Vasilios Kaloidis believes Greater Waterbury has plenty of restaurants with cuisine excellent enough to match the best restaurants anywhere in the state. “We have 25 to 30 great restaurants in Greater Waterbury, just like other areas,” said Kaloidis, who owns two restaurants in the region, Vasi’s Restaurant & Bar and Spartan Restaurant & Bar and chairman of the Chamber’s Restaurant Week Committee. The Waterbury area restaurants, however, “are larger, have better parking, and are centrally located between two highways,” Interstate 84 and Route 8. To help spread the word, the Waterbury Regional Chamber has partnered with many of its member restaurants to create the first Greater Waterbury Restaurant Week, to be held Sunday, September 11 through Friday September 16.

Former state representative Victor Cuevas pled guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

                            Story and Photographs By John Murray

   A two-year federal probe into the financial dealings of former state representative Victor Cuevas hinged on the technicality of whether $7000 was a gift or loan from a life-long friend. The money was used to qualify for a special HUD loan that enabled Cuevas to purchase a home in Bristol with less money invested upfront. The key element of getting the mortgage was having a friend or family member gift him $7000.

   “A broker suggested I could qualify for the loan if I borrowed $7000 from a friend, and then repaid the friend after I got the loan,” Cuevas said. “At the time I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

23rd Annual Best of Waterbury Readers' Poll

WIN a Day of Decadence for Two from Viso Bello Day Spa!!

Spend five and a half blissful hours with a friend being pampered at Viso Bello Day Spa in Middblebury CT. Slowly ease into an Eminence Organic facial, followed by a deep cleansing and very soothing Dead Sea Salt Body Treatement. Relax with a spa manicure and soothing spa pedicure followed by a 1.5 hour detox body massage. After that, manicure and pedicure polish will be applied, followed by a makeup application. Package is available for both women and men. Get ready to relax and enjoy!

To qualify for the Grand Prize, and to have your ballot counted you must fill out a minimum of 25 categories on the ballot and fill in your personal information on the bottom. One ballot per person, and it's obvious when one person fills out multiple ballots with the same answers, and jotting down someone else's name. That's ballot stuffing , so save us all some time, and just submit one ballot. Thanks, and enjoy!

Ballots must be received by April 30th, 2017 to qualify. Results will be published in the Best of Waterbury issue in mid-June.

Vote online here

   The Independent Party announced at their caucus on Sunday March 20 that Lisa M. Lessard was unanimously chosen to be their candidate in a special election for State Representative in the 75th District in Waterbury.

(The following is a press release issued by the University of Connecticut following a study on marijuana dependency)

    Nearly half of Americans have tried marijuana in their lifetime according to national surveys. And marijuana is the drug of choice for more than half of the nearly 7 million Americans dependent on or abusing illicit drugs.

   The inaugural Chris Corbett 5K Run will take place Sunday, April 3, 2016, at Holy Cross High School, 587 Oronoke Road, Waterbury. Proceeds from the race will benefit the Christopher D. Corbett Memorial Fund. The fund was established to honor the memory of Waterbury Deputy Police Chief Christopher D. Corbett and carry on his support of Waterbury-area Catholic schools and their students. It will provide scholarships to students wishing to attend Catholic elementary and high schools in the greater Waterbury area, as well as to graduates of Catholic high schools planning to attend college to pursue studies in criminal justice.

   On January 19, 2016, Waterbury Police developed information identifying the driver that fled the scene of a fatal accident that occurred on January 18, 2016 on Bronson Street Waterbury, CT. 

   Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan A. Harris announced today the names and locations of three new dispensary facilities that will be licensed by the state’s Medical Marijuana Program. Currently, there are 8228 medical marijuana patients registered in Connecticut.

   Waterbury Mayor Neil M. O’Leary and other municipal officials elected earlier last month will take their respective oaths of office tonight Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium at John F. Kennedy High School, 422 Highland Avenue, Waterbury. A 5 p.m. Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception will precede the Kennedy High ceremony.