Making lemonade out of lemons in Derby

Participants in Yale University's Community Rowing Program glide along the Housatonic River Friday morning.

DERBY - This is a tale about being in the right place at the right time, even though it was the wrong time.

On Thursday night I went to City Hall to cover Mayor Anita Dugatto's second open door session.

The kickoff session the previous week started at 7 p.m., but I was on vacation and didn't attend.
Fast forward to this past Thursday, and, without double-checking, I had it in my head that the session was starting at 7 p.m.
Wrong.

Dugatto's plan is to meet with residents from 5-7 p.m. Thursdays.
Woops.

The informal meeting in aldermanic chambers was just wrapping up when I arrived.

In a release last month Dugatto said, “I hope this opportunity will inspire people to speak up, seek answers to their questions, and participate in the revitalization of our city.
"I look forward to meeting with residents, property owners, business owners, and anyone else interested in our community and its potential.”


Dugatto said Thursday residents discussed various issues, from creating a new website for the city, to  trying to define 'What is Derby?'
"It was an informal meeting, I didn't take notes," she said. "We reminisced, and we talked about the future," she said.

Dugatto suggested I join her first thing Friday morning at Yale University's Gilder Boathouse on Roosevelt Drive to observe the last day of a summer Learn to Row program.

And I'm so glad I did.

I chatted with several friendly rowing coaches and after a bit of coaxing I got into a small boat with Dugatto and rowing coach/lifeguard/photographer Jon Robinson of Shelton to see the rowers up close.

I took lots of photos, learned about rowing, and had a great time. I daresay Dugatto had a great time as well.

Please check out a slideshow here in the New Haven Register's Media Gallery, and stay tuned for a story in the paper.

Kids go back in time at Shelton History Center

SHELTON - I attended the first day of the 'Adventures in History' program at the Shelton History Center on Monday.

I was surprised at how quickly the 7-to 11-year olds took to living in a bygone era. The week-long program is educational, but it clearly is also a lot of fun.

Here are some of the photos I snapped followed by the story:

Docent Ellen Kolesk shows students an (unused) outhouse on the grounds of the Shelton History Center, 70 Ripton Road. She is holding a corn cob, which she said was often used as "toilet paper" in the good old days.

New Haven resident Abby Rossi, 8, gets some help making a frame from docent Ellen Kolesk.

Students wait in line to wash up the old-fashioned way outside the Marks-Brownson House at the Shelton History Center.

        

Shelton resident Hailey Hongo, 17, helps Diane Campano, 7, of Brooklyn, N.Y. make a frame. 

  Monroe resident Bridget Cable, 8, hammers a nail to make a frame.
 

Posing for the first day group shot.

The children washed towels by hand and hung them up to dry.

By Patricia Villers
pvillers@nhregister.com
@nhrvalley on Twitter

SHELTON >> From pickle-preparing to frame-making, the 10 children who attended the Shelton Historical Society’s ‘Adventures in History’ program Monday got a taste of life in a bygone era.

They learned how hard life was for people who lived in the early 20th century.

The students, aged 7 to 11, followed Grandma Helen’s “Tasty Dill Pickles” recipe during the program, which began Monday and lasts for a week.

Shelton Historical Society Executive Director Tracey Tate said the children will have to “pay” for the pickles on Friday with play money to taste them.
Tate said they will be learning almost-forgotten skills, such as making change, writing in cursive, and telling time on an analog clock.

The children also are keeping a ledger and learning how to track money they earn and spend, she said. They earned money for washing and hanging towels on a line and used some of the play money to “buy” a blueberry muffin for a snack. They washed the muffins down with water, which docent Ellen Kolesk described as “free from Mother Nature.”

One of the highlights of the morning’s activities was when Kolesk showed them the (unused) outhouse on the Shelton History Center grounds.She told the children it often would be used by more than one person at a time: girls with girls and boys with boys. She opened the door to show them baskets filled with pieces of cut-up newspaper and corn cobs used as “toilet paper.” Kolesk said the corn cobs were soft to the touch because they contain corn starch.

Kolesk held up corn husks and said people used those for “toilet paper” as well. Grass and leaves also did the trick.

Tommy McMullen, 11, commented, “That was cool. I never saw (an outhouse).” Tommy said he lives in Florida and is visiting relatives in Shelton.

