Derby Posts Election 2016 Information

DERBY - Town/City Clerk Marc Garofalo said residents can find everything they need to know about the upcoming election on the city's website, including a link to register to vote, a link to check your registration status, a link for an application for an absentee ballot and more.

 

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. The deadline to register to vote is Nov.1

 

Residents can visit the following link to the Derby Website Election Information Page:

 

 http://www.derbyct.gov/Election-Information/

 

A friendly reminder ...

There is still time to get out and exercise your right to vote. Polls close at 8 p.m.

Derby girl pens prize-winning essay, creates pizza at Antonio's

Bradley School students dream up patriotic pies 
 

By Christine DiGrazia

Principal 

Bradley School, Derby

The presidential candidates were asked all kinds of burning questions during the many months leading up to Tuesday’s Election Day: What will you do to improve the economy? How will you create jobs? Will you raise taxes?
Even Pizza Hut tried to get their opinion on their favorite pizza topping: sausage or pepperoni?

But one related question the candidates weren’t asked was recently put to Bradley School third, fourth and fifth graders as part of an essay-writing contest to help promote an Election Day fund-raiser at The Original Antonio’s, an Italian-themed restaurant in Ansonia: “Which pizza toppings would you want the President to choose for the ‘Official Pizza of the United States’? And explain why.”

Fifty students submitted essays that showed as much creativity and cuteness that 8, 9, and 10 year olds could muster using a list of 21 pizza topping ingredients from Antonio’s, the site of the Election Day fundraiser.

The toppings included artichoke hearts, mozzarella, peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, eggplant and others.
The 10 most creative and well-written essays were given to Antonio’s owner Chris Setaro to judge for three top prizes.
First place went to fifth grader Natalia Wyszkowski, 10, of Derby who combined artichoke hearts, extra mozzarella, onions, peppers, tomatoes and eggplant to create her “Our U.S.A. National Pizza.”

Natalia won the opportunity to make her prize-winning pizza from scratch in Antonio’s kitchen with Setaro and then eat it with her parents, Grace and Jaroslaw, who moved to the United States years ago from Poland, and her brother, Gabriel, a Bradley School first grader.
Natalia is in Cindy Klabonski's fifth-grade class.

First, Setaro showed Natalia how to toss the dough to make the crust; then he helped her spread the sauce on top. Next, she added all the toppings and Setaro helped her put the pie into the oven.

Ten minutes later, Natalia was sharing her special creation with her family as dozens of Bradley School students and their families ate at nearby tables.

Below is the contest question, followed by Natalia's essay:

 “Which of the following pizza toppings would you want the President of the United States to choose for the”Official Pizza of the United States?”


The pizza toppings I would want the President of the United States to pick are artichoke hearts, extra mozzarella, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant.
Each of these toppings has a reason behind it and is yummy for the “Official Pizza of the United States.”
I chose artichoke hearts as a symbol to ensure everlasting love in this wonderful country and fondness for each other.
I believe extra mozzarella would stand for us (people) because no matter what cultures, we are one big nation and should “stick” together, like the cheese that keeps all the toppings together.
Onions would also be important. They would maybe cause us to shed tears to honor the soldiers, the wounded and especially the ones who lost their lives that many families are grieving for.
Peppers are spicy and would symbolize our toughness and dedication to the United States.
Tomatoes would provide pride and strength in the American blood that flows through our veins.
Finally, eggplant so we can plant crops.
Eggplant also promises that we have a tough exterior, but that we are definitely kind and friendly softies on the inside no matter what our stories are.
Together, these seven toppings make us the best of the best and this “Our U.S.A. Nation” pizza is symbolic of who we are and where we stand.
They are the reason we also offer helping hands, and I actually think that with these toppings, any pizza will be outright delicious!

“I read her essay and the tears were coming down,” said  Grace Wyszkowski as she watched NataIia make the pie at Antonio’s Tuesday. “I was in shock, it was so beautiful.” 

Wyszkowski said her daughter is “a big reader. She reads in the car. She reads in bed. I have to tell her to shut the light, that it’s time to go to bed.”

Natalia said the essay she entered was the first draft she had written and that she wrote it without help. She said she chose the toppings first and then thought of how each would apply to the president or the United States.

Second-place winner Claire Douglas, a fifth-grade student, was cited by Setaro for her “Liberty Pie,” a pizza shaped like the Liberty Bell. 

On her pie were red bell peppers, “which represent American farmers, who are so important to our country” and “onion for the many layers of American society.”

Claire’s sister, Amelia, a third grader, won third place for her “All American” pizza, which was shaped like the Statue of Liberty. On it would be jalapeno peppers, “because you have to be brave to eat them and barbecued chicken, because Americans love to grill.”

The other students whose essays made the top 10 were: fifth grade, Vanessa Adamski and Manuela Zapata; fourth grade, Cole Boulton; third grade, Shayne Kichar, Benjamin Smith, Alyssa Iorfino, and Piotr Drozdz.

As Natalia was sharing her pizza with her family, she looked up and noticed a classmate at a table on the other side of the restaurant. “That’s the boy who won the contest the first year,” Natalia said. Sure enough, at the table sat Arthur Newberg, a fifth-grader at Bradley School who had won the first pizza essay contest for Bradley School in 2011. 

Arthur’s entry, “The Fun Guy (Fungi) Meat Pie,” had been Setaro’s top choice in that contest and Arthur got to make that pizza in Antonio’s kitchen that year. 

As Arthur joined Natalia in the kitchen at Antonio’s Tuesday night, the cameras flashed for him once again.

Alarm evacuates Ansonia polling place

ANSONIA - Voters had to do more than cast their ballots Tuesday afternoon at John G. Prendergast Elementary School. They had to evacuate the building after a fire alarm went off at 2:15 p.m.

A fire department source said there was no fire and voters were able to return to the polling booths.

Let your voice be heard today

I voted at John G. Prendergast Elementary School in Ansonia just after 10 a.m. There was one person in line ahead of me, but a continual stream of people was going into the school as I left.

Today is an important one; make sure you take the time to cast your ballot.

The must-follow list for Connecticut election coverage on Twitter

Below is a list of journalists to follow on Twitter Tuesday for coverage of election day in Greater New Haven and throughout Connecticut.

The list includes journalists covering the U.S. Senate race between Christopher Murphy and Linda McMahon; each U.S. House seat in the state; and General Assembly races in Greater New Haven.

Who did we miss? Tweet at us at @NHRegister and we'll add your suggestions.

U.S. SENATE -- Chris Murphy vs. Linda McMahon -- and overall state politics:

