Call Center Company in Waterbury, CT

Last year, school districts across the country applied for extensions to spend the last remaining dollars of federal COVID-19 relief funding by March 2026 instead of its original deadline of January 2025.

Connecticut’s last $14 million was earmarked mostly for programs within the state Department of Education. Just over $6 million of the funds were granted to roughly two dozen K-12 school districts, to be used by the 2026 deadline. New London and Waterbury would receive the bulk of those dollars — $1.96 million and $1.46 million, respectively.

That’s all in limbo now, and several districts’ budgets may be in disarray, after a late Friday notice from the federal Department of Education saying the “extended liquidation period … [was] already well past the period of performance.” The extension was no longer “justified,” the letter read.

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon called for the funds to be spent this year by March 28, the same date as the letter.

Leadership at the Waterbury and New London school districts said the funding freeze would cause a “substantial hit” to their budgets. The funds were obligated for projects that in many cases had already been contracted — in some cases the work was completed — and were just awaiting payment.

In Waterbury, district leadership had put the funding toward upgrades to its HVAC systems, mainly installing air conditioning in its 13 elementary schools.

“In the last three years, we’ve had to call half days in certain schools because some of our classrooms get up into the mid-90s,” Interim Superintendent Darren Schwartz said in an interview Wednesday with the Connecticut Mirror.

Schwartz further explained that many contracts were in place before September 2024, but the district had requested the extension in hopes of testing the cooling systems once the weather got warmer before full payment.

“That’s typically best practice,” Schwartz said, before adding that “unless this decision gets reversed somehow, we’re going to have to use our capital funds, which is local taxpayer money, to pay for this work that was previously approved by the federal government.”

In New London, Robert Funk, the district’s executive director of finance, said the district intended to use its funding to offset a fiscal cliff that plagued urban districts across the country in the aftermath of COVID.

“With good fiscal planning, we were trying to use these funds as long as we could,” Funk said.

Most of the $1.9 million granted to New London had been slated to cover this years’ transportation costs, but leaders were also making investments in ventilation, boiler replacements and school supplies. Losing the funds will exacerbate financial problems for the district, which was already anticipating a $4 million reduction in next year’s budget.

“We’re trying our best not to impact services to students, but likely it’ll impact our ability to provide some of the social-emotional supports which are really critical in our district,” Funk said.

Other districts that will be hardest-hit by the $6 million funding freeze include Bridgeport, which stands to lose over $763,000.

State Sen. Herron Keyon Gaston, D-Bridgeport, called the federal funding hold “draconian,” and also said it undermines “the future of our nation, our state, and our local school districts by diminishing access to quality learning opportunities for our students.”

“These reckless reductions prioritize short-term financial savings over long-term investments in the intellectual growth and development of young people,” Gaston said in a statement Tuesday.

Colchester and Achievement First Hartford Academy also both face more than $381,000 in lost funding.

“We are disappointed by the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to reverse their previously approved extension for the use of … ESSER funds,” Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday, using the acronym for the federal COVID-aid program, known as Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief.

“These resources were designated to support the continued academic and mental health recovery of our students,” Lamont said. “The Connecticut State Department of Education is actively engaging with federal partners and following all available procedures to seek project-specific extensions. We remain committed to doing everything we can to ensure that our districts and students receive the support they were promised.”

The threat of pulling back COVID-19 funds comes after a recent executive order that would dismantle the federal Department of Education and widespread reductions to its workforce.

Despite promises from McMahon that the moves would “not mean cutting off funds from those who depend on them,” Connecticut lawmakers have remained concerned the department’s downsizing could impact some of the highest-need students, including those in districts like New London and Waterbury. District officials also are wary of additional cuts.

“Who knows what’s going to happen? Because it doesn’t seem like the rules are necessarily getting followed,” New London’s Funk said. “At this point, we’re planning on receiving the federal funding that we’ve received in the past, … [but] now we’re kind of wondering about that.”

Waterbury’s Schwartz added, “The reality is if you break it down to exactly what we just experienced, we were told we’re getting the extension, and then we were told we’re not getting it. So, that doesn’t bode well for us in terms of the future.

“I hope that’s not a pattern,” Schwartz went on. “We need steady budgets for us to be able to understand what’s coming in, so that we know what to deliver and what we can deliver for students.”

States can appeal to the Trump administration for an exception to spend more funds “on an individual-specific project basis.” In other words, the federal government will decide which projects have merit.

