Ansonia Library to host Touch a Truck event, firetruck edition

The Library is at 53 S. Cliff St., Ansonia. The event will be held in Christ Church parking lot, directly across the street. 

Vigil in New Haven to honor survivors, remember victims of domestic violence

To raise awareness about domestic violence, BHcare’s The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services and Hope Family Justice Center will hold a vigil to honor survivors and remember the victims of domestic violence. 

The Annual Sound of Hope will be held Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. at Long Wharf Pier, New Haven. 

The vigil will include the reading of names of those who have lost their life as a result of domestic violence. 

Each person will receive a flower to toss into the harbor. The flowers represent the hopes and struggles of the survivors as they strive to become free from violence. The flower also gently reminds us of the lives that have been taken from us due to domestic violence.

Every October, the nation observes Domestic Violence Awareness Month to bring to light an issue that affects all of our communities. On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men. ncadv.org

Pat Griffin, Connecticut Chief State Attorney, will be guest speaker and members of the local police departments will be recognized for their role in the fight against domestic violence. 

For more information about the vigil, or about domestic violence services visit www.BHcare.org. 

If you need immediate assistance, please call our 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline 1-888-774-2900.

UCDVS is a program of BHcare that provides services for victims and children of domestic violence free of charge. Each year, nearly 6,000 domestic violence victims, survivors and their children walk through the door of UCDVS looking for shelter, help and hope. 

HFJC, a program of BHcare, is a collaboration of multiple community providers under one roof providing free wraparound services for domestic violence survivors and their families. Victims of domestic violence receive support, healing and pathways to empowerment. 

This is a press release from BHcare.

Klarides-Ditria lists new legislation taking effect Oct. 1

I wanted to make you aware of new laws affecting Connecticut taxpayers and businesses taking effect on Saturday, Oct. 1.  This year, several important public safety measures become law, including many that were a result of pressure from both the public and Republican lawmakers concerned about an increase in crime, especially juvenile crime, and the dramatic rise in incidents of car theft; from 2019-2020 the increase in motor vehicle theft was just less than 4 times the national average - 41% vs 12%. Public Act 22-115 makes many changes to juvenile justice statutes to continue to preserve the rights of younger offenders, while also delivering faster arraignments and access to necessary intervention and diversionary program services. This bipartisan legislation is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done. The new law will, among other things: Require juveniles to be arraigned no more than 5 days after arrest (in some cases the next day) Require that the juvenile be assessed for services (such as diversionary programs) within 2 weeks of arraignment Allow a judge to order GPS tracking of a juvenile who is already awaiting trial for an offense and is arrested for a second or subsequent offense involving theft of a motor vehicle or a property crime Require judges to articulate within 48 hours the reason for denying a request for detention Replace the existing larceny statutes dealing with motor vehicles with a new standalone charge of “larceny of a motor vehicle,” with gradually increased charges based upon number of arrests The CT Post covers the topic in this article. Children’s Mental Health I supported Public Act 22-47 - An Act Concerning Children’s Mental Health - to address both the immediate and long-term needs of the state’s mental health systems. This wide-ranging legislation aims to address the youth mental health crisis and support children and families by growing the behavioral health workforce, expanding treatment facilities, and increasing insurance coverage for mental health services. Additionally, the legislation funds a 9-8-8 suicide prevention and mental health crisis lifeline. Protections for Domestic Violence Victims Another law I supported was Public Act 22-82 to address several important topics, including increased protections for domestic violence victims, increased safety for online dating, domestic violence training, workplace sexual harassment, employment discrimination, and more. The law requires online dating operators to provide Connecticut users with safety awareness notifications before allowing them to use the platform, sets up a grant program to provide education and training on online abuse, and extends anti-discrimination statutes to more workplaces. The law also prohibits discrimination against domestic violence victims, requires state agencies provide domestic violence training, and requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) provide $1.44 million for domestic violence agencies.  View the full list of new legislation here New legislation effective dates are typically January 1, July 1, and October 1 throughout the calendar year.

Sincerely,

'Turnback Tuesday' looks at devastation caused by '55 flood in Derby

Turnback Tuesday shares this incredible view of the Flood of 1955.

Taken from the tower of St. James Church on Minerva Street looking east towards the Naugatuck River. Red Star = Naugatuck River; green arrow = Freight Depot; blue arrow = Rt. 34; yellow arrow = Rt. 8; red arrow = Train Station; pink arrow = Farrel Birmingham; purple arrow = 1st Congregational Church; black arrow = St. Michaels Church and purple star = Housatonic river.

The devastation of the flood was not only to the landscape but to those living here. The image was a gift from the Birmingham National Bank to the Derby Public Library in November, 1955.

Thank you to Joe DiRienzo for his help in identifying landmarks.

Thanks goes to the Derby Public Library staff for sharing interesting local history each week.

Ansonia High School slates open house for middle school students, parents

 

Derby Public Library to present Tuesday matinees in October

 

The Library is at 313 Elizabeth St., Derby.

This is shared from the Library's Facebook page.

Register now for Commodore Hull Thanksgiving Day 5K in Shelton, Derby

Join us on Nov. 24, Thanksgiving morning, for this beloved charity road race that takes you through the historic downtowns of Derby and Shelton. The race starts at 8 a.m.

You'll finish in plenty of time to attend local sporting events and watch the parade on TV before heading off to family for your Thanksgiving feast. 

Open to runners of all ages. Grammar and high school students receive a discount of $20, and seniors age 70+ can run for free (must register before November 1). All registrations increase to $35 on November 1. 

Bib chip timing through Fast Track Timing LLC. All runners receive a long-sleeve tek race shirt. A heart-felt thank you to our flagship shirt sponsor, Greco & Haines, for once again underwriting the cost of the race shirts. 

Proceeds support the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley. #HullRace2022 Register now at https://bgc-lnv.org/events/commodore-hull-5k/ 

This is shared from the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley Facebook page.