Griffin, Agency on Aging to host heart-health bingo for seniors in February

Griffin Health and the Agency on Aging of South-Central Connecticut will host fun and educational programs on heart health for Valley seniors this February.

Griffin Health Director of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Richard Le Pera, MPH, CCRP, will lead Boost Your Heart Health, a free discussion of the basics of heart health followed by games of heart-healthy bingo. 

Griffin Health caregivers will also offer free blood pressure screenings and consultation. 

The presentations are scheduled for Feb. 2 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at the Seymour Senior Center, Feb. 5 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at the Ansonia Senior Center, Feb. 25 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Shelton Senior Center, and Feb. 26 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Derby Neck Library.

These offerings are part of the AgeWell program, which is co-sponsored by Griffin Health and the Agency on Aging of South-Central Connecticut to increase access to care and prevent disease in the Valley senior community through a series of health screenings and healthy living education sessions each month. Periodically, this program provides nutritiously balanced and delicious foods for attendees.

Registration is required to attend the AgeWell events. To sign up, contact the location (Ansonia Senior Center: 203-736-5933; Seymour Senior Center: 203- 888-0406 ext. 1; Shelton Senior Center: 203-924-9324; and Derby Neck Library: 203-734-1492).

This is a press release from Griffin Health.

Rochelle: Ansonia receives $400K state grant for housing rehab

This is shared from a press release from state Rep. Kara Rochelle, D-Ansonia/Derby:

I am pleased to share that Ansonia is among the 12 municipalities in Connecticut awarded $13 million in Small Cities Grants through the state's Community Development Block Grant to modernize and rehabilitate housing. Ansonia received a $400,000 grant, which will capitalize its Housing Rehabilitation Program. The program seeks to make health and safety improvements to homes of low and moderate-income community residents. Project repairs will address the needs of 12 to 20 households with code violations to create safer conditions. The city will prioritize homes with health and safety concerns and/or life-threatening conditions. Ansonia residents who are interested in applying for funding should contact Sheila O'Malley at somalley@ansoniact.org, or Anna Andretta at aandretta@ansoniact.org, or call 203-922-3946. This funding is critically important for people who are already strapped for resources and will help fund enhancements to the city's housing stock and increase property values. Thank you to Governor Lamont and Connecticut Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno for allocating resources to improve residents' lives. I am grateful Sheila O'Malley, Ansonia's Director of Economic Development, recognized and pursued this opportunity for Ansonia's hard-working residents. Housing opens doors for our city and its residents. This is wonderful news for our community. Ansonia residents that are interested in applying for funding should contact Sheila O'Malley at somalley@ansoniact.org, or Anna Andretta at aandretta@ansoniact.org, or call 203-922-3946. Read more about the Small Cities program here.

Griffin Hospital in Derby launches stroke support group

Griffin Hospital is starting a new stroke support group for survivors and caregivers./ Contributed photo

DERBY - Griffin Hospital is starting a new support group to help stroke survivors and their caregivers understand the effects and manage their lifestyles.

Starting Oct. 14, the Griffin Health Stroke Support Group will meet on the second Monday of each month from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital, 350 Seymour Ave.

The group will provide education to survivors and caregivers to help them understand physiological and psychological effects post stroke, and provide an emotional outlet through group discussions.

Guest speakers will be invited to discuss various topics, including fatigue, stress, exercise, and local and national resources.

For more information, contact Griffin Hospital Rehabilitation Services at 203-732-7445.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Rochelle lauds $1M in state aid for Cicia Manor upgrades in Derby

Kara Rochelle

HARTFORD - State Rep. Kara Rochelle, D-Ansonia/Derby, this week applauded the announcement of $1 million in state aid awarded to Derby’s Housing Authority for improvements to Cicia Manor, which provides housing to elderly and disabled residents.  

The funding, administered by the state Department of Housing with resources from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is part of $13 million in Community Development Block Grants awarded to 13 municipalities across the state after a competitive application process. 

The grants will help provide infrastructure upgrades that will modernize and rehabilitate housing for low and moderate-income individuals.

