Recuperation journey: Old movies galore

When one doesn't have a lot to do but rest and take care of oneself, one just might find classic movies on TV.

And that's what has happened to me over the past six weeks since having my transplant surgery.

I've especially liked tuning in to the black and white movies of the '30s and '40s. Such a different time and place!

From Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire to Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, and so many more too numerous to mention, I've enjoyed their work.

I'm currently watching Fred Astaire tap dance in the musical Swing Time, from 1936. The songs in this movie remind me of my mom!

Ansonia students awarded prizes at commencement ceremony

ANSONIA – The following graduation prizes were announced during commencement exercises June 12 for Ansonia High School Class of 2017:

CLASS OF 1940 AWARD: Amy DeStefano

THE MICHAEL J. ADANTI MEMORIAL COMMUNITY FUND: Melissa Healy

THE CARL R. AJELLO PRIZE: Jordan Harrell

RONALD J. ALDO MEMORIAL AWARD : Patrick Palmer

AMERICAN LEGION POST #50 GRADUATION PRIZE : Samuel Baez 

THE JOSEPH “JAY” AMICO ARTISTIC MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND: Shamir Hughes & Rupert Bennett

THE ANSONIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, LOCAL 1012: Cole Scott

ANSONIA HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY AND STAFF PRIZE: Joshua Luna

ANSONIA HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY AND STAFF CHARGER FOREVER AWARD: Thomas Dale

ANSONIA HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL’S AWARD: Ryan Nicoletti

ANSONIA HIGH SCHOOL PARENT-TEACHER-STUDENT ORGANIZATION AWARD:   

Allie Ricci, Emma Rosa, Rebecca Cafaro, Jessica Palmer, Carly Toth & Leila Saleh

ANSONIA ROD & GUN CLUB: Taryn O’Neill and Joseph Fasciano

ANSONIA ROTARY CLUB SCHOLARSHIP: Ryan Nicoletti

ASSUMPTION HOME-SCHOOL ASSOCIATION: Kerry DeFelice  &  Christopher Rowley

THE JOHN F. BLAKE, JR. MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP : Brandon Figueroa            

THE ROBERT BLOUIN/A.F.T. SPANISH PRIZE: Anna DeSimone

THE RACHAEL AND WILLIAM BROGADIR PRIZE: Julisse Tinoco  &  Jared Cavanaugh

THE NICK COLLICELLI HUMAN RELATIONS CLUB AWARD: Michael Shortell

JOHN COUGHLIN MEMORIAL PRIZE: Bryson Cafaro

THE ALFRED R. COX, AHS GRIDIRON MEMORIAL PRIZE: James Butler

JOHN SMOLEN DANIELSKY BUSINESS AWARD: John Bucci

THE JULIUS I. DOUGLAS ARTIST MEMORIAL AWARD: Amanda Prescott & Jadon Richardson

THE FRANK ERLINGHEUSER MEMORIAL AWARD: Emma Rosa

THE WILLIAMS EVANS SR. MEMORIAL AWARD: Asura Randolph

THE SALVATORE FERLA MEMORIAL AWARD: Asura Randolph

THE RUTH H. FEINBERG CONNORS PRINCIPAL'S  AWARD: Amanda Prescott

THE ANNA MAY FINNUCAN AWARD: Christopher Rowley 

THE ANN MARIE GLENN MEMORIAL AWARD: Emma Rosa

THE NANCY CROWLEY GOLINO MEMORIAL PRIZE: Senia Chrzanowski

THE PETER S. GOUMAS PRESIDENTIAL AWARD: Ryan Nicoletti

ARTHUR GRAY, AHS GRIDIRON CLUB AWARD: Joseph DeCiucis

THE COACH JOHN HUNT MEMORIAL PRIZE: Malcolm Martin

THE CHARLES J. "BOOTS" JARVIS PRIZE: Bryson Cafaro

THE DENNIS KELLER MEMORIAL AWARD: Jordan Jones

THE JOHN J. KEVALIS MEMORIAL PRIZE: Joseph Forleo

A.C. KING  MEMORIAL AWARD: Joseph Fasciano

WINIFRED BENNETT KERINS MEMORIAL PRIZE: Berlove Lelain and Alyiah Landino

THE RUSSELL & JOANNE KILEY KULAWIZ FUND: Katelyn Williams

THE CLASS OF ’52 ROBERT A. KYASKY & JOHN W. SHORTELL PRIZE: Patrick Palmer

CLASS OF 1990 – SHANNON RENKER LELACHEUR MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Kaitlyn Sengphilom

