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October
21, 2009 |
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NEW
TOP COP
UNDERSTANDS
NEIGHBORHOODS
AND THEIR PROBLEMS |
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New
Waterbury Police Chief Michael Gugliotti is an excellent choice to
both prevent and fight crime in our neighborhoods.
Chief Gugliotti joined the force in 1988 when he was 22, working his
way through the department including the Gang Task Force, Vice and
the Detective Bureau. He has been Deputy Superintendent since
2007 and is well schooled in the Neil O'Leary philosophies and
practices.
He is well versed in the issues of the city, and being a resident of
the city, he has a vested interest in the betterment of our
neighborhoods.
Under his departmental leadership, Hillside will remain well engaged
in the war on prostitution and the escalation of activities to rid
the area of the Johns with new and surprising enforcement
activities.
Hillside welcomes our new top cop. |
VILLAGE DISTRICT
NOT FOR ALL HILLSIDE
Jim Sequin spent the
better part of the Hillside meeting explaining the processes, procedures and
philosophies of creating a Village District overlay for some or all of the
geography in the Hillside Historic District. Hillside is a National
Register Historic District.
Hillside is a very divided district with pristine Victorian architecture in
the southernmost segment, a less stimulating, frequently seedy, eclectic
collection of multi-family Victorians in the center and the choice collection
of mini-mansions in the Northern terrain.
The mid-section is probably beyond successful restoration as it sits today,
but the areas below Grove Street and on the northern borders remain intact and
are deserving of the protections of preservation.
After lengthy explanations of processes of implementing a Village District,
residents quickly deduced that economic and ethnic concerns and conditions in
the neighborhood would prevent a successful implementation of such a district
throughout Hillside. Execution of property restrictions and enforcement
of historic correctness in repairs and renovations of exteriors could be so
prohibitively expensive that the process would be self defeating.
The lower district of the Central Avenue and Holmes Avenue areas is still a
highly intact architectural treasure and should be considered for the
development its own Village District.
Sequin was enthusiastic about the prospect and offered to help Hillside
develop such a plan.
INSTITUTION AND
REHAB FACILITIES
INVADING THE
"HOOD"
Drug Rehab
Centers, Halfway Houses, DOC Transitional Centers, Alternate
Incarceration Centers and a variety of other correctional facility and
rehabilitation agencies are inhabiting more and more of the large
historic dwellings within the Hillside Historic District.
The Hillside NRZ details a moratorium on any additional such facilities
and has been working for the past many years to achieve that end.
The City approved this neighborhood's NRZ and went so far as to vote a
mandate that it be incorporated into the current City Plan, yet continue
to disregard their own legal actions and approve more and more of these
facilities located within Hillside and the Downtown Historic District.
One problem seems to be that the city has no real vision and ignores its
own current plan.
Hillside is definitely not opposed to rehabilitation or alternative
living facilities, as several of both current and former Board Members
have been in Social Services, but they are opposed to the massing of
these operations within a tight geographical area already prone to drugs
and prostitution and stressed property values.
Facilities for adult male offenders are now planned to literally back
right up to a juvenile female facility and a shelter for women with
children. In the commercial venue, facilities are abutting the city
museum and YMCA which includes plans to resume residential facilities,
both of which have reported experiencing problems from the existing
institutions.
A City Plan meeting at 6:30 in the Chase Municipal Building
Wednesday, Feb 18th is taking up the issue of a 22 bed work-release
facility destined for the old Alderson Building at 70 Central Avenue.
A cease and desist order is currently in place on any future habitation
and future development of this proposed center.
Hillside members and residents are encouraged to attend.
Additional stories related to existing Corrections related facilities
will be following in coming weeks.
ROB SIGNOR
HILLSIDE PERSON OF THE YEAR
Rob Signor is this year's
Hillside selection for recognition at 2009 Waterbury Neighborhood Council awards
banquet. Each year individual neighborhoods select someone or "group
of someones" to receive the annual Neighborhood Council award for
contributions to their neighborhood.
Rob has been unanimously
selected because he represents the core values of a truly good neighbor,
improving himself, his neighbors and his neighborhood. He reaches
out without reward, helps without being asked, never hesitant to chat up a
stranger, and though always eager to improve his neighborhood knows when
to separate for space.
When not in the neighborhood, walking his dog or at the gym, one finds Rob
treating the injured and infirmed at the Waterbury Hospital Emergency
Room.
Rob represents the very core essence of "neighbor", and it is the
"neighbors" that make the "Hood"... he is a truly GOOD NEIGHBOR.
Congratulations Rob, you do make Hillside a better place to live.
