Dear readers,
Today's Valley Voice newsletter features demolition of the 113-year old Peck School in Ansonia and scholar athletes announced in Shelton.
Thanks for reading,
Patti and Ralph
Friday, March 2, 2018
Newsletter: Demolition of Peck School in Ansonia, Shelton scholar athletes
Dear readers,
Today's Valley Voice newsletter features demolition of the 113-year old Peck School in Ansonia and scholar athletes announced in Shelton.
Thanks for reading,
Patti and Ralph
Valley Chamber to host SchmoozaPalooza 2018 at its Shelton offices
Sharing from a Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce Facebook event:
SHELTON - The Valley Business Tabletop Expo will be held from 2:30-6 p.m. April 18 at 10 Progress Drive, 2nd Floor.
Bring your friends, co-workers, and clients to preview the latest products and services from exhibitors in a fun and casual networking environment.
The evening will include music from STAR 99.9 FM & WPLR 99.1 New Haven, networking, food tastings, and more!
From promoting your company, making new contacts, and generating sales leads to winding down after work with a drink and tasty treats from some of the Valley's best restaurants and caterers, the SchmoozaPalooza experience is all about business in action and making connections.
Free to attend and walk-ins are welcome!
Fee to exhibit. Vendors must sign-up in advance. Contact Laura at the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce office for details and application.
From promoting your company, making new contacts, and generating sales leads to winding down after work with a drink and tasty treats from some of the Valley's best restaurants and caterers, the SchmoozaPalooza experience is all about business in action and making connections.
Free to attend and walk-ins are welcome!
Fee to exhibit. Vendors must sign-up in advance. Contact Laura at the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce office for details and application.
New in 2018
A Taste of Tech – Brief seminars will be held throughout the afternoon by the Chamber Tech Council.
Head Shots! a special WIN Entrepreneurial Grant fundraiser : Get a professional Linkedin profile Picture ($25) limited seatings, advance reservations suggested. Plus: An opportunity to have your makeup done for your photo (additional $25) - reservation required.
A Taste of Tech – Brief seminars will be held throughout the afternoon by the Chamber Tech Council.
Head Shots! a special WIN Entrepreneurial Grant fundraiser : Get a professional Linkedin profile Picture ($25) limited seatings, advance reservations suggested. Plus: An opportunity to have your makeup done for your photo (additional $25) - reservation required.
Griffin Hospital in Derby to host teen safe driving awareness night
Griffin Hospital to hold 8th Annual Prom Safety Awareness Night./ Contributed photo
DERBY - Juniors and seniors of Lower Naugatuck Valley high schools and their parents are invited to the 8th Annual Teen Safe Driving Awareness Night from 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 3 at Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St.
“Underage drinking and distracted driving are main reasons for teenage driver car accidents, and the most powerful tool against these risk factors is parents,” said Cathi Kellett of Griffin Hospital’s Community Outreach & Valley Parish Nurse Program.
This free program features a talk by Joe Laucella, EMS-I, from Shelton Echo Hose Ambulance, about parenting teens through the dangers and distractions of driving.
This event aims to engage teens and their parents in an open conversation to encourage safe behaviors and decrease questionable decisions in regard to driving, texting, drugs, and alcohol.
Griffin Hospital will provide a free dinner for all attendees. Participating students will receive free gift cards for Dunkin' Donuts and be entered into a grand prize drawing for prom ticket bids.
This event is free, but seating is limited. Reservations are due by March 28 to Dee at 203-924-7614 or d.kopec@cityofshelton.org.
Please provide your name, phone number, town and number of guests.
The event is sponsored by Shelton Youth Service Bureau, Ansonia Youth Service Bureau, Valley Parish Nurse Program, Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley and Griffin Hospital.
This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.
Nolan Field in Ansonia site of Shelton High graduation ceremony this year
Regarding SHS 2018 Graduation:
We know this is a big change. We understand there is some disappointment, but we are committed to having a well-run, memorable high school graduation ceremony for our hardworking students.
However, due to extensive renovations at Finn Stadium, scheduled to begin in May, our graduation ceremony will be held at Nolan Field in Ansonia.
The date will be announced, as always, at the April BOE meeting.
However, due to extensive renovations at Finn Stadium, scheduled to begin in May, our graduation ceremony will be held at Nolan Field in Ansonia.
The date will be announced, as always, at the April BOE meeting.
Nothing is ideal about the situation, but this is a better option than doing it indoors.
The plan is to have the refurbished field ready for September.
We ask for your understanding and flexibility. Together we can make this a positive ceremony for the students. That is our goal!
We ask for your understanding and flexibility. Together we can make this a positive ceremony for the students. That is our goal!
