Extreme Fire Danger & Gorgeous Mural Unveiled

November 15, 2024

The fire danger remains extreme in Waterbury, and an emergency burn ban remains in effect. I'll break down what that means for you below.

I was fortunate to be a part of ceremony unveiling a beautiful mural honoring the life of a local man who was enslaved. Please keep reading to learn why his life was so important and why this project means so much to our city.

Your high school student has an opportunity to win a cash prize in the Teen Safe Driving Video Contest. I'll explain how your child can get involved.

You will find the following sections below:

  • Emergency Burn Ban
  • Mural Honors Former Enslaved Man
  • Teen Safe Driving Video Contest
 
Emergency Burn Ban

Public safety officials in Waterbury and across the state remind everyone to stop burning any items outside. Open burning is banned due to the dangerously dry weather and large amount of leaves on the ground.

As a reminder, this ban means you cannot use:

  • outdoor grills
  • firepits
  • campfires
The risk for extreme fire danger is real, and this week Governor Ned Lamont declared a Stage 2 Drought Advisory across Connecticut due to an incredibly small amount of rain over the past two months.
 
Mural Honors Former Enslaved Man

The community gathered to celebrate the unveiling of a huge mural honoring the life of a former enslaved man from Waterbury. The massive mural, which is dedicated to a man known as Fortune, is a testament to our community’s unity and collaboration. Artists and a team of neighbors worked together to turn the outside of the North End Recreation Center on North Main Street into a work of art.

Fortune helped the medical community locally and around the globe after his death in 1798. He was badly injured when he was enslaved in Waterbury, and doctors used his skeletal remains to train medical students. I saw Fortune’s skeleton at Mattatuck Museum when I was a child and didn’t understand the significance at the time. I’ve since learned that his legacy will live forever in Waterbury. Fortune is now buried in Waterbury and his gravesite is part of the Connecticut Freedom Trail.

This mural makes me so proud to be from Waterbury because it shows that people of different faiths and backgrounds can come together with a common purpose, accomplish a goal, and improve our community. I am extremely grateful to everyone who put this project together, including John Mills for finding a creative way to tell Fortune’s story. Thank you for everything you do!

Please watch the video below to learn more about Fortune's life and the collaboration it took to create his amazing mural.

Dedication ceremony to honor
a new mural for an enslaved man named Fortune.
 
Teen Safe Driving Video Contest

Teenage students and high schools in Connecticut can win up to $26,000 in prizes by entering a submission into Connecticut’s 16th annual Teen Safe Driving Video Contest hosted by the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and Travelers.

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for teens in the United States. In 2022, there were 2,514 people killed in crashes across the country involving teenage drivers between the ages of 15 and 18.

The Teen Safe Drive Video Contest is open to all public, private, and home-schooled high school students in Connecticut between the ages of 14 and 18. Contest entrants are required to create a unique and effective video public service announcement no longer than 45 seconds, highlighting interactions between drivers and other teens while illustrating ways to practice safer driving habits and obeying Connecticut’s teen driving laws.

The videos must also address at least one specific Connecticut teen driving law. Click HERE to read the full contest rules and instructions on submitting a video. The deadline for submissions is February 3, 2025. To watch winning videos from previous years, click here.