Dancing with the Stars Oct. 23 to benefit Adam's House in Shelton

 

Join us for a night of dancing and community celebrating First Responders and Frontline Health Professionals! Friday, October 23 7:00pm  The Warehouse at FTC Fairfield, CT Your participation & generosity helps to ensure no child or family grieves alone. Together, we can provide support, coping skills, resilience, and hope for a brighter future!

Tickets On Sale Now - Early Bird Offer Ends 9/9

Dancing with the Stars in Fairfield to benefit Adam's House Oct. 17

 

Griffin Hospital in Derby recognizes health care heroism of nurse

DERBY - Griffin Health Nurse Michael Fusaro, LPN, of Fairfield, was recently recognized for his heroic actions to save a life with the 2025 Connecticut Healthcare Association’s Healthcare Heroes Award.

The Award celebrates and recognizes the invaluable contributions of exceptional health care workers, both to their field and to the community at large.  

After finishing an overnight shift at Griffin Hospital, Fusaro was headed home when he saw a car crash near the hospital entrance. 

Without hesitation, he ran toward the wreck. Seeing that the driver was unresponsive, he pulled the man from the car, checked for a pulse, and immediately began CPR in the hospital driveway. 

As the Griffin Hospital Emergency Department team rushed a gurney to the scene, Fusaro never stopped performing CPR, climbing onto the gurney and continuing chest compressions while the patient was being moved through the parking lot, the hospital lobby, and into the ED.

The team fought to stabilize the patient’s failing heart. When several interventions didn’t restore the patient’s heartbeat, they made one final effort - administering medication to dissolve clots blocking blood flow. Moments later, the patient’s heart began to beat again.

“Mike’s actions, driven by compassion and instinct, were not part of his shift that day - they are part of who he is,” the nomination for Fusaro stated. “Mike’s commitment to putting patients first doesn’t end when he’s off the clock, or even when help arrives on the scene.

“Thanks to Mike, and the dedicated caregivers who continued his heroic work in the ED, a family was able to share the holidays. As the patient’s wife said, ‘Because of Griffin, we were able to celebrate Christmas together as a family. You saved my soulmate.’”

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

From the 'Turnback Tuesday' archives: Revolutionary War story

 

This week's "Turnback Tuesday" features another event during the Revolutionary War. This one involves Sarah Humphreys Mills, daughter of Reverend Daniel and Sarah (Riggs) Humphreys of Derby. 

Sarah H. Mills fled Fairfield on July 7, 1779 while the British were burning down her home as well as the church and parsonage of her husband, Reverend Samuel Mills. 

Gathering her best feather-bed and placing it on a horse, Sarah H. Mills rode all the way home to Derby for safety, and by doing so, she was considered a very heroic woman during this time period. 

This photo is of her parents’ home.

[First posted on this date in 2018.] 

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

5th annual Dancing with the Stars to benefit Adam's House of Shelton

Seymour cheerleaders take 1st place at competition in Fairfield

The Seymour High School varsity cheerleaders competed last weekend at the Ludlowe Open hosted by Fairfield Ludlowe High School. 
The Lady Wildcats brought home the first place trophy in the All-Girl Varsity Advanced Division along with receiving the Grand Champion Award for receiving the highest score of the day. 
The Wildcats were up against 17 other Varsity teams for the Grand Champion Award. 
Congratulations to all!

Golf tourney in Fairfield to benefit Seymour-based Treasured Time

Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course is at 2390 Easton Turnpike, Fairfield.

Valley Shakespeare Festival to stage 'Dracula' in Shelton, Fairfield

Tom Simonetti, VSF executive director

Drop in for a drink and a “bite” this month as Valley Shakespeare Festival presents its latest Shakespeare in the Bar offering, Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Valley Shakespeare Festival is Connecticut’s newest and most innovative nonprofit theater company and is dedicated to bringing classic works of literature to life in new ways, in unlikely places, and at reduced or no cost.   

This month it’s a script-in-hand dramatic reading of the classic gothic horror story, Dracula, in two of Fairfield County’s most popular eateries:  Shelton’s Caloroso and Fairfield’s Anna Liffey’s.  

