Griffin Hospital to host open house for occupational medicine center in Shelton

SHELTON - Griffin Hospital invites the community to tour its new Occupational Medicine and Rehabilitation Center at 10 Progress Drive during an open house from 4-6 p.m. Oct. 19.

The new 7,100-square foot center will enhance the Griffin’s workplace health offerings for area businesses and physical therapy/rehabilitation services for the community by providing a convenient Shelton location in addition to the hospital’s Derby location in the Hewitt Ambulatory Care Pavilion.
The Center features six Occupational Medicine exam rooms, on-site X-ray and lab services, a spacious physical therapy gym and five private treatment rooms. 

There is also a conference space for meetings and educational programming.

The Occupational Medicine and Rehabilitation Center provides high-quality medical services that are designed to help business ensure a healthy workforce, including physical examinations, pre-employment screenings, work-related injury treatments, ergonomic assessments, vaccinations and worksite wellness programs. 

For more information, call (203) 944-3718 or visit griffinhealth.org.

Griffin Hospital Rehabilitation Services offers a variety of services to address the therapeutic needs of all patients. Services offered and conditions treated include: Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Retraining; Aquatic Therapy; Balance and Fall Prevention; Bladder and Bowel Control; Breast Surgery Rehabilitation; Cancer Rehabilitation; Cognitive Therapy; Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Rehabilitation; Lymphedema Treatment; Neurological Rehabilitation; and Speech & Language Disorders. 

For more information about Griffin Hospital Rehabilitation Services, call 203.732.7445 or visit www.griffinhealth.org/rehab.


This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Ansonia Nature Center to host talk about Iceland, trip to raptor education center

Calendar also features night hike, fire craft class

ANSONIA - The Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center, 10 Deerfield Road, has scheduled a variety of fun activities in November.

VETERANS DAY CREATURE FEATURE – Nov. 11, noon.

Looking for a fun activity for the children on this day off from school? Come and learn about the Nature Center’s resident animals. 
The staff will talk about the different species of mammals, reptiles, insects, and birds we have on display. We will also teach the children how to touch and handle some of these soft, scaly, and slimy creatures. Free; please register in advance.

FULL BEAVER MOON HIKE – Nov. 12, 6 p.m.

Join the rangers for this unique night hike designed for families. The name “Full Beaver Moon” comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter. It is sometimes referred to as the Frosty Moon too! Fee: $1 per person. Please wear comfortable hiking shoes. Register in advance.

PET LOSS GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP – Nov. 13, 1 p.m.

Losing a beloved animal can be tragic and a very emotional time for humans. There are numerous resources to turn to for the loss of a human loved one; however, there are limited options for when we lose an animal. Susan Wilson has created this support group for those who have lost an animal or have one in the process of moving on. 

LIVE RAPTOR TOUR AT A PLACE CALLED HOPE: Field trip – Nov. 13, 1 p.m.

Come meet the many species of birds residing and recovering at A Place Called Hope, a raptor rehabilitation and education center in Killingworth. 
Tours last about 45 minutes to 1 hour and offer the public a unique opportunity to learn about any native species found in our state. 
Since 98 percent of the injuries APCH caters to are caused by conflicts with humans, learn simple tips and ways you can help to minimize these issues and co-exist more successfully with the wildlife in your very own backyard. Dress for outdoors and bring your cameras for this interactive experience. There is a $10 donation for APCH per person. 

BIRDS, WILDLIFE, AND FARM ANIMALS OF ICELAND – Nov. 18, 7 p.m. 

Iceland, often called "The Land of Fire and Ice" because of its many volcanoes, glaciers, and spectacular waterfalls, is also a noted birder's paradise famous for the Atlantic puffins, ptarmigan, arctic terns, gyrfalcons, and other birds found along its 3,700 miles of coast. Reindeer, arctic fox, humpback whales, and seals can frequently be seen, and purebred Icelandic horses, Icelandic sheep, and goats roam the farmlands. Naturalists and photographers Barbara and Peter Rzasa will present a slide show of Icelandic birds, wildlife, and farm animals. Join us for this free overview of Iceland.

PRINCIPLES OF FIRE CRAFT – Nov. 19, 10 a.m.

Basic fire craft principles are very important to know. Whether or not you’re the family camp-out fire starter, knowing how fire works is paramount to safety. 
Join Ranger Dan in learning about wood-gathering, fire safety, and fire starting with only one match! Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free.

For information, call 203-736-1053.


This is a press release from the Ansonia Nature Center.

Ansonia Police Department to host open houses, offer tours

Sharing this info from the Ansonia Police Department Facebook page: 

The Ansonia Police Department will be hosting two Open Houses at its headquarters, 2 Elm St. 
On Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon the station will be open for all City of Ansonia residents to tour. 

The Open Houses are part of the department’s ongoing effort to show the residents the need for a new station ahead of the referendum vote on Nov. 8, for the citywide Capital Improvement Plan. 

Chief Kevin Hale and the members of the Ansonia Police Department urge all residents to take advantage of this opportunity to tour the building and support our effort to build a new headquarters.

Fiery fall color found on Ansonia Hilltop

* Please just ignore the wires!  

Crisco recognized by Connecticut Captive Insurance Association

State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco of Woodbridge, right, was named a 'Legislative Champion.' / Submitted photo

The Connecticut Captive Insurance Association has named state Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, as one of its “2016 Legislative Champions” for his leadership on insurance and risk management policy issues.

