Category: Events

THE MOB & STONEWALL: Unraveling the Mafia’s Influence in the 1969 Uprising

Wednesday, June 19th, 2024, 6:30 PM
Waterbury Congregational Church, Waterbury, VT

The Stonewall Uprising stands as a pivotal moment in history—a fierce response by the LGBTQ community to relentless police raids. On June 28, 1969, the New York City Police descended upon the Stonewall Inn, a beloved gathering spot for LGBTQ individuals. But this time, the community fought back, igniting several nights of protest on the streets. Yet, amidst the well-known narrative lies a lesser-discussed chapter: the historical role of The Mafia, which happened to own the Stonewall Inn.

Join us on June 19, 2024, during Pride Month, for an enlightening conversation with Alex Hortis, acclaimed author of “The Mob and The City.” Hortis will delve into the intricate web of relationships, revealing how The Mafia unintentionally played a part in sparking the renowned Stonewall Uprising.

For tickets click here and it will take you to ticketleap booking agency being used for this event sponsored by the Waterbury Historical Society.

Preparations for the 48th Strawberry Festival are well underway and you can help grease the skids and make it all go forward! We are delighted that this lovely tradition is back up and running after a four year pandemic-induced hiatus. Last year’s supper was as well attended as any before the pandemic. We expect good weather and good crowds!

This year our non-profit partner is Habitat for Humanity! 20% of our profits will be donated to this extraordinary organization which is establishing a retail presence in Waterbury this year: https://www.centralvermonthabitat.org/restore.html

You can sign up to help and we encourage you to do so sooner rather than later. The sign up program, if you give it your email address (and it already has lots of yours), will send you a reminder.

Here’s the Sign Up Genius Link. If you need help, give us a call at the church 244-6606.

48th Annual Strawberry Supper Signup

Just for kicks, the church council proposed and has set a date for our next chili lunch and friendly competition. A certain member of the council happens to be the twice, maybe three times champion! Is it time for a new chili champ? All of us, bar one, think so!

The plan is simple. Bring a crock pot or a regular pot of chili to church in the morning. The oven will be on and set to very low. Pop your pot in the oven or plug it in and join us for worship. We’ll have the coffee on following worship while we get set up downstairs. We’ll start eating at 11:30.

We do hope you can join us and bring along a chili to sample!

Our last celebration of the lovely, lovely strawberry was 4 years ago. It was our 46th annual. The world has changed a bit since then. We’ve grown a little more wary. We’ve lost traditions or let them slide. At a Board of Finance Meeting a few months ago, in conversation about setting our budget, several thousand dollars of which come from special events like the Strawberry Supper, we all felt an urgency in restoring this tradition. I don’t have an actual record of each year, but I think that the last 4 misses broke an uninterrupted string of strawberry festivals dating back to 1973.

Not only that, we are fundamentally about community. It is part of our DNA, not merely to be conserving community and tradition, but to be developing it — to be part of the process of trying to become a people who care for each other and look out for each other, who create spaces that are shared and enjoyable and by so doing help bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice. Anyway, it’s back!

You can sign up to help and we encourage you to do so sooner rather than later. The sign up program, if you give it your email address (and it already has lots of yours), will send you a reminder.

Here’s the Sign Up Genius Link. If you need help, give us a call at the church 244-6606.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A44A9AB2DA1FC1-2023