Muse with Marilyn
01/02/2006

By Marilyn Aligata

Dear Readers - Happy New Year! Well, my new year is different, I moved. I left Waterbury and moved back to Woodbury. The hearing of the possibility of building a 1,000 more condominium or apartment units in the Oronoke Rd. area, was not good news to my ears. The area is/was a nice residential area but if the building of the new units in the woods in back of Taft Point and the talk of high rise apartments are any indication of what's to come, I don't like it. This is too dense a population and will increase the amount of traffic that speeds up and down Oronoke Rd. already. It is not a good use of land. Town Plot will start looking like the east end of the city, One condominium after another. I've heard that this is a legacy of former mayor with the nickname of "Condo Joe."

At a Town plot meeting a while back, I asked Mayor Jarjura about preserving open space. He said, "What do you mean open space?" We've got lots of open space. Why there is Hamilton Park, Fulton Park, etc. He obviously doesn't know what open space means. Open space means to leave the land undeveloped, in its natural state. Not only does this look good for a city, it's healthy for it's people. Of course, building new condos means more tax dollars. I was paying over #3,000 in taxes and the city didn't have to plow the streets or pick up the trash. The thinking is... this is a good way to make money for the city. At what cost though? Why not take the property in the city that is going to be repossessed and where the buildings are falling down and re-use the this land? Build your high rise apartments there. Do a spectacular job of landscaping and bring people downtown to live.

Advertise that Waterbury wants to bring an upscale client to the city. I think people would love to buy a nice apartment or condo downtown where they could walk to work, to the Palace Theatre, the Mattatuck Museum, and the many good restaurants in the area. Build it for a clientele that wants to be in the heart of the city, people who may want to get involved in bringing the city more to life. Make downtown brighter and more profitable and sophisticated and leave nature alone. While living in Waterbury, I was disappointed in the way some of the citizens don't seen to care how the city looks.

These people don't seem to take pride in the city. I have walked up and down Oronoke Road in back of my condo picking up bottles, cans, and trash. I've even picked up beer bottles in my condo - just tossed, no concer as to how it makes the place look. Woodbury people don't do that, and if they do, which is rare, someone picks it up. People take more pride in their community here.

This ownership thing was also becoming expensive and too much responsibility for me. I went back to an apartment - a lovely heated apartment in the center of town. I did love being near the Palace Theatre, Naugatuck Valley Community College and Barnes and Noble coffee shop with the "regulars." Who are the "regulars" you may ask? The regulars, are a group of individuals that use the coffee shop three to five days a week. These people go there to read, some study and some just meet or visit. I know, I was one of them. I went for my cup of tea, I read, I studied and developed quite a library because of it. I do miss the Barnes and Noble coffee shop and I plan to go there as often as I can. I will stay connected because I love the city's theatres, The Symphony Orchestra, The Mattatuck Museum AND the many wonderful and delicious restaurants I discovered in my two years in the city. I also met some great people that I want to see from time to time. To the city of Waterbury, I want to wish you a sparkling and bright future. The Palace theatre, I attended The Full Monty matinee on December 17th. I hadn't heard about the show and didn't know what to expect. I heard that there was some baring of the butts, but I didn't know how much.

Well I was in for a surprise. I was a little shocked at times but delighted with the show. It was hilarious. I laughed lots at the lines and the action. It was fresh but it was funny. This is part of my gift that keeps on giving. I received a package of five shows for my birthday last June. I've saw Miss Saigon in November, my next show is in January and its 42nd Street. I haven't seen this show either and I can't wait as I love dancing. What a wonderful present. I must thank my daughter for helping to see that I got this present. Thanks Pam.

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