Millionaire
Game Winner
7-13--01
Friday the 13th proved
to be a lucky day for New York City Resident Edward Bergin, as he
reportedly became the first known winner of Hillside's online Millionaire
game.
Mr. Bergin admitted to Hillside's webmaster that some of the questions
were pretty tough and that he had to make a total guess on the million
dollar question itself. He knew he guessed right as the balloons floated
up the screen and the music played on.
Ed Bergin spent many years as a Hillside resident, and is the son of
Patrick Bergin of Buckingham Street. Ed and his wife Shirley now
reside in Manhattan.
Mr. Bergin was pleasantly surprised to find his name included prominently
as a possible answer to one of the questions, and is not telling anyone if
he is the correct answer or not.
The Hillside Millionaire game does not generate prizes, but the Hillside
Website awarded Edward one of the much talked about "Not Just for
Hookers ... Anymore" T-Shirts that the website is selling "for
fun and for funds".
Test your knowledge ... Play the
Game Here!
Community
Policing Tough on Blight
EVERY LITTER BIT HURTS!
3-6-02 Tim Bachand has been the
neighborhood officer for almost two years now, and addressed the
issues of the neighborhood at the March 5 meeting of this Association.
In February, this area had 4 drug related arrests, 12 citations for DMV
violations, 12 arrests for blighted properties and 16 abandoned vehicles
towed.
He fielded resident complaints of parking problems on Kellogg Street,
and other area complaints of parking on sidewalks, ignoring 30 min and 1
hr posted parking areas, loud noise (music) and horns.
Later on in the meeting, the Chief of Police, Ed Flaherty, disclosed that the
problem of towing abandoned vehicles from private property has just been
resolved, so these vehicles may also now be ordered removed by our local
officers starting immediately.
PETER
JUDD
JUNE 6th PROGRAM SPEAKER
3-14-02
Former Hillside
resident and actor Peter Judd will present "Peter's View" of his
recollections of Hillside in a June 6th presentation by the Hillside
Association at the Benedict-Miller house on Hillside Avenue.
Mr. Judd, a resident of NYC is a regular visitor to the Mattatuck Museum
and avid historian.
A Neighborhood walking tour will be conducted by the Mattatuck Museum
before the presentation at 5:30 and immediately after at 7:30.
Mr Judd will present from 6:30 to 7:30.
Refreshments will also follow.
JUNE 6, 2002
BENEDICT-MILLER HOUSE
5:30 - TOUR
6:30 - Mr. JUDD
7:30ish - TOUR
for
full story and press release
CLICK HERE
EARTH DAY CLEAN-UP
APRIL 20 - 9AM
4-4-02
The
traditional Hillside clean-up is scheduled for Saturday, April 20th at 9am-ish
weather permitting.
Volunteers will be divided into two groups, one departing from the corner of
Cliff and Hillside and the other from the Prospect Street Gate of the Rose
Hill Mansion.
Volunteers should bring their own gloves. Trash bags will be supplied.
Residents will wander (with direction) throughout the Historic District
collecting light and "unoffensive" trash.
It is a well known fact that we do not work or play in the rain and there is
no rain date. If it is raining ... stay home :)
If you wish to join us, send us an email and we will contact you ... or ...
just show up at 9 am Saturday April 20th.
That is all!
MAYOR
TO BE FEATURED
SPEAKER AT MARCH 5
MEETING
Newly elected Mayor Michael J.
Jarjura will focus on three topics as he addresses the Hillside group on March
5 at the UConn Library.
The transition of the UConn campus will be the primary issue as it impacts
Hillside and the properties being leased to the rabbinical school. Campus
issues center on grounds and buildings maintenance, historic preservation, and
campus access by Hillside and the Waterbury public.
Community policing and Police vehicles as well as Litter and Trash issues will
be the other two topics of presentation.
The event is opened to all Hillside Residents.
Neighborhood meeting begins at 6:30 and the Mayor is on at 7PM.
HISTORIC BUILDING TO BE
DEMOLISHED BY NVDC
By Brenda Marks
© 2001 Republican-American
Jamison C. Bazinet / Republican-American
WATERBURY 11-03-01
Taxpayers won't be footing the bill to move a 120-year-old Queen Anne-style
Victorian house on East Main Street to make room for the $112 million downtown
redevelopment project.
Instead, the 188 East Main St. building, which is owned by the Greater
Waterbury Board of Realtors, will be bought and demolished for an undetermined
amount of money.
(See
full Republican-American reprint below)
Eatin'
& Talkin'
POT LUCK SUPPER
and Action
Planning Meeting
(Waterbury-HH, Oct. 20,
2001 6:40 PM)
Judy Cowan of Cowan
Consulting will facilitate the special Nov. 8th meeting at Driggs School Gym
which will begin at 5:30 sharp with a Pot luck Supper.
The planning meeting will begin at 6PM sharp and last not later than 8PM.
Ms. Cowan is being paid with a grant from Neighborhood Housing.
The planning will focus on improving the neighborhood in the areas of Public
Safety, Health and Housing as outlined in the Hillside
NRZ.
Meeting is open to all neighborhood residents, friends and relatives and
strangers :)
Bring a dish ready to serve with utensils (no kitchen). Cider and paper
goods provided.
This will hopefully recharge the group and centralize focus for the coming
year or two.
For additional information call Marianne at 757-9901 or Shirley at 574-1441 or
email us: Hillside@Waterbury.com
Waterbury
historic house to be razed
Structure coming down to allow for construction of magnet school
Saturday,
November 03, 2001
By Brenda Marks
© 2001 Republican-American
Jamison C. Bazinet / Republican-American
WATERBURY
Taxpayers won't be footing the bill to move a 120-year-old Queen
Anne-style Victorian house on East Main Street to make room for the $112
million downtown redevelopment project.
Instead, the 188 East Main St. building, which is owned by the Greater
Waterbury Board of Realtors, will be bought and demolished for an
undetermined amount of money.
The Naugatuck Valley Development Corp. had proposed spending $800,000 to
move the house and pay for related expenses because the house is in
Waterbury's historic district, which is on the National Register of
Historic Places. The three-story structure is known as the Edward McDonald
House and was once used as a doctor's office by Arthur F. McDonald,
according to records at the Silas Bronson Library. It was also a
Spanish-American restaurant at one time.
The house, which was recently assessed for revaluation at $117,880, will
come down to make way for a new arts magnet school being built along East
Main Street near the Palace theater.
The project's price tag was a sticking point for the NVDC.
"It just gets to the point where it's out of control," said
Harold Smith, an NVDC board member. "I believe in historical
preservation, but not at tremendous cost to taxpayers when the benefit is
negligible. That building could be replaced at less than what it would
have cost to move it."
The Connecticut Historical Commission agreed to allow the realty group's
building to be torn down because it agreed "there is no feasible and
prudent alternative to demolition." It had been proposed that it be
moved a half-mile to a vacant lot at 195 North Main St.
The commission had been talking with the NVDC, the city's economic
development agency, and the state Department of Economic and Community
Development, in an effort to save the building.
"Due to the complexities, which have arisen related to the proposed
move of the structure and its critical location within the project
boundaries, this office concurs with the department that under the present
circumstances there is no feasible and prudent alternative to
demolition," John W. Shannahan, commission director and state
historic preservation officer, said in a letter this week to Peter Simmons
of the DECD.
Whether the house is moved, or bought and demolished, the budget for the
project stands at about $800,000, according to Michael O'Connor, NVDC
executive director. That would include money to either buy the lot the
house sits on, the price of moving it and relocating the board twice, or
buy the lot and the house and demolish it while relocating the board.