Valley Shakespeare Festival’s focus has always been on “the word,” on keeping the integrity of the work intact by staying true to the writer’s original text.  
They believe that when the work is solid, all the traditional accoutrements associated with theatrical performances, like props and costumes, can be kept to a minimum while still creating an absorbing and entertaining production.  This is especially true of their “Shakespeare in the Bar” series where space and other limitations often make the use of these items challenging, if not impossible.

Dracula is no exception.  
VSF will be using the script made famous on the 1938 “Mercury Theater on the Air” radio presentation which starred Orson Welles, so the company will have some very big shoes to fill.

Because the story of Dracula is so profoundly “atmospheric," one of the biggest jobs in this production will be the handling of the sound effects and music.  

Tara Reuter

Tara Reuter will play the role of Lucy and had this to say:

“The radio broadcast was so much to listen to!  What made it work so well was the music. There were crescendos to increase the drama and silence to emphasize tension.  The sound effects were really effective as well because they made you feel like you were really on a boat or in a storm or in a crowd of people.  Having sound in VSF’s production will enhance an already creepy and suspenseful play and take it to the next level.”

Tom Simonetti, VSF’s Artistic and Executive Director, adds:

“Of course, the biggest challenge is making sure that sound and cues come on time.
"There are quite a few that will be extremely important to the telling of the story. But the real challenge will be to make sure that the audience is so swept up into the story and adventure that they do not realize that the lovely Kristen Kingsley (our sound engineer) is the one making all of these sounds happen. It becomes kind of like the wizard in The Wizard of Oz : “Pay no attention to the (wo)man behind the curtain…”    

Kristen Kingsley

Kingsley is a frequent and long-time performer with VSF who has also worked with the company as a stage manager on previous productions. She’ll again be doing double duty on DRACULA and feels that this time her biggest role will be the sound.

“The challenge is definitely getting everything together and played out perfectly. I will be balancing both pre-recorded sound effects as well as giving the audience the ‘real feel’ in the radio booth with live effects. For example, I have a special sheet of plastic that, as you shake it, will give us a thunder effect, and some coconuts for horse hoof beats.  I’m going to have so much fun!”

Sounds like the audience will, too!

Performances are Oct. 20 at Caloroso Eatery & Bar at 100 Center St., Shelton, and Oct. 21 at Anna Liffey’s Irish Pub at 1494 Post Road, Fairfield.  
Doors open at 6 p.m., performances begin at 7:30 p.m.  Food and bar service is available at both venues throughout the evening.

Admission is $20 in advance, $25 at the door; tickets are available for purchase online at www.vsfesival.org or by calling 203-513-9446.


This is a press release from Valley Shakespeare Festival. 

Valley Shakespeare Festival to present 'Dracula' in Shelton, Fairfield

Lock up your doors and hide your daughters!  

Count Dracula, the infamously seductive and evil vampire of the 1897 Gothic horror novel will come to life once again Oct. 20 and Oct. 21 right here in Fairfield County.

Valley Shakespeare Festival Theater Company will present two scripted reading performances of the Bram Stoker classic just in time for Halloween as part of its popular “Shakespeare in the Bar” series.  

The Oct. 20 evening performance will be hosted by Caloroso Eatery and Bar in Shelton and the Oct. 21 performance will be held in Fairfield’s Anna Liffey’s Irish Pub.

Dracula is the sixth work VSF will present in its semi-annual “Shakespeare in the Bar” series. 
Fans of the nonprofit theater company will remember its previous productions of Macbeth, Titus Andronicus, Hamlet, The Tempest, and most recently, Moliere's Tartuffe. 

VSF will be utilizing the same script and sound effects used in the 1938 Mercury Theater on the Air radio broadcast which starred Orson Welles and Agnes Moorehead.  

Welles not only starred in the production, but also wrote the adaptation, and his version is commonly believed to be the most faithful to the original novel with much of the dialogue lifted verbatim.  It has been described as both “horrific and transcendent.”*

VSF will employ only five actors and one lighting/sound effects engineer to present its version.

