TEAM awarded $92.7K for 2 Meals on Wheels delivery trucks

DERBY - TEAM, Inc.'s Meals on Wheels program recently received a boost when the organization was awarded $92,700 to purchase two new delivery trucks.

Read all about it here in a story by New Haven Register correspondent Jean Falbo-Sosnovich.

Recuperation journey: Civil War monument on Derby Green

I stopped this afternoon to take a photo of the restored monument on the Derby Green that honors Civil War soldiers from Derby and Huntington (now Shelton). I liked seeing the flag flying in the background.

BAD SONS Beer Co. releases new brew, supports Project Purple

BAD SONS Beer Co. is located at 251 Roosevelt Drive in Derby. 

Project Purple's mission is to find a cure for pancreatic cancer and improve the lives of patients through support, hope, and compassion.

Funds available to Valley homeowners to address lead hazards

The Naugatuck Valley Health District is offering grant funded money to help Valley homeowners and property owners remove lead-based paint hazards with a program called Naugatuck Valley Emends Lead Hazards (NauVEL). 

NVHD is committed to protecting children from lead poisoning and making homes in the Naugatuck Valley lead safe and healthy. 

This grant funded money will help to protect children before they are poisoned by lead hazards or injured by safety hazards in their homes.

In 1978 lead based paint was banned in the United States but lead exposure and poisoning is still a reoccurring problem for children. 

Lead poisoning is caused by swallowing or breathing in lead dust that is created by chipped and cracked lead paint or on high friction services such as doors and windows. The Centers for Disease Control states that no level of lead exposure is safe for children. Even low levels can be very dangerous for a child’s developing brain, causing reduced cognitive ability and attention span, impaired aptitude for learning and an increased risk for behavioral problems. 

Elevated blood lead levels can cause irreversible medical problems including hearing, speech, kidney, and brain damage. In adults, lead poisoning can cause high-blood pressure, nerve disorders, memory problems, muscle and joint pain, fertility and other problems that are lifelong.   

Carol W. Slajda, program manager for NauVEL, said “Lead poisoning is 100 percent preventable but, once a child has been poisoned, there is permanent damage and the cost of care is exponential.” 

With education and intervention to remove lead from the home, lifetime health and behavior issues can be avoided.

Lead hazard interventions are currently underway in multiple towns including, but not limited to, Naugatuck, Seymour, and Ansonia. One of the most impressive renovations to date is in Beacon Falls.  

A total of $33,000 in grant funds were provided for lead safe interventions with minimal cash output by the owner. 

This two-unit home built in 1920 was abated for asbestos, insulated replacement windows were installed, and new screen doors were added. Additionally, interior home improvements as well as repairs to the front and back porches with new safe home railings. 

The improvements to this home were all made possible by the grant funds provided to NauVEL by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

If you are interested in protecting your family, your renters and your investment please apply today, you may qualify for*:

• Generous financial assistance to remediate all hazards
• Free inspections 
• Plans for lead and home safety hazard removal 
• Relocation assistance during construction 
• Up to $15,000 per unit of free money to keep your family and tenants safe!!**
• Remediation may include but is not limited to interior repairs, energy-saving windows, doors and more!

Homes must be pre-1978 and in Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Naugatuck, Seymour, or Shelton. 

Remember if you are renovating a pre-1978 home you must use an EPA, RRP certified contractor. 

Please make your New Year’s Resolution to have a lead safe home, for more information on the NauVEL Program and/or to find out if you qualify, apply at www.nvhd.org/nauvel or call 203-881-3255.  

Additional information on making your home a Healthy Home is available at https://www.hud.gov/healthyhomes.

NauVEL is a partner of Connecticut Children’s Healthy Homes Program.

*Other eligibility requirements include but are not limited to- privately owned housing, occupant income less than 80 percent of area median income and for owner-occupant properties a child under six must reside or spend significant time in the unit.

**Some restrictions may apply 

This is a press release from the Naugatuck Valley Health District.

BHcare seeks sponsors, participants for Bowl-2-Benefit in Milford

31st annual fundraiser slated 

MILFORD - BHcare’s 31st Annual Bowl-2-Benefit (B2B) The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services will be held March 3 at Bowlero, 1717 Boston Post Road. 

