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Ansonia Public Schools Superintendent Joseph DiBacco talks about the decision to move schools online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in general about how the district is faring. Brought to you, in part, by ValleyGivesBack.org
Valerie Knight-DiGangi of The Valley Community Foundation returns to 'Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast' to talk about how groups can apply for the latest round of funding from the Valley Community COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.
Groups can apply online at http://www.ValleyFoundation.org
The deadline is 12 p.m. Dec. 2.
With Connecticut in a second COVID-19 wave and cases increasing every day, Dr. Frederick Browne talks with The Valley Indy about what he's seeing at Griffin Hospital, where he is chief medical officer.
Dr. Browne compares the spring months to what he's seeing now, he talks about the "red alert" COVID-19 status in all lower Valley communities, how the virus is spreading locally, and what we can do to guard against it.
Sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.
An update from Ansonia Public Schools. The district is moving online until Jan. 18, 2021.
The Ansonia Board of Education and its administrators talks with their medical consultant about whether to switch to online classes because of a second COVID-19 wave in the State of Connecticut. Recorded on Nov. 11, 2020.
Sharon Closius of The Valley Community Foundation talks about ValleyGivesBack.org, the foundation's "planned giving initiative."
John Zseller talks about the 1920 Society Fund, a new way to support Scouting in the lower Naugatuck Valley.
Interim Derby FD Chief David Lenart talks about an incident in which Eversource customers in Ansonia & Derby lost natural gas service the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. The situation was mostly wrapped up by Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020.
DERBY -- In addition to casting votes for candidates on the federal and state levels, voters are being asked to vote yes or no on seven proposed changes to the Derby Charter.
In this episode of Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast, Derby Alderman Rob Hyder goes through the questions with Valley Indy reporter Eugene Driscoll.
Election Day is Nov. 3. The Derby charter questions will appear on the backside of the ballots in Derby.
Election Day is Nov. 3!
Sharing their thoughts and making predictions on all the Valley races are:
Stephan Behuniak, chairman of the Seymour Town Democratic Committee.
Leslie Navarrete, former chairwoman of the Ansonia Town Democratic Committee.
Judy Szewczyk, member of the Derby Town Republican Committee since 2001.
Dr. Jonathan Wharton, former chairman of the New Haven Republicans and an associate professor of political science and urban affairs at Southern Connecticut State University.
Host: Eugene Driscoll of ValleyIndy.org
Sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org
DERBY -- Art Gerckens, husband, father of two, former Alderman, Vikings fan, and postal expert, comes on the Valley Indy podcast to talk about "Postal Biz Buzz," his refreshingly entertaining podcast about all things mail.
Note: an earlier version of this podcast misstated a fact regarding absentee ballots . . . the ballots are treated as first-class mail.
The misstatement was cut and the episode was uploaded again.
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Sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.
Due to technical issues beyond my pay grade, I had to split my interview with Andrew Baklik into two parts. This is Part II, in which Baklik talks development and charter revision.
Baklik is Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan's chief of staff.
Andrew Baklik, Mayor Rich Dziekan's chief of staff, gives an update on the COVID-19 situation within Derby City Hall.
Dziekan announced Monday (Oct. 12) that he had tested positive. Baklik said since that announcement, one additional City Hall employee has tested positive.
The mayor is recovering at home, as is the second employee.
Derby City Hall was closed Monday (for Columbus Day) and did not open to the public or employees on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Baklik also talks about a move to sell a Derby eyesore so that it can be redeveloped and put back on the tax rolls, and he gives an update on a mixed-use project approved earlier this year for the redevelopment zone.
A technical mishap caused Part I of this interview to end abruptly. The final, 12 minutes of this podcast is available as a separate podcast (Part II).
In this week’s episode of “Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast,” Rebbeca Toms of The Valley United Way joins the broadcast to talk about two important issues:
- This year’s ‘Harvest House,’ which is taking place virtually this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The 2020 “ALICE Report,” which gives a glimpse of how local families are doing locally (spoiler alert: many of us are one emergency away from financial ruin)
Links:
Info about Harvest House: https://valleyunitedway.org/harvest-house/
Read the ALICE Report: https://alice.ctunitedway.org/downloadreport/
Select ALICE lower Naugatuck Valley, CT info: https://www.scribd.com/document/478962215/ALICE-Valley-Data
Ansonia's John Marini and Derby's Scary Larry Dwyer talk about two horror movies screening in October in Ansonia (including an appearance by Caroline Williams, legendary kick-butt star of Texas Chainsaw II).
In this clip from a July Valley Indy podcast, Ansonia corporation counsel John Marini and economic development director Sheila O'Malley talk about forming a regional economic development corporation to help the lower Naugatuck Valley.
In this episode of 'Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast' I go over a recent free speech issue in Derby regarding a resident's written statements -- and the city's response, warning of possible legal action for "inaccurate and false statements?"
Was the city's response based in reality?
For an informed opinion on that I talked to Dan Barrett, the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Connecticut.
Jack Walsh is the chairman of the Derby WPCA. Rick Dunne is executive director of the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments.
Dunne talks about assertions in Derby saying the city missed out on grant money that would have made cheaper a $31 million borrowing plan to fix the sewer system.
Walsh talks about the current state of the WPCA, on how far its come since landing in hot water with federal and state environmental regulators.
Members of the Seymour Board of Police Commissioners questioned the leaders of the department last week regarding whether enough steps were taken to make sure officers were OK after responding to two horrific car crashes on the same day.
In the 1990s and early 2000s developer Donald Trump wanted to build a golf course next to Byram Lake, a reservoir that served as drinking water for residents of Mount Kisco, N.Y.
Byram Lake isn't in Mount Kisco.
It's actually located in the wealthier towns of Bedford and North Castle in Westchester County, N.Y.
All the towns opposed Trump's plan, despite of the falsehood he asserts in this interview, which he sought out when I was a 20-something reporter at The Patent Trader, a now dead newspaper in the Bedford area.
The worries were over pollution, though Trump promised 'state of the art' procedures.
Trump lost.
Houses were eventually built in some parts of the property.
Members of the Derby Planning and Zoning Commission ordered an investigation Tuesday into the alleged use of a garage at 49 Burtville Ave. as a clubhouse for The Punishers Motorcycle Club.
The research will be conducted by Barbara Schellenberg, the P&Z's lawyer, and Ryan McEvoy, of Milone & MacBroom, the city's engineering firm.
In this episode Valley Indy reporter Eugene Driscoll discusses:
1. Charter Revision in Derby
2. Valley Firefighter Softball
3. Derby ZEO Controversy
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Sharon Closius, president and chief executive officer of The Valley Community Foundation, talks about what Naugatuck Valley residents can do to help neighbors & nonprofits that will be hurt by the looming COVID-19 economic impact.
Press play for an interview with Jorge Cabrera, a union official from Hamden who is running as a Democrat for the 17th State Senate District seat.
That seat is currently held by Sen. George Logan, R-Ansonia, to whom Cabrera lost by just 77 votes two years ago.
While Cabrera is his party’s officially endorsed candidate, he isn’t the only Democrat running.
Justin Farmer, a “politician activist” from Hamden’s Legislative Council, is challenging Cabrera on a Democratic primary Tuesday, Aug. 11.
Press play for an interview with Justin Farmer, a Legislative Councilman in Hamden, who is running as a Democrat for the 17th State Senate District seat.
That seat is currently held by Sen. George Logan, R-Ansonia.
Farmer isn’t the only Democrat running.
Jorge Cabrera is the party’s officially endorsed candidate.
Farmer and Cabrera face off in a Democratic primary Aug. 11, 2020.