Crisco, Conroy welcome grants for Beacon Falls, Woodbridge

HARTFORD - State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. D-Woodbridge, and state Rep. Theresa Conroy, D-Beacon Falls, Derby, Seymour, today welcomed nearly $1 million in state Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grants to Woodbridge and Beacon Falls.

The funds will go toward renovating the regional animal shelter in Woodbridge, and reconstructing a portion of West Road in Beacon Falls.

“This regional animal shelter has been saving taxpayers money and providing more resources for needy animals than before, but of course we need upkeep on our investment, and that’s what this state funding will help accomplish,” Crisco said. 
“I am so glad the state has a program like STEAP that can help small towns afford the cost of capital projects, expansions and renovations; the quality of life improvements and local tax savings that these STEAP funds help bring about are both real and valuable.”

“West Road in Beacon Falls can be dangerous, especially during heavy rain and extreme cold,” Conroy said. “When the legislature created the Small Town Economic Assistance Program, this is exactly the type of funding that was envisioned. We want to make sure small communities like Beacon Falls can invest in its infrastructure.”

Woodbridge received a $400,000 state STEAP grant to support the planning and construction of the renovation of the interior and exterior of the existing regional animal shelter that jointly serves Woodbridge and Bethany. This project will benefit the three communities and aid in the humane treatment and care of animals in the region.

Beacon Falls received a $500,000 state STEAP grant for the reconstruction of West Road.  
Beacon Falls is experiencing several maintenance and safety problems at the lower section of West Road, where several of the drainage structures and piping runs are undersized or were previously installed at substandard slopes.  
The project will eliminate several hazardous conditions, including road repair of deteriorated pavement, flooding onto private properties, and icing on the roadway.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced 16 various state STEAP grants today; the grants assist smaller communities with infrastructure and capital improvement projects. 

“By partnering with our smaller communities, our state can assist towns with infrastructure projects that will help them grow, remain competitive, attract businesses, and bring added value to residents for years to come," Malloy said. 
“These STEAP grants allow us to get funding directly to municipalities to complete projects that make Connecticut a better place to work and live.”

Since 2011, small towns across Connecticut have received approximately $230 million in STEAP funds.


This is a press release from Crisco's office.

Connecticut educators endorse Conroy

The Connecticut Education Association, which represents 43,000 educators in the state, has endorsed Theresa Conroy for state representative.

State Rep. Theresa Conroy

Sheila Cohen, CEA president, said, “Theresa’s support of children, teachers, and public education is clear. CEA is proud to endorse Theresa Conroy for state representative.”

During her tenure in the legislature, state education funding to Seymour, Derby and Beacon Falls has increased, despite difficult state budgets.  
In addition, Conroy has worked to secure more than $4.5 million for her district in school construction grants.  

Conroy also acquired state funds for a new athletic field and softball field at Seymour High School.

In addition, Conroy has been a champion for advanced manufacturing training at the state’s technical high schools.

“I was proud to have Sen. Chris Murphy accompany me on Platt Tech’s shop floor to see how our young people are developing important skills for the future.  They will be the next generation of manufacturers in our state,” Conroy said.

Conroy noted that the state’s technical high schools and community colleges are terrific resources that train students for high-skill careers.

This is a press release from Linda Fusco, Conroy's campaign chairman.

BHcare to host vigil in New Haven to honor, remember domestic violence victims

Every October, the nation observes Domestic Violence Awareness Month to bring to light an issue that effects all of our communities. 

Every 9 seconds, a woman is battered in the U.S. 

One in four women and one in seven men in the U.S. are victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives.

To raise awareness about domestic violence, BHcare’s The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services will hold a vigil to honor survivors and remember the victims of domestic violence.

The 17^th Annual Sound of Hope will be held at 1 p.m. Oct. 5 at Long Wharf Pier, New Haven.  

The vigil will include the reading of names of those who have died as a result of domestic violence. 

Each person will receive a flower to toss into the harbor. The flowers represent the hopes and struggles of the survivors as they strive to become free from violence. The flower also gently reminds us of the lives that have been 

taken from us due to domestic violence.

Guest speakers include state Rep. Robyn Porter, Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, and Julie Johnson, UCDVS Family Justice Center Project Coordinator.

For more information about the vigil, or about domestic violence services call 203-736-2601, ext. 1381, or visit www.bhcare.org.  

If you need immediate assistance, please call our 24-hour domestic violence hotline 1-888-774-2900.

UCDVS is a program of BHcare that provides services for victims and children of domestic violence free of charge. Each year, over 6,000 abused women and their children walk through the door of UCDVS looking for shelter, help and hope. 

Learn more at bhcare.org.

This is a press release from BHcare.

Baroque operatic rock duo from Shelton, Seymour ink record deal

Suzanne Vick and Richard Demko

Vocalist and Shelton native Suzanne Vick, and writer/producer Richard Demko, a Seymour resident formerly of Monroe, have scored a record deal with West Haven Indie label HMG Recordings. 

The duo call themselves "DEMKOVIC" and their debut album, "Breathe," is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2016. 

Vick and Demko started working together in 2007 when they played in the local funk/jam band Electric Mayhem. 

The two eventually left the group due to what Demko describes as "life," but he always knew he would eventually find himself working with Vick again. 

After a few years of musical hiatus, Demko started writing again and could think of no one other than Vick to bring his latest batch of songs to life.  

When asked to describe DEMKOVIC’S musical style Demko said it is "very deep, emotional, operatic rock with elements of heavy guitars, big drums, deep bass, and flowing, dynamic, layered vocals.”

Vick is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Demko again in such a different capacity than their first musical venture.  

“This project is a creative dream come true for me,” Vick said. “I’m a classically-trained vocalist, but don’t usually get the opportunity to utilize that training or my four-octave range. Rick’s writing and production push me to expand past what I think I can do vocally and the results are amazing and very satisfying.”

Information about their album release along with tour dates and other information can be found on social media @DEMKOVIC or on the web at www.demkovic.com.

This is a press release from Richard Demko.