Mattatuck Museum Is Looking For 2003 Festival Tree 'Designers'

By LINDA BAUER

Published: Sep 19, 2003 12:00 am

Mattatuck Museum Is Looking For 2003 Festival Tree âDesignersâ

WATERBURY â âPast, Present and Futureâ is the yearâs theme for the Mattatuck Museumâs 13th annual âFestival of the Traditions,â opening Friday, November 28, and running through Sunday, December 7. The celebration is a ten-day extravaganza of magical holiday entertainment, activities, fantasy and traditional trees, opulent decorations, the Webster Bank Brass City Express, and more. Three floors of imaginatively decorated trees and other holiday decorative items all will be for sale.

Individuals, businesses, school classes and community groups are invited to help the museum âdeck the hallsâ by decorating a tree or wreath and donating them to the museum to be sold during the festival. Designers may choose a theme for their trees or displays, expressing their own imagination and creativity. Traditional trees, button trees, sports memorabilia, baby items, toys, the arts and bird lovers have all been used as themes in the past.

New this year are gift boxes ready to fill with creative items such as gourmet food, bath products and other themed items. Volunteers at the museum will wrap the baskets with cellophane and beautiful bows.

Table decorations, flags, quilts, menorahs, garlands, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah displays and other holiday dÃ©cor reflecting the festivalâs theme and cultural traditions are also welcome for display.

Contributors may purchase their own artificial tree or pick one up at the museum. Trees will be available in four feet, three feet and two feet sizes. Wreaths and gift boxes will be available in small (20 inches for wreaths, 7 by 4 by 5 inches for boxes) and large sizes (30 inches for wreaths, 10 by 6 by 7 inches for boxes).

Pick up will be on Friday and Saturday, October 10â11, from 10:15 am to 4:45 pm, and Sunday, October 12, from 12:15 to 4:45 pm. A festival contract form must be completed by October 3 to guarantee a designerâs size preference. These forms are available at the museum.

All trees and other items for display during the festival must be delivered to the museum on Wednesday, November 19, and Thursday, November 20, between 10 am and 4:45 pm. All trees must be artificial. No living materials may be used except dried flowers and miniature lights are preferred. All exhibits must conform to the fire regulation codes of the State of Connecticut and the City of Waterbury.

For information call the museum at 203-753-0381, extension 13, or visit www.MattatuckMuseum.org. The museum is at 144 West Main Street in downtown Waterbury.

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It’s important to clarify that while public process matters, so does the right of a property owner to reasonably develop land they legally own—especially when they follow the rules and engage with the town in good faith. The Board of Selectmen (BOS), whether one agrees with their decision or not, did not “give away” anything. The land in question was part of a road that had been unused and undeveloped for generations. There was no public access, no signage, and no infrastructure—just an overgrown path most residents never knew existed. Mr. Ackert calls the discontinuance “illegal,” but state law grants municipalities the authority to discontinue roads, subject to procedural requirements. The fact that this matter is in litigation shows that questions of law are being properly addressed in court—not in letters to the editor. If the court finds procedural flaws, they’ll be corrected. That’s how the legal system works. Real solutions are found through public process and the courts, not through social media outrage. What’s missing from this conversation is a recognition that towns need to balance many interests: history, environment, public access, private property rights, and economic development. And while the newly championed Revolutionary War heritage is important, there are also pressing modern realities: towns need housing, economic vitality, and responsible development. These things don’t happen in a vacuum—they require compromise, planning, and often, yes, change. If residents truly wish to preserve this trail as public space, the appropriate path is through purchase, conservation easement, or formal designation—not by expecting private landowners to bear the burden of public sentiment. If the writer believes so strongly in its value, perhaps they might consider investing in its preservation themselves. We can honor our history without freezing our town in time. Development and preservation aren’t mutually exclusive—but vilifying one side of the conversation only deepens division. Let’s focus on solutions that balance respect for the past with the rights and needs of those who live here now.

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Thank you both for running my letter and the excellent editor's note. I deeply appreciate the Bee and what it means to Newtown.

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Dan was a real gentleman. I had the honor of knowing him for about 10 years from high school and into early adulthood. He was always upbeat and amiable. His love of golf was boundless. I remember him droning on about the type of wedge this or that professional golfer was playing at any given time. He loved to play also. Dan made the winning putt that clinched a championship for NHS men’s golf in 1984. It was a snaking, downhill putt that few people would have had the nerve or imagination to have holed at such a critical moment. It was magic!! You are a true gem, Dan. May your eternal reward be endless days of long, straight drives and the sound of difficult putts finding the bottom of the hole.

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Congratulations John! This is quite a feat & shows a lot of perseverance, endurance, & commitment while becoming more healthy & having fun! The ultimate achievement! Wishing u a long healthy life!

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“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The 1st Amendment does NOT say "except when there's a budget problem, or when some people wish things would quiet down." There is no way a proposed ordinance can be construed as other than singling out RockthisDemocracy, and also no way the town does not get expensively buried in court should it be foolish enough to go down this path.

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Mattatuck Museum Is Looking For 2003 Festival Tree 'Designers'

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