The board already moved out of the house. It is in temporary space at 95
Scovill St. in the Croft Commons and will relocate to a permanent home
with the help of state tax funds.
"We're not happy about it because we're up in the air," said
Stephen Briotti, chairman of the realty board's facilities advisory
committee. "We liked our building. It gave us an identity. Problem
is, we're in limbo right now. It's too bad we didn't know this a year
ago."
The board, which is still paying a mortgage on the 3,700-square-foot
house, wants to stay downtown because it has been downtown for 85 years,
he said.
"They should have done their homework ahead of time," Briotti
said. "Parking is expensive. Right now St. Mary's Hospital parking is
the only game in town for that area."
The issue of what to do with the house arose at an NVDC executive
committee meeting Friday. The nonprofit agency is overseeing the downtown
revitalization, which is being paid for mostly with funds from the DECD.
The project includes a renovated Palace theater and a new University of
Connecticut branch, which is slated to be built across the street from the
arts magnet middle and high school.
The NVDC will now have to negotiate a price to buy the house from the
board. After it buys the building, it will have to get proper permits to
knock it down, said Daniel Sahl, NVDC deputy director.
It was unclear Friday exactly why it would have cost $800,000 for the
entire project. According to John Nelson, owner of 1-800-LIFTERS Inc., a
Milford-based house-moving company, it would cost between $60,000 to
$80,000 to jack up and move a house of similar size. "That's site
unseen," he said Friday.
Susan Chandler, historical architect with the commission, said she's still
hoping the building could be saved, but realizes the larger issue is the
overall good of the downtown revitalization.
"At the moment, it doesn't look like there are any other options, but
until it's down there is always a last-minute chance," Chandler said.
"It's obviously a tremendous loss, but not every historic building
can be saved."
Winter's
chill blown away by coats, kindness
Teacher's letter, store
program put coats, smiles on students
Thursday, November 15, 2001
By Randal Edgar
© 2001 Republican-American
WATERBURY They stood side by side, shopping bags in their hands
and smiles on their faces.
Together, on their teacher's signal, they shouted two words: Thank you.
For employees of Charming Shoppes Inc., lined up on the other side of the
Driggs Elementary School gymnasium, the looks on the students' faces were
more than enough.
In each student's bag were a hat, mittens, umbrella, school supplies and a
basic item some were getting for the first time: a new winter coat.
"They just gave it to me," said third-grader Calvin Dunbar,
whose new coat was red his favorite color. Never mind that it fit
properly and had a hood unlike his old coat.
Charming Shoppes was drawn to Driggs by a teacher's essay, one of nearly
3,000 the company received in its annual Keeping Kids Warm contest.
Submitted by special education teacher Brenda Falcone, the 108-word essay
described the school's efforts to provide hats, mittens and classroom
supplies to its 600 students, with help from local companies. It also told
the contest judges that the one thing Driggs hasn't been able to provide
for its students most of whom walk to school is winter coats.
"These children often have to go without," Falcone said. "A
lot of them have never had a new coat."
The essay was strong enough to make Driggs one of three winners
nationwide. The others were in Indianapolis, Ind. and Rochester, N.Y.
To receive their new coats, Driggs students visited the gymnasium one
class at a time Wednesday, handing copies of their already-submitted order
forms to some two dozen Charming Shoppes employees, who came from the
company's corporate office in Pennsylvania and stores throughout New
England. The company also brought 200 extra coats, for cases in which the
ordered size wasn't the right fit.
Linda Edwards, director of the Keeping Kids Warm program, said Charming
Shoppes purchases the coats from vendors with money that vendors donate
for the program. She estimated the value of the coats given away at Driggs
to be at least $30,000.
Edwards said the Keeping Kids Warm program tries to help schools like
Driggs, where nearly nine out of 10 students qualify for free or
reduced-price meals.
"You have to go where the need is greatest," she said.
The need at Driggs was such that two people submitted entries for the
school Falcone, and Janet Licese-Ciarleglio, coordinator of the Driggs
school health center. Both learned of the contest through comedian Rosie
O'Donnell's magazine, Rosie.
Falcone, in her ninth year at Driggs, said she wants to stay there until
she retires some day.
"The children here really need adults who care for them, and they
appreciate what you do for them," she said. "When you give them
hats and mittens each year, it's like you're giving them gold."
598
FREE COATS
for Driggs
School Kids
(Waterbury-, Sept. 24,
2001 8:45 PM)
Waterbury's poorest school
displays the most teacher enthusiasm, as proven this week when the school beat
out over 3000 national entries and won new winter coats for each of its
598 students.
For many years, Special Ed teacher, Brenda Falcone, has led the effort
to provide gloves, mittens and hats to those kids who needed them in the
winter months. This year she submitted an entry to the "Charming
Shoppes' Keeping Kids Warm Contest".
Rosie O'Donnell announced the three national winners on her TV show today,
Oct. 24th. and Driggs School was indeed one of them.
Hillside salutes the dedication and innovation of the staff at Driggs school,
especially Brenda Falcone for her continuous efforts throughout the years.
Driggs School is located on Woodlawn Terrace in the Hillside Historic
District.
See
Republican-American Article Below
Neighborhood Officer Tough on
Blight & Drugs
MAKING A BIG
DIFFERENCE
Tim Bachand has been the
neighborhood officer for over a year now, and has certainly addressed the
issues of the neighborhood.
He has worked with Willow-Plaza's Ed Palermo in clearing the streets of
prostitutes and "johns", aggressively attacked the abandoned car
issue, towing over 100 of them, and is "in your face" if you
are guilty of Blight related issues affecting the quality of life for
Hillside residents.
Most recently, he has been working various nights with the task force that
roams the city hot spots, and numerous arrests for drugs have been made on
Willow and Hillside and Willow and Woodlawn.
He has requested of his department to do a slight shift rotation to work
during the changing of the shifts (between 3:00 and 4:00) to stop the small flurry
of prostitute activities that is sporadically arising.
Officer Bachand has made a difference ... his way!
4-4-01
FULTON
PARK CLEAN-UP
Oct.
21st
@ 12 Noon
10-5--01
Friends of Fulton Park will
hold a clean-up on Sunday, October 21, 2001 at 12 noon. Those
interested in a fall stroll through the scenic park, designed by Frederick
Olmstead, can assemble at the stone bridge opposite the 7-11 on Cooke
Street at noon.
Please bring a trash bag, and gloves if you need them. We have just begun
as a group and have no funds yet for supplies.
If you are interested in joining, or attending our next meeting, call
Marie Hayes 573-1061 or Nancy Cebik 597-9403 or watch for the announcement
in Robin Adam's column in the Republican -American.
CLICK HERE FOR
FULTON PARK T-SHIRTS.
Picnic...
A Summer Delight
6-26--01
Forty plus neighbors and
friends relaxed in a warm sun during the annual Hillside Picnic hosted by
House on the Hill Bed and Breakfast in the Hillside Historic District.
Elected officials included Lisa Mason, Ron Napoli and John Sarlo who
maintained a vigorous discussion about the city, while a visiting Warner
Bros. Producer from California and her family held court at the other end
of the patio area. Between the two groups residents mingled and engaged in
leisurely chat and great food.
The Pot Luck affair featured Barbeque beef and pork, and filled sixteen
feet of table space. Needless to say, there was plenty for all, and
enough leftovers to ensure no neighbor would have to cook for a week.
Table settings were beige tablecloths and white flower centerpieces.
