Demo at Derby Public Library to focus on summer recipes

 

DERBY - The Derby Public Library has scheduled a cooking demo at 6:30 p.m. June 27.

The topic will be Spice Up Your Summer. Stacey Ference of Savour Catering will talk about different 

spices and show how you can use them in your summer 

recipes.   
There will be samples of all demonstrated foods.  
The class is for ages 18 and older.

Registration is required.
  
For more information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth

St., call 203-736-1482 or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org. 

This is a press release from Cathy Williams, Director, Derby Public Library.

Griffin Hospital in Derby to host presentation on benefits of yoga

Griffin Hospital Life after Stroke Support Group will host a presentation on the benefits of yoga for stroke survivors June 9. / Submitted photo

DERBY - The Griffin Hospital Life after Stroke Support Group will host a free presentation on the benefits of yoga for stroke survivors from noon-1 p.m. June 9 at the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital, 350 Seymour Ave.

Tanya M. Sage RYT, will present “Yoga and Stroke - Yes you can!” an interactive program that shows how she uses yoga to move through the limitations of stiffness and increase mobility after stroke.

The Life after Stroke Support Group at Griffin Hospital meets monthly and is open to stroke survivors between the ages of 20 and 65. 

This group will provide information from health experts, resources and support for individuals who have suffered a stroke in the prime of their lives. 

Caregivers are also welcome.

For more information, contact Griffin Hospital Rehabilitation Services at (203) 732-7445.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Shelton Historical Society to take part in CT Open House Day

SHELTON - On June 11, Shelton Historical Society will be
among many attractions across the state participating in Connecticut Open House Day at its complex at the Shelton History Center, 70 Ripton Road. 

From 11 a.m.-3 p.m., guests will enjoy celebrating
“School’s Out!” at the Trap Falls School, a one-room school similar to many that were once in operation in rural Connecticut.

Visitors will enjoy games and goodies in an environment that invites them to discover how it felt to spend an entire school career in one room with students of all ages

Follow a map to complete chores and challenges in several places-in addition to the school-throughout the one-acre complex.
Those who complete the tasks will have an opportunity to
enter a drawing that will be held the following week during
the Society’s Vintage Vehicles Antique & Classic Car Show.

This event is free and open to the public. 
For information, call 203-925-1803 or visit
www.sheltonhistoricalsociety.org.

Annual event
Connecticut Open House Day is an annual event scheduled the second Saturday of June, where cultural organizations
and tourism attractions throughout the state open their
doors to Connecticut residents, inviting them to discover-and rediscover-Connecticut's fascinating world of art, history, film, and tourism with a variety of special visitor
incentives. 
The unique one-day event is part of a broad state initiative that began in 2005 and is coordinated by the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism (www.CTvisit.com).


This is a press release from the Shelton Historical Society.

Conroy to host forum on livable communities at Derby Senior Center

DERBY - State Rep. Theresa Conroy, D-Seymour, is hosting a forum on livable communities from 10-11:30 a.m. June 9 at the Derby Senior Center.

State Rep. Theresa Conroy

The “Road to Livability” is an AARP program designed to provide individuals and families with tools to create a place where you can live in comfort and safety no matter what stage of life. 

The 45-minute workshop includes a comprehensive packet of resources, step-by-step visuals to follow during the discussion and tools to get you started today. 

Learn more at www.aarp.org/livable.

This is a press release from Conroy's office.

Seymour Library to host talk on history of English royal family's jewels

SEYMOUR - The Seymour Public Library will host a presentation by Patricia Carr about the history of the Queen’s jewels at 6:30 p.m. June 28.

Carr will discuss stories attached to the previous owners, and the personal sentiment of the Queen toward the stones.

The library is at 46 Church St.

This information is shared from an online community calendar sponsored by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and The New Haven Independent. 

Lawmakers hail funds for school upgrades in Ansonia, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck

HARTFORD - State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, and state Rep. M. Linda Gentile, D-Ansonia, announced today the State Bond Commission has approved nearly $3 million for general improvements to school buildings in Ansonia, Derby, Hamden, and Naugatuck, thanks to votes they made in 2015 to support Connecticut’s public schools.

On Friday, the State Bond Commission approved a combined $2.79 million for Ansonia, Derby, Hamden, and Naugatuck to make various school improvements, including windows, doors, boilers, heating and ventilation systems, communications/technology systems, lockers, floors, ceilings, restrooms, lighting, energy efficiency, entryways, driveways, parking areas, play areas, athletic fields, various equipment, roof repairs, and installation or upgrade of security equipment.