Youngsters also got a chance to climb aboard a restored “carryall,” a horse-drawn cart that used to transport children to Huntington School in the 1920s. It was the precursor to today’s school bus.
When students were working on making wooden frames, Kolesk told them they needed “to use all their strength with their hands.”

She said, “You need to use your fingers for more than video games.”

Kolesk said a century ago, people worked always with their hands. “Work was work,” she told the students.

A well-spent 50 cents in Ansonia

Young entrepreneurs

Ansonia residents Gianna DiLorenzo, 12, left, and Jada Venson, 11, set up an old-fashioned lemonade stand Friday in the hilltop section of Ansonia. They were offering free refills. You can't beat that!

Derby Neck Library slates fun activities for kids

Music, movies, and more planned in August

Art on wheels 

DERBY - At 10 a.m. Aug. 6 and again at 10:30 a.m. the Derby Neck Library, 307 Hawthorne Ave. will be visited by the Art Truck.  

A full art studio on wheels will be available for children to be creative. 

The program is recommended for ages 3 and older. Reserve a space; seating is limited.

Movie for teens

At 5:30 p.m. Aug. 6 the Library hosts Teen Movie Night. 

Play a game of I-Spy and win a prize.  This month’s feature film is "The Host."

Free refreshments will be served.  All teens and 'tweens are invited.

Music and movement

Miss Kathi presents Bedtime Music and Movement at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 7.

Wear pajamas and bring a favorite stuffed animal to sing and dance along. This is a fun event for young children.  

Read to therapy dog

From 3-4 p.m. Aug. 11 children are invited to read to Grant, a therapy dog. 

This free program is BARK (Be a Reading Kid). The reading sessions are 15 minutes. 

Registration requested.

Learn origami

From 1-2 p.m. Aug. 12 have fun with Origami for Kids. Learn the Japanese art of paper-folding and take home your free creations. 

This program is best suited to children ages 4 and older.  

Summer songs

At 10 a.m. Aug. 13 and again at 10:30 a.m. Deirdre Murtha brings summer songs to the Library.

This is a fun event for babies and toddlers as they interact using their own small musical instruments and scarves.

Beach party

At 3:30 p.m. Aug. 14, the Library celebrates summer reading with a Beach Party. 

All children are invited to come enjoy our garden, filled with kiddie pools and sprinklers.

Mr. Bungles will perform with his giant 10-foot bubbles and all will make their own fun bubbles.  Wear a swim suit and bring a towel.  

For more information or to register for any of these programs, call the library, 203-734-1492.

This post is taken from a press release from Pat Sweeney, reference and cataloging, Derby Neck Library. 

Ice cream, downtown Shelton style

French Mud ice cream in a chocolate-dipped cone and a strawberry sundae ~ this was our Thursday afternoon treat.

SHELTON - There are many reasons why it has taken me this long to launch another series of ice cream blog posts, but no need to go into them here.

On Thursday daughter Allegra and I "braved the heat" in search of a frozen treat and made our way to Dave & Dave's Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor, 507 Howe Ave.

The shop, filled with old black and white photos of the Valley and memorabilia from a simpler time, is owned by David Grant, owner of David M. Grant Caterers, and his son, also named David Grant.

I have written about the new parlor before, when it opened in April and when the Grants held their  grand opening in June.

So I was familiar with the French style Buck's ice cream they serve. Did someone say high calorie? Whoops.

 

The friendly server gave me a sample of Praline ice cream. It was delightful. 
I almost chose that for my cone but opted for something involving plenty of chocolate: French mud ice cream.

The shop features seating for about 20 inside, as well as several tables on the sidewalk.

A CD playing classic Motown hits was just the thing to get my mind off of the oppressive heat.  

My daughter took the above photo with her phone, and for some reason it looks like I have a severe sunburn. Thankfully I don't.
I've been trying to hide from the sun as best as I can. Summer is not my favorite season. I guess that's why I started the Ice Cream 101 series last year.

And I've yet to try the gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches available at Dave & Dave's, but that's on my list for another time.  

Please stay tuned for the next ice cream installment. 

Stay cool. 

Tasting ice cream in the Valley and beyond

It's time to revive Ice Cream 101 

 

Now that most of the Independence Day fireworks displays and other festivities are over it's time to focus on a summer tradition: eating ice cream.

Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? It is; follow the link and you can read about how it got started in 1984.

National Ice Cream Day this year is July 21. That's cause for celebration, I'd say.