Reds, Whites and Blues carried out the balance of the adornments.
... and of course there were Mrs. Reynolds secret family recipe baked
beans, even though she and the Dr. were unable to attend.
PICNIC PICTURES HERE
4-4-01
Spring
Planting
According to the funding
request for park improvements, another 50 rose bushes are scheduled for
planting this spring.
Drainage in the center fountain area continues to be non-existent and much
of the rest of the north area is mostly sand fill. The Park certainly
creates horticultural challenges.
The lower bank on Grove Street is being overrun with a bamboo like weed
that defies elimination, but Dave is working with the UConn extension
service to establish a way to best chemically eliminate the nuisance so
plantings in this area can continue in years to come.
The Earth Day cleanup of the park has been cancelled and the activities
will do service elsewhere in the neighborhood.
EARTH
DAY
April 28th
Cleanup
4-4-01
Litter and light trash pick-up
on the Hillside streets was the order of the day On April 28th as the
neighborhood part of the Earth Week functions.
All residents were urged to pick-up trash in front of their houses and
organized groups attempted to cover the entire Historic District that
day.
The annual Hayden Park clean-up originally planned for that day was postponed so all efforts and resources
could be devoted to sprucing the
neighborhood up for the meeting of the Ct. Trust for Historic Preservation
at the Benedict Miller House on May 18th.A great job was done by all and
the "hood" looked pretty good for the grand tours on May 18th.
Special thanks to Stepping Stone and Community solutions for their
"volunteers".
DRESCHER'S
RESTAURANT:
CORDIAL HOST FOR MEETING.
4-6-01
For a change of pace, the
monthly Hillside meeting was moved from the Hillside Campus to local
establishment, Drescher's Restaurant.
A private area was provided in the atrium and dinners and drinks proceeded
throughout both executive Board and Regular meetings.
Food was good, service was good, atmosphere was good.
Nice change of pace, and a great reminder of the great little gems that
rest at the very borders of our Historic District.
Community Court Not
for Prostitutes!
4-4-01
In a recent move by some lawmakers and citizens, inclusion of Prostitution
as a crime eligible for Community Court has been proposed.
As Prostitution is not simply a nuisance crime, Hillside has taken the
stand that this crime is serious and ultimately life threatening.
Over the years, Hillside has worked with the State Prosecutor to maximize
the Bail Bonds to an amount requiring a full $499 be paid for release, and
the group has worked with the courts in establishing that Hillside
residents are true victims of the crime. In several court cases,
Hillside has been awarded damages to be paid by the "johns"
arrested for soliciting the women.
Hillside is not opposed to genuine Alternative Incarceration for
these women to deal with drug and psychological problems, but reduction of
Prostitution to Community Court status is unacceptable.
Hillside is spreading the word that prostitutes arrested for disorderly or
other negligent offenses can be referred to community court, but when
specifically charged with Prostitution, they are to be tried with the full
power of the system.
Hillside will be represented on April 11 in Superior Court to protect the
interests of the residents at the public hearing before a judge for new
crime categories to be added to Community Court.
Haggis,
Pipes and Dancing
Highlight Burns Night
Scotland's
National Poet
Burns night at
House on the Hill Bed and Breakfast was held Saturday, January 20,
2001 celebrating the birthday of Scotland's National Poet, Robert
Burns.
The event included a traditional Scottish dinner, complete with
haggis, a favorite of the poet, as well as traditional Scottish
bagpipes and Scottish dancers.
The Piping in of the Haggis was performed by Jeff Miller of
Bethlehem, Ct.( Pipe Major for Litchfield Hills Pipe and Drum
Corps).
Opening Toast and Salute to the Haggis was executed by local
Scotsman Peter Hanley.
Later in the evening following the meal was more piping and
traditional scottish dancing.
This was the first in the 2001 concert series at House on the
Hill, 92 Woodlawn Terrace, Waterbury, Connecticut.
Call Marianne at (203) 757-9901 for information on future
programs.
Another great Historic Hillside Happening!
CHRISTMAS
PARTY
December
8, 2000
The mansion
was indeed beautiful with fires roaring in the massive 19th
century fireplaces, and the catering by Aventuras quite delicious.
Chet and
Lisa have done a remarkable job of restoring one of the most
lavish mansions in Waterbury and must be commended for sharing it
with the neighbors. They have taken a neglected building and
turned it into a warm and friendly home ... a very large warm and
friendly home! Because of their efforts and generosity, this
years Christmas Party was certainly the most splendid
ever!
The trolley had had been replaced by a school bus resulting from
mechanical problems, but who cared.
On piled 50 or so of the party goers and off we went "a-carroling"!
Our most appreciated stop was definitely the Rose Hill AIC Center
for teenage girls. Though separated by a 10 foot fence, we
sang together and shared in the holiday spirit. Our folks
were touched, and the kids seemed to have a
great time ... for them it was something different indeed.
SANTA'S
ELVES BUSY DURING PARTY!
As the
Hillside Party was going on, several mischievous elves deposited
several 3 foot high nativity figures on the entrance porch of
House on the Hill, a neighborhood Bed and Breakfast. The
figures of Mary, Joseph, a large cow and little lamb rested
comfortably in front of a sign that stated "No Room At The
Inn!
SANTA
BUSY DURING HOLIDAYS!
While
the rest of the neighborhood was finishing its Christmas Shopping,
Hillside's own Santa paid a visit to the Stepping Stone program at
Rose Hill and spent over an hour with 14 of the young residents
passing out gifts and sharing the frivolity of the season. Interesting that Rebecca (the director) suggested Santa show up
AFTER dinner!
9-11-00
Dave
Walford to be Hillside Person of the Year
AT
NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL AWARDS DINNER
Hillside
Vice President, Dave Walford has been unanimously selected to
receive his honors at this years Neighborhood
Council Awards Dinner.
Dave is a Charter Member of the Hillside Association and has
served in countless positions and on numerous committees in almost
to two decades of neighborhood involvement. He has been Vice
President of the group for several years, and is seeking
re-election in October.
"David deserves this award", states President Eleanor
Herbst , "He has done a yeoman's share of the work that needs
to be done daily to get projects completed". "He
knows the people to contact in the city departments. He is
persistent, gets on the phone and gets things done." "We want him to know how much we appreciate his hard
work."
In addition to his duties as VP, Dave has coordinated the majority
of neighborhood clean-ups over the past several years, coordinated
the improvements in Hayden Park, secured abandoned buildings,
conducted fact finding for zoning issues, persistently continued
the NRZ process towards the Plan's completion, and above all, has
always been a neighbor willing to serve and help.
Dave Walford, Hillside's Person of the Year!
ELECTION
RESULTS
State
Representatives
Jeff
Berger WINS easily over Awwad
Tom Conway Triumphs over Gimelli
Other winners: Beamon, Damelio,
Senate Results
Hartley
Defeats McDonald
Soma Defeats Rinaldi
Deluca wins by landslide
U.S
Senate
Maloney eases past Neilson
Lieberman crushes Giordano 2:1
Alderman
by District
NO 10,732 Yes 10,194
Other
State Results from ABC
.
1-12-00
Issues of Lower Willow
Remain Top Hillside Priorities in Y2K
466 West Main Street
466 West
Main Street has gone from an unknown building to one of great
notoriety in y2k for Hillside residents as a local developer has
attempted to locate some 30 vouchered Single Room Occupancy (SRO)
units in the structure.
The Planners working on the Lower Willow Street Initiative have
formally opposed the project in writing and Hillside residents
have formally opposed the project.