All proceeds benefit UCDVS which provides services to over 6,000 victims of domestic violence and their children each year throughout Greater New Haven and the Lower Naugatuck Valley. 

UCDVS provides emergency safe shelter, 24-hour crisis services, counseling, court advocacy, support, and other crucial services.

BHcare’s B2B event is one of the largest fundraisers of its kind in the state, attracting more than 1,000 community members each year. 

Bowlers of all ages and skill levels are welcome to participate in teams of 4-5, in one of four bowling sessions scheduled for 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.  

Bowlers pay a minimal $10 registration fee and are asked to collect pledges to support their efforts.  

Each bowler will receive 90 minutes of bowling, event giveaway, shoe rental, soft drink, and a chance to win prizes. The event is ideal for clubs, schools, organizations, corporations, and families. 

B2B offers sponsorship opportunities for all budgets, with levels starting at just $100. Sponsors reap the benefit of exposure to the more than 1,000 participants as well as additional exposure online.

Last year, the event raised over $75,000. The goal for this year’s event is $100,000. 

The 31^st B2B is sponsored by the Bassett Family Fund, WPLR 99.1-FM, Star 99.9-FM and Bowlero. You can register today at https://secure.qgiv.com/event/b2b2019/.

For more information about domestic violence services, call -203-736-2601, x1381 or visit www.bhcare.org.  
If you or someone you know needs immediate assistance, please call our 24-hour domestic violence hotline 1-888-774-2900.

BHcare is a regional community provider of behavioral health, addiction prevention, and domestic violence services for the Lower Naugatuck Valley, Greater New Haven, and Shoreline communities. 

For more information, visit www.bhcare.org.

Teen Maker Space slated at Derby Public Library

DERBY - Derby Public Library invites all young adults ages 12 to 17 to Teen Maker Space, Build a Better World at 3 p.m. Jan. 31.

Available resources include 3D design programs, 3D printer, 3D doodle pens, Legos, and more! 

Light refreshments will be provided. 

For more information call 203-736-1482 or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org. The Library is at 313 Elizabeth St.


This is a press release from Tony DeLos, young adult librarian, Derby Public Library.

Talk at Shelton Historical Society to highlight Hull family, War of 1812

SHELTON - Carolyn Ivanoff will present Fame and Infamy for the Hulls of Derby and Shelton in 1812, at 2 p.m. Jan. 27 at the annual meeting of the Shelton Historical Society.
The meeting will be held at Huntington Congregational Church Fellowship Hall, 19 Church St. 
Ivanoff is a Shelton High School educator 
and independent historian committed to bringing history, social studies, and literacy programs beyond the classroom and into the community.   

The program will celebrate Shelton’s hometown hero, Commodore Isaac Hull, and his role in the War of 1812.  
Some historians have billed it the second war for American independence, but hindsight makes a declaration of war by a fledgling nation against the superpower of the day seem like insanity.  
Two men from the Hull Family of Derby and 

Shelton (then Huntington) fought for their nation that summer.  
Uncle William’s infamous defeat would bring him national scorn and nephew Isaac’s extraordinary and astonishing naval victory would bring him a national fame.  

Travel back to that summer of 1812 and the events of the nation’s most unpopular war and the heroic feats of Shelton’s greatest hero.

 

There will be a brief business meeting prior to the presentation. 
The event is free and open to the public; donations are welcome. Refreshments will be served.  

In case of inclement weather, refer to the Shelton History Center’s Facebook page. 

About the Society

The Shelton Historical Society owns Shelton History Center, a museum complex of six historic buildings located just north of the Huntington Green, and strives to provide 

programs of historical interest to the community.   
The Brownson House displays the 1913 lifestyle of a middle-class farm family while the Wilson Barn exhibits the 300 year history of Shelton.  There is a one-room school and a carriage barn containing horse-drawn vehicles as well.  Shelton Historical Society maintains its collections, which includes newspaper clippings, business ledgers, personal diaries and letters, scrapbooks, and material culture artifacts at Shelton History Center.  

  

For more information, call 203-925-1803.


This is a press release from the Shelton Historical Society.