Tuesday, June 8, 2021

'Turnback Tuesday' features 19th century photo of Derby Narrows

Turnback Tuesday looks at Derby Narrows along the Housatonic/Naugatuck River from a different angle. 

In this stereoscopic view you can see where ships would actually dock (Commerce Street Docks). There was much loading and unloading of goods at this spot. The large chimney/smokestack in the distance is Derby Lumber Co. 

This image was taken by J. W. Storrs, a local photographer, sometime before 1884.


Thanks goes to the Derby Public Library staff for sharing interesting local history each week!  

Valley Community Foundation awards $22K in grants to local groups


The Valley Community Foundation announced it has awarded a total of $22,000 in its annual Community Grants Program to 11 community groups serving the Valley. 

These grants will support youth programs, athletics, and more in the region.

Sharon Closius, VCF President & CEO, said, “As business-as-usual operations begin to resume throughout the state, there are many volunteer groups and nonprofits with limited staff that continue to do incredible work in our community. 

Although the needs are ever-growing and continuously changing, we are proud to support these meaningful endeavors with $22,000 in total grant funding to support our Valley’s five towns.”

Steven Wolfe, Director of the All-America Valley Basketball Club, said, “This grant enables us to provide free basketball uniforms, shirts, reusable masks and other supplies to kids in the communities that we serve while we continue to work towards a more inclusive, affordable, equitable model for club play. VCF’s support allows us to comply with health and tournament protocols as well as regulations governing youth basketball sports competition. Without this funding, we would have been unable to provide our players with these items, which would further burden already distressed households with additional expenses.”

Applications for the Valley Community Grants Program are considered through a request for proposal process. 

These grants are responsive to community groups that are volunteer or nonprofit in nature, serve Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, and/or Shelton, and have less than two full-time or four part-time staff. 

Community Grants range from $250 to $2,500, and can be for new or recurring programs to support civic and community engagement efforts. More details about the application process are available on www.valleyfoundation.org.

2021 Community Grant Recipients:


All-America Valley Basketball Club – To support the club's participation in a 10-week competitive basketball tournament. $2,500

Annual Thanksgiving Basket Committee – To support families in need with a basket of food for Thanksgiving. $2,000

Troop 3 Derby Boy Scouts of America – To support an Eagle Scout project to build a vegetable garden at St. Mary-St. Michael School. $1,950

Girl Scout Troop 60030 – To support improving the community gardens in Seymour. $1,750
Girl Scout Troop 60544
– To support a Gold Award Project to refurbish a War Memorial in Seymour. $2,000

Massaro Community Farm – To support a series of garden workshops. $2,000
Seymour Historical Society
– To support Seymour Historical Society’s virtual programming. $1,200 Southford Falls Quilters, LLC – To support the 2021-2022 Southford Falls Quilters programs. $2,100

St. Thomas Church – To support the St. Thomas bereavement and caregivers programs and the Parish Nurse ministries. $1,500

Valley Parish Nurse Program – To support the Valley Parish Nurse outreach and education programs at multiple churches. $2,500

Youth Conservation Corps – To support the Walk Through History Program at the Rockhouse Hill Sanctuary in Oxford. $2,500

About the Valley Community Foundation

Established in 2004, the Valley Community Foundation (VCF) distributes $1.6 million in grants each year to support the local nonprofit sector and the people it serves. VCF works in strong partnership with The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven to promote philanthropy in Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton and receives a majority of its discretionary funding as a result of The Gates Fund and other preference funds at TCF that benefit the Valley. 

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, please 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.  


Derby Historical Society receives 3-year, $75K grant from foundations







Derby Historical Society is thankful to the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and the Valley Community Foundation for awarding our organization with a multi-year grant in support of our mission and efforts to preserve our legacies. 

The grant total is $75,000 and will be awarded in three separate consecutive-year distributions of $25,000.

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, please visit www.valleyfoundation.org or contact VCF President Sharon Closius, at sclosius@valleyfoundation.org or 203-751-9162.



This is a press release from the Derby Historical Society.

Derby Neck Library to host Summer Animal Crossing virtual fishing tourney


DERBY - Tweens and teens! 
Join us [at Derby Neck Library] on your Nintendo Switch for the Summer Animal Crossing: New Horizons Fishing Tourney! 
Playing with friends means no entry fee AND you get double the points per participant! We’ll also get to visit each other’s islands and shops and play hide-and-seek games! 
There’s always some fun surprises waiting at Derby Neck Island as well …
Library’s Switch Friend Code: 2215-9086-7325
Discord: DBNeck#3627 and TheLibrarianDNL#7172
A Zoom meeting link will also be provided for those who do not have a Discord account - please register for our Youth Services mailing list here https://forms.gle/EUp2yRBLFNJVMnz17 or call 203-734-1492 to receive the Zoom link!
Please note you need a Nintendo Online subscription to participate!

This is shared from the Derby Neck Library Facebook page. 

Newly-elected Ansonia High School student government officers congratulated


From the Ansonia Public Schools' Facebook page:

"Ansonia High School would like to congratulate the newly elected Student Government officers for the 2021-2022 school year."


Seymour Pink Gift Shop to discount merchandise for Town-Wide Tag Sale


Seymour Town-Wide Tag Sale will be held  from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday.

Register for City-Wide Tag Sale, support Ansonia Nature Center