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Larry Rifkin
Larry Rifkin was the programming executive for Connecticut Public Television for nearly 25 years, before taking an early retirement in 2009. He is best known for bringing Barney the dinosaur and U Conn Women’s basketball to television. Throughout the course of his tenure, CPTV developed a national reputation for quality programs, including national series, like ‘Scientific American Frontiers with Alan Alda’, how-to programs, concert specials, like ‘Carole King in Concert’ and, of course, a range of children’s programs. For the local programs CPTV developed under his leadership, nearly 50 EMMY Awards were bestowed upon the station and Mr. Rifkin was named to the Boston-New England Emmy Silver Circle in 2006, which is the regional television equivalent of a Hall of Fame. Since his retirement, he returned to his first love--radio--and has been the host of 1320 WATR’s ‘Talk of the Town’, bringing his public broadcasting sensibilities to a regional talk program. He has attracted major national authors and guests and well as political figures from across the state. Mr. Rifkin is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Connecticut and has a Master’s degree in Corporate and Political Communication from Fairfield University. He lives in Prospect with his wife, Carmelita. They have two grown children, Wade and Leora. |
Holy Land USA– Waterbury
Holy Land USA was conceived by John Baptist Greco, a Waterbury-based attorney. Greco, a Roman Catholic, founded a volunteer organization called Companions of Christ, with the purpose of creating an attraction that would replicate Bethlehem and Jerusalem of the Biblical era. Construction commenced in 1955. Attorney Greco was very spiritual man. He wanted to do this for the people of the community to teach them about the love of God. He felt no one, no matter the race, creed, or color, should be separated. He wanted a place to for all people to sit and be peaceful. During its peak years in the 1960s and 1970s, Holy Land USA attracted upwards of 40,000 visitors annually. Greco closed Holy Land USA in 1984, with plans to improve and expand the site, but the work was left unfinished when Greco died in 1986. The property was left to the Filippini Sisters and had fallen into a state of advanced disrepair. In 2013, Neil O’Leary and Fred “Fritz” Blasius established a nonprofit organization and raised the needed funds to purchase the property. Cleanup and revitalization efforts began, and a new and larger lighted cross was illuminated. Since the revival of the cross, the once-overgrown land has been cleared of trees and underbrush. Smaller projects have been put in place to refurbish the Biblical scenes and buildings on property. The Board of Directors continues to meet and raise funds for the ongoing restoration with hopes to revive Holy Land to its once grand, holy and importance to the greater Waterbury community. |
Gil Morea
Gil Mora was the owner of Gil Morea’s Headlines in Waterbury and Middlbury for many years. He was the State President and the Local POresident of Hairdressers Association and Affiliates of Connecticut and was Chair of Hairdressers Trade Shows, Chair of Continuing Education programs at UConn, Yale University, and Connecticut College for hairdressers. He volunteers for local high school and Community Theater productions.
Gil was the General Manager of the American Legion Post #1 Baseball - winning many championships, including State Tournaments. He was the Assistant Coach for Waterbury Police Athletic League in-house football, Assistant football coach at Waterbury Pop Warner, donated to Pearl Street Community Center, spoinsored Twi-Met baseball team, volunteered for Waterbury Special Olympics, contributed to National Offense & Defense Football, sponsored bowling teams at Lakewood Lanes and at Wolcott Lanes, was honored as Sportsman of the Year by Waterbury Timers, was the President of Waterbury Sportman’s Club, and sponsored the Genevieve Tremaglio Scholarship.
Gil was instrumental in helping many local students attain sports and scholastic scholarships through the Waterbury Legion Baseball association.
Gil now enjoys life with his wife Frances, their daughters Jessica, Jennifer, and Jyll, and their grandchildren Daniel, Andrew, Avery, and Hintes.
Gil Mora was the owner of Gil Morea’s Headlines in Waterbury and Middlbury for many years. He was the State President and the Local POresident of Hairdressers Association and Affiliates of Connecticut and was Chair of Hairdressers Trade Shows, Chair of Continuing Education programs at UConn, Yale University, and Connecticut College for hairdressers. He volunteers for local high school and Community Theater productions.
Gil was the General Manager of the American Legion Post #1 Baseball - winning many championships, including State Tournaments. He was the Assistant Coach for Waterbury Police Athletic League in-house football, Assistant football coach at Waterbury Pop Warner, donated to Pearl Street Community Center, spoinsored Twi-Met baseball team, volunteered for Waterbury Special Olympics, contributed to National Offense & Defense Football, sponsored bowling teams at Lakewood Lanes and at Wolcott Lanes, was honored as Sportsman of the Year by Waterbury Timers, was the President of Waterbury Sportman’s Club, and sponsored the Genevieve Tremaglio Scholarship.
Gil was instrumental in helping many local students attain sports and scholastic scholarships through the Waterbury Legion Baseball association.
Gil now enjoys life with his wife Frances, their daughters Jessica, Jennifer, and Jyll, and their grandchildren Daniel, Andrew, Avery, and Hintes.
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The Waterbury Police Department
On July 28, 1853 the City of Waterbury established it’s own official police force consisting of twenty-five men serving under the command of Waterbury’s first Chief of Police Samuel Warren. Having the official title “Constable”, these first police officers were paid between fifteen and twenty-five cents per hour. Headquarters consisted of a wooden structure building located on Brook Street. Later, several addresses made home to the Police Department, until it’s current location on East Main Street. In 1971, the Police-Community Relations office was formed. In 1997, the Police Department opened four “precincts” in the City as part of a community outreach and crime prevention program. Today, the City benefits by having several Community Police Officers in strategically-outlined neighborhoods. Current partners of the Waterbury Police Department include: The Waterbury Police Activity League The Waterbury Police Explorers Waterbury Crime Stoppers The past one hundred and fifty-one years have witnessed many changes within the Waterbury Police Department. Although the styles of the uniforms, size and shapes of the patrol vehicles, caliber of sidearm carried, and demographics of the Police Department have changed, one thing has not, the dedication and hard work of its members. For one hundred and fifty years Waterbury Police Officers have always answered the call for service and have always been ready to make the ultimate sacrifice as is evident throughout our history. The men and women of today’s Waterbury Police Department continue to serve with the same pride as those who came before us. It is our hope that future generations of Waterbury Police Officers will look back and share the same sense of pride in wearing the badge then as we do today. |
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is a well-known organization throughout the United States, and certainly in Waterbury. Our local VFW have been an important and integral part or our history, and especially to the many veterans who choose to enrich our Waterbury heritage. The number one priority of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and their Auxiliaries, is insure that all the benefits they have earned, and will earn, for their service is not diminished or taken away. Throughout the years it has become more incumbent upon the VFW to make sure that our congressmen and senators understand that they have an obligation to the brave men and women that served this great country, to provide the Veteran’s Association (VA) with the proper funding needed to allow each and every one of them to receive the competent, compassionate medical health care that they were promised, and richly deserve. Looking ahead, the VFW will have even more to do in the future as the war on terrorism continues and additional troops are deployed. |