THE PATRICK MACNAMARA MEMORIAL PRIZE: Bryson Cafaro and Christopher Rowley

IRENE MCALLISTER MEMORIAL PRIZE: Jadon Richardson

NYAH MARCANO and LEAH RONDON MEMORIAL AWARD: Allie Ricci

MISS ANSONIA SOFTBALL LEAGUE AWARD: Jazzania Harding

NORWOOD ATHLETIC CLUB SCHOLARSHIP: Bryson Cafaro, Christopher Rowley and   Michael Shortell

ANN O’NEIL AWARD: Jamie Karas

THE PATRICIA ANN PANITZ MEMORIAL AWARD: Ashley Williams

THE GORDON C. PARKER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Bryson Cafaro

THE ANTHONY PICCOLO - BOY WHO GAVE IT ALL - MEMORIAL AWARD: Christopher Rowley 

THE ANTHONY PICCOLO - GIRL WHO CAME TO PLAY - MEMORIAL AWARD: Kaitlyn Wargo

THE ANTHONY PICCOLO – INSPIRATION - MEMORIAL AWARD: Jared Cavagnaugh

THE JOSEPH E. POTTER MEMORIAL AWARD: Leila Saleh and Michael Shortell

THE JOHN QUAKE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP:  Jessica Vives

THE DUSTY RHODES MEMORIAL AWARD:  Thomas Dale

THE CHARLEEN RICCIO MEMORIAL PRIZE: Julisse Tinoco

THE V. GERARD RYAN SCHOLARSHIP: Chy’enne Verrett

THE JOHN A. SABULIS, PINE CLASS OF 1944, MEMORIAL AWARD: Jeanette Byron

THE DOROTHY SHORTELL MEMORIAL AWARD: Kaitlyn Sengphilom

MATTHEW “POP SHORTELL”, AHS GRIDIRON CLUB ATHLETIC AWARD: Chazz Sanders 

THE LUBA SOLDRA MEMORIAL GRADUATION PRIZE: Carly Toth

THE MARY HAUSSLER SOUKUP MEMORIAL ART AWARD: Julisse Tinoco

THE CAROL SOVINSKI MEMORIAL AWARD: Deijah Callands

JULIAN A. TAYLOR MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Berlove Lelain

MINNIE TOLLES SCHOLARSHIP: Amy DeStefano

THE GEORGE VARTELAS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Malcolm Martin

THE PETER VARTELAS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Anna DeSimone

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP: Cristian Ruiz

THE YUDKIN FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP: Isabella Sandoval, Michael Shortell, Aryanna Torres, Rebeca Cafaro, Urszula Kirejczyk, Phillip Le, Jamie Karas, Taryn O’Neill, Joseph Forleo, and Brianna Walsh

THE ROBERT E. ZURAW SCHOLARSHIP AWARD: Joseph Forleo

THE STEPHEN F. ZURAW MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Jordan Jones

This is a press release from Ansonia Public Schools. 

173 receive diplomas from Ansonia High School

ANSONIA - Diplomas were awarded to 173 members of the Class of 2017 from Ansonia High School during commencement exercises June 12 at Jarvis Field. 

The graduates are as follows (one asterisk indicates students who ranked in the top 20% of the class; two asterisks after the name indicates those receiving a Diploma of Distinction): 

Julia Adamowski; Anthony J. Allison, Kyianna Loretta Alston, Yarimar Elizabeth Amill, Christian J. Armistead, Ariel Avila, Javier Avila, Samuel Izzy Baez, Unique Moné Barge, Casey A. Barker, Sarah Rose Barker, Benjamin Barton, Rupert Anthony Bennett II, Dylan Thomas O'Neil Brown*, John A. Bucci, James Edward Butler, Jeanette E. Byron, Bryson Matthew Cafaro*, Rebecca Y. Cafaro*, Jonathan Cain, Deanna L. Cairns, Deijah R. Callands, Deserei D. Castro, Jared M. Cavanaugh, Senia Chrzanowski, Cristyan Clase, Jacob Cole, Krista M. Cole, Amber Cooks, Tyler N. Coward, Gustavo Cuevas.

