YA Wednesdays slated in December at Derby Public Library

DERBY - Derby Public Library invites all young adults ages 12 to 17 to join the fun of YA Wednesdays in December. The sessions run from 6-7:30 p.m. 

Sony Play Station Four (PS4), Nintendo Wii, board games, and Legos will be available. 
Light refreshments will be provided. 
For more information stop by the Library, 313 Elizabeth St., call 203-736-1482, or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.


This is a press release from Tony DeLos, young adult librarian, Derby Public Library.

Star 99.9 to collect food, monetary donations at Market 32 in Oxford

The drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Market 32, 300 Oxford Road, Oxford.

Derby -Shelton Rotary Club to deliver sand, salt mixture to seniors, disabled

SHELTON - The Derby-Shelton Rotary Club will be delivering five-gallon buckets of sand and salt mixture to seniors over 65 and disabled individuals residing in Derby and Shelton on Dec. 5-8 to spread on walkways and driveways during the winter.  

If you are interested in receiving a bucket, sign up at the Derby or Shelton Senior Centers or contact Kim Ryan at Curtiss Ryan Honda, 203- 929-1484 X227 or email: kim@curtissryan.com. 

Individuals who live in housing developments that already provide sand are not eligible.

Sign-up deadline is Nov. 27. The sand will be delivered Dec. 5-8. 

The Rotary motto is Service Above Self.  Rotarians are involved in projects such as curing the world of Polio and providing a dictionary to every third grader in Derby and Shelton.  

Website: www.Derby-SheltonRotary.org

Email: derbysheltonrotary@yahoo.com

This is a press release from the Club. 

'Stuff a Truck' food drive slated Saturday in Shelton

 

Griffin Hospital honors Shelton man with Planetree Scholar Award

Griffin Health Certified Operating Room Technician Kojo Agyedu of Shelton, center, was recently awarded the Planetree Scholar Award. Celebrating with him are Griffin Health President and CEO Patrick Charmel, left, and Todd Liu, Vice President, Accountable Care, and General Counsel./ Contributed photo

DERBY - Griffin Health Certified Operating Room Technician Kojo Agyedu of Shelton was recently awarded the Planetree Scholar Award at the 2019 Planetree International Conference on Person-Centered Care held in Orlando.

The Planetree Scholar Award honors individuals whose attitudes and deeds inspire others to greater heights and have advanced an organization's person-centered care efforts. 

Agyedu has been with Griffin for more than seven years, building a reputation as a very special caregiver who takes exceptional care of his patients and has fantastic relationships with fellow caregivers, surgical sales representatives and students.

Agyedu’s coworkers nominated him for the award based on his ability to develop positive relationships with his patients and for his unwavering efforts to do everything he can to make patients feel comfortable and relaxed - from putting warm blankets on them, to welcoming children into the surgery process so they understand what’s going on, to consoling and calming anxious patients and their loved ones.

“Every decision he makes is guided by putting himself in the other person’s shoes,” the nomination form for Agyedu states. “He treats them as he would want to be treated.”

About Planetree

Founded in 1978 by Angelica Thieriot, a San Francisco patient who endured a traumatic health care experience, Planetree is an internationally-recognized not-for-profit organization that partners with health care providers around the globe to advance patient-/resident-centered approaches to care.

Planetree has been at the forefront of the effort to personalize, humanize, and demystify the health care system for more than 30 years. With its model of patient-/resident-centered care being implemented in a diverse range of hospitals, continuing care facilities, outpatient clinics, and consumer health libraries across North America, Canada, Brazil, The Netherlands and Japan, Planetree is demonstrating that patient-centered care is not only an empowering philosophy, but a viable, vital, and cost-effective model of care.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Seymour Public Library to present Connecticut Yuletide Carolers

Rochelle hails passage of economic development legislation

State Rep. Kara Rochelle

HARTFORD - State Rep. Kara Rochelle (D-Ansonia, Derby) co-sponsored and supported several pieces of pro-economic growth legislation passed this year in the state legislature.


Other legislation Rochelle advocated for supports bringing in more businesses to the state, reforming and streamlining regulations, and giving current businesses the tools and opportunities necessary to expand.





Rochelle wrote HB 5833, An Act Establishing a Pilot Program for the Expansion of Advanced Manufacturing Certificate Programs which would create more opportunities for people to attain good-paying manufacturing jobs.

“I’m proud to advance efforts to rebuild our work force and provide a stronger economy for all residents. The bill I wrote, and the other initiatives I supported, all focus on smartly targeting areas to improve upon,” she said.

Below is a look at the related bills that passed during the previous session:

HB 5833 An Act Establishing a Pilot Program for the Expansion of Advanced Manufacturing Certificate Programs – This bill, which Rochelle wrote, introduced, and passionately advocated for, provides opportunities for high school students and adults to access the technical training needed to compete for the 12,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs currently open in our state.

HB 7008 An Act Implementing The Recommendations Of The Working Group On A Public-Private Partnership To Recruit Businesses To Connecticut – develops a marketing and outreach strategy to encourage businesses to move to Connecticut.

SB 1030 An Act Concerning The Transfer Of Hazardous Waste Establishments – The Naugatuck Valley is a region with a high number of Brownfields, like the Ansonia Copper & Brass site.

Rochelle listened to local investors’ concerns that the Transfer Act was holding back brownfield development in Connecticut. Legislators revised the Act to make it easier for brownfield properties to be remediated and developed, which will stimulate economic growth, support real estate transactions, decrease the presence of brownfield properties in the state, and unlock new opportunities for development in the 104th District.

SB 72 An Act Establishing A Tax Credit For Employers That Make Payments On Certain Loans Issued To Employees By The Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority – This bill gives businesses a tax break if they help repay their employees’ student debt: a win for businesses looking for creative ways to bolster their compensation packages, a win for retaining younger workforce talent, and a win for those struggling to afford their bills with large student loan payments.

SB 570 An Act Concerning Opportunity Zones – extends certain tax credits and priority status to businesses developing in federally-designated “Opportunity Zones” like here in Ansonia, which will help attract additional business investment.

SB 647 An Act Streamlining The Liquor Control Act – makes various changes to Connecticut’s liquor laws to help breweries like Bad Sons Beer Co. in Derby grow and thrive.

HB6996, An Act Extending The Ezequiel Santiago Foreclosure Mediation Program Until June 30, 2023 - The legislature passed a new law extending the state's foreclosure mediation program by four years until June 30, 2023. The program helps certain property owners avoid foreclosure by reaching an agreement with lenders. Judicial branch mediators facilitate the process.

HB7424 - As part of the budget, a new law establishes a quasi-public Municipal Redevelopment Authority to develop property and manage facilities in the areas around transit stations and downtowns (i.e."development districts) to stimulate economic and transit-oriented development, among other things.

The act requires certain municipalities to be members of MRDA and allows other municipalities to join as members under certain conditions. 

Under the act, MRDA's powers include purchasing property; hiring consultants, attorneys, and appraisers; entering into contracts; employing staff; and issuing bonds.

This is a press release from Rochelle's office.