Seymour Public Library to host 'Lost NYC' lecture via Zoom

Demolition of old Madison Square Garden. 

 SEYMOUR - The Seymour Public Library adult program department will host a free lecture by Jason Scappaticci via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 17.

From the library's website:

"New York City is noted for its historic architecture. Unfortunately, many landmarks have fallen victim to the wrecking ball in the name of progress. 

Did you ever see the lost Pennsylvania Station? Do you know about the Cornelius Vanderbilt II New York Mansion one of the largest homes ever built in the United States? 

Did you know that the current Madison Square Garden is actually the fourth venue that bears that name?
Zoom with us and join us for a tour of some of New York City's most famous demolished landmarks."

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85219137963...

Meeting ID: 852 1913 7963
Passcode: LostNYC 

Ansonia boy, 4, in NYC battling cancer loves to get mail

Roman poses with Ronald McDonald.

Sharing a post from Roman's aunt, Sara German Aylward:

Ansonia resident Roman Santiago, 4, son of Kellie German Santiago, is in New York City for treatment and is loving staying at the Ronald McDonald House! 

His big obsession: checking the mail. So if anyone wants to send him a little note, he would love to find your letter in the mailbox! He'll be there until March 12 (as of right now).

Roman Santiago, Room 402
Ronald McDonald House New York
405 E. 73rd St.
New York, NY 10021

Thanks in advance!

Oxford Parks & Recreation to host trip to Radio City Christmas Spectacular

Seymour Recreation plans annual trip to Radio City Music Hall

Friends of Derby Neck Library to hold bus trip to NYC museums

The Cloisters in New York City

DERBY - The Friends of Derby Neck Library will hold a bus trip May 18 to The Cloisters and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Travel by deluxe motor coach to two of the premiere art museums in the country. 

The bus leaves the Derby High School parking lot at 8:30 a.m. and returns at 5:30 p.m.

The fee for the bus and entry into both museums is $90. Seats are filling fast. 

Lunch is on your own at the Metropolitan Museum Café.

For information please call the library, 203-734-1492.

This is shared from the Library's Facebook page.

Recuperation journey: Sharing fall foliage found in NYC

My favorite son (ok, he's my only son) sent me photos he took of the autumn color in his Brooklyn neighborhood.
I thought I'd share some NYC foliage just for fun. 
I'd say Cameron has a pretty good eye! 

Enjoy your day!

Recuperation journey: You never know

I opened up my email this morning to learn that our wonderful, gentle son was mugged when he was out running last night.

At 2017 Griffin 5K

Cameron has lived in Brooklyn for almost five years and nothing like that had ever happened to him. 

He said he is OK physically but they took his phone. So he couldn't call at 1:36 a.m. when he got back from being interviewed by a detective.

I thank God he is OK. He knows he made a mistake being out late at night with his headphones on...he never heard the perps coming at him from behind.

I'm happy he had already planned to come home for the weekend! He's running the Griffin Hospital 5K Saturday morning as a member of my team.

You just never know.

Recuperation journey: Back to Brooklyn

Happy to report our son, Cameron, who had an accident riding his bike on a beautiful Sunday in October and needed surgery to repair a broken hip, is back to his apartment in Brooklyn. 
Yesterday was the big day. 
I was happy for him but sad for me. I certainly got used to him being here. We celebrated Halloween, his birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's with him at home.

I'm grateful he is much, much better after eight weeks of physical therapy at Griffin Hospital in Derby. 
I watched the whole process and the therapists who worked with him were amazing! I want to give a big shout-out to all of them, and thank them for everything. 
They gave him exercises and he followed them at home, which of course also helped hasten his recuperation journey. I hope he continues to do them. 
Cameron went from using a walker, to crutches, to one crutch, to a cane. He didn't need the cane around the house, but will need it for a while when he is out in public. 

The neighborhood where Cameron lives. Photo taken through the windshield by Ralph.

Recuperation journey: Quick update

Since I know many readers saw my post yesterday about Cameron - he of fractured hip fame - venturing to Long Island via several trains, I wanted to post a quick update. 

He did really well! I'm sure it boosted his confidence. 

The fun part is that just as Cameron arrived at his destination on L.I., he bumped into his co-workers dropping someone off at the station. 

Perfect timing! He didn't have to call a cab to get to the office. 
I told him there are no coincidences.

Seymour Middle School Glee Club performs at Radio City Music Hall

Sharing from the Seymour Public Schools Facebook page:  

The Seymour Middle School Glee Club under the direction of music teacher Nate Dobas performed at Radio City Music Hall in New York City Tuesday. 
The Glee Club did a wonderful job and we are very proud of them!

Congratulations to the students and their music teacher on this great honor! They certainly created memories to last a lifetime.