Thomas C. Dale Jr., Kayleigh N. Davis, Joseph V. DeCiucis, Kerry Elizabeth DeFelice*, Nicholas David DeFrank, John E. Derry Jr., Anna DeSimone*, Amy Elizabeth DeStefano*, Alicia DiMauro, Austin Edward Dirgo, Kyle Drew Dorflinger, Gloria M. Duarte, Austin Dushesneau, Jason W. Edwards*, Kassady Morgan Evans, Noah David Falkowski*, Joseph Arthur Fasciano*, Brandon Eric Feliciano, Kristina Mari Fiallos, Brandon Figueroa*, Jeremy Robert Fontan, Joseph Forleo* Elizabeth A. Gela, Jordan Anthony Ginex, Rodney J. Gist, Destinee' A. Godfrey, Laniya Alexis Gonzalez, Emilija  Griceviciute.

Jazzania Vivian Harding, Jordan Harrell, Melissa Healey, Brendan T. Healy, Britnie Nicole Hernandez, Devina I. Hernandez, Aimee Marie Hoisington, Da'Shon Howard, Shamir N. Hughes*, Brianna Lillianna Hurd*, Israel I. Irizarry, Alexander Jatsiv*, Kevin L. JeanPaul, Davon Daniel Jett, Deonte Jett, Jordan Thomas Jones, Laurel Marie Joseph, Jamie Karas*, Urszula Kirejczyk, Gabriella Maria Kurus, Aliyah L. Landino, Nathaniel Langston, Philip Vu Le, Berlove Lelain*, Brianna Librandi, Madison Bailey Lionetti, Morgan Lisi, Michael Lobos, Javier Lomba, Joselyn Estrella Lopez, Josealberto Lorduy, Merlyn Yissell Lucas, Nicholas A. Luciano, Joshua James Luna. 

Mariela Marina Malave, Valarie Isabel Maldonado, Nicholas P. Manchisi, Nina Marie Marino, Malcolm M. Martin, Kaitlynn Ann Mascia, Austin Masek, Joseph Massa, Shanice A. McKain, Crystal Mott, Ryan Anthony Nicoletti*, Taryn Aileen O'Neill*, Brianna Onidi, Ariana R. Padilla, Jessica Anne Palmer, Patrick Donald Palmer*, Darnell Parks, Javier Pena Ramos, Lisa Pfander, Jonell R. Pisanelli, Shonell Pisanelli, Matteo A. Piscatelli, Amanda Jessica Prescott, Asura Randolph, Tyler N. Ranger, Jhourice J. Rascoe, Kyla Janae Rascoe, Allie Madison Ricci, Jadon Rory Richardson, Jason Rodriguez, Yazmine Rodriguez, Emma Jane Rosa*, Christopher William Rowley*, Cristian E. Ruiz, Justin Rzepko. 

Leila R. Saleh*, Chazz Sanders, Isabella Sandoval, Kaitlyn Annalea Sarandrea, Jonathan Sarti, Marwa Sarwari, Timothy C. Schmidheni, Cole Scott, Kaitlyn Sengphilom*, Michael Shortell**, Isaiah Silberberg, Nisa Lorena Silva, Janazia L. Smith, Cody J. Smolinsky, Hennessy Monique Soberany, Dylan Sperry, Huseyin Tetik, Troy David Thompson, Eric Tinney, Julisse Marie Tinoco*, Aryanna Yveliz Torres, Carly A. Toth*, Kushtrim Trdevaj, Kaltrina Trepca, Bervan Uludag, Pelin Uludag.

Jordan Valdiviezo, Amanda Grace Vasas, Kiyanah Vaughn, Isaac Velasco, Nicholas Verderosa, Chy'enne Ali'Ya Verrett**, Savanna Viteri, Jessica Lynn Vives**, Breanna Lynn Walsh, Kaitlyn E. Wargo, Christopher F. Waugh, Gabriel Weir, Uriel Weir, Janaira Whitehurst, Ashley Helen Williams, Justin L. Williams, Katelyn Ellen Williams**, Jaylen Wilson, Djimon William Zimmerman.

This is a press release from Ansonia Public Schools.

Derby Public Works employees win plaudits

Sharing from the Derby Mayor's Office Facebook page: 

"We would like to thank our Public Works Department for all the hard work they've put into making Derby a cleaner and safer place to live. Here are a few photos of some of the work they've done throughout our city."

Looks nice!

Valley Arts Council to present movie tonight at E Street Gallery in Derby

Save the date: Bike Night at Valley Diner in Derby to benefit local child