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Cyberhood News Headlines
RESIDENT'S EDITION
NEWS UPDATED
04/02/13 10:59:37 PM
CLICK ON HEADLINE OR LINK
FOR STORY
(if there is one you will
get it)
SHOOTING ERUPTS 3AM
EARLY WAKE UP CALL TO NEIGHBORS
 Wednesday,
March 13, 2013
8 shots
were reported via 911 by neighbors in the mid morning hour of 3am of
multiple shots being fired from somewhere mid Second Avenue.
Fast response by local PD did detain one gentleman and a focus of
investigation and spotlights were concentrated on a small multi-family
house at 31 Second Avenue looking for shell casings and bullet holes.
Officials on scene did inform us at 3:30am that despite the immediate
calls and response, they had no definitive suspect, though one male was
detained at the scene for a period of time.
No weapon was located. We are all hoping daylight does not reveal
a victim.
NEXT STOP ... NIANTIC!
3 out of 5 "been here befo"
PROSTITUTION STING IN
HILLSIDE
Friday,
March 8, 2013
The following women were arrested on prostitution charges during the
sting in Hillside March 7, 2013: Sharita Boatman, 29; Ashley Espinoza,
19; Kimberly Negron, 35; Emily Borgio, 30; Meghan Olson, 30.
BOATMAN shows up in previous stings dating back to September,
2011.
ESPINOZA was last stung August, 2012.
NEGRON does not show up in our history records.
BORGIO made her last big publicity splash in June 2012.
Borgio has two children and was ordered to undergo heroin
detoxification after she was arraigned following her 2012 arrest
by Waterbury
Superior Court.
OLSON does not appear in our previous records.
All five did not make bail and have spent the weekend in York
Correctional :(
In another prostitution matter, Police had some rather decisive words
with a landlord out of whose building several "Hookers" were working and
one even off the front porch. None of them lived there. The
landlord posted the property and had a strong discussion with all
tenants. The landlord is aware now that landlords can become
entangled in the legal wranglings if illegal activities are allowed to
persist on a premises.
The "ladies" have moved on.
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"HO" DOWN
Regular feature of our favorite "ladies" in cuffs, in
courts, and in jail :)
LISTING OF ARRESTS |
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COMMUNITY
POLICE PROGRAM
AGAIN BEING DISASSEMBLED ...
PIECE BY PIECE!
Monday,
March 4, 2013
After a major effort by
community groups nearly two years ago to reinstate the Community
Policing Program, Waterbury, again, seems to be giving a lot of lip
service to the needs of the neighborhoods and declarations as to how
important they are, but the city continues to undermine and erode the
quality of life within them.
Three more neighborhood officers are being returned to regular patrol to
offset the dwindling number of Waterbury Police Officers.
Over the past several years, Community officers have been cut by two
thirds.
Residents are just disheartened. Hillside is losing half of its
crime fighting team, removing Matt Lemos, who had been working primarily
Willow-Plaza and Overlook, and sharing a unique and highly successful
partnership with Hillside's own Sheriff, Ryan Bessette.
Lemos had just been honored at an awards dinner last night commending
his exemplary service to the Overlook neighborhood.
Have the muggings of the Jewish folks in Overlook and the recent
shooting and stabbing on Ridgewood, amongst other recent undesirable
events, passed into irrelevancy?
Neighbors feel as though they are being abandoned for others who better
"fill the coffers" so to speak.
One neighbor exclaimed, "When you have to fight tooth and nail just to
get up to "zero", what the Hell are we wasting our time for ... our
inner-city neighborhoods are in coronary arrest and the City is
setting itself up to
fail".
Police applications to fill the excessive departmental patrolman
vacancies were taken and closed in 2011 ... What year is it
now?????
Insiders tell us the stall in hiring is a tactic to save money and
maintain a much touted balanced budget and "stable" tax rate.
Is it worth our safety?
COMMENT
HERE
HOUSE
ON THE HILL
BACK ON THE MARKET
Wednesday,
March 13, 2013
The "Land Use Change"
hearing before the local Zoning Commission on Feb 27, 2013 denied the
application by Andrea Santos to convert the Victorian mansion, sating it
was an inappropriate use of the structure and felt the applicant would
be unable to meet the requirements of the Fire Marshall. According
to folks at the meeting it was "Spirited" and lively with community
leaders of Hillside and well beyond prevailing.
