3D Music Academy INC

The Bartholomew Agency, LLC

C&G Outdoor Services

The Carby Corporation

Combined Insurance

Ion Solar Pros

Natural Awakenings New Haven & Middlesex Counties

Southbury Self Storage

*Joined 12/6/2023 to 01/02/2024

December 7: The Local Gourmet - 316 Main Street South, Suite A - Southbury

December 13: River Glen Health Care Center - 162 South Britain Road - Southbury

January 4: Russell Speeder's Car Wash - 1698 Watertown Avenue - Waterbury

January 16-18: Hairspray at the Palace Theater

HAIRSPRAY, Broadway’s Tony Award®-winning musical comedy phenomenon, helmed by original director Jack O’Brien and original choreographer Jerry Mitchell, will play January 16-18 in Waterbury, CT at the Palace Theater. To purchase tickets, visit palacetheaterct.org, call 203-346-2000 or visit the Palace Theater Box Office. Ticket prices start at $47. Learn more about the new touring production at www.hairspraytour.com. 

HAIRSPRAY is the story of 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad in 1960s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show. Can a girl with big dreams (and even bigger hair) change the world? Featuring the beloved score of hit songs including “Welcome to the ’60s,” “Good Morning Baltimore,” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” HAIRSPRAY is “fresh, winning, and deliriously tuneful!” (The New York Times). 

January 25: Jukebox Bingo Night at Continuum Distilling to Benefit City Youth Theater

🎶 JUKEBOX BINGO NIGHT FUNDRAISER 🎉

📅 Date & Time: Thursday, January 25, 2023

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

📍 Location: Continuum Distillery 2066 Thomaston Ave, Waterbury, CT

06704

Hosted by the City Youth Theater/City Stage Company, this event promises an evening filled with music, laughter, and fundraising for a great cause.

🌟 What to Expect:

• Jukebox Bingo excitement
• Live performances by our talented youth
• Prizes that'll make your heart sing

Grab your tickets now – https://our.show/bingonight

Member Profile

February 28: Brass City Bake Off at the Mattatuck Museum

Deadline for bakers to register: February 16

Participate in the Mattatuck Museum’s 2nd Annual Brass City Bake Off!

Due to the great success of our inaugural baking competition, we’re bringing back this sweet competition!

Companies and non-profits are encouraged to nominate a supervisor or staff member to participate in this amateur bake off! Wow the community and other businesses with your signature bakes. (Each sponsorship allows one baking participant, but additional bakers can be added).

This year we will have three baking categories: cake/cupcake, cookie/dessert bar, and pie/tart. Three local expert judges will vote on the best bake from each category. Attendees sample each bake and vote on the “People’s Choice” plus bid to take their favorite bake home!

The Mattatuck Museum is grateful to be part of the local Waterbury community and looks forward to partnering with you, its local businesses.

The proceeds from this event will support exhibitions, educational adult and family programs. Your support directly contributes to the success and enhancement of our high-quality programs and exhibitions.

If you have any questions please contact Jennifer Johnston at (203) 753 – 0381 or jennifer@mattmuseum.org

Member Profile

February 29: Annie C Courtney Foundation Annual Fundraising Dinner

One of the priorities of the Annie C Courtney Foundation (Annie C) is to support youth when foster care ends with workforce development opportunities and safe, affordable housing.

In September 2022, Annie C was awarded a HUD grant of $75,000 as a down payment for our purchase of a multi-family home in Greater Waterbury to house young adults who were formerly in the foster care system. Having already raised an additional $49,000, for a total of $124,000, we are offering an opportunity for Chamber members to be a part of our first home purchase.

Through our New Beginnings Project, the foundation aims to purchase several multi-family homes in the Naugatuck River Valley to be rented exclusively to young adults with Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) vouchers which are issued through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The goal is not only to provide three years of housing stability for young adults but also to offer wraparound services to prepare them for future success.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, researchers have found that between 31% and 46% of youth exiting foster care experience homelessness by age 26 and many more are unstably housed.



We know we still have much work to do. As a member of the Annie C community, you can be part of this endeavor. Your personal commitment to our young people and your financial support makes it possible for youth exiting foster care to live happy, healthy, and safe lives as they move towards meaningful adulthood. You will make a difference by helping Annie C reach our goals and realize our mission.

Our fundraising dinner will be held on Feb. 29^th, 2024 from 6p-9p at the Crystal Room in Naugatuck. Sponsors for the event which is for the New Beginnings project are needed, please call 475-235-2184 for more information and dinner tickets are available at:

 https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/5c3a8ce8-cfe3-4a06-9eb1-0409ea94db18

Member Profile

Your Devices May Be Tracking You

The New York Times Sunday Business section posted an article that was both interesting and frightening. Titled “Your car is tracking you” which describes how current automobile manufacturers have installed technology that monitors and tracks a variety of driver data. These cars have been called “smartphones on wheels” as they are connected to the Internet, have a variety of data collection from cameras to seat weight sensors and how you brake and corner.

The concern is who has access to this information and for what purpose?



We provide Cybersecurity services from KnowBe4 to reduce your risk while online.

Contact: Justin Golden

justin.golden@gtscloud.com

1(972)679-9738 (m)

Member Profile

CT Department of Labor News: Unemployment Insurance Tax Changes

In an effort to improve Connecticut’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund solvency following the COVID-19 pandemic, the legislature passed Public Acts 21-200 and 22-67, to implement reforms that were achieved through a collaborative effort of business and labor. Changes to the tax and benefit system, plus the inclusion of indexing various tax and benefits measures, will promote long term UI Trust Fund solvency; reduce employer costs; build in cost predictability to support employer fiscal planning; and stabilize UI benefit payments to unemployed workers.

THE FOLLOWING UI TAX CHANGES ARE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2024:

·    The Taxable Wage Base (TWB) increases from $15,000 to $25,000 and is subsequently indexed annually due to inflation.

·    To minimize the short-term impact of the TWB increase, charged rates in calendar years 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027 will be reduced by factors of 1.471, 1.269, 1.125, and 1.053 respectively.

·    The state’s minimum charged rate is reduced from 0.5% to 0.1%. 

·    The state’s maximum charged rate increases from 5.4% to 10.0%. 

·    The state’s maximum fund solvency tax rate is reduced from 1.4% to 1.0%. The maximum fund solvency tax rate is further reduced to 0.5% during years in which an economic recession has been declared. 

Benefit ratio adjustment: If the average benefit ratio of all employers within a sector of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) increases by 1% or more over the average benefit ratio of that sector from the previous year, then the benefit ratio of each employer within such sector shall have their individual benefit ratio reduced by one-half of the increase.