Ansonia High School PTSO seeks vendors, food trucks for flea market

Ansonia High School PTSO is looking for vendors and food trucks to participate in its 1st Flea Market on Saturday, April 25 (with a rain date of Sunday, April 26).  It will be held from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Ansonia High School, 20 Pulaski Highway. Prices are $25 a space for vendors and $50 a space for food trucks.  This is an outdoor event; tables are not provided. For information or to reserve a space, call Heather at 203-305-2046.

Wesley Village to hold open house for new memory support community

SHELTON >> Wesley Village will host an Open House Sunday, April 12, from 1-3 p.m. to introduce “Lifestyle Transitions,” a new memory care neighborhood located in the newly renovated Northwest Wing of its Wesley Heights community.

“Lifestyle Transitions at Wesley Heights” will offer specialized assisted living in a secure, supportive environment for those living with memory loss. This new program is designed to support residents with cognitive impairment by engaging them in life and activities within the larger Wesley Heights community and providing encouragement, friendship, and a feeling of security. It will also focus on developing daily routines for successfully managing individualized physical, social and cognitive challenges.

The “Lifestyle Transitions” program space encompasses existing apartments and newly renovated gathering areas, including a library, family-style kitchen, living room area, laundry nook and enclosed outdoor courtyard. Safe and quiet space for reading, relaxation, and dining, and other stimulating activities such as baking, gardening, exercise, art classes, musical entertainment will be available. Colors, textures, lighting, and furniture was chosen with the help of a dementia consultant in order to organize these therapeutic spaces in a way that best meets resident needs.

Unique to Wesley Village, “Lifestyle Transitions” offers a mission-based, relationship-centered approach to care, as well as: affordable pricing, a wander-management system, 24-hour staffing with caregivers trained by the Alzheimer’s Association, on-site physician services, engaging activities, a variety of apartment styles for individuals or couples, education and support services for residents and families, and a specialized design to maximize independence. Deposits are now being accepted for apartments in this new neighborhood. For more information or to RSVP for the Open House, please contact Lisa Kelleher at 203-944-6099.

Wesley Village is located at 580 Long Hill Ave. in Shelton and is owned and operated by United Methodist Homes, a local not-for-profit organization. The campus offers assisted and independent living, skilled nursing, short-term rehab, and outpatient therapy and fitness services. To learn more, visit www.wesleyvillage-ct.org.

This is a press release from United Methodist Homes.

Valley United Way selects Ron Villani as 45th Charles H. Flynn Humanitarian Award winner

Ron Villani has been selected as the 45th Charles H. Flynn Humanitarian Award winner by Valley United Way. The award is the Valley’s oldest and most prestigious community service award. It is named for the late editor of The Evening Sentinel and has been presented annually since 1971.

The award is presented for a lifetime of service to the community, encompassing more that one town or organization. The award will be presented at Valley United Way’s 47th Annual Meeting & Recognition Dinner of April 21.

Jack Walsh, President & C.O.O. at Valley United Way said that, “We were very fortunate that when Ron came to Shelton with GE, he “adopted” the Valley as a home for his community involvement and shared his time and expertise with us so well.” Ron is one of the few people to serve two full terms as a Board member including two years as the chair (2003 & 2004), leave the Board and come back to serve two more terms including a term as chair of the Allocations Committee. Ron was also instrumental in leading the short and long term planning efforts at Valley United Way.

Ron has also been very heavily involved with the Birmingham Group (now BHCare). Its former Executive Director Marilyn Cormack said, “Ron was serving on the Birmingham Group board as Vice President at a critical period in the history of the organization.  We made the decision to enter into merger negotiations with another health care organization and if it was not done in a planful manner many people would be effected namely staff. Ron’s expertise working at GE Corporate Human Resources division was invaluable in helping the Group keep all staff from both organization and assisting with a successful merger. Ron’s advice was also very valuable to me as I was transitioning into retirement.”

Ron is also a member of United Way of America’s prestigious Tocqueville Society.

He was born in Somerville, NJ and raised in neighboring Raritan, where he attended public schools in the Bridgewater-Raritan school system. After high school he graduated from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA with honors in Economics and then completed his MBA degree at The Wharton Graduate Division of The University of Pennsylvania in 1970, graduating in the top 5% of his class.

Following Penn he joined GE and completed the Human Resources Leadership Program. During his 35 year career with GE Ron held leadership assignments in nine different GE businesses and three corporate staff components in seven different geographic  locations. His final assignment and the one that brought him to the Valley was as Chief Human Resource Officer for GE Supply.

After retirement from GE Ron began his second career at The University of New Haven as an Adjunct Professor and Practitioner in Residence in the College of Business  and ran his own human resources consulting business that specialized in leadership development and improving organizational effectiveness.