An article in the Wednesday, March 13th edition of the Republican
American reveals expanding interest in the property and the reuse as a
Bed & Breakfast again. A new Zoning Variance would be required as
it has been more than 6 months since the home was last used as a Bed and
Breakfast, but approval of such should be no problem and have
neighborhood and preservationists support.
www.rep-am.com
CLICK HERE - PREVIOUS COVERAGE BELOW
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
OFFERS HOME SAFETY
& SECURITY INSPECTION
AS A NEIGHBORHOOD PLUS!
THIS PROGRAM CANCELLED DUE TO ELIMINATIONS OF COMMUNITY POLICING!
Officers Ryan Bessette and Matt Lemos who work as a team in Hillside,
Overlook and Willow Plaza will be offering a walk through security check
and advice when the warmer weather arrives. Officer Bessette
announced this to the membership of Hillside assembled Thursday night
for the monthly neighborhood meeting.
At this time, only Hillside, Overlook and Willow Plaza dwellings are
included in this new service, but may expand if other Community
Relations Officers want to take on the tasks.
They plan to disburse tidbits from their bags of tips and tricks to
staying safe, and will recommend any changes or upgrades the homeowner
may need to make. Maxine has her dogs backing up her alarm ... no
more need be said ... we've seen the dogs!
Officer Bessette has agreed to be a guest speaker at a Hillside meeting
reviewing home security issues in some month to come.
If you are interested in meeting your neighborhood Officer and getting a
free security review, call Community Relations for Officer Lemos or
Bessette at 574-6962 or 346-3922 or email us via the link below and we
will pass it on for you.
See you in the Spring!
THIS PROGRAM CANCELLED DUE TO ELIMINATIONS OF COMMUNITY POLICING!
LINK
TO EMAIL OFFICERS LEMOS AND BESSETTE
FOR HOME INSPECTION
CITIZEN
POLICE ACADEMY
New 6 week session
starts March 18th.
Friday,
February 8, 2013
Wow, who picked the day after St Patrick's Day to start the new session
of the Citizen Police Academy?
The purposes of this academy is to educate the citizenry to the
realities of Police duties and performances. Joe asked Fred Scott
several years ago, with the emphasis on dry humor, if he would get a gun
... Fred very seriously told him, NO!
This year, Officer Bessette did inform Hillside Residents at the
Thursday night meeting that they would get to fire a taser. Again
Joe piped in and asked if he could bring his own target ... again the
answer was ... NO .. You get to shoot a wall :)
This is actually a very good program to acquaint folks with Police
procedures and form acquaintances and relationships with department
Police Persons of many levels. Until we put the application on
line, call the Community Relations office of the Police Department at
574-6962 or 346-3922 for additional information and applications.
STREETSCAPE PLAN FOR
GAFFNEY PLACE APPROVED
BY CITY
Neighborworks New
Haven, coordinated locally by Tom Cruese, has received municipal
approvals for the new streetscape for Gaffney Place, inclusive of a "sidewalkless"
street, all brick, two restored houses and one new (replacement
structure designed by architects to fit the distinctive Victorian motif).
This project is working with the Historic District Association and local
banks, Webster in particular, in developing the lower end of the
Hillside Historic District. With this project, they acquired three
vacant and boarded up properties on this small street creating the focus
of revitalization.
The brown house on the right was deemed structurally unsafe and will be
replaced by the new construction carefully designed to fit the Victorian
landscaping. When the blizzard is ended, we hope to post some
illustrations of the proposed work as a link here.
It is encouraging for the future of Waterbury that such care and
visionary effort is being made to revive a street, while only a half
dozen blocks up the street the city is on the verge of approving the
demise of another structure, 92 Woodlawn Terrace. Come on
Waterbury ... Get it together!
COMMENT HERE
PARKING BAN
FOREVER RESOLVED
Friday,
February 8, 2013
For over a
decade, multiples of answers have been given to Hillside residents
regarding the Snow Parking Ban regulation. At a meeting several
years ago with then Street Superintendant Lawlor, residents were told
that he just made it up as they went along ... sometimes one side,
sometimes the other. After multiples of inquiries last evening to
Police, residents were not the only one's confused. Multiple
police sources informed residents yesterday parking would be allowed
ONLY on the even side of the street ... oops ... WRONG!
A very nice Officer Binnett swung through the neighborhood at 10am and
showed residents the official Police order! A whole heap of
hunkered down folks who had moved their cars to the even side of the
street last night had to drag out into the snowy cold and move their
vehicles across the road .... even poor Shirley with her
broken ankle :) brrrrr.
