Shelton teen competes in NYC

State Youth of the Year wished all the best!

Shelton resident Brooke Grand

SHELTON - Brooke Grand, the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley’s 2015 Youth of the Year, is participating in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Northeast Regional Youth of the Year Competition in New York. 

In early May Brooke earned the title of Connecticut State Youth of the Year, after competing against 15 other Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the state. 
This is the first time one of our Boys & Girls Club of the LNV youth have taken the coveted state title. Youth of the Year is the highest award a club can give to its members. 

Finalists from Clubs across the Northeast will gather at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City to share their stories of motivation, determination, and leadership development in their communities. 
If successful, Brooke will move on to Nationals in Washington, D.C., in September.

Growing up Brooke was constantly faced with troubling obstacles as her peers made destructive life choices. She was faced with the decision to be a follower or stand up for what she believed in. Family life wasn’t much better. 
She was forced to grow up much quicker than her peers, providing for herself and caring for her own needs. The Boys & Girls Club helped her steer clear of these negative influences and get on the right path.

Brooke has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley’s Raymond P. Lavietes unit for 12 years. It became her home-away-from home and her sanctuary, offering her endless opportunities to keep her mind off home life and focused on where her future was headed. 
She is a hard-working, highly motivated young woman, with a willingness to help others and a positive attitude despite the obstacles she has faced. Brooke has earned honors in school and was the top athlete in every sport she participated in. 

In addition to serving as Keystone Club officer, she has also run our Happy Hoopers health program, and works as a staff member. 

She sets off this fall to attend Southern Connecticut State University, where she will major in business. 
Brooke’s charismatic and compassionate nature has given her the opportunity to win up to $100,000 in renewable four year scholarships if she moves on to Youth of the Year Nationals.

For more information about the Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley visit www.BGC-LNV.org.


This is a press release from the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley.

Mistakes can be funny; best thing to do is 'fess up

Woops.

Even former copy editors need a proofreader now and then. 

I know one should not take oneself too seriously, but I'm embarrassed.

I made a mistake last night writing a title for a post about an upcoming presentation at the Derby Public Library.

I wrote: 

Normal Rockwell's life topic of talk at Derby Library

I read it over, as I always do, but still didn't catch my error.

It took a former colleague from the former Evening Sentinel to point it out to me this afternoon. I immediately fixed the mistake, and thanked her profusely!

So in the spirit of "transparency," a word that is bandied about a bit too much these days, I thought I would 'fess up.

And while I'm at it I'll blame everything on the August heat and humidity. 

Seymour student congratulated on logo design

Seymour Pink to use teen's artwork on T-shirts

SEYMOUR - Congratulations go out today to Miranda Zigmunt, 18, whose creative logo won Seymour Pink's annual T-shirt design contest. 
She was among 30 contestants vying for the coveted honor. 
Zigmunt is a 2015 graduate of Seymour High School.

The nonprofit Seymour Pink is a community's fight against breast cancer.

Read all the details here in a story by New Haven Register Correspondent Jean Falbo-Sosnovich.

Griffin Hospital in Derby designated lung cancer screening center

DERBY - A national accreditor of radiology services recently recognized Griffin Hospital as a leader in providing safe, effective diagnostic care for individuals at the highest risk for lung cancer.

The American College of Radiology designated Griffin Hospital as a Lung Cancer Screening Center, an elite distinction that requires accreditation by the ACR in computed tomography in the chest module and a rigorous assessment of lung cancer screening protocol and infrastructure.

Additionally, Lung Cancer Screening Centers must provide follow-up patient care, such as counseling and smoking cessation programs.

“When we started our Low-Dose Lung Cancer Screening Program two years ago, we wanted to provide the community with exceptional expertise, technology and patient care together to give individuals the best chance possible in finding and fighting lung cancer,” said Margaret Deegan, vice president of Ambulatory Services at Griffin Hospital. “We’re very honored and proud to receive this designation because it shows we are delivering on this mission.

Because the program was not covered by insurance, Griffin Hospital has provided hundreds of free low-dose lung cancer screens to high-risk individuals since launching its program, not wanting lack of insurance coverage to be a barrier to patients receiving this potentially life-saving test.

To date, six instances of lung cancer have been found and treated among the more than 500 individuals who have been enrolled in the program.

In December 2013, the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommended screening of adults aged 55 to 80 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.

Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography scans, and appropriate follow-up care, significantly reduces lung cancer deaths. In recognition of this fact, Medicare and most major insurances now cover the screening for high-risk individuals.

Lung cancer is the nation’s leading cancer killer – taking the lives of more people each year than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined.

For more information about Griffin Hospital’s Low-Dose Lung Cancer Screening Program, visit griffinhealth.org/lung.

About the American College of Radiology
The ACR, founded in 1924, is one of the largest and most influential medical associations in the United States.

The ACR devotes its resources to making imaging and radiation therapy safe, effective and accessible to those who need it. Its 36,000 members include radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, interventional radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians.

For more information about the Lung Cancer Screening Center designation, visit: acr.org/Quality-Safety/Lung-Cancer-Screening-Center.


This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Norman Rockwell's life topic of talk at Derby Library

DERBY - The Derby Public Library has scheduled a program, Norman Rockwell’s America, at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 31.

Gordon Williams, a retired history teacher, will present this Rockwell evening, embracing many topics. 
From big city bustles to small town charm, from returning WWII vets to wistful teen-aged girls, the paintings of Norman Rockwell reflect all that was best about our country, its aspirations and dreams.  

By the end of the evening, participants will know why Rockwell was and continues to be so loved.

Registration is requested.  

For more information by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St., call 203-736-1482, or visit 

www.derbypubliclibrary.org.  

This is a press release from Cathy Williams, Director, Derby Public Library.

Swing was the thing Saturday at Derby Neck Library

The Survivors play music from the 20s-40s 

Pictured from left: Lauren Humpage on electric bass fiddle, David Mechler on trumpet, Bill Steinhauser on electric guitar, and Sandra Whittman on keyboard.

DERBY - Four members of a Connecticut-based band entertained a small but appreciative audience Saturday afternoon at Derby Neck Library.

The Survivors, a seven-piece group, plays swing and Big Band hits. 

My husband, Ralph, and I enjoyed the show and the banter among the musicians. 

Their next local gig will be at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Trumbull Arts Festival at the gazebo on Town Hall Green, 5866 Main St., Trumbull.

For information visit www.SurvivorsSB.com.

Lawmakers hail funds for rehab of Derby-Shelton Bridge

HARTFORD - State Representatives Linda M. Gentile and Theresa Conroy and state Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. welcomed the approval of a major transportation improvement for Derby. 

Earlier this week, the state Bond Commission granted $2 million for the Department of Transportation to rehab the Derby-Shelton Bridge over the Housatonic River.

The funds will be administered through the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments. 
This project includes resurfacing of the deck and bicycle and pedestrian improvements.

“I am thrilled with the funding allocated for Derby-Shelton Bridge,” Gentile said. 
“The funds will not only provide a bicycling lane, but will also improve commuting traffic patterns and aesthetics. I'd like to thank Rick Dunne and his staff at the Naugatuck Valley Regional Council of Governments for their work on the planning, design and the grant application.”
“Investing in transportation projects makes sense,” Conroy said. “I am very pleased to see this funding move forward.”
“It is essential that we make improvements to our transportation infrastructure a priority in Connecticut,” Crisco said. 
“Thanks go to the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments for taking the initiative on this project, and to the Governor and state Bond Commission for supporting such an important long-term investment in our region.” 


This is a press release from the office of state Democrats.