Last summer I taste-tested ice cream, gelato and Italian ice and wrote about my experiences. Needless to say I liked them all.

It's time to start finding other ice cream places, after which I'll report back here on the blog.

Do you have a favorite place to enjoy frozen confection (in southern Connecticut) on a hot day?

If so, just let me know in the comments and I'll try to get there.

Visiting The Sundae House in Milford

Ice Cream 101: Series continues into September

Ice cream, shakes, frozen yogurt, and more can be found at 499 New Haven Ave., Milford.

No, we didn't have sundaes on Saturday.
My husband, daughter, and I each decided on simply a small cup of ice cream. We're so boring!

Ralph enjoyed good ol' Cookies and Cream, Allegra devoured Quicksand, a concoction that combines caramel swirl with pieces of Butterfinger chocolate candy, and I chose Buck's Tracks, their version of Moose Tracks.

Buck's Tracks features peanut butter cups, chocolate swirl and all good things.

The stand sells premium Buck's Ice Cream, thus the name of the frozen treat.
My daughter and I had enjoyed the same brand back in July when we had cones at Field View Farm in Orange.

There's no seating at The Sundae House, which is a minor drawback. A few picnic tables off to the side of the parking lot would be a nice addition.

We originally headed out to a more "gourmet" ice cream shop in Milford, but as soon as we pulled up a group of 12 children and three or four adults walked up to the place ahead of us.

We got out of the vehicle anyway but soon learned there were more customers waiting inside, with just one employee scooping ice cream, making shakes, and whipping up sundaes. A long wait was in store, so we departed.

But we'll give that place a whirl another day. Who says one can only eat ice cream in the hot weather?
Not moi.

As an aside, this cow flag flying above the sign caught my eye. I guess it indicates the ice cream sold here is made from real dairy products!

The Sundae House satisfied our collective sweet tooth. And next time we'll have to try a sundae.

Time for some time off in the Valley

I'm thinking about unplugging for the weekend.
I admit I face this challenge with some trepidation, but I'd like to try to go back to a simpler lifestyle for a few days. Emphasis on try!

On the other hand it's still summer and I may have to seek out another ice cream shop for my ongoing series ~  in which case I'll need to sign back on and write a post about my experience.


Meanwhile I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday! 

Eating ice cream while working makes for a good day

Ice cream 101: The series continues

On Thursday I was invited to yet another ice cream social... this time at the Doyle Senior Center in Ansonia.
I covered the third annual Ice Cream Social and Games Day hosted by the Ansonia High School Human Relations Club.
It looked like everyone had a fun summer afternoon, as did I.  

Both the young and young-at-heart played bocci, Wii games, line danced and chatted before digging into ice cream sundaes, such as the one pictured below.

Another sundae!

The photo is blurry because I took it while holding the video camera with one hand. Oh the things we go through to get a photo.

Thanks to Human Relations Club advisor Nick Collicelli for inviting me, and for insisting I join in the sundae party.

I've decided to swear off eating ice cream for a few days. But I'll be back next week with more ice cream stories.

Mixing music and ice cream in downtown Ansonia

Ice Cream 101: The series continues

Soul Funk performs Wednesday in Veterans Park. Photo by Patricia Villers

Whew! At least I wasn't the only one eating ice cream Wednesday night at the second summer concert in Veterans Park.
I noticed lots of people lined up to get ice cream from Country Creamery's Fabulous Traveling Sundae Bus. Naturally I had to partake; anything for a blog post.
My daughter and husband joined me in enjoying sundaes, such as the one below.
I was urged to try Country Creamery at 144 Oxford Road, Oxford, so when I saw the bus I appreciated the convenience. It saved me an almost 18-mile round trip.
 

Photo by Allegra Villers

We also enjoyed listening to Soul Funk, a high-energy, New Haven-based band that got the audience up on their feet, singing and dancing to familiar rock, R&B and Motown tunes, mostly from the 60s and 70s.

The Ansonia Cultural Commission is sponsoring three free concerts in the park this summer. The final one, at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 5, will feature Ansonia resident Mark Lanzieri, who is well known for his renditions of Sinatra tunes.

See you there!

Dip-Top's treats get thumbs up

Ice Cream 101: The series continues

Life can get crazy and complicated, and that pretty much is why I started this series.

I simply wanted to have some fun: finding ice cream spots; consuming frozen treats; spending some time with my two grown children; and writing about my experiences.  