Chris Clouet, Superintendent of Schools
Apple Rehab Shelton Lakes to host egg hunt for community
SHELTON - Apple Rehab Shelton Lakes, 5 Lake Road, will host an Easter Egg Hunt from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. March 31.
The free event will include separate areas for big kids and little kids, photos with the bunny, crafts, face painting, and refreshments.
Please RSVP for number of children and their ages to reception, 203-924-2635.
*Information shared from a Facebook event page.
Storm issues force closing of Day Street in Seymour
"Day Street will be closed for multiple hours.
Please avoid the area and use alternate routes."
Note: This was posted by police at 11:02 a.m. Friday.
Design workshop at Derby City Hall to focus on city's transit hub
DERBY - The city's business community, residents, and interested stakeholders will have an opportunity to provide input to a major transportation planning study conducted by the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments.
A design workshop, known as a charrette, will be held March 15 in Derby City Hall.
The event will be held from 6-8 p.m. and focus on the transit hub in and around the Derby-Shelton rail station.
The study is designed to ensure certain future transportation projects best meet the needs of businesses, the local workforce, and all residents. It is assessing alternative transit modes within the Route 8 / Waterbury branch rail line corridors and developing transit-supportive land use plans.
The study team incorporated information and data on the existing conditions within the corridor into an initial round of charrette presentations in November and December 2017. The follow up charrettes will give stakeholders, local officials and residents the opportunity to provide feedback on preliminary study recommendations.
The team will be presenting preliminary “model” concepts based on the input from the first round of charrettes.
Public input provided at these events will be integrated into study recommendations that will be provided to the state Department of Transportation, with a goal of incorporating improvements in the corridor into the department’s capital plan. They will also be provided to area municipalities and the region’s state legislative delegation. Working toward developing a strategy and plan for implementing preferred options, the study is scheduled to be completed in late 2018.
Interested persons can also contact the study team through the “Contact Us” page which lists several ways the public can contact the Team to offer comment or ask questions.
An email address has also been established to contact the team: rt8corridorstudy@nvcog.org
Also, Derby residents who cannot attend any of the presentations are encouraged to provide study input via a brief online visual preference survey, which can be found here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/
This is a press release from Derby City Hall.
Cosmetology/barber training school to open in Ansonia
ANSONIA - Mayor David S. Cassetti announced today in a written release that Ace Cosmetology/Barber Training Center will open its third location at 370 East Main St.
The business is owned and operated by Gary Olmstead, who owns two other locations in Waterbury and Hartford.
The new site will be Connecticut’s largest cosmetology and barber training center in the industry.
Olmstead will lease with an option to buy and hopes to be open for business in April.
Olmstead will lease with an option to buy and hopes to be open for business in April.
The Ansonia location is the former site of several restaurants and nightclubs, but has been largely vacant for the last two years.
The school will have six new employees and is targeting 150 students for enrollment. The school will also provide services at a 50 percent reduction to the public and all walk-ins will be welcome.
The school will have six new employees and is targeting 150 students for enrollment. The school will also provide services at a 50 percent reduction to the public and all walk-ins will be welcome.
“There is already a steady flow of traffic through East Main Street and in our downtown area and with new residential apartments coming on line and an improved parking plan in the works, this will be an ideal location for the school," Cassetti said.
It will be one of several new successful businesses that have opened up on East Main Street in the past two years, including Banko’s House of Music and Rosa Mina Restaurant. They will join the well-established businesses of Fitzpatrick’s Auto Dealership which just recently underwent a $1 million renovation, and Yale Podiatry which has recently renovated the exterior of the building.
Corporation Counsel John P. Marini said,
“This new business will play a prominent role in recharging our downtown. It will attract students wanting to learn a trade and residents and visitors looking to give new hairstylists and barbers a chance.
"We are seeing concurrent development on both our Main and East Main Street corridors. It can only add to the enthusiasm and energy already present in our downtown,” Marini said.
Economic Development Director Sheila O'Malley said, “We have worked with the owner, Jim Polari, in the past to help find a suitable tenant, but it has always been challenging because it requires a retail/restaurant tenant that can completely make use of 10,000 square feet. This seems to be a perfect fit.”
Olmstead said, “We are very excited about this opportunity in Ansonia and look forward to a long and positive partnership with Mayor Cassetti and the residents of Ansonia and the Lower Naugatuck Valley.”
This is a press release from Mayor Cassetti's office.
Ansonia cancels after-school activities today
Information from the Ansonia Public Schools' Facebook page:
"Due to the inclement weather today, March 2, 2018, Ansonia Public Schools is cancelling all after school activities.
"Please be advised to always check for any updates or changes."
Recuperation journey: Feathered friends
[Photo from last August]
I believe I've trained the blue jays to come to our yard for the shells!
I just saw one fly off with a piece of shell. He's sitting in the forsythia now.
Hope he's enjoying his breakfast.