Closing Out May: From Chaos to Community, Waterbury Stays Standing
By The Waterbury Times

May tested us.

From sirens echoing through city streets to heartbreaking headlines that shook neighborhoods across Waterbury, this month brought more turbulence than any of us wanted. Families were left with unanswered questions, youth faced fear where there should be freedom, and once again, our city found itself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

But through it all—Waterbury showed heart.

We saw neighbors become protectors, strangers become supporters, and families hold each other just a little tighter. We watched first responders move with urgency and grace. We saw community leaders step up, speak out, and show up. We saw local businesses lend a hand and residents find new ways to be part of the solution.

This city isn’t perfect. But it is powerful.

Waterbury’s strength has always been in its people—its resilience, its soul, its fight. And as we close the chapter on a heavy May, we hold space for both grief and gratitude. We mourn what was lost, but we also celebrate what we still have: each other.

So here’s to June.

To block parties, barbecues, and kids on bikes. To late sunsets and fresh starts. To progress that’s quiet but real. To conversations that matter and actions that count. To community meetings, creative outlets, and calm summer nights.

To hope—not as a cliché, but as a decision.

Waterbury, we made it through May. Let’s build something better in June.

— The Waterbury Times