“I want to thank and praise all parties, as this was a true team effort," Rochelle said.  "Of note, a warm thank you to Derby Housing Authority Chair Linda Fusco for spearheading these effort, coordinating state and local officials, and being the soul and force behind the work. I’d also like to thank Derby Housing Authority Commissioner Adam Pacheco for joining me in Hartford to meet with state Department of Housing officials to advocate for Derby’s needs; Grant Writers Patty Finn and Peter Testa for their well-crafted application; Derby’s State Elderly Coordinator Ellen Oczkowski who coordinated much of the local data, Mayor Richard Dziekan and the Derby legislative delegation, state Rep. Themis Klarides, state Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, and state Sen. George S. Logan for their letter of support; Gov. Ned Lamont, state DOH Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno, and her team for seeing the value in allocating resources to our community, and many others who have had their hand in bringing this to fruition for our residents.  When we work together, good things happen.”

The proposed scope of work for Cicia Manor is to create three new ADA-Complaint residential units and make ADA upgrades to the Community Building. The kitchen area will be renovated. The existing bathrooms will be redesigned to address access, floor space, turning radius, approach zones, and clearances. 

The electric baseboard heating system will be supplemented with a heat pump significantly reducing electrical usage, and generator installation will allow the community building to be used as a place of refuge for all residents in the event of power outages.


This is a press release from Rochelle's office.

Bishop Wicke rehabilitation facility in Shelton wins recognition

SHELTON - Bishop Wicke Health and Rehabilitation Center on the Wesley Village senior living campus was named a Top Performing facility in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018-19 Best Nursing Homes ratings. 

The information is available exclusively at http://www.usnews.com/best-nursing-homes.

For the first time this year, U.S. News is giving facilities two ratings - one for the overall quality of the home, and the other a new “short-stay rehab rating.” 

The ratings were based on U.S News & World Report’s in-depth analysis of data from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including data not factored into CMS’s star ratings.

Only 19 percent of U.S. nursing homes earned at least one badge; some, including Bishop Wicke, earned both.

Bishop Wicke offers short-term rehab and skilled nursing care, including specialized programs for surgical recovery, orthopedics, cardiac and respiratory rehab, heart failure, and more. 

The facility is located on the Wesley Village Campus, 584 Long Hill Ave. and is owned and operated by United Methodist Homes, a local, not-for-profit organization. 
For more information about relationship-centered care at Bishop Wicke, please visit www.wesleyvillage-ct.org or call 203-929-5321. 

This is a press release from United Methodist Homes.

Renovations moving along at Humphreys House in Ansonia

ANSONIA - Derby Historical Society executive director Paula Norton Friday posted photos on Facebook of Humphreys House renovations, and I'm using part of the post here with her permission. 

My husband, Ralph, serves on the board of the Derby Historical Society, and our daughter, Allegra, has worked there as a docent. 
(She is at left in photo).

We all love the Gen. David Humphreys House at 37 Elm St., and I'm happy to publicize the progress being made!

                  Eric and Ethan Iott replacing the clapboard siding.

            Exterior work being performed Friday. 

Floorboards being replaced in the study of the 1698 house.


Photos courtesy of Paula Norton

Griffin Hospital in Derby to host talk on vocational counseling

The Griffin Hospital Life after Stroke Support Group will host a free presentation Oct. 13 on job placement and vocational counseling for people to re-enter the work force after an illness or disability./ Submitted photo

DERBY - The Griffin Hospital Life after Stroke Support Group will host a free presentation on job placement and vocational counseling for people to re-enter the work force after an illness or disability from noon-1 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital, 350 Seymour Ave.

Representatives from the Connecticut Department of Rehabilitation Services will discuss vocational counseling, job search assistance, supported employment services and services to assist in restoring or improving a physical or mental impairment.

The Life after Stroke Support Group at Griffin Hospital meets monthly and is open to stroke survivors between the ages of 20 and 65. 
This group will provide information from health experts, resources and support for individuals who have suffered a stroke in the prime of their lives. Caregivers are also welcome.

For more information, contact Griffin Hospital Rehabilitation Services at 203-732-7445.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital. 

Gentile: Ansonia to get $400,000 grant for housing rehabilitation

Homeowners will be able to pay for improvements 

ANSONIA - State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia/Derby, is pleased to report Ansonia is getting a $400,000 housing grant.  

The funds will help low and moderate-income homeowners to rehabilitate their homes.  

As many as 10 homes are expected to use the funds for roof replacement, heating system upgrades, window replacement, lead paint and asbestos removal, electrical, and building code upgrades.

