Valley Lighting in Ansonia holds grand reopening

Photo of the Chestnut Street business before a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday.

An interior shot of Valley Lighting & Home Decor.

Stay tuned for a story in an upcoming Valley Voice newsletter.

Congregational Church in Seymour to sponsor 29th annual Snowflake Fair

SEYMOUR - The 29th annual Snowflake Fair will be held from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 18 at Seymour Congregational Church, 45 Broad St. 

Craft and/or specialty vendors needed. The booth/table areas will be 8 feet x 6 feet. 
Cost is $35 per space; if we provide the table, we will charge $5 extra per table. 
Please contact Laura at 203-516-8607 or email: l.graham.thomps@gmail.com. 

The fair features approximately 30 vendors, gift basket/quilt/tree raffles, a boutique, a bake table, a Christmas Treasures room, a craft area for the kids, and the famous Snowflake Cafe serving breakfast and lunch.

*Sharing information from a Facebook page.

St. Mary-St. Michael School in Derby slates annual Festival of Trees

It seems early to post Christmas events, but we all know that time flies!

Orthodox church in Ansonia slates Slavic food fest, rummage sale

Three Saints Orthodox Church
26 Howard Ave., Ansonia

Annual Slavic Food Fest and Rummage Sale

4-7 p.m. Nov. 3

Huntington Branch Library in Shelton to host children's costume party, bingo

Trunk or Treat on tap at Seymour Middle School

Derby artist to teach water color workshop at Milford gallery

Seymour Public Library program to feature ghost hunting

Spooky story author to read book at Written Words Bookstore in Shelton

SHELTON - Creaky floorboards. Creepy basements. Hairy spiders. Salami in the vegetable crisper. 
Oh, the horror! 

Author Hal Johnson knows how to spin some delicious hair-raising yarns and he will be at Written Words Bookstore Oct. 21 at 5:30 p.m. for a reading and signing of his book, Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods: 20 Chilling Tales from the Wilderness (Workman Publishing • 2015).

Hal Johnson

Perfect for kids ages 9 and up, Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods tells of the snoligoster, who feeds on the shadows of its victims, the whirling whimpus, who once laid low an entire Boy Scout troop, and the hoop snake, who can chase prey at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and then, with one sting of its venomous tail, cause it to turn purple, swell up, and - alas - die.

The spine-chilling stories are narrated by one of the last surviving cryptozoologists, and are best enjoyed…...um, at a local independent bookstore with bright lights and lots of people around. If you dare.

The event is free and open to the public. 

Books presented for signing must be purchased at the event from Written Words Bookstore.

Three Bridges Coffeehouse is going to help put kids in the mood prior to the author event with sugar cookie decorating and a cup of hot chocolate or cider! The session will run from 4-5:30 p.m. 
Cost is $5 per person. Must RSVP by sending an e-mail to info@3bcoffee.net on or before Oct. 19. 

Written Words Bookstore and Three Bridges Coffeehouse are located inside the Conti building at 415 Howe Ave.


This is a press release from Written Words Bookstore.

Derby Public Library to hold cooking demo for holiday entertaining

DERBY - The Derby Public Library has scheduled another cooking demo Nov. 13 at 6:30 PM.  

The topic will be Freezer Friendly Appetizers.  Just in time for holiday entertaining, Stacey Ference of Savour Catering will show participants how to make delicious appetizers to make ahead of time and freeze, allowing you more time to spend with your guests.  

There will be samples of all demonstrated foods.

The class is for ages 18 years and older.  Registration is required.  

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.

Talk at Kellogg Center in Derby to highlight Native American Heritage Month

DERBY - Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection invites you to attend a presentation by Lucianne Lavin, PhD, Director of Research and Collections, Institute for American Indian Studies at 7 p.m. Nov. 1. 

The presentation will be held at Kellogg Environmental Center, 500 Hawthorne Ave.  

November is Native American Heritage Month.

Lavin’s presentation, “Connecticut's Indigenous Communities and their Natural World,” will explore Connecticut’s indigenous communities and educate participants in the rich histories that extend back to the time they shared Mother Earth with mastodons and other extinct animals. 
DEEP invites all ages to attend and learn about Connecticut’s native communities and regional history.

Through thousands of years and as a necessity for their physical survival, Native Americans became experts in their natural environments. New England was not a “wilderness,” as described by the early English settlers, but a built landscape. Our first environmental stewards, Native American communities, had long been managing their physical environments to enhance plant and animal populations. 

Lavin will help participants explore these connections through Indigenous folklore and sacred stories promoting stewardship.

Lavin is an anthropologist and archaeologist who has over 40 years of research and field experience in Northeastern archaeology and anthropology.  

Her career includes teaching, museum exhibits and curatorial work, cultural resource management, editorial work, and public relations.

Lavin is a founding member of the state’s Native American Heritage Advisory Council and editor of the Journal of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut.  She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from New York University and her B.A. from Indiana University. Lavin has written over 150 professional publications and technical reports on the archaeology and ethno-history of the Northeast. Her award-winning book, Connecticut’s Indigenous Peoples: What Archaeology, History and Oral Traditions Teach Us about their Communities and Cultures, was published by Yale University Press (spring 2013).

The program is offered free of charge; donations are accepted. Call the Center at 203-734-2513 or email donna.kingston@ct.gov to register or for information or directions. 

This is a press release from Connecticut DEEP.

5K raises $46,000 for Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital in Derby

More than 430 runners and walkers took part in the 9th Annual 5K Walk/Run to Benefit the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital./ Contributed photo

DERBY - More than 430 participants raised more than $46,000 at the ninth annual 5K Walk/Run to Benefit the Center for Cancer Care Sept. 30.

“On behalf of all the caregivers at Griffin Hospital, we are truly thankful for everyone who supported this year’s 5K for giving us the tools to make a difference in the fight against cancer,” said Griffin Hospital President and CEO Patrick Charmel. 

“The funds we raised support patient-centered upgrades to our radio-surgery service that provide our patients advanced cancer treatment that produces fewer side effects, improves outcomes, and enables us to offer the highest level of radiation oncology treatment available.”

In addition to helping purchase new equipment for the hospital’s Radiation Oncology Department, proceeds from the fun, non-competitive event help fund patient support programs at the Center for Cancer Care and financial assistance for cancer patients for a variety needs, including housing, clothing and grocery bills, transportation, wigs, and salon services.

The Walk/Run was supported by the Ansonia and Derby Police departments, and its sponsors: The Ansonia Rod and Gun Club; Jefferson Radiology; Birmingham Health Center (Spectrum Health), The EDGE Fitness Clubs, Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital, Teamsters Local 1150, All About You, Centrix Dental, Fletcher Thompson, Dr. Mark Melendez Cosmetic & Reconstructive Surgery, Yale Therapeutic Radiology, HAN Network, and Star 99.9 FM.

Donations are still being accepted at griffinhospital.org/5k. 

For more information, call 203-732-7466 or e-mail 5kwalkrun@griffinhealth.org.


This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Ansonia to reintroduce city's 1965 flag at ceremony next week

Recuperation journey: Sunrise reflections, just for fun

It was disappointing when I realized I had missed the gorgeous sunrise Wednesday. I'm glad that several Facebook friends captured the colors and posted them! It was amazing. This morning I'm sharing some sky photos, just for fun. 

And here's the moon!