Valley Experience offers fun events for community

I joined a meetup group - Valley Experience - started a few months ago by Valley native Kayleigh Apicerno. 

My husband, Ralph, and I plan to attend a Wine Down - our first meetup event - July 1 at Jones Family Farms' Winery in Shelton. 
It should be a fun Valley experience! 

I guess you could say I'm trying to become more "social" and get out in the community. 
I feel like I spend an inordinate amount of my free time with my cat. 
Not that there is anything wrong with that, but ... 

All work and no play makes for a dull person, or something like that. And I certainly don't want to be considered dull.

Sip and Paint in Seymour to benefit Nina Poeta scholarship fund

SEYMOUR - Calling all friends who love to make art or who want to learn! 
Lizzie's Corner Consignment and Gifts will host a Sip and Paint at 7 p.m. June 30. It will be a 'plein air' class.


Sharing info from Facebook event page:

"Join us at Lizzie's Corner for this fun event. Kokopelli Music and Arts Studio will be donating a portion of the proceeds to The Nina Poeta Memorial Scholarship Fund. A percentage of the sales at Lizzie's Corner from the evening will also be donated to this special fund. 

"Please share this event with your friends!! Checks for 30.00 payable to: Kokopelli Music and Arts can be dropped off at Lizzie's Corner Wednesday to Saturday 10-5 or Sunday from 12-4."

Shred event to benefit Ansonia Civil Defense Rescue Association

Ansonia Library slates summer kickoff book sale

ANSONIA - It's time to get a head start on beach reads for the summer months ahead!

The Ansonia Library, 53 S. Cliff St., will hold a summer kickoff book sale from 2-6 p.m. Thursday and 1-4 p.m. Friday.

Gently used books by your favorite authors, beautiful arts and crafts books, classics, children's books, DVDs, CDs, and more will be available for sale at unbeatable prices in our Bookworm Bookstore in the Community Room on the lower level of the library.

Fill a bag o’ books for only $8!

A special feature at this book sale will be the cookbook collection of well-known Ansonia baker Roy Tidmarsh, who recently passed away.

For more information and directions, go to www.ansonialibrary.org

*We advertise on booksalefinder.com.


This is a press release from Friends of the Ansonia Library.

Bingo at The Hops Company in Derby raises funds for breast wellness center

Bingo for Boobies, an event to benefit The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital, drew a large crowd Tuesday evening. It was hosted by The Hops Company in Derby. 

PCRC to become division of BHcare

Valley organizations to affiliate, form stronger resource
ANSONIA - BHcare and the Parent Child Resource Center announced Tuesday their respective boards of directors have voted to proactively affiliate the two organizations to form a stronger and unified resource for our communities.  

The vote came after many months of careful review and planning; both organizations will maintain their current locations and identities, and PCRC will become a division of BHcare.

The affiliation will be effective July 1, 2016, bringing together two vital organizations with essential and complementary programs, including behavioral health services for children and adults, addiction and prevention services, and domestic violence services.  
The two private, non-profit corporations will gradually integrate their operations to maintain continuity in client service delivery and minimize disruption in operations. 
    
BHcare has 280 employees and is the Local Mental Health Authority for the towns of Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton, in the Valley and Branford, East Haven, Guilford, Madison, North Branford and North Haven on the Shoreline; its services operate primarily out of locations in Ansonia and Branford, and its administrative offices are in North Haven.  

BHcare also operates The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services and the Greater Valley Substance Abuse Action Council.  
Each year BHcare provides hope, health and recovery for more than 13,000 individuals and families.

PCRC is a private, nonprofit corporation based in Derby with 55 employees.  
Its mission is “saving lives by passionately caring for children, families and community.”  

Each year PCRC provides children’s mental health services for more than 1,200 children and families.
Strategic outcomes of the merger include providing enhanced and expanded care programs and greater operating efficiency and economy of scale.  The leadership team and board of directors are committed to providing the best local programs and services for clients, communities and staff members.  

BHcare President/CEO, Roberta Cook said, “BHcare and PCRC have a longstanding history of providing critical behavioral health services for Valley families, and beyond. Together we will have the opportunity to better coordinate those services and form a more comprehensive system of care for our children, adults and families.”

Michael Wynne, president/CEO of PCRC said, “This is a case where the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts. This affiliation will result in enhanced service to the individuals, families, and the communities we serve.  And, I am confident it will be beneficial to the employees of our organizations.”

This is a press release from BHcare. 

Ansonia Middle School awards prizes at commencement

ANSONIA – Commencement prizes were awarded to Ansonia Middle School eighth graders during a program June 9 in the Ansonia Middle School auditorium. 

They were:

Ansonia Middle School Prize, for outstanding scholastic achievement, to the highest ranking graduates: Jere Mae Pintacasi and Anna Msciwujewska.

Ansonia Federation of Teachers Local 1012 Prize, for highest average in algebra: Jere Mae Pintacasi and William Kaye. 

Ansonia Administrators’ Organization Award, for highest average in language arts: Jere Mae Pintacasi and Maliqa Mosley-Williams. 

Ansonia Middle School Principals’ Award, for special recognition: Felicia Tillotson and Nikola Jaworska.

Ansonia Middle School Science Prize, for outstanding achievement: Rachel Bendkowski and William Kaye.

Raymond Steeves Award, for most improved in academics and citizenship: Madison
Boylan and Jeremiah DeJesus.

Walter Richter Memorial Award, given by Hilltop Hose Co. #5, for outstanding effort: Debra-Lynne Morales and Tabitha Kinney.

Seymour “Bob” Spanier Memorial Awards, given by Hilltop Hose Co. #5, for improvement in math and volunteerism: Jontea Hargrove and Kierstan LaRue

Knights of Columbus - Holy Rosary Council Award, for the most motivated and conscientious: Faiza Chowdhury and Joseph Mongillo.

Ansonia American Legion Post 50 Award, for good citizenship, patriotism and spirit: Ryanne Thomas  and Remy Hurd.

Ansonia Middle School Awards, for outstanding achievement: Gina Beattie and Konrad Czerwonka (art); Jere Mae Pintacasi of Remi Hurd (music); Ian Gifford and Lexi Brinkman (P.E.); Darlene Veloz and Julie LaPrade (health); and Lizette Hershaft and Marissa Rosado (consumer technology).

Bright Lights Musicals, LLC award, for outstanding drama students: Antonella Mazzacco and Dianna Perez-Santana.

ESL Award, for greatest improvement and effort in the study of English: Kynowshka Figueroa-Mojica and Alper Arslan.

AMS Social Studies Prize: Rachel Chapman and Anna Msciwujewska.

AMS Math Prize: Ian Gifford and Emma Brown.

AMS Spanish Prize, for outstanding achievement in a foreign language: Angie Sandoval-Gonzalez and William Kaye.

Thelma Komisar Award, for greatest improvement in Reading: Brianna Casson and Lavaisha Williams.

Julian Taylor Awards, for top African American students on each team: Hawa Camara and Maliqa Mosley-Williams.

Ernest M. Grant Memorial Scholarship Award, to the second highest ranking African-American girl and boy on each team: Jontea Hargrove and Isaiah Hicks; and Starletta Smith and Isaiah Taylor.

Congratulations to all the awardees!