Daniella Altimari, Hartford Courant: @capitolwatch

Helen Bennett Harvey, New Haven Register: @newsgirlct

Susan Bigelow, CT News Junkie: @whateversusan

Mark Brackenbury, New Haven Register: @nhrmbrackenbury

Tom Cleary, Hearst CT Media Group: @tomwcleary

John Dankosky, NPR: @johndankosky

Matt DeRienzo, JRC Connecticut: @MattDerienzo

Ken Dixon, Hearst CT Media Group: @KenDixonCT

Ben Doody, JRC Connecticut: @bendoody

Tom Dudchik, CT Capitol Report: @ctcapitolreport

Amanda Falcone, Hartford Courant: @AFalcone8

Rick Green, Hartford Courant: @CTConfidential

Dennis House, WFSB: @DennisHouseWFSB

JRC Connecticut Senate account: @CTSenate2012

Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant: @chispkeating

Sarah Littman, CT News Junkie: @realsaramaerica

Brian Lockhart, Hearst CT Media Group: @blockhart1

Hugh McQuaid, CT News Junkie: @newshugh

Mary E. O’Leary, New Haven Register: @nhrmoleary

Mark Pazniokas, CT Mirror: @CTMirrorPaz

Laurie Perez, Fox CT: @LauriePerez

Al Robinson, MyLeftNutMeg: @ctblogger

Rich Scinto, New Haven Register: @rscinto_NHR

Christine Stuart, CT News Junkie: @ctnewsjunkie

Neil Vigdor, Hearst CT Media Group: @gettinviggy

U.S. House 2nd DISTRICT, Joe Courtney vs. Paul Formica

Ebony Walmsley, New Haven Register: @nhEbony12

U.S House 3rd DISTRICT, Rosa DeLauro vs. Wayne Winsley

Joe Amarante, New Haven Register: @joeammo

U.S. House 4th DISTRICT, Jim Himes vs. Steve Obsitnik

Ken Dixon, Hearst CT Media Group: @KenDixonCT

U.S. House 5th DISTRICT, Elizabeth Esty vs. Andrew Roraback

JRC Connecticut 5th district account: @5thDistrictCT

Jordan Fenster, JRC Connecticut:  @jordanfenster

Luther Turmelle, JRC Connecticut:  @lutherturmelle

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

VALLEY RACES:

New Haven Register Valley account: @nhrvalley

Valley Independent Sentinal: @valleyindy

17th Senate District: Joseph Crisco vs. Tony Szewczyk

21st Senate District: Kevin Kelly, unopposed

32nd Senate District: Robert Kane vs. James C. Gambardella

104th House District: Linda Gentile vs. Mary Smith Porter

105th House District: Leonard C. Greene vs. Theresa W. Conroy

114th House District: Themis Klarides vs. Aldon Hynes

NORTH METRO RACES

Mike Bellmore, New Haven Register:  @Bandango

Shahid Abdul-Karim, New Haven Register: @Shahid_Akarim

13th Senate District: Len Suzio vs. Dante Bartolomeo

16th Senate District: Joe Markley vs. Corky Mazurek

34th Senate District: Leonard Fasano vs. Steve Fontana

85th House District: Mary Mushinsky vs. Gregory N. Bachand

87th House District: Dave Yaccarino, unopposed

88th House District: Brendan Sharkey, D-Hamden, unopposed

89th House District: Vickie Nardello vs. Lezlye Zupkus

90th House District: Mary Fritz vs. Guy Darter

91st House District: Michael C. D’Agostino unopposed

103rd House District: Al Adinolfi vs. Elizabeth Linehan

NEW HAVEN RACES

William Kaempffer, New Haven Register: @kaempffer1

10th Senate Distirct: Toni Nathaniel Harp

11th Senate District: Martin M. Looney

92nd House District: Patricia Dillon

93rd House District: Toni Walker

94th House District: Gary A. Holder-Winfield

95th House District: Juan Candelaria

96th House District: Ronald J. Lemar

97th House District: Robert W. Megna

WEST METRO AND MILFORD RACES

Bridget Albert, New Haven Register: @nhralbert

John Burgeson, Connecticut Post: @johnburgeson

Susan Misur, New Haven Register: @NHRSusan

New Haven Register Milford Bureau: @nhrmilford

14th Senate District: Gayle Slossberg vs. Michael DeGrego

115th House District: Stephen Dargan vs. Joseph Palmucci Sr.

116th House District: Leonard Esposito, unopposed

117th House District: Paul Davis, unopposed

118th House District: Kim Rose vs. Michael Casey

119th House District: James Maroney vs. Pamela Staneski

SHORELINE RACES

Jennifer Swift, New Haven Register: @NHRswift

Jim Shelton, New Haven Register:  @JimboShelton

Sandi Kahn Shelton, @sandishelton

12th Senate District: Edward Meyer vs. Cindy Cartier

33rd Senate District: James Crawford vs. Art Linares vs. Melissa Schlag

35th House District: Tom Vicino vs. John A. Samperi

86th House District: Vincent Candelora, unopposed

98th House District: Patricia Widlitz, unopposed

99th House District: James Albis vs. Craig Cubellotti

101st House District: Noreen Kokoruda vs. David Dwyer

102nd House District: Lonnie Reed vs. Lori Nicholson


Reprinted from today's New Haven Register.