What now amazes everyone is how HUD, who funds the low income
housing units, has allowed these housing vouchers have been out
there with the developer for 10 years and never been used.
When looking at Waterbury, a glut of SRO units created in the 80's
currently exists and remains vacant.
Within a block of the location of 466 West Main Street, well over
100 SRO's are located already within a one block proximity of the
intersection of Willow and West Main Streets.
This same developer attempted to slide in a similar project last
year on the corner of Willow and Hillside and was defeated.
The developer for 466 West Main Street withdrew his
proposal from the Board of Aldermen as all funding was not in
place, a requirement for approval by the Aldermen.
Be watchful as the project could resurface any time.
Congressman James Maloney has contacted Ray Jordan's
office (HUD) concerning this matter and now HUD is questioning the
project.
Our thanks to the Waterbury Aldermen and Jim Maloney for
standing up for Waterbury.
NOW
Building - Lower Willow Street
A second NRZ issue
concerning the neighborhood is the proposed relocation of the
Adult Education machine Training Shop to the vacant car dealership
building (owned by NOW, Inc) at the bottom of Willow Street.
(picture to follow - maybe)
Building is the red brick two story
20's style structure with red boards over windows 2nd building on
the left as you start up Willow from West Main.
Tom Ferrare had toured the current Adult ED Machine
Training site and reported it efficient, neat and clean, but other
than the fact that Adult Ed plans to tear down the Shores Auto
Parts building behind and make parking, little else was known of
the plans. Shep Wild raised the key issue from a visual
perspective asking what the exterior planning was regarding the
Willow Street facade, a critical issue with respect to the Lower
Willow Street Revitalization Program.
Marianne Vandenburg questioned how the use conformed with
the work being done on the Lower Willow Street initiative plan.
These were among the issues to be returned to Adelle at
Neighborhood Housing via Tom.
NOW, Inc, who received the building as a gift, reportedly
was asking $250,000 for the building some years ago. What no one has asked is, "How much will Adult Ed be paying
out of taxpayer dollars to buy and renovate this structure?"
Someone
in the City has ...
BAD TASTE!
Editorial
comment by JR
Hillside Avenue (between
Pine and Prospect) used
to be a wide stretch of tree lined street with facets of Victorian
architecture peeking from between the foliage. Someone in
the City decided that a hideous set of yellow traffic lines down
the middle of the road would be a neighborhood improvement?
Now you look down Hillside Avenue and it looks more like a
commercial thoroughfare ... lined with trees and as your eye
follows the bright yellow line, you never notice the houses :(
Nice going Waterbury leaders!
10-01-00
Plantings
Destroyed
Two years worth of
plantings in an area of Hayden Park designated as the Lilac
Memorial Garden have been completely destroyed either by accident
from unwatched children or intentionally by persons old enough to
know better.
All recent lilac plantings have been trampled, stripped of all
foliage and ripped apart to the base.
Hillside leaders were devastated to learn of the damage on
September 30, and must now reconsider future plans for the
isolated park.
Hayden Park
3-30-00
A recent letter
to the parks Director, Sam Leisring from Hillside details work yet
to be completed at hayden park, asking that the following select
projects be completed in time for the Lilac Festival in May.
The water line has been completed by the Water Department, and now
awaits the Parks Department to install the drinking fountain and
hose attachments so the system can be activated.
Electrical lines have been routed through the conduits under the
park to two of the lamp posts, and needs only to have outlets
installed for activation.
The three new trash containers purchased through the trust need
yet to be installed within the park grounds, and that the
repairs needed for the past two years be made to the roof of the
utility shed.
Paving of the drive and walks will be completed sometime early
this summer.
Click Here for
Hayden Park on the Web.
Zoning
Issues Concern Neighbors
Dormitory
and d.o.c. center
In
the heart of Hillside, Community solutions opened a residential
AIC facility for women and Hillside has worked well over the past
couple of years with the women population on cleanups and the
like. The original proposal was for some 20 or so women and
children and maybe twice that size in coming years. No
problem with the plan so far, but ...
In a connecting building of the old convalescent home, the same
center opened a male Dept. of Corrections program, more in the
residential nature where the fellows would work days and return at
night. We now have reports that the male population is over
40 and neighborhood leaders will be asking city officials to check
it out to see if all is in compliance with zoning and fire
regulations. Will update!
________
On the corner of Pine and Buckingham is the old Monagan homestead,
more recently the Willis family. Sold to parties involved in
the new Jewish school reportedly as a great home for the new rabbi
of the school.
Neighbors happened upon more than 30 beds being brought in and
other neighbors learned it was being used as a dormitory.
on Wednesday, Sept 6th, City zoning officer inspected and
found 36 mattresses on the floors to serve as dormitory bedding
and told them to remove the bedding, there was a zoning violation.
Fire Marshall inspected a couple of hours later and issued the
same order as it was a fire code violation. Both municipal
officers were told to speak with their attorney.
On Friday, Sept 8th, a truckload of dressers arrived, indication
the group intended to take no action to remediate the problem.
Hillside remains committed to zoning policies that will maintain
current listed properties and reduce neighborhood density as
outlined in the Hillside NRZ Plan.
8-25-00
New Neighborhood
Officer
MAKES
HIS PRESENCE KNOWN
Tim Bachand has been
on the job for about a month now as the new Hillside Neighborhood
Officer, and has made a significant difference in the quality of
life in the area.
Officer Bachand prefers to patrol by bike and has been busy moving
abandoned vehicles, having vacant buildings secured and keeps the
"undesirables" on the move, generally out of the area!
Tim is an eight year veteran of the force, and has a good
understanding of the city and its neighborhoods, both presently
and historically. He should be a great asset to the area,
and we welcome him to "The Hood".
Officer Bachand has been trying to make contact with residents and
Association officers and if you want to meet him personally,
either come to the September Meeting or send us an email.
Hillside@Waterbury.com
Chase
mansion being restored for adolescent girls
Tuesday,April
04, 2000
By Peg
Ford Pudlinski
© 2000 Republican-American
WATERBURY
For
nearly 100 years, the future of the Chase industrial family came
to maturity at Rose Hill, the family home on Prospect Street.
Today, futures will continue to be molded there as the grand
estate becomes a residential educational center for adolescent
girls. By May, Northeastern Family Institute, a non-profit human
services agency, hopes to open its doors and once again fill the
home with vision and hope.
Built in 1852 for William H. Scovill by architect Henry Austin,
the magnificent residence was also the home of Joseph Welton. It
was, however, the Chases' near 100 year reign there that dominates
its history.
Referred to as "Cottage Architecture," the masonry home
has elements classic to the Newport, R.I., "cottages" of
the golden era. Grand entrances, sweeping porches, high ceilings,
marble baths and intricate carved and pierced crown work are just
a few of its details. There is a feeling of empowerment and
success in the rooms, an image undoubtedly left behind by the last
Chase resident Lucia Chase Ewing. "Miss Chase," as
she was referred to throughout her life, made Rose Hill a mecca
for the arts. Already a wealthy woman, she compounded her fortune
when she married Thomas Ewing Jr., a carpeting scion, in 1928 when
she was only 19 years old.
Unfortunately, he died only five years later at the age of 35
after a bout of pneumonia, leaving her with two young sons. With
one love lost, she threw herself into her second love ballet.