The CCIA (www.conncaptives.com) formally recognized Crisco Thursday at its 2016 Annual Captive Insurance Symposium at the Sheraton in Stamford.

“Thanks to your work on behalf of this critically important industry in Connecticut, you have helped create new jobs in the accounting, actuarial, legal and insurance fields, which continue to make Connecticut the top state in the nation for insurance and insurance- related businesses,” CCIA President Tom Hodson said. 

“Your hard work and dedication is being recognized on behalf of the many individuals and businesses that are part of the growing captive insurance industry in Connecticut.”

“There was an opportunity a few years ago to update Connecticut’s captive insurance laws, and to make us more competitive on a national scale, and we’ve done that,” said Crisco, who is Senate Chairman of the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee. 

“Insurance is big business in Connecticut, and it’s an even bigger business since we made these captive insurance changes, so I’m very proud and honored that the CCIA is recognizing my hard work on behalf of them and on behalf of the corporations that benefit from our captive insurance opportunities here in Connecticut.”

A captive insurance company is generally defined as an insurance company that is wholly owned and controlled by its insureds; its primary purpose is to insure the risks of its owners, and the insured parties benefit from the captive insurer’s underwriting profits. When an insurance plan offered by a mainline insurance company doesn’t meet a company’s particular risk needs, that company might then form its own captive insurer.

Connecticut’s 2011 legislative revision of its existing captive insurance law made Connecticut a more attractive place to locate a captive insurance company, in part due to a first-year tax credit of $7,500 for newly established captives, fine-tuned language about what constitutes “common ownership and control” for the purpose of aggregating tax liability among multiple insurers, and an easier path for captive insurance companies to satisfy various IRS demands.

This is a press release from Crisco's office.  

Registration slated for Seymour youth basketball

Naugatuck Community Band to perform Halloween concert in Seymour

SEYMOUR - The Seymour Culture and Arts Commission will host the Naugatuck Community Band at a free Halloween concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at Seymour Middle School, 211 Mountain Road.

The Naugatuck Community Band under director Joel Knecht, music teacher from Waterbury Public Schools as well as veteran Seymour Schools music teacher, will present a spooky, ghoulish program including the following pieces: 

Lord of the Rings, Cave of Fear, Apparitions, Shadows Unleashed and many others. 

One of the featured pieces was written by Knecht, titled Dudleytown, based on the Connecticut town that some believe to be haunted!

Those attending are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to our local food banks. 

The audience is also encouraged to come in costume and there will be trick or treats for those children attending.

For questions or more information call Kim, 203-888-7880.

This is a press release from the Seymour Culture and Arts Commission. 

Derby Historical Society to host tours of Humphreys House, cemetery in Ansonia

The David Humphreys House in Ansonia.

ANSONIA - Join the Derby Historical Society Sunday for a tour of the David Humphreys House, 37 Elm St., at 2:15 p.m. and/or the Elm Street Graveyard at 3:45 or 4:15 pm. 

Event price is $5 per person. Refreshments will be served.


* Information shared from Facebook event page.

History of pie is topic of author's talk at Derby Public Library

DERBY - The Derby Public Library welcomes historian and author Robert S. Cox at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 14 to discuss his book, New England Pie: History Under a Crust.  

Pie has been a delectable centerpiece of Yankee tables since Europeans first landed on New England shores in the 

17th century.  
This book takes a bite out of the history of pie and pie-making in the region.

It celebrates the seasonal fixings that fill New Englander’s favorite dessert from apple to cherry to squash.

With interviews from local bakers, classic recipes, and modern twists on beloved standards, this mouthwatering 

history offers something for every appetite.  

Registration is requested.  
For more information, stop by the Library, 313 Elizabeth 

St., call 203-736-1482, or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.  

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

Event raises $5K for Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital in Derby

Maria Ammar, center left, presents Dr. Denise Barajas, Medical Director, Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital, center right, and staff from the Center with a $5,000 donation from the 12^th Annual Hope Lives fundraiser./ Contributed photo

DERBY - The 12^th Annual Hope Lives event raised $5,000 for breast cancer screening services at The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital in Derby.

Hope Lives is associated with Horizon of Hope, a national campaign by Longaberger Baskets to raise funds for the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer research and local breast cancer services.

For the past 12 years, Longaberger Independent Consultant Maria Ammar of Woodbridge has organized a luncheon fundraiser as part of the campaign. The donation will be used to help local women pay for breast cancer screening services and to purchase a lymphedema sleeve for a woman in need.

Next year’s Horizon of Hope event is already scheduled for Sept. 24, 2017.

About The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital

The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital opened in 2011 and primarily serves the Lower Naugatuck Valley and surrounding communities. 

It combines state-of-the-art technology, a team of highly trained physicians and staff, and a Planetree healing environment to offer patients a comprehensive range of personalized breast care and wellness services.  

The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness features two new, state-of-the-art digital mammography suites with 3D mammography (tomosynthesis) capability, a breast ultrasound suite, and the most advanced system available to perform stereotactic biopsy.  

The Center also utilizes a rapid diagnostic model where patients are often given test results the same day imaging tests are performed, and if indicated, follow up testing (ultrasound, breast biopsy) and even consultation with a breast surgeon are often available the same day if the patient’s schedule permits. 

For more information, call 203-732-1300 or visit griffinhealth.org/cbw.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.