“Please know that Connecticut will rigorously advocate for … each and every project that was previously approved,” Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker told districts over the weekend.

Jessika Harkay is CT Mirror’s Education Reporter, covering the K-12 achievement gap, education funding, curriculum, mental health, school safety, inequity and other education topics. Jessika's experience includes roles as a breaking news reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Hartford Courant. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Baylor University.

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

Pa'lante Theater Company's Upcoming Production of Don Juan opens Thursday, April 10 runs through Saturday, April 19, 2025.

Nancy Sasso Janis, Community Contributor

|Updated Wed, Apr 9, 2025 at 5:27 pm ET

Press release

Pa’lante Theater Company's Upcoming Production of Don Juan opens Thursday, April 10 runs through Saturday, April 19, 2025.

Waterbury, CT – Pa’lante Theater Company proudly announces its upcoming production of Don Juan, a sharp and emotionally resonant play written by Juan Ramirez Jr. and directed by Rafael Feliciano-Roman. This exciting new work will run from April 10 through April 19 at the Pa’lante Theater Black Box, located at 158 Grand Street in Waterbury, CT.

In Don Juan, the audience is invited into the mind of Francesca, a graduate student who is newly engaged to Juan—but not entirely convinced she knows who he really is. Using a film school assignment as her excuse, Francesca decides to track down and interview his exes. As she navigates this journey of revelation, she turns to the audience for guidance, using them as her sounding board in real time. The play is a blend of wit, vulnerability, and confrontation, examining how we uncover the truth in the people we love.

The production stars Fior Rodriguez as Francesca, alongside Jamie Bingham as Isla, Juan’s first great love. Alanna Ferrazzi plays Mary, his impulsive and unpredictable ex; Seven Encarnacion takes on the role of Wren, a weekend fling; and Monique Gibbons plays Quinn, the elusive “one that got away.” Luis “Apollo” Rivera steps into the role of Juan, the man at the center of it all.

Find out what's happening in Naugatuckfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The creative team supporting this production includes set designer Bryan Vega; costume and prop designer and stage manager Zelest Caraballo; sound designer Angelica Huertas; lighting designer Amare Mattei; and technical director Elias Ocasio.

A unique technical feature of this production will bring Francesca’s film project to life for the audience in a new and immersive way. Thanks to a generous collaboration with Brass City TV, Waterbury’s local public access channel, Pa’lante will incorporate live video equipment into the show, allowing audiences to view Francesca’s camera feed in real time—offering a dynamic perspective on what she captures during her search for the truth.Additionally, Pa’lante Theater Company gratefully acknowledges Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT, for generously providing all costumes and prop pieces for the production. This support is part of a growing partnership between Long Wharf and Pa’lante Theater, aimed at strengthening community-based theater through shared resources and collaboration.“This production of Don Juan is a reflection of what’s possible when artists and organizations come together in the spirit of innovation and shared storytelling,” said director Rafael Feliciano-Roman. “The support from Brass City TV and Long Wharf Theatre has helped elevate this show into something really special, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”Tickets for Don Juan are available now at www.palantetheater.org, or by calling the box office at 203-437-8058, open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM, and two hours before each performance.

THOMASTON — Later this year, the town will become home to its first cannabis retail store.

Both the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Selectmen earlier this month gave their blessings to the project. The store will open in five to six months in the former Riders Cafe at 2627 Waterbury Road, literally located on the Waterbury line. The boundary of the two municipalities goes through the middle of the 1.5-acre property, largely surrounded by woods and undeveloped land.

The cannabis store, however, will be located only on the Thomaston side. Representatives of the applicant, C3 Industries Inc., told the selectmen at their March 18 meeting that the Waterbury side is zoned for residential properties only, while the zoning on the Thomaston side is for manufacturing/light industrial uses.

In addition, they said the Thomaston cannabis store, to be called High Profile Cannabis Shop, will become C3’s fourth and final retail location in Connecticut. The maximum allowed by the state for any one operator is four. C3 operates similar shops in Canton and Hamden, and a third is under construction in Stratford.

C3 is a private, multi-state cannabis company founded in 2018. In addition to Connecticut, it has operations in Michigan, Missouri, Illinois and New Jersey, with approximately 275,000 square feet of production facilities and 31 retail dispensaries in operation now.