But I've not posted about ice cream in almost two weeks, and thought it was about time to do just that.
So Monday afternoon son Cameron and I headed to Dip-Top at 263 Boston Post Road, at the corner of Old Tavern Road in Orange. That corner at the five-way intersection has been home to delicious ice cream and other frozen treats since 1956.

If I said I remember when the location was once the home of Tastee Freez, I'd be dating myself.

Well I guess I just did.

I wonder when it became Dip-Top? I remember the building was devastated by a fire in 1999, but I don't think it was still Tastee Freez when that occurred.

Does anyone else remember the old Tastee Freez? 

I chose classic chocolate soft serve, but of course I had to have it topped with strawberry sauce and whipped cream to make it even more sinfully good.

Cameron was fine with just getting a cup of cake batter ice cream. It was even richer than the cake batter ice cream he has had in the past because it was full of chocolate chips.
He gave it two thumbs up.


As you can see from the photos we sat on a bench facing the busy Boston Post Road, not the quietest location. But we enjoyed anyway.

I guess we should have ordered ice cream cones with a dip top, to put the house specialty to the test.

Next time!

Ice cream social in the Valley? I'm there

Some of you may have seen my Ice Cream 101 posts in recent weeks that I've been writing just for fun. This is another in a series.


On Thursday I attended an ice cream social with members of our Circle of Friends breast cancer support group at Griffin Hospital in Derby.

Our support group treated several Ansonia Girl Scout Troop 60500 and their leaders to an ice cream social to thank them for their support of our group and of breast cancer awareness in general.
Only five of the 12 Scouts in the Troop were able to attend along with their three leaders.

My daughter and I took part in the ice cream fun. At least we had fresh strawberries and blueberries to make the sundaes slightly nutritious. 

 

There were chocolate chip cookies and brownies as well. Yum.

I commend the Girl Scouts and their leaders on their caring and compassion. 
At right is one of the hundreds of ornaments they made last year to honor breast cancer survivors.

Those who were able to join us for ice cream were: Rebecca Cafaro, 12, Allie Ricci, 13, Jessica Palmer, 12, Kaitlyn Sarandrea, 13, and Shelley Hopkins, 13. All five are going into eighth grade.

Leaders Carole Cafaro, Heather Ricci and Carol Palmer were there as well. Cafaro said many of the girls have been together in the same Troop since they were in kindergarten, which is quite a feat. 

I'd like to thank you all again, and thanks to the other members of Troop 60500. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Sundae on Wednesday at the Ansonia Riverwalk

Ice Cream 101: The series continues 
 

If you're low on cash, you can always get an inexpensive frozen treat on a hot day at your local McDonald's.

That's what I did yesterday. Daughter Allegra and I were in the mood for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up and we opted for ice cream instead of iced tea or coffee.
We got hot fudge sundaes and went over to the new pavilion at the Ansonia Riverwalk to enjoy them. We put them down on a bench to take the photo.

I checked the McDonald's website to find out how many calories we consumed. The sundaes are small but they pack 330 calories. Many more than I thought.

But we did consume eight grams of protein, and 25 percent of our daily value of calcium so that made me feel better.

I'll be back soon with another ice cream report. Stay tuned.

Finding frozen delight in Shelton

Ice cream 101: An occasional series just for fun

SHELTON - Friday afternoon was so hot my son and I opted for some Italian ice instead of ice cream.
Yes, I finally made it to Addeo’s Italian Ice at 97 Center St. in Shelton.

In keeping with the theme I can sum up our visit it one word: delicioso.

A perfect treat to beat the heat

I chose the almond flavor (the white on the right)  and it was wonderful, but not before I took a sample of the cheesecake-flavored ice. It was equally tasty.


Cameron enjoyed a combo cup of blackberry and watermelon. Refreshing was how he described them both. 


We sat outside at one of two tables in front of the shop and enjoyed. There is also indoor seating in air-conditioned comfort.


My colleague Jean Falbo-Sosnovich and I mentioned Addeo's in our recent story about summer fun in the Valley. A Shelton resident she interviewed raved about Addeo's, and I knew that I just had to go there.


For information visit Addeo's Facebook page.  


I urge you to take a trip to downtown Shelton and get an ice. You won’t be disappointed.

