WWII author, historian to speak Monday at Oxford Public Library

 

Valley Shakespeare Festival to host 'spree' at Plumb Memorial Library in Shelton

A scene from the touring production of 'Pericles, Prince of Tyre.' / Contributed photo

SHELTON - Valley Shakespeare Festival continues its innovative ways to bring the fun and excitement of live classical theater to an ever-growing Connecticut audience by sponsoring a six-hour, free “activity spree” from 2-8 p.m. May 3 at Plumb Memorial Library, 65 Wooster St.  

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s 36-hour Great Give annual online fundraising campaign for local nonprofits begins May 3. 
Valley Shakespeare Festival is doing its part to raise interest in its organization by giving the community a free sampling of its “wares.”  

First up for the day is “Afternoon Tea with the Queen” at 2 p.m. in the lovely Reading Room of the Romanesque Revival building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.  

From 'Pericles, Prince of Tyre'

Guests of Her Majesty, the Queen, and her Jester will be treated to a light repast typical of an Elizabethan afternoon tea, including assorted sweets and teas, while learning about the life and culture of 17^th century England.  
Then, as an introduction to the company’s summer production, “The Taming of the Shrew,” the company will present a very special vocal performance of selections from the musical version of the play, “Kiss Me, Kate” by local favorites Gary Harger and Tom Simonetti. 

At 5 p.m. Valley Shakespeare Festival’s very own Fool will emcee “Jester’s ‘Jeopardy!’”, his wacky version of the perennially popular television game show. 
Guests will have time to relax and enjoy free pizza while the contestants, a team of representatives from the Shelton school system, prepare to compete to find out who is the District’s foremost expert on everything Bard.  
But these brave contestants will, no doubt, find their greatest challenge not in the Jester’s questions, but in their ability to maintain a straight face as he does his best clowning to throw them off their games!  

At 7 p.m., the company will head back up to the library’s Reading Room to present a full performance of their 2016 touring production of “Pericles, Prince of Tyre,” an adventure yarn set in the Greek isles.  
This is the same performance which will be presented to Shelton fourth, fifth and sixth grade students as part of Valley Shakespeare Festival’s Education Initiative Program this spring.

All three events are free and open to the public and guests are invited to attend any or all as they wish. 
Valley Shakespeare Festival representatives will be on hand to assist any guests who are interested in donating to the company via the Great Give during the events.

This is a press release from Valley Shakespeare Festival, a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) theater company dedicated to bringing free and affordably-priced theater to the communities of the lower Naugatuck Valley.

Cards sought to honor state veteran on his 90th birthday

Sharing from Shelton resident who is proud of her Dad, part of 'The Greatest Generation'

WWII Army hero Paul Panagrosso 

By DEBBIE BARBIERO
Paul Panagrosso entered World War II by joining the U.S Army at age 18 to be part of the 106th Infantry Division. 

He was captured by the Germans on the first day of the Battle of the Bulge, Dec. 16, 1944. 
After marching for days in snow he was placed in Stalag XIA and then transferred to Stalag IIIA. Eventually he was sent off to a work camp where he spent untold hours unloading railroad ties. 

Panagrosso during WWII

In April 1945 the work camp was evacuated and he had to march east. His feet were frostbitten and he needed the aid of a cart for this journey. Near the Elbe River he and his group stopped to take shelter. That evening the town came under attack by advancing Americans and they were liberated, ending five months of captivity. 

He was 165 pounds when he entered the Army. But when he arrived at Camp Lucky Strike in France for treatment he weighed only 100 pounds. 
After just one month at the hospital he was on a ship back to the States. 

He received a 60-day furlough and reassigned to Camp Devens, Mass. where he waited after being told he would soon be deployed to the Pacific to fight Japan. 
The war thankfully ended before this occurred and he was released from the Army in December, 1945. 

Like so many other Americans our father was part of “The Greatest Generation.”

To show our appreciation we are hoping to flood his mailbox with greetings in celebration of his 90th birthday on July 5. 

Please send cards to: 

Paul Panagrosso, P.O. Box 193, Chaplin, CT., 06235.

I'm PROUD to say, this is my Dad! 
I am so grateful he is still with us. He is my HERO!