RepublicanAmerican

MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2012 FINAL 75

REP-AM.COM

HOT SOX
KEVIN YOUKILIS SLIDES SAFELY INTO HOME IN BOSTONS 6-4 WIN OVER TAMPA, PAGE 4C

Deadline for Renaissance

Developer has until May 8 to prove construction is imminent
BY ALIA MALIK
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

GOLF HISTORY ALIVE

LONGTIME LOCAL GOLFER GETS MEMORIES FROM THE COURSES ON VIDEO, THANKS TO HIS DADS 8MM CAMERA, PAGE 1C

NAUGATUCK A 66-acre stretch along the Naugatuck River might not look any different come May 8, but that day marks a turning point for the Renaissance Place project that was supposed to bring condominiums, offices, retail and entertainment to the boroughs faded downtown. On that day, exactly five years will have passed since the Board of Mayor and Burgesses and the Naugatuck Economic Development Corp. signed an agreement giving Fairfield-

based developer Alexius C. Conroy exclusive rights to the $710 million revitalization project. The agreement gave Conroy five years to begin privately funded construction of any portion of the project. As the deadline approaches, borough and NEDC officials said they would be content with a signed contract signifying imminent construction. With no indication a contract will materialize in three weeks, the NEDC is acknowledging the likelihood of a planned future for downtown that no longer depends on Conroy.

Its bittersweet, Chairman Jay Carlson said. He had five years and he couldnt get there. ... We need to terminate the agreement so that the town can move on. The agreement was approved just before an economic crash that led to years of setbacks for Conroy, who struggled to find investors for the project. Some in the NEDC, the boroughs economic development arm, said they did not fault him. I think Alex had all intentions to do what he had outlined and no one could predict the See PLACE, Page 6A

I THINK ALEX (CONROY) HAD ALL INTENTIONS TO DO WHAT HE HAD OUTLINED AND NO ONE COULD PREDICT THE ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT THAT HIT US.
DAVID O. PRENDERGAST
CEO OF NAUGATUCK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP.

Oxford seeks help with taxes

Oxford will seek a courts help in handling a list of delinquent taxpayers that is believed to contain mistakes due to clerical errors, bad accounting and dishonesty. PAGE 1B

MEMORIES IN THE RUINS

Liebermans legacy debated

Sen. Joe Liebermans legacy was a focal point of a debate Sunday between five Democrats seeking to replace him. Comments ranged from praise for being bipartisan to blame for the war in Iraq. PAGE 2A

AP

Dueling tax plans play in D.C.

Democrats and Republicans in Congress are both forcing votes on tax plans this week that are already doomed and more about campaigns than actual legislation. PAGE 2A

Banks making loans available

Bank of America is boasting about its increase in lending to small businesses, an encouraging trend that economy watchers say theyre seeing across the U.S. PAGE 1D

OPINION OF THE DAY: iPads, iPhones, email and especially text messaging have isolated individuals from one another. Teenagers go through trying emotional times, making the transition from being a child to an adult. They should be able to get through these turmoil-filled years by expressing their feelings to one another. Alexandra Dickenson, Southbury
READ THE FULL LETTER ON PAGE 4A

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WEB EXTRAS
TO DAY AT R E P -A M .CO M >> DEAL OF THE DAY Pay just $25 for a $50 voucher to use
for two spray-tan sessions at Always Tan. >> LEAF READ You could ask a million questions to learn about trees. Or you could read one book. Find out what it is in the Gardening blog. >> WORTH REPEATING Ha! Good luck with that. posted by JC on the story Waterbury pursuing delinquent mill owners. >> TELL YOUR FRIENDS Look for the Share button on stories at rep-am.com to send them to friends via Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Digg, and more services.

Ashley Hort carries her late grandfathers U.S. flag out of the debris left after a tornado destroyed the home in Woodward, Okla., on Sunday. The tornado, which struck just after midnight Sunday, was one of dozens that swept across the Midwest over the weekend. Five people were killed in Woodward the only town to suffer any fatalities. Story on Page 2A.

Home sales reawakening, real estate agents report

two dozen potential buyers, sellers, brokers, Realtors and economists suggest confidence ASSOCIATED PRESS is up and sales will move slowWASHINGTON Five ly but steadily higher. The biggest challenge that years after the U.S. housing bust sent sales and prices weve had over the past four years is fear fear plunging, the spring >> Car dealers that the economy is home-buying season feel confident collapsing, that is pointing to a longenough to property values are awaited recovery. upgrade their collapsing, that the Reduced prices, record-low mort- facilities, Page 1D. world is coming to an end, says Mark gage rates, higher rents and an improving job Prather, a broker at ERA Buy market appear to be embold- America Real Estate in La ening many would-be buyers. Palma, Calif. The fear factor Open houses are drawing is all but gone. Prather says the number of crowds. A wave of foreclosures is leading investors to prospective buyers who contacted his company last month grab bargain-priced homes. And many people seem to was about 35 percent more have concluded that prices than a year ago. The spring buying season wont drop much further. In some areas, prices have begun got an early liftoff from an unto tick up. Interviews with more than See HOMES, Page 6A BY DEREK KRAVITZ AND ALEX VEIGA

State legislature faces pile of unfinished work

Death penalty repeal masks inaction
BILL UPDATES
>> Education reform: The governor says talks are making no headway and he wont sign legislation that doesnt closely resemble his original plan. >> Sunday liquor sales: No negotiations >> Minimum wage: Governor still against increase, as is his economic commissioner, but he hasnt said whether hed sign it. >> Power utility oversight: Governor and legislature both want standards for companies restoring service after emergencies. Hefty fines in both.

BY PAUL HUGHES
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

87 Low 55
High

Sunny and hot today; a few clouds moving in tonight. Page 6C

AnniesMailbox 6C Business 1D Classified 4D Comics 3D Crossword 6B

Editorials 4A Horoscope 6C Jumble 6B Lottery 2A Movie times 6C

Obituaries 5B Public record 2A Sudoku 6B Television 6B Your Page 5D

24 pages. 2012 Republican-American Established 1881, Waterbury, Connecticut All rights reserved

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Read todays editions online at rep-am.com

HARTFORD The repeal of the death penalty will stand out when people look back on the legislatures work this session. As achievements or disappointments go, they dont come much bigger than abolishing capital punishment. The repeal bill is only awaiting Gov. Dannel P. Malloys promised signature. Yet, apart from this step, the legislatures list of accomplishments is largely a blank parchment and its crowded to-do list includes some consequential items. There is education reform, an overhaul of liquor laws, the min-

See BILLS, Page 6A

Motorcycles
HONDA 02 VTX. 4800 miles, mint, saddlebags, cover & two helmets. $5500. 203-206-1493. KAWASAKI Brute Force 650 4x4 ATV Quad. Many options. $4300 firm. 203-228-1202 or 203-753-8494.

Boats & accessories

MARINE UPHOLSTERY & FABRICS Call 860-283-8055 NITRO 98 Bass Boat. 115 horsepower Mercury motor. O/B Charger. Fishfinders, tooling motor. Best offer. 203-574-7965.

Landscaping/lawns
CREST Spring cleanups, weekly mowing. Reasonable rates and reliable. Insured. 203-509-6395. SPRING CLEANUPS lawns mowed, misc jobs, reliable, reasonable rates. Call Bob 203-206-4959.

Wood refinishing
KITCHEN CABINETS restored to new condition. Chair repair, furniture refinished, trim. CT License #563142. Call Gary at 203-754-1092.

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