So now, all should know .. once & for all ..FOREVER!
SNOW PARKING BAN =
ODD SIDE OF STREET PARKING! THE END!
"JOHNS"
SURPRISED BY POLICE AND NEIGHBOR PRESENCE MARKING THEM
AS TARGETS!
Community Officer and Neighborhood leader conducted
street side observations of the "Johns" Thursday
afternoon in the Prospect-Hillside area preparing for
the report to vice and the Mayor to initiate the new
program to detain and possibly arrest the "Johns".
STORY
TO FOLLOW - COMING SOON
HILLSIDE
ASSOCIATION MEMBERS
TAKE AN UNUSUAL EVENING STROLL...
A
cheerful contingent of Neighborhood Association members
of Hillside, left cocktails behind and hit the streets
headed South in search of a vanishing past.
STORY BELOW - CLICK HERE
HILLSIDE
LOSES GOOD FRIEND
John Connelly was friends with many Hillside
residents showing up at neighborhood barbeques
and fund raisers, but his legacy will always be
the dent he helped make in neighborhood crime.
Connelly, Davenport and Nalband joined forces
and with the cooperation of Judge Alexandra
DePetima, began fining "Johns" and making them
publicly apologize to neighborhood leaders
paying a $100+ fine to the neighborhood and an
equal or greater amount to the courts. She
further banned each prosecuted "John" from the
Hillside area for a period of not less than one
year.
He established the $499 bail flat rate for
prostitutes so they were not eligible for the
10% rule.
John was immediately there when a neighborhood
watch member was taken into custody for trying
to supply an on scene officer information about
the issue at the scene.
We will miss you John, but your memory will live
long in Hillside.
We are in the process of re-establishing several
of your initiatives diminished by liberalism
over time, and will keep your legacy and work
alive ...
at least in this neighborhood! |
DISTRESSED PROPERTIES
HOUSE ON THE HILL
SAGA CONTINUES
Friday,
February 8, 2013
Built in the 1880's by Wallace
Camp, a local executive at Scovill Mfg, and inventor
of the Post Office Box and lock, this massive
Victorian architectural gem has survived 125 years
virtually intact.
When built, all materials had to be brought up the
hillside by horse and wagon into the unoccupied
pastures and woodlands of this hillside. Folks
commented how odd it was to build so far from
downtown. That was then!
The structure
The home has 20 rooms, five fireplaces more than 5
bathrooms, wrap around verandas and encompasses 5700
square feet.
Hilda Camp, the last of the direct Camp family still
in the home, left the homestead and moved next door
to her Aunt's home. When she broke up the
property, she rearranged the property line to take
possession of the windmill building with her.
She also took the house number. Originally
numbered 98 Woodlawn, the house was now numbered
92
Woodlawn.
It was saved from contemplated demolition when the
Bergin family bought it in the middle 50's, raised
their 9 kids there and later sold it to Marianne
Vandenberg in the 80's. She eventually turned
it into a Bed and Breakfast which she successfully
operated through the first decade of the 21st
century, closing it in 2008.
The property contains a decent track that runs up
the hillside behind the home. Today this inner
city home has become a White Elephant.
The residence has been for sale for several years,
and is now being entertained for purchase by Andrea
Santos of
39 Eldridge Street.
who would like to live there and operate a home
based Day Care for 50+ children and 10+ staff.
Assurances have been made that the exterior of the
building would remain unchanged, though members of
the Hillside Historic District Association believe
that all the porch railings would have to be
significantly altered to meet new height safety
requirements and multiple exterior ramps would have
to be installed. Hillside Members are also
concerned about the high costs of exterior
maintenance necessary to preserve the historical
significance of the dwelling. Members also
cringe at what a continuous onslaught of 50+ kids
would do to a pristine 1880's interior of all
naturally finished woodwork ... ouch :)
Several residents, including Maxine, Marie and Joe
expressed great interest in seeing the building sold
and occupied before it meets with any worse segment
of fate.
The great stone wall surrounding the property is
predominantly mentioned in the Historic Survey
registered with the National Register of Historic
Properties, and would be facing a major facelift
just to meet the Fire Departments requirements of a
24 foot wide driveway that is almost twice as wide as the old
winding 14 foot carriage drive still in place from the
original construction.