For years, she studied with the renown Mikhail Mordkin, and in
1940, founded the American Ballet Theatre. She remained artistic
director and primary benefactor for 30 years. Reportedly, it was
her personal fortune and infusion of $3 million to $5 million that
kept it operating through the lean years. Her work to bring ballet
to American audiences in a manner they would enjoy ultimately
earned her New York City's highest cultural award, the Handel
Medallion. That was to be followed by the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, in 1980, recognizing
her powerful influence on ballet in America.
Although her work with the American
Ballet Theatre frequently kept her in her 22-room Park Avenue
duplex in New York, she retained Rose Hill for all family
gatherings. An annual Christmas reunion would find 60 to 100
relatives in attendance. t was only after her death in January
1986 that the New York property, along with a large family
compound of 138 acres and four summer homes in Rhode Island and
Rose Hill in Waterbury, were sold.
Fortunately, no significant structural changes took place during
the years that the house served as office space. Consequently,
when Northeastern Family Institute representatives saw it about a
year and a half ago, they immediately recognized its potential.
"It was a beautiful location, with access to the people and
services of the community," said Marsha Meade, director of
facility services.
Working with Michael Whitmore Architects of Cambridge, Mass., and
associate architect Clifford Cooper of Litchfield, Northeast
Family Institute is making sure the fabulous details of the house
will remain intact.
Paul Mattson of F.B. Mattson, general contractors for the job, has
worked on a number of historical projects and understands the
value of early craftsmanship.
Working around such elements during a major renovation can present
challenges, but Mattson meets each challenge with a confident
smile.
Plywood shelters cover all the highly detailed mantels and
decorative doorways while they work. A two-story stained glass
window detailed with roses that is the hallmark of the house is
currently invisible beneath heavy protection.
"It's an incredible window and will be absolutely beautiful
when the project is complete," Mattson said.
"The question is how to recreate the original fabric of the
house," Cooper said.
"The work has to fit the needs of the year 2000 without
sacrificing those details, yet still being fully up to code,"
Mattson said. Some of the code requirements include sprinklers,
mechanical upgrades, fire alarms and bath and kitchen
modifications.
Meade is confident that the finished product will distract the eye
away from the modern necessities. "We will go back to the
original colors," she explained, "as Mike Peters, our
project manager has been salvaging old wallpapers he comes
across."
"We don't usually do renovations this size, but the
structural condition was phenomenal," she said. "We've
also been working closely with the Hillside Neighborhood
Association and have members on our advisory board. We don't want
anyone to feel this is an intrusive project."
On the contrary, with plans to restore the grounds as well, and to
return to the original exterior color, Rose Hill will once again
provide a powerful foundation for futures.
7-28-00
ROSE HILL
REOPENED AS
CORRECTIONAL
FACILITY
Hillside's
most elegant and historic mansion has reopened its doors after
months of extensive rehabilitation, and now serves as a
residential facility for youthful offenders between the ages of 12
and 16.
All "residents" are referred from Long Lane School and
are supervised constantly 24 hours daily, including 15 minute
intervals at night.
The program is funded by the State Department of Children and
Families (DCF).
The program of the facility is named "Stepping Stone"
and is an operation of North American Family Institute, Inc.
"Stepping Stone" staff, particularly Amy and Rebecca
have joined with Hillside and promoted community involvement since
the programs initiation and are seeking Board Members and
volunteers from throughout the city to totally blend the operation
into the community.
Persons interested in helping should call Rebecca Stirk, program
director at 596-1177.
We must note and commend this group for extensive efforts and
expense in preserving the architectural heritage of this dwelling
both inside and out.
All preliminary indications reveal "Stepping Stone"
should be a great Hillside neighbor!
Go to Related Stories
For
troubled girls, a Waterbury home
GIRLS:
Troubled teens heading to Waterbury facility
Tuesday,
June 22, 1999
By
Robyn Adams
© 1999 Republican-American
WATERBURY
In the fall, a miniature version of Long Lane School will open
in Waterbury.
Troubled girls who are paroled from Long Lane will live in a
22-bed unit in the Rose Hill mansion in the historic Hillside
District.
Unlike Long Lane, however, the Waterbury facility, called Stepping
Stone, will not be run by the state but by North American Family
Institute Inc. of Massachusetts. The institute operates programs
for juvenile delinquents in 12 states, including three in
Connecticut, said Gayle Brooks, a juvenile justice planning
specialist for the state Department of Children and Families.
The state will pay the institute $1.5 million to run Stepping
Stone. It will send weekly reports to DCF.
"The funding includes a special education program at the site
because they will be in a secure setting and cannot leave the
premises," Brooks said. "When they come to Long Lane, we
get them into a routine and before they we are ready to move them
into community programs specifically designed for them."
The girls' stay at Stepping Stone will depend on their progress.
Typically, they will be in the program for no longer than nine
months, she said.
The state
has tried to open similar facilities elsewhere, but so far,
Waterbury is the only city receptive to the idea, said Rudolph
Brooks, bureau chief for Juvenile Justice at the state Department
of Children and Families. State officials still are seeking small
sites around Connecticut to house troubled boys and girls, saying
the plan is the only way to take the burden off of Long Lane to
make it a more efficient facility and the best way to help youth.
Katharine
"Kay" Wyrick, youth coordinator for the Pride Cultural
Center, is encouraged by the idea. Wyrick ran a similar 10-bed
home for girls in the mid-1970s, called Pride House Group Home,
out of her home. She bought the old car barn from Scovill
Manufacturing Co. on Caroline Street and converted it into office
and living space to accommodate troubled girls referred to Pride
House by the state.
"We had seven bathrooms, which came in handy when the girls
got ready for school," Wyrick said.
Wyrick was a foster child between ages 9 and 11, when she was sent
to Long Lane to live for three years. When she was released, the
state brought her to Waterbury to work as a domestic, a job she
held until she was 18. She was considered a ward of the state
until her 21st birthday.
Currently, Long Lane School is the only state-operated juvenile
correctional facility for youth who have been ordered by courts to
live under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Children
and Families.
Long Lane consists of 30 buildings on 60 acres of a 200-acre
state-owned site on Long Lane in Middletown. Youngsters live in
two-story cottages built in the 1920s and '30s.
It opened in 1870 as the Long Lane Farm and later became Long Lane
Industrial School for Girls, for girls who committed crimes or who
were banned from their home because they were pregnant. In 1972,
Long Lane became co-educational when the Connecticut School for
Boys in Meriden closed.
There are 45 girls and 160 boys now at Long Lane. The focus now is
on the boys, and programs for girls fall short, said John
LaChapelle, superintendent of Long Lane since 1990.
"We are not able to plan for their specialized needs that
they have a right to," LaChapelle said.
The campus has more youth than rooms. The facility has 176 beds,
with 56 beds in a secure area. The average population at Long Lane
is 235 youth, ages 12 to 16, said John Wiltse, a spokesman for DCF.
Youth are committed to Long Lane for violating court orders or
probation, and for conviction of assault, selling drugs, criminal
mischief, burglary, larceny, and possession of dangerous weapons.
Eighty percent of the Long Lane residents suffer untreated health
problems such as poor vision and poor hearing, anemia, and lack of
immunizations. At least 75 percent have dental problems and 99
percent have a history of being sexually active. Other problems
the children suffer include attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder, anger problems and insomnia, according to a DCF report.
Ideally, youth should stay at Long Lane at least a year,
LaChapelle said. That would give staff time to help them develop
academically and emotionally, he said.
About 10,000 to 12,000 juveniles are arrested annually statewide,
and Long Lane ends up with "those who fall through the bottom
of the funnel," LaChapelle said.