Valley Shakespeare Festival is excited to present this production in its debut at its two new venues.  
Caloroso, 100 Center St., Shelton, has been a long-time supporter of VSF, hosting Opening Night Cast Parties for all four of the company’s Shakespeare in the Park productions.  
This will be the first time however, it will host a performance.  
The company is thrilled to be performing in the restaurant’s recently-completed lower level space. Its romantic fireplace, spacious tables and comfortable bar make it a perfect cabaret-like atmosphere for the production.  
Caloroso will offer dinner service before, during and after the performance as well as a full cash bar.

Anna Liffey’s Pub in Fairfield is no stranger to live performance, primarily presenting musical acts, but VSF will provide the venue’s first theatrical performance by a Shakespeare company.  
VSF is excited to be that company and looks forward to making appearances regularly at the venue.  
As with Caloroso, Anna Liffey’s will offer full food and bar service throughout the evening.

Tickets are available through Valley Shakespeare Festival by calling 203-513-9446 or by visiting www.vsfestival.org.   

Admission is $20 in advance or $25 at the door.  
Doors open at 6 p.m. performance begins at 7:30 p.m.

Space is limited; advance purchase is recommended.

*Colin Fleming, May 6, 2015

This is a press release from Valley Shakespeare Festival, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater company dedicated to bringing free and reduced cost theater to Connecticut communities.

Knights of Columbus from Shelton, Trumbull churches paint school

Knights of Columbus from St. Catherine of Siena, St. Theresa, and St. Lawrence churches recently painted more than 4,000 square feet of St. Catherine Academy in Fairfield. Pictured from left are Al Cerino, of St. Catherine’s of Siena, Deacon Frank Masso of St. Lawrence, Christian Meagher, and J.P. Rizzitelli, of St. Catherine of Siena, and Chris Lehaney, of St. Theresa./ Contributed photo

Knights of Columbus from St. Catherine of Siena and St. Theresa churches in Trumbull and St. Lawrence in Shelton recently painted more than 4,000 square feet of St. Catherine Academy in Fairfield.

Knights and volunteers from the three churches painted the school’s main hallway, receptionist office, physical therapy room and vocational room over the course of four days. 
The school hadn’t been painted in roughly four years and needed a fresh coat of paint as well as spackling in several places.

“This is a wonderful act of faith in action,” said Helen Burland, executive director of St. Catherine Academy. “We are so appreciative of the time and effort that was put in to make our building shine. I hope that members of these councils will be regular visitors to Saint Catherine’s. They are always welcomed!”

St. Catherine Academy is a special education school serving students of all faiths who are impacted with autism, intellectual, and developmental disabilities. 

The facility is intentionally designed to help students transition from former environments to one that encourages greater independence. Students develop positive self-esteem and self-confidence while acquiring the necessary skills to reach their potential for independent living or a return to a mainstream environment.

“As Knights of Columbus, it is our duty to act upon Jesus’ call to love thy neighbor as thyself,” said Christian Meagher, grand knight of Knights of Columbus Council 5806 at St. Catherine of Siena. 
“When Helen told us that the school needed a new coat of paint, brothers from these three councils enthusiastically answered the call. We were all proud to help this wonderful school and support its mission to make sure everyone gets a quality education and assistance in becoming independent.”

Knights of Columbus from St. Lawrence Church, from left, Bill Wolf and Greg Marty help paint St. Catherine Academy in Fairfield./ Contributed photo

Meagher thanked Benjamin Moore for donating the paint for the project, Jersey Mike’s Subs for donating lunch for the volunteers, and members of all three parishes who donated labor, funds, and supplies for the project.

For more information about the Knights of Columbus, visit kofc.org. 
For more information about St. Catherine Academy, visit stcatherineacademy.org.


This is a press release from Christian Meagher.

Holocaust survivor speaks at Ansonia High School

Fairfield resident Elizabeth Deutsch, center, a Holocaust survivor, was a guest speaker Friday at Ansonia High School. With her are AHS English teachers Amy Donofrio, left, and Christine Davis.

On Friday I had the pleasure of meeting Elizabeth Deutsch, 87, a Holocaust survivor. She spoke about her experiences to students and staff at Ansonia High School. A native of Hungary, Deutsch was 12 when World War II broke out.

I'm in the midst of writing a story today about her riveting presentation. Her message, in a nutshell, is "Never, ever forget the Holocaust."


Stay tuned for the story in the Valley Independent Sentinel.