Ansonia and Derby received $1.225 million each; Hamden, $95,000; and Naugatuck, $245,000. 
The funding was approved as part of the 2015 state bonding bill, which pays for state capital projects and grant programs, including school construction, economic development, municipal aid, and housing development and rehabilitation programs. 
Crisco and Gentile both voted for that bill.

“Maintaining and modernizing the educational infrastructure that local taxpayers and the state created long ago is one of the most important functions of government; this funding  protects our investment and allows school children to prosper and grow in ways we could not have envisioned when some of these schools were built decades ago,” Crisco said. “I’m proud to be a part of protecting and updating our school buildings to ensure the success and well-being of our children.”

“I know that the administrators in the Ansonia and Derby school districts are appreciative of these funds," Gentile said. 
“It’s important that we provide the best possible environment for students to achieve academically, socially and physically. These dollars will be put to good use at school buildings in both towns.”

This funding is specifically tied to the state’s Alliance District program, which Connecticut created in order to support 30 different school districts seeking to dramatically increase student outcomes and close achievement gaps by pursuing innovative reforms. 
In total, Connecticut’s Alliance schools serve more than 200,000 students in 410 different schools. 


This is a press release from Crisco's office. 

Valley Shakespeare Festival conducts workshops, performs at Perry Hill School

Students watch performance of Shakespeare's 'Pericles, Prince of Tyre.' /Contributed photo

SHELTON - Perry Hill Elementary School welcomed Valley Shakespeare Festival into its classrooms last week to conduct workshops and performances of William Shakespeare’s “Pericles, Prince of Tyre.”  

The four-day residency in the school was part of the company’s Education Initiative program which is co-sponsored by the Shelton Board of Education and the Valley Community Foundation.  
Earlier in the month the group brought its program to fourth grade students in the district’s Booth Hill, Mohegan, and Sunnyside elementary schools.  

The program is designed to comply with the State of Connecticut’s Common Core Standards and integrates the study of language arts with geography and history through the magic of live theater.  

Classroom workshops 

The program begins with classroom workshops conducted by Valley Shakespeare Festival’s professional teaching artists, during which students are introduced to the major themes of the play, its geographical and historical significance, and language, through games and activities.  
Valley Shakespeare Festival also provides in-depth study guides to the schools for teachers who wish to even better prepare their students in advance of the program.

The second part of the program is a 70-minute adapted live performance of the play by the very same actors who conducted the classroom workshops.  
Having already bonded with the performers in the classroom, the students are immediately engaged in the performance, which is not performed on a raised stage, but directly on the floor, surrounded by the seated students.   The performers actively involve the students, both physically and intellectually, in the action of the play by performing directly with and among them.

The performance phase of the program is immediately followed by a 10-15 minute question and answer session during which students are invited to ask the performers any questions about the play, the acting vocation or about the actors themselves.

By beginning its Education Initiative program at the elementary level Valley Shakespeare Festival hopes to instill an appreciation and hunger for studying classical literature, and to alleviate the stigma often associated with what some would call “archaic texts.”  
The company strives to remind everyone that language is a living and constantly evolving force, and that literature and theater are the oldest, yet most enduring forms of human communication. 
The themes presented in classical literature are perennial; they deal with the human condition, making them just as relevant today as they were the day they were written.

Valley Shakespeare Festival hopes to be able to add succeeding grade levels to the program each year to ensure continuity for the students so that, by the time they enter high school (which is when they are usually introduced to Shakespeare’s works), they will be prepared and excited to explore the texts.

This is a press release from Valley Shakespeare Festival.

Derby Day downtown festival to feature family fun, live music, vendors

Photo slideshow shared from Ansonia Memorial Day Parade

St. Michael's Post 1562, Catholic War Veterans of Derby, participates Sunday in the Memorial Day Parade.

I'm sharing a slideshow my husband, Ralph, created from photos I took Sunday at the Ansonia Memorial Day Parade.

Here's the YouTube link:  https://youtu.be/R4lalX4iBTo


It was a wonderful parade and the weather was picture perfect! 

Knights of Columbus to hold dinner at Assumption Church hall in Ansonia

ANSONIA - The Knights of Columbus Valley Council 23 will host a Father's Day pasta dinner June 18 at Assumption Church hall, 61 N. Cliff St. 

The menu includes meatballs, sausage, salad, bread and butter, desserts, coffee, tea, and soda.

The dinner will begin at 5 p.m.

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
BYOB. 
Proceeds will benefit the Robert Knott Scholarship for Assumption School students.

For information call 203-881-2624.


This information is shared from an online community calendar sponsored by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and The New Haven Independent.