“This is great news for Ansonia and for homeowners in desperate need of fixing up their properties,” said Gentile.  

“We all know how expensive it can be to pay for repairs and normal home maintenance. These funds will help ease the financial burden while improving property values.”

Twenty other towns in Connecticut with populations under 50,000 are sharing a $13 million Community Development Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This is a press release from the Connecticut House Democrats' office.

Resident at Wesley Village in Shelton celebrates 100th birthday

Wesley Village resident, Christina Sudol poses for a birthday photo with staff member, Graciela Lopez and “Jonah,” a visiting Shih-Poo. /Contributed photo

SHELTON - Residents and staff at the Wesley Village senior living campus gathered Dec. 4 to celebrate Christina Sudol’s 100th birthday. 
Sudol, a resident in the Lifestyle Transitions neighborhood on the campus, was the first person to move in to the new wing, which was opened in January 2015. 
Staff from across the campus joined in the celebration and sent birthday wishes through 100 greeting cards, which were presented to Sudol by Lifestyle Transitions program director Lisa Kelleher. 
“We’ve been collecting cards from everyone – staff, residents, family and friends. Students from Park City Magnet School in Bridgeport even sent a bundle of handmade cards for Christina,” Kelleher said. “She was delighted!”

“I’m not 100,” Sudol argued, with a smile. 
“How about 50 x 2?” Kelleher suggested, to which Sudol agreed. 
Along with the birthday cards, the festivities included a beautiful birthday cake and Sudol’s favorite musical tunes: big band, classical, and Frank Sinatra. 
Wesley Heights Resident Services Coordinator Donna Brice also surprised Sudol, a dog lover, with a visit from her dog, Jonah, a Shih-Poo. 

Sudol received a proclamation from Mayor Mark Lauretti, recognizing her 100^th year and sending her best wishes. Before cutting her cake, she stopped to thank her guests and enjoyed the afternoon, posing for birthday photos and reading her many birthday cards. 
“It was a big party,” she told her daughter.

Lifestyle Transitions at Wesley Heights is located at 580 Long Hill Ave. on the Wesley Village campus. 
The program offers specialized assisted living and memory care options for individuals in need of personalized routines and a supportive environment. 
The campus also offers assisted and independent living, skilled nursing, short-term rehab, and outpatient therapy and fitness services. 
To learn more, visit www.wesleyvillage-ct.org or contact Lisa Bisson, 203-225-5024.

This is a press release from United Methodist Homes.

Lawmakers hail funds for rehab of Derby-Shelton Bridge

HARTFORD - State Representatives Linda M. Gentile and Theresa Conroy and state Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. welcomed the approval of a major transportation improvement for Derby. 

Earlier this week, the state Bond Commission granted $2 million for the Department of Transportation to rehab the Derby-Shelton Bridge over the Housatonic River.

The funds will be administered through the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments. 
This project includes resurfacing of the deck and bicycle and pedestrian improvements.

“I am thrilled with the funding allocated for Derby-Shelton Bridge,” Gentile said. 
“The funds will not only provide a bicycling lane, but will also improve commuting traffic patterns and aesthetics. I'd like to thank Rick Dunne and his staff at the Naugatuck Valley Regional Council of Governments for their work on the planning, design and the grant application.”
“Investing in transportation projects makes sense,” Conroy said. “I am very pleased to see this funding move forward.”
“It is essential that we make improvements to our transportation infrastructure a priority in Connecticut,” Crisco said. 
“Thanks go to the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments for taking the initiative on this project, and to the Governor and state Bond Commission for supporting such an important long-term investment in our region.” 


This is a press release from the office of state Democrats.

Learn wildlife rehab, take night hike at Ansonia Nature Center

ANSONIA - The Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center, 10 Deerfield Road, will host a wildlife rehabilitation open house and a night hike on April 4.

At 2 p.m. Dawn Sotir will introduce you to the “job description” of 
wildlife rehabilitators, what to expect if you become one, and what to do to provide “first aid” to a wild animal in need.
Free, but please register. Call 203-736-1053.

At 7:30 p.m. a Full Pink Moon Hike will be held.
Enjoy the sounds of spring with Nature Center guides as they lead you around the
wetlands to spot some spring amphibians by the light of the moon. 
For all ages (children must be accompanied by an adult), fee is $1. 
Please call to register.