Recuperation journey: Back on track

The other person in this house with his own recuperation journey - thanks to an accident in which he broke his hip whilst riding his bike for exercise - is on a train to NYC. 

So he is literally back on track. 

Cameron feels comfortable enough on crutches to negotiate trains and subways and sidewalks and such. 
After he gets to Grand Central he takes a subway to Penn Station and then catches a train to Long Island.
He has been working from home thanks to modern technology but he was itching to see his co-workers and visit his company's client. 
Sadly he has been out of commission since the Oct. 15 accident in Brooklyn.

Meanwhile yours truly gets to stay home and think about him all day. 
Happily he's healing and the physical therapy at Griffin Hospital is going well.

Recuperation journey: Hallelujah he's home

Cameron is out of the Brooklyn hospital where he has been since he fractured his hip in a bike accident Oct. 15. Phew.

What an awful drive Ralph had Tuesday to Brooklyn and back - using hand controls on his modified mini-van - in torrential downpours. 
He and Allegra left at 4 p.m. and they were gone for eight and a half hours. 
Driving in the rain in the dark didn't help either.

But that's over and now it's upward and onward to help our son who has his own recuperation journey.

Recuperation journey: Expect the unexpected

Cliché yes, but so true.

On Sunday afternoon the phone rang. Caller ID showed our son Cameron's name. 
I immediately knew something was not right..he's a quiet guy and doesn't call much. We keep in touch with him through messaging.
He told me he had gotten in an accident riding his bike.

Cameron ran in the 

Griffin 5K Sept. 30.

Cam lives in Brooklyn. I think he called from the sidewalk at the accident scene, since he mentioned something about an EMT and waiting for an ambulance. It was a confusing phone call, to say the least.
A few hours later he called from the ER to tell me he had fractured his hip.
Long story short our boy called me around 1:20 a.m. to say he was out of surgery. He has pins in his hip now. I don't know all the details yet.

This morning he messaged me he had eaten breakfast and a friend would be bringing him a phone charger, so I know he's doing OK.

Cameron never got badly hurt when he was growing up; he wasn't the most active or athletic kid around..he was much more of a computer geek from a young age! 
But that geekiness has paid off for him in the workplace, I'm happy to say. We're very proud of our guy.

But today I feel so badly for him. He recently has gotten into biking and running and working on getting healthier.

Life isn't fair - to use another trite saying in this post.

Webster Hose once held Irish festival at Nolan Field in Ansonia

This is an interesting piece of Ansonia history seen in the Ansonia Fire Museum. It's an advertisement for an excursion train from NYC to Ansonia to attend an Irish festival at Nolan Field presented by Webster Hose Company. 
The Derby Historical Society held its annual meeting Sunday at the museum on Howard Avenue, and this is one of the artifacts on display.


Please stay tuned for more photos in an upcoming issue of The Valley Voice newsletter.

Seymour Rec schedules trip to Radio City Christmas Spectacular

Friends of Derby Neck Library to host trip to Brooklyn

Shelton teen competes in NYC

State Youth of the Year wished all the best!

Shelton resident Brooke Grand

SHELTON - Brooke Grand, the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley’s 2015 Youth of the Year, is participating in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Northeast Regional Youth of the Year Competition in New York. 

In early May Brooke earned the title of Connecticut State Youth of the Year, after competing against 15 other Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the state. 
This is the first time one of our Boys & Girls Club of the LNV youth have taken the coveted state title. Youth of the Year is the highest award a club can give to its members. 

Finalists from Clubs across the Northeast will gather at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City to share their stories of motivation, determination, and leadership development in their communities. 
If successful, Brooke will move on to Nationals in Washington, D.C., in September.

Growing up Brooke was constantly faced with troubling obstacles as her peers made destructive life choices. She was faced with the decision to be a follower or stand up for what she believed in. Family life wasn’t much better. 
She was forced to grow up much quicker than her peers, providing for herself and caring for her own needs. The Boys & Girls Club helped her steer clear of these negative influences and get on the right path.

Brooke has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley’s Raymond P. Lavietes unit for 12 years. It became her home-away-from home and her sanctuary, offering her endless opportunities to keep her mind off home life and focused on where her future was headed. 
She is a hard-working, highly motivated young woman, with a willingness to help others and a positive attitude despite the obstacles she has faced. Brooke has earned honors in school and was the top athlete in every sport she participated in. 

In addition to serving as Keystone Club officer, she has also run our Happy Hoopers health program, and works as a staff member. 

She sets off this fall to attend Southern Connecticut State University, where she will major in business. 
Brooke’s charismatic and compassionate nature has given her the opportunity to win up to $100,000 in renewable four year scholarships if she moves on to Youth of the Year Nationals.

For more information about the Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley visit www.BGC-LNV.org.


This is a press release from the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley.