Klarides-Ditria: Hearing to focus on act revising juvenile crime statutes

The notable rise in crime, especially juvenile crime, across Connecticut is a growing concern in all 169 cities and towns.  Locked cars are being ransacked and stolen from driveways and even from inside garages like one poor woman in Glastonbury who had her car stolen twice! Recently, some thieves have gotten so brazen that they’ve moved past property crimes and have begun carjacking innocent men and women at the gas pump. We know you’re fed up. We are too, and we hear you!  The House Republican Caucus understands your frustration with the failed policies that are putting criminals back on the streets within hours of an arrest. The cops say there’s nothing they can do until the laws are changed.  Here’s how we propose to do that. HB 5418- AN ACT REVISING JUVENILE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE STATUTES AND INSURANCE STATUTES CONCERNING THEFT OF A MOTOR VEHICLE - will, among other things: Require a judge to order DCF to conduct a family investigation when a juvenile is charged with: a felony, a Class A Misdemeanor, a charge resulting from loss of life or serious physical injury, a sexual assault, a serious juvenile offense, or an offense involving use of a firearm Require an automatic transfer to adult court for juveniles 13 years or older charged with committing a class A felony a class B felony resulting in death, a violent sexual assault or a violent crime involving use of a firearm Require juvenile matters be adjudicated in the district where the crime is alleged to have been committed Require the state Judicial Department to report about its many juvenile diversionary programs, including an overview of each particular program, its costs, as well as its success in reducing recidivism Register to Testify Monday’s PUBLIC HEARING is your chance to tell the legislature your story and let them know what you want to see changed! Registration will close on Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 3 p.m.  JUDICIARY COMMITTEE MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2022 The Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on Monday, March 14, 2022 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. The public hearing can be viewed via YouTubeLive. In addition, the public hearing may be recorded and broadcast live on CT-N.com. Individuals who wish to testify via Zoom must register using the On-line Testimony Registration Form. Registration will close on Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 3 p.m. Speaker order of approved registrants will be posted on the Judiciary Committee website on Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 6 p.m. under Public Hearing Testimony. If you do not have internet access, you may provide testimony via telephone.  To register to testify by phone, call the Phone Registrant Line at (860) 240-5255 to leave your contact information. Please email written testimony in Word or PDF format to JUDtestimony@cga.ct.gov. Testimony should clearly state testifier name and related Bills.  The Committee requests that testimony be limited to matters related to the items on the Agenda. Speakers will be limited to three minutes of testimony.  The Committee encourages witnesses to submit a written statement and to condense oral testimony to a summary of that statement.  All public hearing testimony, written and spoken, is public information. As such, it may be made available on the Judiciary Committee's website and indexed by internet search engines. Sincerely,

Duck race in Derby to benefit Spooner House

Rubber ducks ready to go into the Housatonic River at last year's race./ Contributed photo

SHELTON - Have a swimmingly good time watching your duck and help support Spooner House from now until June 23. 

The Housy River Duck Race takes place June 24 at 2 p.m. starting at the Derby/Shelton Bridge on the Housatonic River. 

The enter-to-win tickets are $5 per duck of which $2 will support Area Congregations Together Spooner House. You may purchase your duck tickets at Spooner House, 30 Todd Road weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Any tickets you purchase will have a corresponding number for your duck during the race. 

Last year 150 ducks were sold by Spooner House, which resulted in $300 being raised to help financially with the ACT hunger and homeless initiatives in the Valley.

Each duck ticket will give you an opportunity to win a prize for the first 65 ducks to cross the finish line. The grand prize is $1,000 cash; 2nd place is a 55" LED HDTV, 3rd place is $500; 4th place is an Apple iPad mini; and the 5th place winner receives $250. 

The prizes and contest are sponsored by the St. Mary-St. Michael School Development Committee in Derby. 

The school group has other organizations participating in the ticket selling as well, which means there will be more ducks.

 “It is great to be able to support St. Mary-St. Michael School through this partnership as they have been a wonderful supporter of Spooner House throughout the years,” said Susan Agamy, Executive Director at Spooner House.

A list of all prizes and winners will be posted on the St. Mary-St. Michael School website at:

https://stmarystmichaelct.eduk12.net/. Search for upcoming events.

Area Congregations Together, Inc. is a non-profit 501c3 organization formed in 1979 to help fill gaps in the Lower Naugatuck Valley's social service network. 
Today, Spooner House is operated by ACT. It is a facility that provides food, shelter and support services to approximately 175 men, women and children each year. Area Congregations Together, Inc. is a partner agency of the Valley United Way.


This is a press release from ACT.

Registration open for Walk for the Hungry and Homeless at Derby Greenway

Calling all walkers, runners, and joggers! You can choose to form your own team, join a team, or register as an individual to take part in the 20th annual Walk for the Hungry and Homeless on the Derby Greenway. Registration is $20. Once registered, participants can set up their own fundraising pages. The first 200 people to register will receive an event T-shirt and goodie bag. All participants will be entered into a drawing to win prizes. The registration page is now open! Register now  and click "Set Up Your Fundraiser" to join a team or form your own. Prizes will be awarded for: - Team with most participants - Team that raises the most money - Individual that raises the most money By joining the Walk you are supporting your neighbors in  need in the Valley receive food, shelter, and support  services with the goal of establishing a self-sufficient  living situation. Spooner House, 30 Todd Road, Shelton, is operated by  Area Congregations Together, Inc. with the mission of providing food, shelter, and support services to people in need. This is a press release from Spooner House.

Valley Food Bank in Shelton needs help fighting hunger in August

The shelves are almost empty in the food bank at Spooner House in Shelton. /Submitted photo

SHELTON - The Valley Food Bank  operated by Spooner House, 30 Todd Road, typically gets very low on non-perishable supplies during August.

"This is primarily because children who rely on free or reduced breakfast and lunch in school are no longer receiving these important meals," said Susan Agamy, Executive Director of Spooner House. 

“There is a greater need for food banks during the summer by parents who need to find a way to provide these additional meals. It’s also due to the fact that many regular donors are on vacation," she said. 
"To help us through this difficult period, we have developed a list of 10 ways any individual, family, or group in the Lower Naugatuck Valley can help us fight hunger this summer."

The list of ways anyone can help includes these suggestions:

1.     Run a neighborhood food drive

2.     Organize a food drive at a local grocery store. This is a particularly cool idea on hot days

3.     Hold a lemonade stand to benefit Spooner House

4.     Shop on Amazon.com. Go to Amazon Smile! then search for Area Congregations Together"

5.     Grow a garden and then donate your extra vegetables

6.     Take part in the Plumb Memorial Library summer reading program

7.     Collect non-perishables at your summer camp

8.     Run a restock the household supplies drive for the Spooner House

9.     Prepare an evening meal for the Spooner House residents. This can be done by a small group

10.  Make a tax-deductible monetary donation.

More detailed information can be found on the Spooner House website, www.actspooner.org. 

Deliveries of non-perishable food items are always accepted at Spooner House at 30 Todd Road Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. If these times are not convenient, anyone may set up a special time for food delivery by calling 203-225-0453 and listen for the prompt for the supervisor on duty. 

The supervisor on duty will be able to assist setting up a time for delivery. 

Checks should be made payable and mailed to: Spooner House, and mailed to 30 Todd Road, Shelton, 06484. Secure donations may also be made via PayPal by clicking on the Donate button at the bottom of the ACT Spooner House home page. 

Spooner House is devoted to helping people establish self-sufficiency in an atmosphere of respect and dignity. 
Area Congregations Together, Inc. is a partner agency of the Valley United Way.

This is a press release from Spooner House. 

Spooner House in Shelton seeks summer volunteer help

For many kids, being home for the summer means no access to free and reduced breakfast and lunch at school. 

A family with two children has to come up with more than 200 more meals during the summer vacation, which can be an extremely difficult situation for low-income families (CT Food Bank facts). 

In turn, the need for food banks such as The Valley Food Bank at Spooner House increases. The nonprofit Spooner House is located at 30 Todd Road, Shelton.

Hunger is a year-round issue and donations tend to decrease over the summer months when need is the most.

Get involved and help fight hunger in the Lower Naugatuck Valley this summer.

Here are ways you can help:

1. Run a neighborhood food drive.

2. Organize a drive at a local grocery store.

3. Collect at your summer camp.

4. Hold a lemonade stand for Spooner House.

5. Growing a garden? Donate your extra veggies.

6. Take part in the Plumb Memorial Library summer reading program.

7. Making a purchase on Amazon? Use Amazon Smile! 

8. Run a supplies drive.
    In addition to food, the shelter at Spooner House always welcomes donations of the following items:

*Paper Towels
*Toilet Paper
*Napkins
*Tissues
*Large Trash Bags (42 gallon)
*Tall Kitchen Trash Bags
*Gallon Zip Close Bags
*Sandwich Bags
*Kitchen Gloves
*Latex Gloves
*C-Fold Towels
*Disinfectant Wipes
*Multipurpose Cleaner
*Bleach
*Toilet Bowl Cleaner
*Hand Sanitizer
*Hand Soap

9. Prepare an evening meal for Spooner House residents. 
   Contact Kate at kpipa@actspooner.org or 203-225-0453 x 102 to find out available dates.

10. Make a tax-deductible monetary donation. 
  

This is a slightly edited version of a press release from Spooner House in Shelton.

Sikorsky holds food drives for Spooner House in Shelton

The presentation check is being held by Susan Agamy, Executive Director, Spooner House, and Daniel C. Schultz, President of Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company./Submitted photo



SHELTON - Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company with headquarters in Stratford and other southern Connecticut satellite locations conducted food drives to benefit Spooner House from April 29 through May 31.

The goal of the M.E.N.U. Project (Mission: Engage, Nourish, Unite) was to provide non-perishable food items and raise funds to aid local veterans and families using the Valley Food Bank and homeless shelter at Spooner House, 30 Todd Road.

Sikorsky joined Lockheed Martin business units across 14 states and two countries in the M.E.N.U. initiative. Each drive outside of Connecticut benefits a local food bank organization.

"It has been an extreme pleasure to work with the nice people at Spooner House and shelter and to help continue the positive impact they are making in the local community," said Chris Quilici, one of the primary coordinators of the M.E.N.U. initiative at Sikorsky. 

“This experience made us aware of how difficult it has become for many of our nation's veterans to acquire food. We are extremely grateful and thankful for Spooner House, which provides the means to make food accessible. The motto during the drives within Sikorsky, where helicopters supporting the military are made, was, 'if we can save them in combat, we can feed them at home,' and the Spooner staff helped us deliver on that promise."

The Sikorsky M.E.N.U. food drive collected 1,346 food items. 
Online donations from employees and their families totaled $10,368, while other internal fundraisers brought in $5,941, making the grand total of financial donations $16,309.

Spooner House Executive Director Susan Agamy said, “We are extremely grateful for the time, energy, and support of the Sikorsky community, which went above and beyond to serve the local community. A sincere thank you goes out to everyone who participated in the Sikorsky M.E.N.U. food drive in support of veterans, neighbors and families in need.”

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 125,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

About ACT

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. Area Congregations Together, Inc. is a partner agency of the Valley United Way.

This is a press release from Area Congregations Together, Inc. 

19th annual walk on Derby Greenway to benefit Spooner House

Participants pose at last year's walk on the Derby Greenway./Submitted photo

DERBY - Spooner House invites willing walkers and runners to the Derby Greenway May 21 starting at 9 a.m. (rain or shine) to take part in the 19th annual Walk for the Hungry and Homeless. 