Knights of Columbus to hold dinner at Assumption Church hall in Ansonia

ANSONIA - The Knights of Columbus Valley Council 23 will host a Father's Day pasta dinner June 18 at Assumption Church hall, 61 N. Cliff St. 

The menu includes meatballs, sausage, salad, bread and butter, desserts, coffee, tea, and soda.

The dinner will begin at 5 p.m.

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
BYOB. 
Proceeds will benefit the Robert Knott Scholarship for Assumption School students.

For information call 203-881-2624.


This information is shared from an online community calendar sponsored by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and The New Haven Independent.

Seymour teen wins memorial scholarship from family of Nina Poeta

Congratulations go out to Seymour High School senior Emily Wrogg, who was presented with The Nina Poeta Memorial Scholarship. She is pictured with Nina's parents, John and Dorie Poeta, at a recent ceremony at the school.

This information from a Facebook post is being used with permission from Dorie Poeta.
"We are so grateful to be given the opportunity to present this award due to the generosity of our family, friends and this entire community who have all supported The Nina Poeta Memorial Scholarship Fund! Thank you!!!

"Special thanks to the SHS staff, especially Anita Marcheggiani Cardona, Lisa Rubio, and Principal Jim Freund for all your help with this!!

"We would also like to thank Nina's family, friends, and coaches who helped to write the scholarship and The Nina Poeta Memorial Scholarship Committee for choosing our recipient from the wonderful nominees!" 

Emily has been involved with many community activities. She has volunteered for Seymour Pink, Special Olympics, and the Girl Scouts, served as a link crew leader for freshmen, and a mentor for Bungay Elementary school students.

She helped form the high school's first Leo's Club, a teen branch of the Seymour Lions Club and was captain of the Seymour High School Dance Team.

Derby Public Library to host Yesterday's Headlines discussion

DERBY - The Derby Public Library welcomes back Rob Novak, Jr., local historian, at 6:30 p.m. June 21 to discuss Yesterday’s Headlines. Novak has specialized in presenting local history in fun, interactive formats for both general and specific audiences for more than 20 years.

He is past director of the Derby Historical Society and the City of Shelton’s Municipal Historian.  

He has authored books through Arcadia Publications, and has been a popular historical columnist.  

Participants will be taken back to 1916, 1941, and 1966 to see what was happening 100, 75, and 50 years ago in the Valley.

Registration is requested.  

For more information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St., call 203 736-1482, or 

visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.


This is a press release from Cathy Williams, Director, Derby Public Library.

Ceremony at Seymour Middle School recognizes veterans

The Rev. Russell Lesiw, retired pastor, Seymour Evangelical Baptist Church, prepares his remarks prior to last week's Veterans Wartime Service Medal Ceremony at Seymour Middle School. 
The ceremony was sponsored by state Rep. Theresa W. Conroy, D-Seymour, in conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Seymour Middle School band students watch as members of American Legion Post 10 of Seymour present the colors at the start of a solemn ceremony in the school auditorium. 
The ceremony recognized 36 local veterans.

Please click here to read my story published today in the Valley Independent Sentinel.

And please click here and here for earlier blog posts about the event.

Shelton Libraries slate kids' activities Saturday

Piggie and Gerald Party
SHELTON - Drop in and celebrate entertaining book characters and their friendship through a story, party games, crafts, and a treat at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Plumb Memorial Library, 65 Wooster St.


If You Give a Dad a Donut
SHELTON - Celebrate Father's Day early at the Huntington Branch Library at 10:30 am. Saturday.

Children of all ages and their fathers and grandfathers are invited to listen to a story about donuts, enjoy a snack, and participate in a fun activity!  
The library is at 46 Church St.
Register at 203-926-0111.


Information shared from the Shelton Library System website.

Ansonia celebrates Memorial Day with traditional parade

Ansonia Mayor David S. Cassetti waves to onlookers along the parade route on Main Street Sunday. With him are state Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, at left, and his wife, Ina.

The Connecticut Hurricanes perform at the reviewing stand in front of Ansonia City Hall.

Several veterans' organizations participated in the parade. 

Members of High Acres Christian Church in Ansonia played live music on a float adorned with red, white, and blue wreaths and banners.

Stay tuned for more photos in a future issue of The Valley Voice newsletter.

Church to hold annual picnic at Warsaw Park in Ansonia

ANSONIA - St. Michael Church of Derby will hold its annual parish picnic from noon-8 p.m. June 5 at Warsaw Park, 125 Pulaski Highway.

Photo from St. Michael Church website

There will be continuous live music from 1-5 p.m. performed by Dennis Polisky and the Maestro's Men polka band. Sygnal will play from 5-8 p.m.

Homemade Polish and American fare will be on the menu.