CLICK
HERE TO VIEW CONTRACT
Note: Contract is about 1.5MB
Back to
the Top of Page
HILLSIDE
NEW YEAR
VISION FOR 2010:
Community Policing
needs to re-engage in proactive Policing within the Hillside Historic
District and commit the resource of the Neighborhood Officer to a
significant visual presence in the area (which has not been the case) and
engage that officer in immediate confrontation and removal of prostitutes,
"Johns" and other undesirables from the streets of Hillside, secure and
check on vacant and abandoned properties, and regain the knowledge of the
everyday pulse of the neighborhood.
Community
Officer
needs to prepare a detailed report to
the Association monthly to keep area residents appraised of police
activities within the area, specific activities undertaken by the
Neighborhood Officer within the Hillside Historic District, as well
as listening to neighbor issues.
Police,
prosecutors, courts and other legal officials need to combine initiatives
and take on with great determination the issue of Johns in Hillside
and employ creative and diversified activities to rid Hillside (the areas
from Willow Street through Cooke Street) of Prostitution and the
continuous cycling of "Johns" once and for all.
Public Works should address the issue of deteriorating
walkways, such as upper prospect street from Grove North, for complete
replacement. These pavements are beyond deplorable.
Hayden Park was better maintained last year than most, but
broken benches need repair, lights need repairs and masonry on staircase
and exterior walls needs immediate attention. The central rose
garden is an overgrown pile of unmaintained crap.
(forgive the slang
of the hood)
Yankee Gas needs to thoroughly review
the conditions of their infrastructure in Hillside, especially in the
Hillside Avenue areas from Prospect to Willow where it has seemingly been
an architectural dig for the past handful of years. Serious problems
obviously exist and need to be addressed as neighbors are getting
concerned.
Yeshiva Gadolah has much
work to do to bring themselves into compliance with the contract they have
signed to secure the former UConn campus on Hillside Avenue.
Hillside
does wish the success of this entity and is prepared to work with the City
to this end.
City Officials must
abide by their sworn oaths and enforce the Yeshiva agreement and stop
their delays, procrastinations and avoidance of the issues confronting
this problem. Resolution of this contract and success of the school
is of ultimate benefit to all.
Seven-Eleven
corporation needs to continue to address the issue of "Prostitution Central" which
invades their parking lot on the corner of Willow and West Main Streets
through monitoring activities and loitering, panhandling and waiting
"Johns".
Significant improvements have been made, including the repair of the
lighting, but the continuation maintenance and police presence needs to
be retained.
It might also be
advised to redirect the Community Relation officer of the area to take his
coffee-magazine breaks and write his reposts at that 7-11 instead of the
one on Cooke Street which needs little, if any, patrol presence.
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Page
END CURRENT NEWS ITEMS
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Bureau of Refuse Pick-up Guidelines |
RESIDENTIAL TRASH:
to be placed on curbside evening before collection day. (No more than 24
hours prior to collection; no later than 5 a.m. day of collection.)
RECYCLABLES:
to be placed in orange bin and placed on curb evening before collection.
Collectable items include paper (newsprint, magazines),
cardboard (corrogated only, flattened, cut and tied, 2 ft. x 2 ft.,
glass bottles (clear, green and brown; rinsed out and labels and
caps removed); plastics (#1 and #2 only; must have labels);
aseptic cartons (milk and juice paperboard cartons; must be rinsed
out; no straws);
Effective October 2005 “junk mail” can be included with recycling the
following items are added to the list of acceptable recyclables;
Catalogs, magazines, coupons, stationary, bills and paper envelopes;
yard waste (click
here for a copy of the Yard Waste
schedule; grass clippings and leaves, must be in bio-degradable paper
bags only; brush must be cut and tied--no more than 4 inches in
diameter, no longer than 4 feet long).
SPECIAL PICK-UPS:
by appointment only. No more than five items at one time. Must make
appointment prior to putting on curbside. Bulky items include
couches, mattresses and large furniture. Metal appliances include
washers, stoves, etc.
REFUSE DEPARTMENT:
181 East Aurora St.
Waterbury, CT 06708
Phone (203) 574-6857
Transfer
Facility
Mark Lane
(203) 756-7365
Hours of Operation
Mon - Fri 5 a.m. to 3
p.m
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Al Brennan, Webmaster
Copyright 2010
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ADVERTISERS 
HOUSE
on the
HILL
Bed and Breakfast
92 Woodlawn Terr.
Waterbury, Ct 06710
203-757-9901
M. Vandenburgh, Prop
Charter
Member
Website
Click Here
HILLSIDE
WELCOMES
New Neighbors
Dina & Baretta
and
Heather & Eileen
Baked Goods
Cakes &
Cookies
159 Manor Ave
Waterbury, Ct. 06705
203-755-3804
Maria Bruscino-Sanchez
Proprietor
WEBSITE
CLICK HERE
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