the shadows looking for a smoke. My friend gave them a cigarette and loaned out his favorite lighter. After small talk about how quiet the streets were, the man pocketed the lighter. My friend calmly protested and asked for his lighter back. Instead of the lighter, the Gypsy pulled out a switchblade and thrust it against my friend’s throat.
Billy’s Law
Re-Introduced In Congress
Congressman Chris Murphy (left) and Texas Congressman Ted Poe (right) have joined forces to co-sponsor “Billy’s Law”. Murphy said the collaboration on missing person legislation is unusual, as the two men, one a Democrat and the other a Republican, rarely agree on any issue. Janice Smolinski is pictured in the middle. Photo by John Murray
Last year’s effort to pass Billy’s Law flew through the House of Representatives, but like hundreds of other bills, was gummed up in the United States Senate. Time expired on the bill when the calendar year changed, forcing legislators to re-introduce it in 2011.
A Tragic Anniversary
Column By Vincent R. Vurchio
Four dead in Ohio.
May 4, 1970. Kent State University campus, Kent, Ohio. Four students killed and nine wounded by National Guardsmen.
Let’s back up a bit.
Keeping On
Story By John Murray
State Rep. Vickie Nardello, left, confers with Jan and Bill Smolinski in Hartford.
Jan and Bill Smolinski refuse to stop searching for the body of their son, Billy, who was murdered - and buried - in the lower Naugatuck Valley area six and half years ago. During their quest for truth the Smolinskis have clashed with local, state and federal police who have mishandled critical evidence and lost seven DNA samples in the case.
Into The Future
Story and Photographs By John Murray
It’s exactly the sort of deal that many in Waterbury imagined when John Rowland took an influential post at the Waterbury Chamber of Commerce two years ago, and was declared the “economic czar” of Waterbury. Rowland was a three-term Congressman and had been governor of Connecticut for nine years, so clearly the man had contacts in high places.
Stepping Out
By Bryan Baker
The 2011 election cycle promises to be one of the most interesting campaigns the city of Waterbury has seen in a long time. With 3 Democratic candidates already having declared their intentions to run for Mayor, there is sure to be an intense fight for the Democratic nomination.
The River
Column By John Murray
Colored dyes stained rivers throughout the industrial Northeast. By Lynn Cherry
It was the best day the Naugtauck River has experienced in 100 years. The river received so much attention on February 24th that one could imagine her embarrassed, and blushing red for old time sake. This blush, however, was triggered by admirers gushing at her beauty, not from the red dyes that were pumped into her as industrial waste into a glorified toilet.
Game On
Column By John Murray
Waterbury Mayor Michael Jarjura is seeking a record sixth consecutive term.
(Editor’s note - the following observations by John Murray were sharpened by dozens of interviews and conversations with political insiders throughout Waterbury)
After serving ten years as mayor of Waterbury one might think that Mike Jarjura had a firm grip on the local Democratic Party - his party - but you’d be wrong. As we careen towards election day 2011 Mayor Jarjura faces a revolution within the Democratic Party - much of it his own creation.