There will be games for children and adults. 
Admission is $5 a person and includes all games and activities for children, and free parking.

For information call 203-734-0005. Please bring your own lawn chairs.

Reminder: Club hosting annual Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast in Shelton

SHELTON - The annual "Doc" Bednar Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast will be held Monday before, during, and after the Shelton-Derby Memorial Day Parade.

The breakfast, hosted by the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, will be held at Walgreen's Pharmacy at the corner of Center Street and Coram Avenue.

All-you-can-eat fluffy buttermilk pancakes will be on the menu.

Cost is $5 per person; $4 for children under 12.

This is a press release from the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley.

Seymour Congregational Church to host turkey dinner

The church is at 45 Broad St., Seymour.

Griffin Hospital changes route of 5K in Derby, Ansonia

We've Changed the Route

Due to construction of Division St., we've changed the route and will be starting and finishing at the Seymour Ave. entrance to the Center for Cancer Care along with a few other changes.

We'll have maps of the 5K route for participants on June 4, but here's a map of the course and turn-by-turn directions so you'll be familiar with it before heading out! 

Check out our Facebook page to view/print directions.

• START - Leaving the Cancer Center parking lot at the Seymour Ave. entrance/exit, participants will turn left toward Division St.
• Cross Division St. onto Wakelee Ave.
• Proceed up Wakelee Ave. and turn right onto Mary St.
• Turn right onto Grove St.
• Turn right onto Division St.
• Cross Seymour Ave. and proceed left down Seymour Ave. sidewalk
• Turn right onto Hawkins St.
• Turn right onto Eighth St.
• Turn right onto Hawthorne Ave.
• Turn right onto Cherry Street
• Turn left onto Smith St.
• Turn right onto Fall St.
• Turn left onto Emmett Ave.
• Turn right onto Bluff St.
• Turn Right onto Mohawk Ave.
• Turn left onto Summer St.
• Turn left onto Seymour Ave.
• FINISH - Enter Cancer Center parking lot at Seymour Ave. entrance/exit and proceed to finish line for 5K

This is a release from Griffin Hospital.

The walk/run is just one week away! I'll be there with my Team McVillers. 

Here's the official website: griffinhealth.org/5k

WW II veteran to lead Memorial Day Parade in Seymour

My friend Jean Falbo-Sosnovich, New Haven Register correspondent extraordinaire, wrote a story about Anthony Bunk, a 92-year old U.S. Navy veteran of World War II leading Seymour's Memorial Day Parade.

He will lead the march with Beacon Falls First Selectman Chris Bielik, also a Navy veteran who served as a commander from 1982 to 2004.
I'm sharing Jean's story here.


And from Derby Town/City Clerk Marc Garofalo:

A memorial service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Derby High School, 6 Nutmeg Ave., Derby. 
All veterans who died since May 1, 2015 will be remembered by calling their names and presenting a rose to their family. 
A list of those veterans from Derby who died this past year can be found at:

http://www.derbyct.gov/Memorial-Day-Parade/

The annual Derby-Shelton Memorial Day will start at 9 a.m. 
in Shelton at Howe Avenue and Kneen Street, take a right on Coram Avenue, right on White Street, right on Howe Avenue, left to proceed over the Derby-Shelton Bridge, right on Main Street, left on Elizabeth Street to Cottage Street.

And happening Sunday in Ansonia:

Wishing a Happy Memorial Day weekend to all! 

Stay safe, and take time to remember those who paid the ultimate price in service to our country for the freedom we enjoy.

Griffin Hospital in Derby slates self-management workshop

To assist patients coping with chronic conditions

Griffin Hospital will host a Live Well Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshop this summer./Contributed photo

DERBY - Griffin Hospital will host a free six-week workshop starting July 11 to help individuals diagnosed with chronic conditions take back control of their lives.

The Live Well Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshop provides health information and strategies to help those with chronic conditions like diabetes, depression, heart disease, arthritis, and pain and anxiety increase their energy and take control of their health.

Along with clinical care, participants will learn ways to cope with difficult emotions, depression, and stress/anxiety, reduce pain, improve mobility, increase energy, increase physical activity, eat healthier, use medications appropriately, and solve everyday problems and communicate effectively with family and health care providers.

The workshop will be held from 1-3:30 p.m. on Mondays from July 11 to Aug. 15 at the hospital, 130 Division St.

The Live Well Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshop is sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Social Services Aging Services Division, Connecticut Department of Public Health, and Griffin Hospital.

To register, call Esther Jones at Griffin Hospital’s Community Outreach and Valley Parish Nurse Program at 203-732-1523.


