Malloy to visit Ansonia Monday

ANSONIA - Gov. Dannel P. Malloy will be speaking at the Ansonia Public Library at 11 a.m. Monday.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy   

He will be joined by Mayor David S. Cassetti, state Rep. M. Linda Gentile, and state Sen. George Logan.

Monday’s engagement is in response to Cassetti’s call for a bipartisan effort to support the governor’s proposal to reallocate state spending on public education. The proposal would restore millions of dollars in need-based funding to Ansonia schools, thereby easing local taxpayers’ burden in a tight budget year.

“This year our public schools require $3 million in additional funding due to skyrocketing special education costs and the loss of state grants,” Cassetti said. 

“That’s three years of education increases at once — and it cannot be supported and sustained without significant budget cuts or a tax increase.”

Cassetti has vowed to fight for fair state education funding to avoid the “worst case scenario” of budget cuts or tax increases. 

“Our city has been shortchanged on millions in state education dollars for years,” Cassetti said. “Our residents deserve fair treatment from Hartford, and I commend Governor Malloy’s proposal to finally address the inequity that has disadvantaged Ansonia students and taxpayers for years.”

“Ansonia has only been receiving 70 percent of its need-based funding,” Cassetti continued. “At the same time, wealthier communities have received 150 percent to over 200 percent of their funding. That’s not right, and we will fight to change it.”

The governor’s visit will be followed later in the month by a town hall meeting with Gentile and Logan. 
The town hall meeting will take place at Ansonia High School from 6:30-8 p.m. March 13. 


This is taken from a press release from Mayor Cassetti's office. 

15th annual food drive slated Saturday in Ansonia, Seymour, Shelton

SHELTON - The 15th Annual Valley Has a Heart Spooner House food collection will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the Valley.

The food collections will take place at the three Stop and Shop stores in Ansonia, Seymour, and Shelton.

The goal is to gather 5,000 non-perishable food items and $5,000 in cash to help restock the shelves as needed following the cold winter months and resulting dip in donations that follows after the holiday season has passed.

The website linked above includes a list of the most needed food items this year.

"March is an important month to ignite the public's interest in donating food for those in need," said Susan Agamy, Executive Director of Spooner House and the Valley Food Bank.

“Giving generally decreases during the winter months when many who donate are not as mobile or willing to drive. That generally leaves our food pantry shelves depleted."

Dworken, Hillman, LaMorte, and Sterczala, P.C. has agreed to be the site sponsor for the food drives in Ansonia and Shelton.

In addition, Hairy Dog Grrrage specializing in Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen detailing and body repair and who recently relocated to Southbury, will be site sponsor of the Seymour location for the fifth year in a row.

The Stop and Shop stores where donations can be made are located at 100 Division St., Ansonia, 15 Franklin St., Seymour, and 898 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton.

There will be a friendly competition between the three Stop and Shop stores to raise the most dollars and non-perishable food items.

Shoppers at all locations will receive a Spooner House “Wish List” when they walk in the door with encouragement to donate on their way out.

Anyone unable to make it to a store location on the day of the drive, may make a tax-deductible donation online through the following link to help Spooner House achieve their $5,000 goal: www.bit.ly/VHAH2017

Volunteer groups assisting at the various Stop and Shops during the food drives include the following, assisted by Spooner House volunteers, staff and sponsors.

Ansonia Stop and Shop:
Holy Rosary in Ansonia's Confirmation Class
Church of Assumption Youth Group

Seymour Stop and Shop:
Seymour United Methodist Church congregants
Young Emerging Professionals of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce

Shelton Stop and Shop:
Shelton High School National Honor Society
Youth Service Bureau’s "Youth2Youth" Peer Advocates

Deliveries of non-perishable food items are always accepted at Spooner House at 30 Todd Road seven days a week though anyone may set up a special time for food delivery by calling 203-225-0453 then dialing 102.
Checks can be made payable 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.

Non-profit Area Congregations Together, Inc. was formed in1979 to help fill gaps in the lower 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 175 men, women and children each year.
More than 4,000 individuals have been served by the Food Bank this past year, comprising more than 120,000 meals.

This is a press release from Spooner House.

Learn chronic disease self-management at Griffin Hospital in Derby

Griffin Hospital will host a free Live Well Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshop from March 22-April 26./ Contributed photo

DERBY - Griffin Hospital will host a free six-week workshop starting March 22 to help individuals suffering from health conditions take back control of their lives.

The Live Well Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshop provides health information and strategies to help those with health conditions like pain, anxiety, diabetes, depression, heart disease, and arthritis increase their energy and take control of their health.

Along with clinical care, participants will learn ways to cope with difficult emotions, depression, and stress/anxiety, reduce pain, improve mobility, increase energy, increase physical activity, eat healthier, use medications appropriately, and solve everyday problems and communicate effectively with family and health care providers.

The workshop will be held from 3:30-6 p.m.Wednesdays starting March 22 at the hospital, 130 Division St.

The Live Well Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshop is sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Social Services Aging Services Division, Connecticut Department of Public Health, and Griffin Hospital.

To register, call Esther Jones at Griffin Hospital’s Community Outreach and Valley Parish Nurse Program, 203-732-1523.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Seymour Recreation slates spring swim programs

*Sharing from the Office of the Seymour First Selectman Facebook page.

Raising awareness of kidney disease

March is National Kidney Month.

As someone living with Polycystic Kidney Disease I want to do my part to help raise awareness of it.

I posted this video link about Polycystic Kidney Disease a year ago, and I thought I'd post it again today, March 1.