“C3 has a long track record of cultivating, manufacturing and retailing high-quality cannabis products, with customer service and value at the center of its business plan,” C3 stated in its application to the town.

C3 was represented by land use lawyer Meaghan Miles, Associate General Council Jake Thornton, and Bob Phillips, director of design and construction, both before the PZC and the selectmen, at separate meetings. The PZC approved a permit for C3 on March 5. A town ordinance permits only one cannabis establishment in town at a time.

In a question from selectmen about whether another business tenant could move into the space next to the cannabis store, Miles said it would be “extremely” difficult to put anything there but a restaurant or bar, because the land on the Waterbury side is zoned residential. A restaurant/bar would be grandfathered in because that’s what it was before zoning regulations existed.

“We don’t really want anything next to the cannabis shop,” Miles said. “We just want to make the building nicer and more secure.”

Miles said C3 has a contract to buy the entire 1.5-acre parcel from the current owners, Riders Realty LLC. The cannabis store will be located on 0.58 acres of the 1.5 acres and consume 3,400 square feet of the 5,200-square-foot, one-story building that was built in 1956.

Selectmen happy with the store's location

State law requires a 3% tax on cannabis sales, in addition to the state’s 6.35 % state sales tax. Selectman Michael Burr said he is grateful that the cannabis store will be on the outskirts of town, and not downtown.

“At least this will raise some revenue for the town,” Burr said. “If we don’t approve this one, the next application could be smack down the middle of downtown.”

First Selectman Edmond V. Mone agrees.

“I can’t think of a better location for the particular use it needs to be,” he said.

Miles said the exterior of the building will receive mostly cosmetic improvements, such as painting the building and restriping the 23 parking spaces. Most of the work will be done on the inside, including the erection of walls to separate the cannabis store from the Waterbury side of the building.

C3 is also implementing significant security measures, including access restrictions, vibrant site lighting, multiple alarm systems and video surveillance and a diversion prevention plan.

High Profile will not sell medical marijuana, and the state heavily regulates the sale of cannabis. Thus, C3 will hire experienced licensed professionals to serve customers.

Deliveries will occur at the northern entrance of the building, and will occur once or twice per day, usually in a van or box truck.

C3 will also install energy-efficient, high-quality ventilation and filtration systems in the building that will ensure that air passed out of the equipment is odor-free.

The PZC ordered operating hours to be between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., but C3 has not yet determined exactly when the store will be open.

The biological mother of the man who said he was held captive in a Waterbury home for 20 years speaks out exclusively to NBC Connecticut.

The 52-year-old, who wishes to remain anonymous, was emotional as she spoke to NBC Connecticut on Monday, saying she’d been looking for her son for decades.

She got a call last week from her sister that her son had finally been found, and is distraught to hear of what he’s endured, and the condition he was in.

“We all love him. I love him. He’s so strong, and I’m so proud of him for doing what he needed to do. I wish he did it sooner,” she said.

Her daughter, the victim’s half-sister, said she’d been using social media and other tools to locate him for him for years to no avail.

“I just want him to know that he has a big sister, and I’ve always known he’s existed, and I’ve always loved him, and I’ve always been trying to find him. I’ve been looking for him for over a decade. I wanted to wait until he was 18. I’m almost 35 now. There was nothing…no social media, no court records,” his half-sister said.

#BREAKING: The biological mother of the man who said he was held captive for 20 years inside a Waterbury home speaks out - only to @NBCConnecticutShe told me she'd been looking for her son for decades, after giving up custody of him as a child."We all love him." More at 11. pic.twitter.com/q5gBScT0py

— Amanda Pitts (@AmandaPittsTV) March 17, 2025

The victim’s mother said she’d given up custody when he was a child, but that didn’t stop her from attempting to be in his life.

She said his late father and stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, wouldn’t allow it.

“Neither one of them. I don’t know if she was controlling him,” she said.

Sullivan’s attorneys maintain her innocence, laying the blame on her late husband for how his son was raised.

She said she hopes everyone involved faces charges.

“All of them in that home…need to get…charged, and she needs to actually spend the rest of her life in solitary confinement and fed two cups of water a day,” she said.

She said she hasn’t yet connected with her son, but hopes to in the future.

“He does have everybody here, on both sides, on both sides of his family that love him, and have looked for him…I’m heartbroken,” she said. “I still just can’t fathom it. How can anybody treat somebody like that?”

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