This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Freedom Run in Oxford Monday to benefit veterans' groups

The eighth annual Memorial Day race is rain or shine.

Lawmakers announce $750K for Fountain Lake access road in Ansonia

HARTFORD - State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, and state Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, today announced $750,000 in funding for the Fountain Lake Industrial Park.  

This money will allow for completion of the access road for Fountain Lake.

“Completing the access road is necessary for the continued development of the industrial park,” Gentile said.  

“It will allow interested parties ease of entry into the development zone, thereby providing new and much needed revenues to our Grand List and create opportunity for new jobs. All of which are good for not only our local community, but also for the communities that surround us.”

“We had a company that had been in Ansonia for 160 years and was considering leaving if there was not an access road built to the new Fountain Lake industrial park,” said Crisco, who worked with Gentile to help secure state bonding for the new access road.  

“This is just another example of Connecticut’s commitment to keep and grow our local manufacturing base, and spending the money necessary for the infrastructure improvements that businesses expect and demand.”

Fountain Lake’s proximity to Routes 8 and 334 makes it an attractive location for businesses.  

And completion of the access is expected to promote economic growth for the area.

This is a press release from House Democrats' office.

CT Trails Day event planned at Kellogg Estate in Derby

DERBY - Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection celebrates Connecticut Trails Day at the Kellogg Estate from 3:30-4:30 p.m. June 4 offering families the chance to be a habitat explorer and a nature illustrator. 

Connecticut Forest & Park Association has been coordinating this special weekend to celebrate National Trails Day since 1993 to encourage visitors to experience the numerous trails around the state. 
The Kellogg Estate exploration is one of more than 220 free events scheduled in Connecticut.

The adventure begins at the Kellogg Environmental Center where visitors will be provided with a sketchbook and art supplies. 

An environmental educator will then lead a hike of easy to moderate level of difficulty.  
During the hike, visitors will learn about the plants and animals they encounter in the Kellogg Estate Gardens or on one of the Osbornedale State Park trails.  
Participants will be encouraged to examine and then draw the plants and animals they discover.  

Admission is free, and pre-registration is required.  

For more information and to register, call 203-734-2513.  

The Kellogg Environmental Center, 500 Hawthorne Ave., is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.  


This is a press release from DEEP.

All-female group to perform at Master's Table dinner in Ansonia

19th annual walk in Derby raises $15,500 for Spooner House

Walk participants at the Derby Greenway entrance./Contributed photo

DERBY - Spooner House appreciates all the walkers, runners, volunteers and sponsors who came to the Derby Greenway May 21 to participate in the 19th annual Walk for the Hungry and Homeless. 
A total of $15,500 was raised from generous sponsors and more than 100 walk registrants.

Many teams participated including Paul Revere DeMolay Chapter, Oxford Greens, Emmett O’Brien National Honor Society, Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce Young Emerging Professionals, Curves of Trumbull, Shelton High National Honors Society, Book Club Walk for a Cause, Electri-Cable Assemblies and Spooner House food bank volunteers.

"The Spooner House food bank and shelter are here for those in need in the lower Naugatuck Valley," said Executive Director Susan Agamy. 
"It’s so good to know that the people and businesses in the Valley are truly there to help us support those in need."

This year generous sponsors stepped forward in support of the annual Walk for the Hungry and Homeless. 
They include as Gold Sponsors: Unilever, Dworken, Hillman, LaMorte, and Sterczala PC, AD-MERICA, Precision Aerospace, Inc., New Haven Terminal, and The Valley Community Foundation. 
The Silver Sponsors are: Gary's East Coast Service, Calvert Safe + Lock, Pepe Reality, Tuttle Insurance Group, Apple Health Care, BIC Corp., and PerkinElmer.
This years Bronze Sponsors include: O.E.M. Controls, Inc., DataTel, LLC, Newtown Savings Bank, R.D. Scinto, Inc., Friedberg Smith & Co., P.C., St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Oxford, Teamsters Local 1150, and Iroquois Gas Transmission System.

Non-profit Area Congregations Together, Inc. was formed in 1979 to help fill gaps in the Naugatuck Valley’s social service network. Today, Spooner House is operated by ACT and is a facility that provides food, shelter and support services to approximately 150 men, women and children each year. More than 6,000 individuals have been served by the Food Bank this past year, comprising more than 100,000 meals. 
Spooner House is recognized as one of the most comprehensive emergency shelter programs in Connecticut and through its food bank provides a week’s supply of groceries each month to participating families throughout the Naugatuck Valley. Spooner House is devoted to helping people establish self-sufficiency in an atmosphere of respect and dignity. 

This is a press release from Area Congregations Together, Inc., a partner agency of the Valley United Way.