NEXT EXEC BOARD
Oct 28
NEXT GEN MEETING
11-2-991-2-99
NEXT CLEAN-UP
11-13-99
SATURDAY
(RD=11-14)
ANNUAL PICNIC
was great!
Christmas Party
To Be Announced
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FULL
MEETING SCHEDULE
Humor
of the
Hood
There is a new alcoholic beverage on
the market. It is called Bourbon Renewal.
Drink enough of it and the old
neighborhood starts to look good.
Astrological
Trivia
The next solar eclipse visible in the
North East will be Christmas Day in the year 2000!
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HILLSIDE
HISTORIAN
Hillside's famous newspaper
now online
Cyberhood News Headlines
02/24/04 04:28:40 PM
Candle Light Vigil
to Keep the U-Conn Campus in Hillside
Improve it ... Don't Move it!
Tuesday, OCTOBER 26th 7PM
U-Conn Campus
U-Conn
Professors Join Hillside Crusade
Mike
Gillmore Receives Neighborhood Award
Position Papers on
UConn Relocation
TAKE THE UCONN
SURVEY!
9-28-99
Hillside to Mayor and
Governor:
DON'T
MOVE U-CONN !!!!!
Improve It! Don't
Move It!
With growing support
from throughout the neighborhood, City and State, The Hillside Historic District
Neighborhood Association has scheduled a candlelight vigil to be held on the U-Conn Campus
at 7PM on October 26th.
The purpose of the vigil is to send a message to city and state leaders that the U-Conn
Campus is a critical element of stability and prestige of the district, comprised of
several historic structures. The Benedict Miller House serves as a focal point
of the entire district.
The Mayor and Governor have revealed plans to move the entire campus into the center of
downtown to revitalize the urban center.
Hillside has been trying to make one very simple point ... Hillside to Government
leaders ... News Flash ... the Waterbury U-Conn campus is already downtown.
The Waterbury campus sits almost the identical distance from the center of the
Green in it's current location as the distance to the proposed site on East Main Street
... 2 or three blocks to be exact!
Waterbury residents should question very seriously the proposed multi million dollar plan
to build a new college building, when an improved campus on Hillside with upgraded
facilities would be much more reasonable and preserve the "Campus" environment.
Let us not rape neighborhoods of resources and assets to simply supplement a blighted area
elsewhere.
Spread the word, and bring a friend. Refreshments will be served
U-Conn
Campus - Hillside Avenue
7PM - October 26th!
Go to Position Papers
on UConn Relocation
TAKE THE UCONN
SURVEY!
Hillside to
Government leaders ...
the Waterbury U-Conn campus is already downtown.
U-Conn
Professors statewide Support Hillside!
Believe U-Conn Campus should
NOT be moved.
Statewide members of the American Association of
University Professors (AAUP) have voiced formal opposition to the relocation of the
Waterbury U-Conn campus to a different downtown location. In a recent edition of the AAUP
newsletter, the Professors Union Publication expressed concern for current under funding
for the operations of the Waterbury campus, a 20 year old condition blamed on the excuse
that the campus would one day be moving to the Higher Education Center on Chase Parkway.
The AAUP Publication directs readers to look at the recently opened "Stamford Edifice
Experiment", which relocated the Stamford branch of U-Conn from its rural location to
an urban setting. The campus was relocated, but there has been no increase in operating
budget. The building is new ... nothing else, and the project in Stamford has yet to
increase enrollment or stimulate businesses.
The publication for AAUP members calls the Waterbury proposal "costly and
pointless" and called on membership to stand united and strong in their opposition.
The AAUP will present a definite presence at the Candlelight Vigil planned by the Hillside
Neighborhood Association on Tuesday, October 26, 7PM at the U-Conn Campus.
TAKE THE UCONN
SURVEY!
MIKE GILMORE:
HILLSIDE AWARD RECIPIENT
Civil Servants are generally taken
for granted and their invaluable services considered as no more that "part of the job
we pay them to do".
