Thursday, November 10, 2016

Public invited to charrette in Derby next week



DERBY - Mayor Anita Dugatto is inviting residents to the Charrette, the culminating public event of Downtown Now! Derby’s Blueprint for Progress.

The Charrette, an intensive and interactive multi-day design workshop, will be held at The Ballroom at 33 Elizabeth St. and will be led by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company (DPZ) – world leaders in traditional urban design.

The five-day event will start on Monday and run through Nov. 18. During this time, the public will have several opportunities, through scheduled drop-in times and formal presentations, to weigh-in and help define the redevelopment plan for the south side of downtown Main Street.
“At the Charrette, members of the DPZ team will put pen to paper, giving shape to the ideas that have been collected from the community leading up to this point,” Dugatto said. “Members of the design team will take inspiration from the vision shared by citizens at the two preceding public workshops and will anchor that vision in reality.”

To facilitate the work of the DPZ team, The Ballroom will be transformed into an architect and urban designer studio.
“The Charrette is an intensive and highly visual event. We will be starting with blank sheets of paper and will fill them in with drawings and ideas as the week progresses,” said Marina Khoury, DPZ team leader. “Input by the public at this creative stage in the design process is very important to the future of the redevelopment site, downtown Derby, and the city as a whole.”
On Tuesday, community members are invited to attend a public meeting where a preview of the preliminary design ideas will be presented. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at The Ballroom.

As planners and designers develop design alternatives, the public is encouraged to drop in and comment on what the DPZ team is doing. 
Citizens will be able to interact with the team by viewing their progress, offering feedback, and asking questions.
Drop-in sessions are as follows: Tuesday and Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday’s hours are abbreviated to allow the DPZ team time to complete the design and prepare for the presentation of the preferred design alternatives.

Preferred design alternatives will be presented at a public meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. at The Ballroom. Everyone is encouraged to attend.

The City of Derby has appointed a citizen Advisory Committee to guide the development of the plan. Advisory Committee members include: Shane Mangado, Jack Walsh, Christian Meagher, Jim Gildea, Christina DiMartino, Natasha Kelly, Virginia Russo, Willetta Capelle, Beth Colette, and Sarah Widomski.

With offices in Miami and Washington, D.C., DPZ Partners is one of the country’s preeminent urban design and planning firms, having designed over 400 new and existing communities in the U.S. and abroad.

For Downtown Now! DPZ Partners has joined forces with CDM Smith who will provide infrastructure and environmental engineering support; The Williams Group who will conduct market analysis to determine what the market can support, develop, and finance; Urban 3 who will analyze the tax revenue implication of proposed alternatives; Gianni Longo and Associates who will lead public engagement; New Haven-based Robert Orr Associates who will focus on the unique character of Derby’s urbanism and architecture; and Good Earth Advisors (GEA), also based in Connecticut, who will assist with community outreach and act as a local liaison. 

Pet First Aid program offered at Seymour Library

SEYMOUR - An Animal First Aid Program will be held from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 30 at Seymour Public Library, 46 Church St., led by EARS (Emergency Animal Response Service).

It will show pet owners how to provide emergency care to their pet if hurt as well as how to prepare for weather-related issues, house fires, and other situations. 


The audience will leave with handouts and a first aid booklet.

The program is geared for cat and dog owners.
Registration is required, in person or by calling the Library, 203-888-3903.



This information is shared from an online community calendar sponsored by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and The New Haven Independent.

American Legion Post 50 in Ansonia to hold Veterans Day ceremony


Ansonia Rotary Club to present benefit basketball game


Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Church in Shelton to hold 29th annual Christmas Fair

SHELTON - The Church of the Good Shepherd will hold its 29th Annual Good Shepherd Cookie Express Christmas Fair from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 19.

The fair will be held on the grounds of the church, 182 Coram Ave.



This information is shared from an online community calendar sponsored by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and The New Haven Independent. 

Derby Public Library to host holiday lunchtime book discussion

DERBY - The Derby Public Library, 313 Elizabeth St., has scheduled a Special Holiday Lunchtime Book Discussion for 12:30 p.m. Dec. 7.

The selected title is Christmas Jars by Jason Wright. 

On Christmas Eve, 20-something Hope Jensen is 
quietly grieving the recent loss of her adoptive mother when her apartment is robbed.

The one bright spot in the midst of Hope's despair is a small jar full of money someone has anonymously left on her doorstep.
Eager to learn the source of this unexpected generosity,
Hope uses her newswoman instincts to find other recipients of "Christmas jars," digging until her search leads her to the
family who first began the tradition of saving a year's worth of spare change to give to someone in need at the holiday.

Multiple copies of the book are available at the circulation desk.  
Dessert and beverages will be provided.  
Registration is requested. 

To register call 203-736-1482.


This is a press release from Cathy Williams, Director, Derby Public Library. 

Boy Scouts to collect food for Spooner House in Shelton


SHELTON - The City of Shelton Boy Scout Troops and Packs are collecting cans of food from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at Huntington Firehouse, 44 Church St. 
The drive is sponsored by Housatonic Council, Boy Scouts of America.
The food collected will be delivered to Spooner House, 30 Todd Road.

Service to others is part of the Scout Oath “...to help other people…” and for 28 years Scouting for Food has grown into a major legacy program for the Boy Scouts of America and has become a point of pride for many Scouts across the nation. 
In addition to the joy of helping others, Scouting for Food also gives young people a sense of responsibility, teaches leadership ,and gives additional meaning to the Boy Scout slogan of “Do a Good Turn Daily.” Scouting for Food is another way that the Boy Scouts builds character for America’s youth.

Scouting for Food started in 1988 as a two-year “National Good Turn” food-collection program, and is still going strong 28 years later. 
Hunger was identified in 1988 by Scouting as one of five “unacceptables” in our society (others were drug and child abuse, illiteracy and unemployment), and Scouting for Food, which was launched to meet the needs of the nation’s hungry. 
The Boy Scouts of America, Housatonic Council looks forward to continuing to help other people, and continuing the Scouting for Food legacy.


*Sharing this information from an online community calendar sponsored by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and The New Haven Independent.