"We deal with a couple hundred of the most challenging group
of teens in Connecticut. If we can have any impact on their lives
at all, their stay needs to be for at least a year."
The 20-bed residential program that will open in Waterbury this
fall will house girls who have similar problems as those committed
to Long Lane.
John Boyd, executive director of the Connecticut Junior Republic
in Litchfield, a 84-bed residential facility specifically for
boys, also operates a similar group program for boys in Waterbury
as well as in East Hartford, Bridgeport and Hartford.
Boys are committed by the courts to CJR's Litchfield site for up
to a year. They go to school, have chores, and time to engage in
recreational activities.
In 1997, the state provided CJR with a $750,000 grant to open a
Juvenile Supervision and Reporting Center for 20 boys and girls in
the old YWCA building on Prospect Street. It is an alternative to
incarceration in the juvenile system. It requires juveniles to
report to the center every day for education and other services.
CJR's Waterbury facility has seven beds for juveniles who need to
get away from their homes. But most live at home and report daily.
The center was the fourth in the state to open that year. The
others are in Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford. The focus is on
keeping troubled youth in the community while providing education,
family work, discipline, productive recreation and constant
supervision.
Boyd, a member of the Long Lane advisory group, said separate
facilities for boys and girls is ideal, but "I think we get
too fixated on the building. It is more important not to look just
at the building, but will girls receive the programs they
need."
"My impression is that (the state needs to ) look for ways to
develop separate sites for the girls. To me, the crisis at hand
now is (current) facilities are too old and rundown, and not safe.
We need to deal with that and not get bogged down in other issues
we can work out as we go along."
The state is trying to expand Long Lane and is trying to find
small sites for girls and boys, said Kristine Ragaglia,
commissioner of DCF.
Some people believe the state is rushing to build a new school
because of the death of Tabatha Brendle, 15, of New Britain, who
hung herself there in September.
"The new facility is designed with clear line of sight in
mind," said John Wiltse, spokesman for DCF. said. "So we
can look into the room, and God forbid, see someone hanging or
having a problem."
In April Ragaglia went before the Judiciary Committee at the State
Capitol for $39 million in bond money to build a new 240-bed Long
Lane campus. The campus would cost $53.8 million. DCF already has
$11.3 million in previously allocated funds.
Wesleyan University in Middletown would buy the old Long Lane
property for almost $16 million, which will be used to help pay
for the project. Wesleyan borders the Long Lane campus.
The age, design and configuration of the existing Long Lane
presents safety and security concerns, state officials said. As of
October 1998, 48 children tried to run away from the campus.
Fifteen were successful.
Ragaglia told the legislators that residents of Middletown deserve
some peace of mind about runaways and property damage. The need
for a new Long Lane was identified 13 years ago in reports that
date back 20 years ago, Ragaglia said.
Wyrick said she saw problems at Long Lane 22 years ago.
After attending a public hearing on Public Health and Safety in
March 1977, she sat down and wrote a letter to then Gov. Ella D.
Grasso. Wyrick outlined the 30 years she and her husband had taken
wayward children into their Waterbury home.
She told Grasso that she developed a work ethic while at Long
Lane, which was called Long Lane Farm when she lived there.
"In those days, it was truly a training facility. We girls
were taught to do all of the work around the campus. We learned
good working habits, the value of money, and were well-equipped to
be good citizens when we left."
DCF is proposing to build a new six-building campus on the grounds
of Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown. The campus would be
surrounded by a security fence. It would be designed with the
ability to open and close multiple units with different security
levels as populations change.
It would allow for more segregation of residents, whether by
gender or behavioral problems. And it also would provide space for
vocational training and recreational activities, something Wyrick
said she would really like to see at Long Lane again. Wyrick has
spoken to state officials about her concerns.
Last month, the state Senate and House approved money to fund
construction of a new Long Lane.
The bill would expedite the project and exempt it from standard
rules for bidding, land conveyances and environmental reviews.
The bill requires DCF to develop new programs to go with the new
facility and to treat teenagers for a year instead of the average
six months.
Wyrick's letter to Grasso also emphasized that youth facilities
had shifted away from rehabilitation and had become holding tanks
devoid of human concern.
"It saddened me to learn a security building had to be built
at Long Lane. It seems to me that such a building sounds rather
penal. Certainly in my day, we were all too busy to get into
trouble."
7-20-00
Picnic Rescheduled
to August 5th
In May of
this year the Hillside Lilac festival was totally rained out and
the the annual picnic met the same fate and was cancelled
from its July date and rescheduled for August 5th at the home of
Andrea Pape, 137 Woodlawn Terrace.
Neighborhood organizers took heed of early weather warning for the
date of the original picnic and cancelled days before, and
predictions proved true as monsoon rains ruled the day.
In the event Aug 5th proves to be a rainy day, a rain date of Aug
6th will be the groups final attempt to convene the festivities.
Hot Dogs and Hamburgs and soda will be provided by the Association
and each guest is expected to bring some type of consumable.
Call BJ Wesson or Dave Walford to coordinate your dish and provide
your RSVP.
Dave's number is 574-1441.
June 3, 2000
ELEGANT AFFAIR for
60TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
June 1st was
the date on which Hillside's senior residents, Dr. & Mrs.
Reynolds, marked their 60th wedding anniversary celebrating
with a splendid reception for close friends at their Hillside
Historic District residence the weekend following.
60 or so guests, catered by House on the Hill, enjoyed the gourmet
cuisine and viewed a display of original day wedding items such as
certificates, original wedding gown, photos, wedding cake
adornments and the like.
The home, one of Hillside's more elegant, was built in 1898 for
Mr. Griggs, who lived there a very short time before selling to
Charles Grannis in the beginning of the century. Wilfred Theroux
owned it during the war years, and Dr. & Mrs. Reynolds are the
4th owners and have resided there since 1946. Photos
of the event click here.
7-22-00
SENIOR CELEBRATES 90!
Dr Joseph
Reynolds will share the date of Hillside's annual picnic with his
own celebration of his 90th birthday. Turning 90 on Aug 3rd,
the family will host a small family gathering at the family
homestead on Saturday, August 5th.
In Hillside, one would not be surprised to find the picnic walking
up the street (only two houses away) to wish "Doc" a
Happy Birthday, or the reverse of finding the entire assembled
clan cutting through the back yards enroute to visit the picnic.
Whatever the day brings, your neighbors wish you a happy birthday
and good health.
Earlier this year, June 1st, Dr. and Mrs. Reynolds celebrated
their 60th wedding anniversary.
5-22-00
JUST SINGING ...
IN THE RAIN!
The Lilac
Festival was a tad on the damp side and most of the activities
cancelled.
Before the heavier rains, Hillside residents, with umbrellas, did
manage to enjoy some pleasing melodies of the Happy to be Here
Barbershop Quartet.
Best quite of the day came from the Judge's sister, "This is
a great idea, maybe next year it might be a little earlier so the
lilacs are out."
Whatever the event is next year, Hillside must bring back the very
personable "Happy to be Here" singers. They had
style with personality!
2-1-00
Governor's Pledge
to Hillside
UConn will move ONLY IF a suitable occupant is found
for current campus
In a private meeting
with the Hillside Board, lasting two hours at House on the Hill
several weeks ago, Governor John Rowland made specific statement
that UConn will be relocated ONLY IF a suitable
occupant is found for the current Hillside Avenue Campus.
The City of Waterbury Department of Education, and
the proposed Jewish School are two published options to date for
ultimate use of the Hillside Avenue Campus. Hillside
has gone on record with great determination that the City of
Waterbury shall NOT become the landlord or tenant.