At the first Neighborhood Council Awards Dinner, in the shadow of awards to the Governor
and other high profile politicos, Mike Gilmore was the shining light recognized by
Hillside. Gilmore, a resident of Town Plot, was the only recipient of individual
recognition from neighborhoods to be chosen from outside the ranks of any neighborhood
membership. While the other Neighborhood Associations selected a recipient from
within their own ranks, the Hillside Board elected to choose Mike for his unending efforts
to help Hillside grow and prosper.
Mike has worked weekends (no overtime for this lad) to help with provisions for
neighborhood clean-ups. He has climbed through abandoned houses with and without
Police to clear them of occupants and get them boarded up. In conjunction with the Mayor's
office Blight Crew, Mike has effected the boarding of many abandoned properties within the
Hillside Historic District.
We cannot count the number of times Mike rushed a little late into the night meetings of
Hillside to update us on this or that after having spent a couple of hours tending
his new baby. It was appreciated Mike!
To name just a few of the other "Mike" contributions through the Community
Development Office, the sidewalks and driveway of Hayden park will be paved soon,
new sidewalks have been installed on Hillside Avenue, and his tireless work with the City
blight team has cleared lots, yards and produced a cleaner and healthier neighborhood.
All of Hillside wishes to thank Mike for his unending assistance, and look foreword to a
continuing effective relationship.
White Flower Farm donates thousands of daffodils to
Hillside:
Next year may be known as "The Year of the Daffodil" in the Hillside
Neighborhood, thanks to the donation of several thousand Daffodil bulbs by White Flower
Farm. Intended for use in both Hayden Park and throughout the Historic District, the areas
of plantings will be laid out by the Neighborhood Association and these bulbs may be
available within the next few weeks for planting. Owners of the designated properties will
be contacted in time for planting.
Also yet to be planted in Hayden Park are several thousand tulip bulbs obtained from the
State of Connecticut by State Rep. Joan Hartley.
Visit White Flower Farm on
the web:
www.WhiteFlowerFarm.com
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Hart House
Concern of Hillside
6-16-99
At his first meeting with the
Hillside Neighborhood Association, Fran Brennan, interim director of the Waterbury UConn
Campus, stated that he had plans to demolish the Hart House located on the North
East corner of the UConn Campus.
Residents jumped as if electrically
shocked and resisted any such move.
Hillside had assisted UConn in the
original purchase of this property several years ago, and Hillside had sponsored a
fundraiser with guest host Pat Sheehan of Channel 3. The funds raised were to
be used for restoration of the facility planned to be a student center.
Hillside Residents were most
distressed that Brennan intimated that State funds were going to be used to demolish a
sound historic structure defined as a contributing structure in the National Register of
Historic Places.
It is the understanding of Hillside
that State and Federal funds cannot be used to demolish National Register properties.
Again at a meeting with the
Hillside Board last week, Brennan was asked about the Hart House and responded it was not
of any use to Brennan's concept of the campus.
Hillside is seeking rulings from
the State Historical Commission and National Register regarding the possible demolition.
|
PARK UPDATE 10-2-99
Hillside has been actively involved
with Park Dept personnel to bring Hayden Park up to grade.
Last Fall instalation of new and totally refurbished antique lighting was completed for
approx. $65,000 in Community Development Funds, returning the park lighting to style and
placement of the original plan and for the first time in decades, the lights work!.
Last Autumn, residents planted 400 Dafodil bulbs on the south hill and surrounding area,
and this year the Park department repaired and replaced broken benches, painted all
benches, instaled new signs, and is in the process of preparing the center circle for
planting.
Asplund was contracted and is in the process of removing 30+ diseased hemlocks from
throughout the park.
The Water department has located a line in the upper park conecting to Glenridge Street
and will soon have new water service operational.
Update: The water line wasnot connected to anything and a totally new service will have to
be run covering a distance of some 300'.
Mike Gilmore has secured Communty Development funds to resurface the inner walks and
driveway.
The Park is not there yet, but a good start is being made.
