The Republican Slate Being Presented At Tonight's Convention In Waterbury

Submitted by johnmurray on Tue, 07/26/2011 - 03:00

Waterbury Mayor Mike Jarjura was enthusiastically welcomed by local and state Republican leaders after announcing he had joined the GOP. Jarjura will be nominated tonight to head the Republican ticket for the November municipal elections.

   The Waterbury Republican Convention is being staged tonight, July 26th, at the Marriott in downtown Waterbury. The event is open to the public and begins at 6:30. The following candidates are going to be presented to the Republican Town Committee for approval at the convention.

Coalition Ticket Unravels in Waterbury, Three Candidates - At Least - Will Vie For Mayor

Submitted by johnmurray on Mon, 07/25/2011 - 03:00

  

Waterbury Mayor Mike Jarjura was all smiles as he announced his switch to the Republican Party.

 

Story and Photographs By John Murray

   Life-long Democrat Mike Jarjura will have his official Republican coming out party tomorrow night at the GOP convention in downtown Waterbury, but he's not going to have the unbeatable fusion ticket he imagined seven weeks ago.

Waterbury Police Launch Crackdown On Litter

Submitted by johnmurray on Sat, 07/23/2011 - 03:00

   If you litter in Waterbury, you can expect your wallet to be lightened by $219. That’s the message from Waterbury Police Chief Michael Gugliotti, who announced a summer long police initiative to crack down on litterbugs in the Brass City. “Through this initiative," Gugliotti said,  "we intend to educate the public of the litter problem here in Waterbury while also taking enforcement action against litter violators."

Waterbury Democrats Unite Behind Neil O'Leary For Mayor, Sets Up Showdown With Jarjura

Submitted by johnmurray on Thu, 07/21/2011 - 03:00

Story and photographs by John Murray

  Neil O'Leary has the Irish gift of gab, but unlike many of his ancestors, this Irishman isn't afraid to express his emotions. In the course of twenty minutes O'Leary laughed at his own jokes, emotionally bear-hugged his family, choked-up when talking about his deceased parents, raised his voice and bellowed about the lost opportunity of the past five years under Mayor Jarjura, forcefully jabbed his finger in the air while making a point about leadership, and appeared humbled and slightly awkward when the wrap-up theme song lasted too long.

Waterbury Democrats Stage Nominating Convention July 21st At The Ancient Order Of Hibernians

Submitted by johnmurray on Tue, 07/19/2011 - 03:00

   Former Waterbury Police Chief, Neil O'Leary, pictured above, has a headlock on the Democrat nomination for mayor this year, and will emerge from tomorrow night's convention as the party's standard bearer for a November showdown with five-term incumbent, Michael Jarjura. While O'Leary will steamroll to the nomination, the candidates for the under-ticket will provide the drama for the evening. O'Leary has spent much of the past two months cobbling together a ticket that represents ethnic diversity, and candidates from the various factions in the highly raucous Democratic Party in Waterbury.

Scorching Heat Doesn't Dampen 73rd Annual Mt. Carmel Feast and Procession

Submitted by johnmurray on Sun, 07/17/2011 - 03:00

   Waterbury's Town Plot neighborhood was bustling with food and celebration from July 14th to July 18th during the 73rd Annual Mt. Carmel Feast and Procession, which honored the patron saint of Mt. Carmel Church. Tremendous Italian food, singing and dancing were the story of the evenings, but on Sunday, July 18th, a special mass was followed by a long procession through the neighborhoods of Town Plot, a strong Italian enclave in Waterbury.

State Firefighters Union Endorses 5th District Congressman Chris Murphy For U.S. Senate In 2012

Submitted by johnmurray on Fri, 07/15/2011 - 03:00

Congressman Chris Murphy was in Waterbury in early July to accept the unanimous endorsement of the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, which represents 4000 firefighters, in his race for the U.S. Senate in 2012. “Connecticut Fire Fighters are on the front lines protecting our families every day”, Murphy said. “To have their endorsement so early in this campaign is a huge honor and will provide critical support in our fight for the future of middle class working families throughout Connecticut.”    Photographs by John Murray

WATR Radio Hosts Testimonial For Bob Sagendorf, July 28th at AOH

Submitted by johnmurray on Tue, 07/12/2011 - 03:00

   After three years of ongoing vocal medical issues, Bob Sagendorf retired from the broadcast business in May for vocal rest, also to continue treatment, and work in a related career.  WATR management has scheduled a casual gathering to thank Bob for his many years of service to the sports and news broadcast community on Thursday July 28th at the Ancient Order of Hibernians Hall, 91 Golden Hill Street in Waterbury.   