Waterbury's record of basic maintenance is dismal on its best day
and a highly unacceptable alternative for the property of the
Benedict Miller House. The Benedict-Miller House is not only the
focal point of the Hillside Historic District and the center of
the UConn campus, but also one of New England's finest examples of
Victorian Architecture.
The Hillside group has requested additional options from
the Naugatuck Valley Development Corporation (NVDC) for campus
tenancy in the heart of the Hillside Historic District.
The Hillside UConn Committee, comprised of Andrea Pape
(Chairperson), Marianne Vandenburgh, Tom Nalband and Shep Wild,
will continue to meet with Michael O'Connor of NVDC and the
representatives of the Jewish School searching out answers to
basic questions and receive additional proposals for use of the
property.
Viable funding becomes a top concern of any tenant or occupant, as
maintenance of this property and historic preservation are of
utmost concern to both Hillside residents and residents of
Waterbury.
Of primary consideration of the physical aspects, Hillside
has expressed concern that whatever the end result, that the
Benedict Miller House remain accessible to the public, and made
such concern an integral part of any negotiations on the property
by NVDC.
The Governor, in additional comments at the meeting several
weeks ago, clearly stated that without the relocation of the
Waterbury UConn Campus to the downtown location, the campus would
most likely be closed within the next few years. What
remains a major question is why there is not as much emphasis on
meaningful 4 year degrees and other curriculum enhancements
to increase enrollments and solidify the campus in the area.
The Governor has continuously alluded to the fact that the
new building is the only thing that will save UConn and keep it in
Waterbury. There is still something major missing here!
And the discussions go on ... and on ... and on ...
Historic district makes an impression
DISTRICT: Work to be done
October 26, 1999
By Peg Ford Pudlinski
© 1999 Republican-American
WATERBURY
During a private tour of homes in the Hillside Historic
District Saturday, doors swung two ways.
The tour was arranged for Rep. James Maloney, D-5th District,
some of his staff, and Gregory Zeliff, assistant vice president of
American Bank. The tour gave Maloney and Zeliff a glimpse of the
magnificent craftsmanship in Waterbury's turn-of-the century
homes, which are steeped in the history of industry giants.
The homeowners also lobbied for more funds to help rehabilitate
the Hillside district, Waterbury's version of Newport without the
ocean view. Like the mansions in Newport, Hillside homes reflect
the story of a powerful time in American history.
Maloney and Zeliff were impressed with what they saw: from the
hand-planed woodwork aglow with the patina of devoted homeowners
to a bevy of cabinets recycled from the old Howland-Hughes
building.
The homeowners are not only proud of their historic
renovations, but of their contributions to Waterbury's future. Not
just admirers of the past, they are also the flagmen of the
future.
Although well-acquainted with the neighborhood professionally,
this was Maloney's first up close and personal look.
"This is really a great neighborhood," Maloney said.
"These houses are truly priceless. If they're not preserved
now, they'll be lost forever."
Dave Schemenaur, one of the owners, noted that the homes are
remnants of Waterbury's history, and they are especially precious
now that many old buildings have been lost to new development.
Sheila O'Malley, special projects coordinator for the
congressman, is looking into whether federal funding is available
for buying and/or renovating Waterbury's historic homes. As for
her visit Saturday, O'Malley said she and the congressman
"were delighted to be invited" to get a closer look at
the efforts residents are making to improve Waterbury's image.
Opportunities still abound to be a part of
the city's glory days in what was once a premiere neighborhood.
Boarded up homes of
several sizes still exist, and a number of smaller properties
are available at relatively low
prices for those who have the commitment to renovate and the
desire to participate in what has become a vibrant neighborhood.#EHEAD#
Continued from 1B
Tom Nalband, a Hillside resident and member of many
neighborhood groups, said he knows that everyone has the means to
tackle complete restorations, but he points out that every little
effort makes a difference. He marveled at how one neighbor spent
hours digging out an old tree stump by hand. On Saturday, the
little strip of lawn was prepped for seed, its other half, done
earlier, already a well-tended square of green.
To gather more information on making Hillside vital again,
Nalband is attending a seminar sponsored by the Neighborhood
Reinvestment Training Institute next month in Oakland, Calif.
He'll focus on community building, he said. Encouraged by the
efforts of residents of Bethlehem, Penn., to restore its inner
city neighborhoods, and inspired by the re-emergence of a
threatened Vancouver, Canada, neighborhood, Nalband sees great
promise in the work that has already been done.
"Vancouver started with restoring porches, getting people
back out on them and talking to each other as neighbors, " he
said. Nalband said he is inspired by Jane Jacobs, who wrote
"The Death and Life of Great American Cities." She saw
porches as "social vehicles," encouraging conversation
and discouraging crime as people began to learn who's who in the
neighborhood.
The efforts of the Hillside Historic District Neighborhood
Association have been noticed. White Flower Farm in Litchfield
just donated 5,000 bulbs for the Hillside district, said Marianne
Vandenburgh, owner of House on the Hill bed and breakfast in
Hillside.
Zeliff was delighted to confirm the bank's commitment to the
area as well. "We've invested in this area before," he
said, but a new program working with the Neighborhood Housing
Services holds even more opportunities. Twenty-one applicants who
jumped at the chance to finance or rehabilitate their home in
several Waterbury neighborhoods, including Hillside. Neighborhood
Housing Services, is coordinating the program, called MaxValue, in
which American Bank would lend a mortgage or loan at 5.9 percent
for targeted areas. Applications still are being accepted for the
program, but all the money has been applied for.
Hillside isn't laying down to die. Instead, with a
determination inherent to Waterbury, it's standing up again,
brushing off the dust of drearier days and coming back bright and
strong.
Old Victorian taking on new life New owners saw the potential
in a neglected house
October 19, 1999
By Peg Ford Pudlinski
© 1999 Republican-American
Photos by Peg Ford Pudlinski Republican-American
The arbor entrance to the backyard patio of the home owned by
Tom Nalband and Tom Ferrare is an inviting respite in the inner
city. Above, Nalband, left, and Ferrare stand on the front porch
of the Victorian home that has taken them three years to renovate.
If you crave the opulence of the Victorian era, but think your
budget puts such grandeur out of reach, think again. A number of
architectural jewels waiting for a little polish at a fraction
of the expected cost can be found in what was once one of
Waterbury's finest neighborhoods.
Two young professionals, committed to recovering Waterbury's
architectural past and one of its neighborhoods, have restored a
Victorian home in the Hillside District.
"Every time someone buys a home here, they're also buying
a part of Waterbury's history," said Tom Ferrare, one of the
owners.
The Hillside area was once home to many of Waterbury's early
industrial barons, whose homes still reflect the elegance, however
dimmed, of the era. It was that quality of craftsmanship that
attracted Ferrare and Tom Nalband, who had been renting the house
next door, to buy their current home three years ago.
It was love at first blight, for although the house was dismal,
its fine craftsmanship was evident throughout.
"The minute we saw the front door, we knew it could be
wonderful," Nalband said, now enjoying their meticulously
restored 1888 Queen Anne Victorian.
The house had been converted into a four-apartment complex and
had become "an eyesore just short of demolition,"
Nalband said. Now, as a single family home and 85 percent
renovated, it stands as a model for the neighborhood.
The original front door is a shining star. An intricate,
stained glass panel comes to life in an afternoon sun, spilling
brilliance into a dramatic foyer.
"The walls are marquetry," Nalband said of the
unusual geometric pattern of inlaid mahogany, oak and poplar.