2-2-99 update 4-6-99
BENEDICT-MILLER HOUSE RESTORATION BEGINS
Over $750,000 has been set aside by the State of
Connecticut for a complete restoration and repainting of the Benedict-Miller mansion, the
focal point of the Hillside Historic Neighborhood.
Not since Shep Wild led the private fund raising
restoration program over 15 years ago has the mansion been worked on, and is now in much
need of exterior repainting.
Professors and other staff now occupying the building are
in the process of moving to the "Smith" house on campus to make way for Asbestos
Removal. Campus plans for the facility after renovations are unclear, but rumor has
it that faculty offices will NOT be moving back in.
9-28-99
Sadness for the duckpin bowling
group from Hillside,as Sena's is indefinately closed due to structural roof damage during
the rains of the recent Tropical Storm.
With the intermission of the bowling activities, Shirley Walford still holds the record
for low score (32).
Play is expected to resume as soon as the lanes are open again. |
Ye Olde News
9-24-99
The State Department of Mental Health has awarded $200,000 to Family Services for
the rehabilitation of 14 Buckingham Street. Informed sources have informed us that
absolutely no work will be initiated until a signed contract is in hand between the State
and the Family Services Agency. Lessons on broken promises of State Funding are not
unknown to Waterbury enterprises.
4-22-99
Another residential facility is
attempting to move into Hillside into the House at the corner of Cooke and Buckingham
Streets (Formerly owned by Lorraine Craig). The "Home" is being planned by
Family Services and will be leased from the new owner (Michael Telesca). The new
owner had reportedly told area residents he was buying the house for his mother, but it
turns out he bought it in his mothers name only. His mother is a
Florida resident. As the house is HUD financed, the building cannot be sold for one
year.
The Family Services program is to
house foster children for a period of up to 45 days transitional living, and will serve
children up to 12 years.
Money for restoration of the
building will be raised privately by Family Services, and historical integrity is planned
to be maintained.
The building has been vacant and
boarded up for years and remains that way today. Extensive renovation will be
required to overcome the neglect.
GOVERNOR ROWLAND -
MAYOR GIORDANO
RAISE RESIDENTS IRE OVER
UCONN RELOCATION!
Rowland-GiordanoTrash NRZ Process
6/19/99
At a recent Chamber of Commerce
Breakfast, Mayor Giordano happened to mention as an aside that there were plans to
relocate the Waterbury Campus from its Hillside Avenue location to a new downtown center,
located across from the Palace Theatre on East Main Street.
He had stated at a Hillside pot
luck supper only weeks before that the Governor was about to announce a great proposal
that would have Hillside residents dancing in the streets with joy. This was that
announcement, and when questioned the Governor stated that Giordano apparently had a case
of premature verbalization and that the Governor had no plans to make any such
announcement, though such a "Plan" does exist..
The Governor has publicly stated
he will be meeting with the Hillside group, though no meeting has yet been scheduled and
the Mayor's office has stated that the Mayor will not be available to discuss the issue
until some time in July.
Also announced at the same time
was a "Plan" to relocate a private Jewish school on the Hillside Campus, though
the "Plan" seems to lack any substantial specifics and at this time is
irrelevant to Hillside's fight to have the City abide by the NRZ process and attempt to
retain UConn at the Hillside Avenue Campus.
At the heart of the matter is
the recently compiled NRZ plan, completed by Hillside and approved by the Board of
Aldermen and voted into the City Plan by the City Plan Commission and the Aldermen.
The NRZ is a State generated process to develop neighborhoods through self determination
of issues by the respective neighborhoods. Any planning process involving the
Hillside neighborhood must be routed through and incorporated into the Neighborhood NRZ
process. In this instance, the NRZ process was trampled by both City and State
officials.
Andrea Pape, principal
spokesperson for the NRZ process has responded to date via open letters in the Waterbury
Republican and a small group meeting with Fran Brennan, interim Director of the Waterbury
Campus.
Additional information and
expanded coverage of the process will follow.
A special web site section is
currently being developed and should be on line by the end of June.
Other Related Stories: B'Nai Shalom Meeting of 6-20-99
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