By D.M.Livingston|Published Dec 2, 2025
WATERBURY — The Waterbury Times is preparing to release one of its most ambitious investigations yet: “PAL-LESS: A Look at the Palace Theater and Who It Truly Serves.”
This upcoming Season 2 finale examines the role, transparency, and public value of one of Waterbury’s most celebrated institutions — and the uncomfortable questions many residents have been asking for years.
Before the premiere, we’re opening our full archives. Below is a complete index of every investigation we’ve produced since our series launched in February 2024 — a collection that has taken us inside churches, schools, towers, supermarkets, abandoned buildings, and City Hall itself.
These investigations have sparked conversations, prompted accountability, and helped shape a new era of local journalism in Waterbury.
🟦 SEASON 1 (2024): The Beginning of a New Investigative Era
1. Buying Churches — Series Premiere, February 2024
Our first investigation explored the City’s purchase of the Sacred Heart Church complex.
We spoke directly with then-Alderwoman Kelly Zimmerman — now the Minority Leader — about the deal, the process behind it, and unanswered questions from residents.
2. The Dr. Verna D. Ruffin Files — Two-Part Exclusive
One of our most-watched investigations.
We obtained exclusive documents and conducted interviews that shed new light on the firing of former Superintendent Dr. Verna Ruffin.
This two-part series remains one of the most comprehensive public records deep dives on her tenure and removal.
3. Inside Blue Hills Garden / The Towers on Hillside
We entered Blue Hills Garden and documented:
- Fire extinguishers expired for two years
- Roof access door locks broken
- Alarming safety conditions in senior/disabled living units/low income housing
The footage raised serious concerns about management oversight and resident safety.
4. Crosswalk Crisis: Where Are Waterbury’s Safe Streets?
A citywide look at the absence of safe, visible crosswalks.
We made calls, visited departments, and showed how missing markings put thousands of pedestrians at risk daily.
5. Weeping Willow — Season 1 Finale
A powerful, on-the-ground report from The Weeping Willow neighborhood, examining:
- Escalating violence
- Community trauma
- What the future may hold
This episode set the tone for the deeper, community-rooted focus of Season 2.
🟩 SEASON 2 (2025): A City Under the Microscope
1. Abandoned Waterbury — Season 2 Opening Investigation
We documented the vacant, collapsed, and abandoned buildings scattered across Waterbury.
This investigation raised the question: What responsibility does a city have to its residents when entire blocks become forgotten?
2. Food Desert: Where Can Waterbury Residents Eat?
We visited supermarkets across town and examined:
- Access to fresh food
- Pricing differences by neighborhood
- The reality of food deserts in a city of 110,000
3. Homeless in Waterbury — DM’s Most Personal Report
A deeply vulnerable investigation where DM shared his own experience with homelessness.
The report examined shelters, available resources, and the human cost of being unhoused in Waterbury.
4. School Bus Breakdown: Inside the Driver Shortage
We explored the district’s struggle to get students to and from school, interviewing:
- Drivers
- Parents
- Administrators
- Transportation officials
As Waterbury continues to grow and change, so does our commitment to reporting stories that matter.
Thank you to every resident who watches, shares, and supports this work. This archive represents not just our reporting — but a city demanding accountability.
This report highlighted staffing shortages, systemic challenges, and what’s being done to fix it.
🟥 THE UPCOMING SEASON FINALE — “PAL-LESS”
Premiering Soon on the Waterbury Times YouTube Channel
Our final investigation of Season 2 asks powerful questions about the Palace Theater and its role in Waterbury:
- Who does it truly serve?
- What does the funding look like?
- How accessible is it to the residents who live here?
- Does the community benefit match the public cost?
- And why does the community feel disconnected from its own historic theater?
This is our most complex institutional accountability investigation to date — and it will set the tone for Season 3.
FINAL NOTE TO READERS
As Waterbury continues to grow and change, so does our commitment to reporting stories that matter.
Thank you to every resident who watches, shares, and supports this work. This archive represents not just our reporting — but a city demanding accountability.
The Waterbury Times- Waterbury,CT Local News 
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