The angular geometric pattern of light and dark woods marches
boldly toward a full wall Eastlake style fire
#HEAD#URBAN: Victorian held promise#ESUB#
place with incised floral designs that are typical of the
period. The fireplace is as much a destination as it is a divider
of formal parlor and dining room. It is one of three working
fireplaces in the home. Its unusual feature lies in its flue
construction.
"I understand that Mark Twain conceived the design for
this type fireplace, as he wanted to have a window above, so he
could watch it snow while enjoying the warmth," Nalband said.
The fireplace flue is set off at an angle, permitting the space
directly above the fireplace to house a stained glass window. In
keeping with the era, "all the fixed windows in the house
were originally stained glass," Nalband said.
Nalband and Ferrare hired an expert in the restoration and
design of such objects. She was one of the many experts they found
in the three years of work on the house.
The home had been originally built as an 11-room structure by
George Abbott. Using clues from existing woodwork, along with
basic common sense, the new owners began re-establishing the
original lines of the house. To restore it to a single family
home, Nalband and Ferrare removed four kitchens along with added
pantries, baths and closets, to reveal an original home of
generous proportions.
When they finished knocking down the 20th century additions,
"it was as if the house took a great breath of air and gave a
huge sigh of relief to be opened again," Nalband laughed.
As restoration progressed, people began to stop by to admire
the work, and they met their neighbors.
"One fellow even returned the original brass fireplace
fender as well as an Eastlake brass doorknob from when he had
lived here, he was so happy to see the house being properly
restored," Nalband said.
They kept the tile floor in the small bathroom on the first
floor and resurrected as an alcove bar off the library.
"I wanted a bungalow feeling here," Nalband noted of
the warm and cozy space that presents a second first-floor
fireplace.
Besides the physical restorations Nalband and Ferrare are
seeing elsewhere in the neighborhood, there is a rejuvenation of
spirit as well. The Hillside Historic District Neighborhood
Association, open to all residents of the area, whether they be
homeowners or tenants, meets monthly. Its members address issues
of concern, share ideas, and provide support, encouragement, and
suggestions for improvement projects.
"More and more people are taking the path we did, in
helping to make this area a clean and safe place to live,"
Nalband said. As more people, including those from smaller towns
where real estate prices have soared, are becoming aware of the
value these inner city homes offer, demand may soon exceed supply.
"We encourage people to see the beauty and potential in these
homes, to recognize that they are irreplaceable," Nalband
said.
Word is getting out. Currently, the state of Connecticut is
involved in a $700,000 exterior renovation of a mansion on the
UConn campus in Waterbury in the Hillside District. Also, two
other homeowners are involved in major home renovations. Those
neighbors left Woodbury and Southbury for the Hillside District.
Nalband and Ferrare bought another house on their block. They
also are renovating that house.
"We want guests to see our home and yard and come away
with the realization that this is a beautiful area, " Nalband
said.
Neighborhood Council honors city's servants
September 28, 1999
By Terry Corcoran
© 1999 Republican-American
WATERBURY A few hours before the Waterbury Neighborhood
Council honored him with its first-ever Person of the Year award,
Gov. John G. Rowland entertained a group of second-graders from
Rocky Hill in his Hartford office Monday afternoon.
Rowland told the kids how a bill becomes law and discussed such
things as the state flower and the state bird. And when he was
done, Rowland, feeling quite proud of himself, asked the children
if they had any questions.
That's when what he described as "the cutest little girl
you ever saw" posed a question ever so softly.
"When," she asked, "do we get to meet the
governor?"
"I said to her, What do you think I am, the warm-up
act?'" Rowland recalled Monday night while telling his tale
to more than 400 people who packed the Pontelandolfo Club on
Farmwood Road for the Neighborhood Council's first awards dinner.
Of course, the story drew raucous laughter. But even more
importantly, every one in the room knew who Rowland is, so much
that when he entered the banquet hall unannounced, the crowd rose
and gave an impromptu ovation to the man who put Waterbury on the
map smack dab in the center of the universe.
Although some second-graders from Rocky Hill may not know who
he is, there was no mistaking the city's favorite son Monday
night.
In honoring Rowland with its first Person of the Year award,
the Waterbury Neighborhood Council, which represents the many
individual neighborhood groups throughout the city, sought to
recognize "a true public servant and a governor of the
people," council member Kathleen McNamara said in introducing
Rowland.
The council's decision to bestow the honor on Rowland had a lot
to do with "the feeling of respect and earned trust"
members have for him, McNamara said. But it was also for the
concrete things Rowland has done for his hometown, such as helping
pass a law that regulates where asphalt plants can be built. That
law was passed after such a plant was proposed for land on East
Aurora Street. McNamara also said Rowland was honored for his
inner-city initiatives and efforts as governor to revitalize
Waterbury's downtown.
In accepting the award, Rowland said the honor was not about
him, but rather about the leadership Waterbury's neighborhood
organizations have provided over the past few years.
When Waterbury people ask him how, as governor of Connecticut,
he can stay abreast of so many local issues, Rowland said it's
because he gets The Republican-American delivered daily to the
governor's mansion.
"If I just read the Hartford Courant and stopped there,
I'd go back to bed," he said.
Monday night's turnout testified to the strength Waterbury's
neighborhood groups have gained by banding together to work for
issues that affect every resident of every neighborhood, as well
as the respect they have earned from local and state politicians
for flexing their muscles.
"I think our time has come," Overlook resident Ron
Capaldo said in explaining the crowd. "The Neighborhood
Council's been in existence four years, but we've really come of
age in the last 12 to 18 months, and this is our way of
demonstrating it. It's been a matter of organizing. We took a
bunch of parochial groups, decided on four issues that affect
everyone, then went to work on those issues."
The issues are cleaning up the city, the environment, education
and downtown revitalization, said Elaine Denze, one of several
people the council honored.
In addition to Rowland, the council gave City Service Awards to
James Gatling of New Opportunities for Waterbury, state Rep. Joan
Hartley, D-73rd District, veteran Republican-American reporter
Robyn Adams, downtown advocate Hank Paine, and Fred Luedke for
years of service to the city and its communities.
Each of the Neighborhood Council community associations also
selected a person to receive a Community Service Award,
recognizing the dedication and hard work residents have
contributed to their neighborhoods.
The winners were: Arlene Lucian of the East End, John Hychko
Sr. of Waterville, Antoinette Covino of Brooklyn, Gene Schmidt of
Bucks Hill, Joe Caiazzo of Bunker Hill, Fanny Marone of Crownbrook,
Janet Hertzmark of Country Club, Mike Gilmore of Hillside, Susan
Celgelka of Mohawk Park, Randy Poulter of Overlook, Elaine Denze
of Town Plot, and Ray Sharpless of Walnut-Orange-Walsh.
Taxing Be
the Issue
Hillside/Neighborhood Housing Partners in Reform Hillside/Neighborhood
Housing Partners in Reform
1-12-00
Tom Nalband reported that Neighborhood Housing Services would like
to host a meeting where Ms. Spencer of the Connecticut Historic
Commission would speak on the new Historic Restoration Tax Credits
available commencing January 1, 2000. This idea drew much interest
and Tom will inform Adele we are interested and that perhaps
Overlook should also be notified.
Tom also reported he has met with Senator Tim Upson and is
exploring legislation for a pilot program in Waterbury to make low
interest loans available to persons restoring buildings in one of
our historic areas. He also discussed reforming Connecticuts
municipal tax lien statute to make it more responsive to