In addition to being on the Board of Valley United Way he serves as a member of the Board of Directors of BHcare as well as that organization’s joint venture with Bridges, communiCare.

For the past 20 years Ron has been on the Board of Police Commissioners for the town of Monroe and is currently Chairman of that Board. He a volunteer reader for the School Volunteer Association’s Read Aloud Program in  Bridgeport’s Hallen School and mentors a fifth grader at Cesar Battala School. In the past he has also served as a Deacon and Property Chairman for the Monroe Congregational Church.

Ron has been married to his wife, Peggy, for almost 43 years. They have lived in Monroe for 27 years and raised two daughters and three golden retrievers there. Megan, Administrative Assistant to the Principal-Haldane High School, lives in Cold Spring, NY with her husband Chris, a Special Agent for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and their two daughters- Katie, 10 and Julie, 8. Lori Villani Cimeno is the Director of Student Services for the Wellesley Public School System (Wellesley,MA) and lives in Walpole Massachusetts with her husband Tim, the Scholastic Brand Manager for Marathon Sports in Boston. All the Villanis are proud graduates of Bucknell University.

Valley United Way is the leading philanthropic resource for the Valley towns of Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton matching the needs of the community and the interests of donors to improve the quality of life in the community. United Way supports and creates initiatives addressing youth, families and people in crisis. Each year Valley United Way funds programs and organizations that make a measurable difference in the lives of people living and working in the Valley.

This is a press release from the Valley United Way.

Ansonia resident appointed to American Legion’s National Legislative Council

ANSONIA >> Resident Patrick Henri has been appointed to the American Legion’s National Legislative Council by National Commander Michael Helm. Henri is the Adjutant of the Gordon-Visselli American Legion Post 50. Henri will serve as a member for the Department of Connecticut for the 114th Congress, representing Connecticut’s 3rd Congressional District.

Henri is the past finance officer of Post 50, an employee at Sikorsky Aircraft, a chief petty officer in the Navy Reserve serving at the Naval War College in Newport R.I., a fire commissioner and an Ansonia alderman where he chairs the Veterans Committee.

His duties will include propagating an interest and a furtherance of the American Legion’s legislative goals and serving as a medium for disseminating information to elected lawmakers.

The American Legion lobbies for both veterans and active duty service members, and is the nation’s most influential, effective and dependable advocate of veteran affairs, fighting also, for better active-duty pay, improved housing for active-duty families and helping to ensure that the VA’s medical system can properly care for veterans.

It is through the combined numbers of its national membership that gives clout to the Legion’s voice on Capitol Hill, and success to its mission. It is through local participation that veterans can positively affect their communities and encourage patriotism.

All veterans are welcome to apply to the Legion, including current drilling Reservists and Guardsmen. You don’t have to be retired to join. Vets with military service since the Persian Gulf operations are needed to complement our ranks.

Contact Senior Vice-Commander Mike Heise at 203-308-7845 for more information. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month, at 6:30 p.m., at the Boys and Girls Club, 28 Howard Ave., Ansonia.

This is a press release form American Legion Post 50, Ansonia.

Miller seeks 3rd term as first selectman of Seymour

By Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
Register Correspondent
SEYMOUR >> First Selectman Kurt Miller announced Tuesday he is seeking re-election to a third term in office.
“I very much enjoy serving the residents of the Town of Seymour,” Miller, a Republican, said. “I’m also very fortunate to have a great team around me.”
Miller filed his paperwork late Monday in the Town Clerk’s office. He cited some of the more notable accomplishments made on his watch over the past two years, especially how his administration has worked to improve Seymour’s financial picture.
“Stabilizing the mill rate, increasing our fund balance, reducing our debt ratio and having our bond rating go up two levels are things I’m very proud of,” Miller said.

Read more here. 

Emmett O’Brien students shine at SkillsUSA state competition

By Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
Register Correspondent
ANSONIA >> Several students at Emmett O’Brien Technical High School recently wowed a panel of judges with their skills in drafting, culinary arts and math during a recent SkillsUSA state competition.
One of those students, Holly Zheng, an 11th-grader at Emmett took first place in the technical drafting category. Holly will move on to represent the school in a national competition in Kentucky in June.
Holly, according to teacher Sonya Allard, who is also the school’s SkillsUSA advisor, is a student in the school’s Computer Aided Drafting trade.
“The students have all worked very hard,” Allard said.

Read more here. 

School organization hosting flea market

ANSONIA - The Ansonia High School PTSO is holding its 1st Flea Market on Sat., April 25, with a rain date of Sunday, April 26.
It will be from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Ansonia High School, 20 Pulaski Highway, Ansonia, CT.
Come down and check out the vendors and food. For information or to reserve a space call Heather @ 203-305-2046.

Prices are $25 a space for vendors and $50 a space for food trucks.