Berger Lauds Governor's Signing Of "First Five" Legislation

Submitted by johnmurray on Tue, 07/12/2011 - 03:00

   House Chair of the Commerce Committee Jeff Berger (D-Waterbury) attended a ceremony with Governor Malloy and legislative colleagues where the governor signed into law legislation creating the “First Five” jobs initiative that will provide incentives to the first five businesses that each bring a minimum of 200 new full-time jobs to Connecticut within the next 24 months.

Girls Inc. Gymnastics Win 1st Place In NE Regional AAU

Submitted by johnmurray on Tue, 07/12/2011 - 03:00

Front row (from left): Coach Linda Brown, Jessica Lovejoy, Gianna Polzella, Shimera Estes, Marykate Bunce, Coach Kerry Doty. Back row: Coach Michelle Rinaldi, Denize Torres, Alia Te, Jaydeh Rivers, Mia Giordano, Mattea Polzella.

    The Girls Inc. of Southwestern Connecticut gymnastics team was victorious at the American Athletic Union’s 2011 Northeast Region Gymnastics Competition at Paramount Gymnastics in Swansea, MA. Competing against 180 girls from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the Girls Inc. of SWCT’s Prep Gymnast team won First place, with the Girls Inc. Novice Gymnast team placing Second in that category. Coached by Linda Brown, Kerry Doty and Michelle Rinaldi, the Girls Inc. gymnasts placed near the top of their divisions in the individual events and all-around.

Hazardous Waste Collection July 15th At Kennedy High School

Submitted by johnmurray on Mon, 07/11/2011 - 03:00

    

   It's time to unload all the poison, paint, batteries and insecticides laying around your house, but in a safe and environmentally friendly way.

   Hazardous waste collection for residents of Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Middlebury, Nau­gatuck, Oxford, Southbury, Thomaston, Water­bury, Watertown and Woodbury will be at Kennedy High School on July 15th from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"Forsaken Heroes of the Pacific War" Book Talk At Bronson Library, July 21

Submitted by johnmurray on Mon, 07/11/2011 - 03:00

Bataan Death March in 1942

    Dr. Albert Brown was a 32-year-old  practicing dentist with a wife, three children, a pilot’s license and a small air transport business  when he was called up for military service in the Philippines  in 1937 as the United States geared up for war four years before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The godchild of Buffalo Bill Cody, he is now, at 105 years-of-age, the oldest living American World War II veteran despite the fact that army doctors didn’t expect him to live beyond 50 as a result of his wartime injuries and illnesses. A robust athlete whose basketball team had defeated the famous Harlem Globetrotters, “Doc” Brown, was reduced to less than 90 pounds at war’s end. He spent two years in veterans’ hospitals and did not see to his family again for ten years.

Economics Of Retiring To Thailand

Submitted by johnmurray on Mon, 07/04/2011 - 03:00

Column by Don Coppock  (July 2011)

   When I made the decision to retire in Thailand , that decision was based on the information I had at the time. The dollar had hovered around 40 baht for as long as I’d been coming here, and I foresaw no cataclysmic change in the stock market.

Young Waterbury Entrepreneurs Launch Lemonade Business

Submitted by johnmurray on Sat, 07/02/2011 - 03:00

   Ignoring the grim economic news across Connecticut, an enthusiastic band of entrepreneurs launched a lemonade stand on Southwest Road in Waterbury on July 2nd. From left to right is D'Archer Bartlett, 8, Nolan Gustafson and Sincere Bartlett, 11. The stand was set up across the street from Post University in the West End of Waterbury, and the kids would explode into a marketing frenzy with each passing car. At 25 cents a drink, the young entrepreneurs were offering up refreshments at a cost difficult to compete with. Photo by John Murray

Waterbury Community Police Focus On Quality Of Life Issues In The Neighborhoods

Submitted by johnmurray on Fri, 07/01/2011 - 03:00

Lt. Scott Stevenson is the Commander of the Community Relations Division in the Waterbury PD. Story and Photographs By John Murray

 

   The setting was perfect.

   Lt. Scott Stevenson strolled down Elaine Rice’s driveway in the East End of Waterbury and entered a small garden sanctuary to meet with community leaders from the Waterbury Neighborhood Council. Stevenson is the commander of the Community Relations Division and updated the small gathering on several key developments in the Waterbury Police Department.