In the early 60's, there was a major fire in the
barn on the property, and Mayor Neil Oleary's
father, Neil Oleary Sr, actually drove a pumper
truck up that narrow winding wall lined driveway
parking it triumphantly at the top to fight the fire
in his good friend, Mayor Ed Bergin's barn. No
one ever figured how he got the engine out of there
:)
Bergins removed the fire torn roof, knocked down the
chimney and re-roofed the barn. (oh yeah ... Brother
Bill's 1927 Pontiac was sort of under the chimney
when it went down. :)
The barn was torn down by Vandenberg after 20 years
of ownership, at the turn of the century, having
rotted to a point of instability from neglect.
A group from outside Hillside is voicing great
opposition to the large amount of Federal dollars
being sought by the Day Care operator for
renovations and operating costs. She is
seeking funding from Waterbury Development Corp and
the State Department of Economic and Community
Development. Belief is
that in such a tight economy, every available
economic development dollar should be maximized
within the business community, and far too much is
needed for this relatively low economic return
enterprise.
Others have expressed concerns over traffic and
parking. Parking is non-existent in the area
as city main and side streets around this home are
fully parked daily with teachers and staff of Driggs
Grammar School directly across the street.
On grounds parking could barely, if at all,
accommodate the owner and 10 + vehicles of staff.
at 2pm, the streets are impassable as the grammar
school lets out and chaos reigns.
People question safe pick-up and drop off due to the
height of the building above the street and street
congestion and configuration. The area on Pine
Street is a blind stretch for persons driving
southerly. From the intersection of Columbia
Blvd and Pine, you round a curve and start down the
hill unable to really see until you have rounded the
top and by then you are there. A vehicle
stopped in the roadway ... not good.
Most doubted the proposed Day Care operation could,
from child care revenues alone, afford
continued occupancy of the home without major
government subsidies on a regular basis, and
everyone was opposed to such use of valued
government funds.
The continued Public Hearing of the Zoning
Commission is Wednesday, February 27th at 7pm in
Founders Hall in City Hall (that's the big hall
opposite Aldermanic Chambers on the second floor).
TO
COMMENT ON THIS FEATURE CLICK HERE
CLICK
HERE FOR HISTORIC REGISTER DOCUMENTATION
BACK TO TOP
HILLSIDE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS
TAKE AN UNUSUAL EVENING STROLL...
Thursday,
Sept 21 ,2012
Walking the streets is something neighborhood residents
in Hillside do regularly ... walking dogs ...
neighborhood watch ... visiting friends and just out for
a bit of exercise.
Thursday night, a contingent of merry neighbors and
kids, headed South on Central Avenue to start a type of
architectural scavenger hunt.
One of the local photographer/artists had rendered a
series of prints of the old barns, or carriage houses if
you prefer, still standing in Hillside and ran some of
them up the pole as a contest at the summer picnic of
the Neighborhood Association in mid-August. Even
life long residents were almost completely stumped
...and quite surprised at their own shortcoming as many
pride themselves for their historical knowledge of the
area.
The artist described the carriage houses as "hidden
treasures in plain sight", and "seldom seen, barely
noticed, architectural orphans".
The artist thought the contest was over at the end of
the picnic and packed up his prinys and headed off into
the sunset. Three weeks later, he learned there
were still neighbors out there with their game cards
still playing the game and hoping to win the contest :)
After three weeks, Maxine Watts found the last of the
six carriage houses on her game card!
CONGRATS MAXINE!
She chose a print of one of the carriage house
renderings as her prize.
She joined the other residents Friday night as they set
out about 5:30pm to find all six architectural gems.
With a little prompting from Maxine (and we would bet
Shirley as well), with four barns down, the group was
ascending Pine Street just before 7pm in search of the
last two.
Along the way, they met neighbors, promoted Association
membership and created a lot of community good will ...
and yes, they did find all six carriage houses...and
then, all went out to dinner :)
Another six carriage house works of art are currently on
the drawing board ...maybe another picnic contest next
year?
Keep your eyes open folks!
Below is one of the carriage house renderings ... Do you
know where it is?
© 2012 J.A.ReynoldsJr
EMAIL YOUR ANSWER HERE
BACK TO THE TOP
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"HO" DOWN
Regular feature of our favorite "ladies" in cuffs, in
courts, and in jail :)
LISTING OF ARRESTS |
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GOLDEN
WEB AWARD
HILLSIDE
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