Beach party, zumba, crafts and more on tap at Derby Neck Library

DERBY - Come sing and dance at the Derby Neck Library, 307 Hawthorne Ave., at 10 or 11 a.m. Thursday with performer Deirdre Murtha.  This is a free program best suited for pre-schoolers and young children.  

Rainforest Lullaby

At 10:30 a.m. Monday join us for a Rainforest Lullaby.  Animal Embassy Director, Chris Evers, takes us on a night-time voyage through the rainforest.  This is a free program for all ages.

Beach party with bubbles

At 3:30 p.m. Aug. 8 children are invited to a beach party in the garden. Mr. Bungles, the bubble master, will be here to entertain. Kiddie pools, sprinklers, water toys, and bubble makers will be available for all to enjoy. 

Video game tourney

Video Game Tournament 2 will be held for teens and tweens from 2-4 p.m. Thursday. Play fast-paced Wii games with your friends. This is a free program; registration is strongly recommended.

Teen crafts 

A teen and tween craft afternoon, featuring felting and quilling, will be held from 2-4 p.m.  Aug. 9. 

The materials for these fun crafts will be given to participants free of charge.  Registration is required.

Movie night    
A teen and tween movie night will be held afrom 6-8 p.m. Aug. 9. Enjoy the comedy/action film, “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” on Blu-Ray. Free refreshments. No registration is required.

Zumba classes

Free Zumba classes will be offered  Aug. 7 and Aug. 21 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Registration required.  Come try this fun and fast exercise set to exciting music.

Read to Rover

Young children are invited to read to the therapy dogs, Thor and Cosmo, 6-7 p.m. Aug. 22.

Each child registered gets a 10-minute session with these docile St. Bernard dogs.  Registration is required.

Writers' Roundtable 

Writers’ Roundtable, a workshop for writers of all genres—poetry, fiction, drama, etc., will hold its monthly meeting a6 6:30 p.m. Aug. 15.  Come join us and share your work with fellow writers.

Evening with Poe

The Derby Neck Library presents “An Evening with Edgar Allen Poe” from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 8. Join us as Campbell “Lou” Harmon reads and interprets the fascination life of this great American author, while interacting with the audience. 

Poe is known as the father of the American detective story and modern science fiction stories, and his death in 1849 is still considered mysterious.
To register or for information on any of the above  activities, call 203-734-1492.

Summertime in the Valley ... and the livin' is easy

Christopher Waugh, 13, of Ansonia, waits to catch "the big one" last week at Pickett's Pond in Osbornedale State Park in Derby. Photo by Patricia Villers


From free outdoor concerts to kayaking on the Naugatuck River, check out a variety of ideas in today's New Haven Register to make your summer in the Valley a fun one!


And stay tuned to my continuing series on where to find frozen treats in the Valley and beyond. 

I've tasted the offerings at seven spots so far, and I still have quite a list of places to visit.

On farmers, history, and a sundae on Sunday

Yumm...a hot fudge sundae, an ice cream cupcake, and Moose tracks 

Ice cream 101 continues: Bethany edition

On Saturday I went to the newly-opened Ansonia Farmer's Market and met a young couple selling vegetables grown at Darling Farm at the historic Thomas Darling House in Woodbridge. The two are caretakers there and started a farm this spring.

Since husband Ralph, daughter Allegra and I all like learning local history, we drove there today to take a peek.

This house at 1907 Litchfield Turnpike in Woodbridge is on the National Register of Historic Places.  

While we were in the "neighborhood," we continued driving to Bethany and stopped at Billy's Old-Fashioned Ice Cream, 742 Amity Road (Route 63). We had been there before, but it had been quite a few years.

Since it's my ice cream series I threw caution to the wind and ordered the big, fat hot fudge sundae...strawberry ice cream was under all the whipped cream. I haven't had a sundae in a long time. It was quite good!

Next post I do I'll have to go back to having just one unadorned scoop.


Ralph enjoyed a cup of Moose tracks ice cream, and our daughter tried something a bit different, an ice cream cupcake.
It was a chocolate brownie topped with vanilla ice cream and sprinkles. She said it was super-sweet and she couldn't finish it.

But she liked what she did eat!

I was surprised that we were the only customers. The weather wasn't bad, no rain or humidity, and I thought there would be people there enjoying ice cream.  But maybe they had gotten there before us, or arrived later.

Will we return? Probably, but not before trying out ice cream places in the Valley, Milford, and beyond.