Issues. People. Events.

Daisy Cocco De Filippis  is the president of Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, and today became the ceremonial Dominican Mayor for the Day during a ceremony in City Hall. Photographs by John Murray

The new career academy is nestled on a hill overlooking the city of Waterbury.

                            Column by Jay Gonzalez

   The city of Waterbury is a diverse melting pot of many different cultures and nationalities. From Portuguese to Lebanese, Latino to Irish, Italian to Albanian and so on, this great city has a plethora of establishments celebrating the unique aspects and traditions of each great culture. The rich heritages of The Brass City can be seen from street corners to festivals. Whether it's the Ponte Feast, Portuguese Club, Mayor for the Day, or Jonathan Reed School that recently opened up, our city honors the sacrifices, hard work, and dedication that these cultures and people have made for their hometown. As the fifth largest city in Connecticut, there are many opportunites we have to pay tribute to a cause or ones beliefs. Just last year in Waterbury, there was tremendous support for the naming of a new school opening up to be dedicated to a black man, first time ever. Really? It was the first public school in the City of Waterbury, a city so diverse, to be named or in honor of a minority. Hundreds turned out, and rightfully so, for Jonathan E. Reed School dedication ceremony as this was a long overdue accomplishment for the city.

                                      Photographs by Saranda Belica

General Eddi Zyko was honored inside Waterbury City Hall yesterday morning as the Kosovo Mayor for the Day. The General is pictured here with his wife Paulette, and the couple have four children, Erin, Eileen, Emily and Eddi Jr.. 

                                              By John Murray

Waterbury Alderman Greg Hadley, left, helps raise a Pan-African flag at City Hall yesterday as part of the ceremony honoring him as the African-American Mayor for the Day. His wife Karen is on the right, and two of his grandsons are lending a helping hand.