Registration is at the fountain beginning at 8:30 a.m. with a 9 a.m. kickoff. 

Participants are asked to make donations in any amount that fits their budget, ask others to sponsor them for additional funds, and seek matching donations from employers. However, a minimum donation of $20 will be required for each participant to receive the commemorative walk T-shirt. 

All proceeds benefit Spooner House Homeless Shelter and Food Bank in Shelton.

On May 20 from 4 to 7 p.m., walkers will have the opportunity to pick up their walk T-shirt and drop off their pledge form in advance during a Community Open House at Spooner House, 30 Todd Road, Shelton. Participants can also register online to form and join teams. 

The first 250 participants to register will receive a goodie bag and every participant will receive an entry into a drawing to win gift cards and prizes.

For walk registration and sponsorship forms or more information please call 203-225-0453 ext.102 or

e-mail Kate Pipa at kpipa@actspooner.org. 

The Spooner House website actspooner.org has a link to the walk registration page and all forms as well.

The entire walk route is 3.4 miles along the Naugatuck River, but participants may travel any distance they choose and water will be provided at the halfway point along the 1.7 mile Greenway. 

The Derby Greenway provides a safe, vehicle-free, boardwalk style route with great scenery along the Naugatuck River. 

Strollers are welcome, and participants may begin the route whenever they arrive. Please use the Division Street entrance and meet at the Derby Greenway fountain. Parking is available at BJ's.  

The fourth annual Derby EcoFest will be taking place the day of the walk on the other end of the Greenway on Caroline Street.

This year generous sponsors have 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. and New Haven Terminal. 

Silver Sponsors are: Gary's East Coast Service, Calvert Safe + Lock, Pepe Reality, Tuttle Insurance Group, Apple Health Care, BIC Corp., and PerkinElmer. 

This year's 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.

Contributing sponsors are: Royal Bakery, Derby Adams Super Food Store, Legend’s Pizzeria, Focaccia's Café & Catering, Berry Chill, Outback Steakhouse, Aroma JS, Captain’s Pizza, Orange Theory Fitness, Seymour Stop and Shop, and Young Nails.

Pre-registration is not required, but encouraged so participants won't have to get up as early on Saturday morning and to guarantee a walk t-shirt.

This is a press release from Spooner House.

Spooner House food drives in Valley deemed successful

SHELTON - The 14th annual Valley Has a Heart Spooner House food collection drive April 9 and the Dust Off Cruise April 10 supported by Heav'nly Donuts in Derby, "were both very successful and help us reach well over our goal," Executive Director Susan Agamy said Tuesday.

"We sincerely appreciate all the Valley residents who contributed. Our shelves are now much better stocked because of this generosity."

The results of the April 9 drives from the two Stop & Shop stores and Adams Hometown Markets were:   

                                Food Items                   Cash                     

Ansonia Stop and Shop    2,041                 $438.65


Shelton Stop and Shop    1,479                 $1,076.51


Derby Adams                  262                    $489.98


Shelton Adams               360                     $197.38


                                    4,142



Valley Has a Heart sponsorships were $1,050


Making the Saturday total $3,252.52.


The Heav'nly Donuts Dust Off Cruise collected 4,161 non-perishable food items and $130 in cash, clearly overshooting the 3,000 pantry items goal.

Grand totals from the weekend food drives was 8,303 food items and $3,382.52 cash.

"I am delighted with the 4,161 food items we collected a week ago on April 10 during the car cruise," said Ernie Badas, owner of the Heav'nly Donuts in Derby. "Our goal was set to represent our 30th anniversary hosting this cruise. The staff, classic car owners and fans came out in full force to help fill the need and see some spectacular cars."

Agamy said these critical food drives owe their success to the sponsors and our enthusiastic volunteers.

ACT operates Spooner House
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.

Area Congregations Together, Inc. is a partner agency of the Valley United Way.


This is a press release from Spooner House.