ICYMI: School to host pancake breakfast before parade Monday

DERBY - Please be sure to stop by the St. Mary-St Michael School Pancake Breakfast before the Memorial Day Parade from 7-11:30 a.m. Monday.

The menu will include pancakes, sausage, coffee, orange juice, and water. 
Cost is $5. 
This event helps support the students, student activities, and operation of the school. 

The breakfast will be served in St. Mary Church basement, 212 Elizabeth St.


This is a press release from the school.

Put this on your calendar: Derby Day is June 27

See you there!

Derby Public Library offers tech sessions

DERBY - The Derby Public Library offers monthly Tech Time sessions.

Every third Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month at 10 a.m. a staff member will be on hand to answer all your tech-related questions and concerns.

Whether you are having trouble downloading e-books, searching databases, completing online job applications,
scanning/sending documents and photos, etc., your problems will be addressed.

June sessions will be held at 6:30 p.m. June 17 and at 10 a.m. June 18. 
No registration is needed.

For more information, stop 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. 

Siblings establish fund for Shelton students at Valley Community Foundation

Susan and Bob Chlebowski

Shelton natives Bob Chlebowski and sister, Susan Chlebowski, have established a $250,000 scholarship fund at the Valley Community Foundation in memory of their parents to benefit a Shelton High School student. 

This scholarship will be awarded to a college-bound graduating senior selected by Shelton High School each year. The scholarship is renewable for up to four years per recipient.

Beth Smith, Headmaster of Shelton High School, said, “We are honored that this substantial scholarship fund will have a long-lasting impact on Shelton High School students for generations to come. We take pride in educating our students about the importance of giving back to the community. The Chlebowski family is an embodiment of that lesson and an inspiration, not only to the scholarship recipients that will receive this award, but to our whole student body at what can be accomplished when we give back.”

Chlebowski, an Executive Vice President with Wells Fargo in San Francisco, and his sister, Susan, a psychiatrist practicing in New York, grew up in Shelton. 

Their parents, Irene and Stan “Smiles” Chlebowski, were lifelong Valley residents who taught their children the importance of supporting the Shelton community from a very early age.

“Our parents always stressed the importance of education as a way to grow professionally and as a person,” said Bob Chlebowski. 

Susan Chlebowski added, “They made great sacrifices for our education and we could not think of a better way to honor them than by helping students in the years to come through this scholarship.”

Sharon Closius, President & CEO at the Valley Community Foundation, said, “This is an incredible example of public philanthropy empowering Valley students to succeed through education. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Chlebowski family for creating a real difference in the lives of students who may not have the means to continue their academic endeavors.”

For details to contribute to this scholarship, or another award program benefiting Shelton High School students, contact the Valley Community Foundation, 203-751-9162.

Established in 2004, the Valley Community Foundation distributes hundreds of thousands of grant dollars each year to support the local nonprofit sector and the people it serves. 

In addition to grantmaking, VCF works in strong partnership with The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, to promote philanthropy in Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, and Shelton. 

To learn how your gifts of cash, life insurance, appreciated stocks, bonds, real estate, and other assets can help to support the quality of life in the Valley, visit the website at www.valleyfoundation.org or contact VCF President, Sharon Closius, at sclosius@valleyfoundation.org or 203-751-9162.

This is a press release from the Valley Community Foundation.

School in Derby to host 7th annual Duck Race

DERBY - St. Mary-St. Michael School is inviting area community groups to share in the fundraising profits of the Seventh Annual Housy River Duck Race on June 27.

Non-profit organizations can raise funds for their causes by selling raffle tickets for the popular Valley fundraiser. For every $5 ticket sold, nonprofits will receive $2 back.

“A strong community is built on people and groups helping each other,” said Housy Duck Race Chair Grace Torres. 

Last year's duck drop / Submitted photo

“This is a great opportunity for nonprofits to work together in our common goal of caring for the community by raising much-needed funds for our individual missions.”

Set for 1 p.m. on Derby Day June 27, the Annual Housy River Duck Race has become an anticipated event in which thousands of yellow rubber duckies are dropped into the Housatonic River. 
Each duck is numbered and participants purchase raffle tickets with numbers that correspond to their ducks.

The first 65 ducks to float over the finish line win prizes for their “owners.” This year’s prizes include: $1,000; 48" LED HDTV; a 4 burner gas grill; Apple iPad mini; Beats by Dre Wireless Headphones, and Apple TV.

Similar shared fundraising efforts for duck races in Naugatuck and Milford have raised thousands of dollars for community groups, Torres said.

“The Duck Race is a popular event and we’re happy to invite others to share in its success,” she said. “All the groups need to do is sell the raffle tickets and we’ll do the rest.”

For more information or to receive a pack of raffle tickets, contact Torres at St Mary-St Michael School main office at 203-735-6471 or gtorres@stmarystmichael.org.

To purchase a duck, contact the school at 203-735-6471 or visit http://stmarystmichaelct.eduk12.net for a list of locations where they are on sale.



This is a press release from the school.

Valley lawmakers hail bill supporting caregivers

Legislation focuses on follow-up care

HARTFORD - State Reps. Theresa Conroy, Linda M. Gentile, and Themis Klarides and state Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. hailed House and Senate approval of legislation (SB 290) to facilitate follow-up care for hospital patients by requiring hospitals to record names of designated caregivers and provide detailed instructions for follow-up care.


There are more than 700,000 family caregivers in Connecticut providing daily care and support to their loved ones so that they may stay in their homes longer.

According to AARP, 61 percent of Connecticut residents over age 40 are currently providing, or have provided, unpaid care to an adult loved one.

“Complex medical care combined with shorter hospital stays can mean increased anxiety and stress on family members and leading to costly hospital readmissions,” Conroy said. “Caregivers provide patients with medication, injections, and change dressings and bandages. When a caregiver receives the proper tools and basic instructions from medical professionals at the hospital, we can ensure better outcomes.”

The legislation requires a hospital, when discharging a patient to his or her home, to:

• Allow the patient to designate a caregiver
• Document the designated caregiver
• Attempt to notify the designated caregiver of the patient's discharge home
• Instruct the caregiver on post-discharge tasks and care

“The legislation is a good next step in helping people recover from the ailment that required hospitalization,” Gentile said. “Making not only the patient, but a family member, spouse or friend accountable for follow up increases the odds for recovery.”

Klarides, House Republican Leader, said, “This is just common sense in providing for patients who often fail to receive follow-up care that can make a huge difference in their recoveries. This legislation will fill a yawning void in their aftercare and formalize much needed protocols.”

“Today's family caregivers are confronted with complex, taxing tasks,” Crisco said. “This legislation will ensure that they have sufficient instruction to prepare them for the challenges that lay ahead, helping patients remain in their homes and preventing costly hospital readmissions.”


This is a press release from Connecticut House Democrats.