Gov. Malloy to Visit Ansonia Monday, March 6

ANSONIA - Gov. Dannel Malloy will be speaking at the Ansonia Public Library Monday, March 6 at 11 a.m.

He will be joined by Mayor David S. Cassetti, state Rep. Linda Gentile, state Sen. George Logan and Derby Mayor Anita Dugatto.

Monday’s engagement is in response to Mayor Cassetti’s call for a bipartisan effort to support the governor’s proposal to reallocate state spending on public education. The proposal would restore millions of dollars in need-based funding to Ansonia schools, thereby easing local taxpayers’ burden in a tight budget year.

“This year our public schools require $3 million in additional funding due to skyrocketing special education costs and the loss of state grants,” Cassetti said. “That’s three years of education increases at once — and it cannot be supported and sustained without significant budget cuts or a tax increase.”

Cassetti has vowed to fight for fair state education funding to avoid the “worst case scenario” of budget cuts or tax increases. “Our city has been shortchanged on millions in state education dollars for years,” Cassetti said. “Our residents deserve fair treatment from Hartford, and I commend Governor Malloy’s proposal to finally address the inequity that has disadvantaged Ansonia students and taxpayers for years.”

“Ansonia has only been receiving 70 percent of its need-based funding,” Cassetti went on. “At the same time, wealthier communities have received 150 percent to over 200 percent of their funding. That’s not right, and we will fight to change it.”

The governor’s visit will be followed later in the month by a town hall meeting with Rep. Gentile and Sen. Logan. The town hall meeting will take place at Ansonia High School March 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

(This is a press release from Mayor Cassetti's office)

Gentile Weighs in on Malloy's Budget Proposal

On Wednesday, the governor delivered his annual budget address, proposing significant changes to balance the state’s bi-annual budget.

 

It is important to note that the governor’s budget proposal is only a starting point to the process of creating a responsible, balanced budget. This proposal has some good ideas,

such as increased funding to education and special education, but I also fully acknowledge that there are some areas that need vast improvement and I will work diligently to make sure those areas are addressed. I want to emphasize that each proposed change will be carefully assessed for its potential impact on taxpayers and the delivery of services to residents.

 

I will make sure that we keep all of the things that hard working families value in mind with this budget. Things like, making Connecticut more affordable for seniors, keeping

our young people in the state after they graduate, aligning our education system with jobs and employer’s needs, and promoting job growth and encouraging economic development.

 

Since this is only the beginning, I look forward to working collaboratively with my

colleagues across the aisle to craft a budget that protects and preserves all of the

important programs, services and issues that we all value. I will continue working to

ensure that Ansonia and Derby receive the necessary funding needed to properly function

and educate and protect our children, schools, and families. As you already know, my

priority has always been, and will always be, fighting for the needs of my constituents

and protecting hard working families of Connecticut.

 

Certainly, there are many hard choices and decisions we, as legislators, will need to make

in the coming months to balance the state’s bi-annual budget. As we address

our challenges, I will continue to work to make Ansonia and Derby a better place to live,

work, and raise a family. It is extremely important to me that this budget does the right

thing to strengthen our economy and reflect the priority of the people of Connecticut.

As always, I welcome any thoughts, questions, or suggestions concerning the State

budget process.

 

(This is an op-ed piece submitted by state Rep. Linda Gentile)

 

Official at BHcare in Ansonia named to state commission

ANSONIA - Trudy Higgins, BHcare Vice President of Community Services, has been appointed to the Connecticut Commission on Community Service by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

 

Higgins joined the behavioral health field back in 1982, helping men and women who struggled with serious mental illness and addiction find jobs and gain the necessary skills to join the workforce.

She joined BHcare (Birmingham Group Health Services) in 1991 as the Coordinator of Supported Employment and quickly moved her way up the organization taking on various positions such as Director of Supported Employment, Director of Rehabilitation Services, Director of Operations, and Associate Executive Director. 

From 2003 until 2011, Higgins served as the Vice President of Services and in 2012 she assumed the role of BHcare’s Vice President of Community Services.

Higgins has served on numerous boards and committees including the Valley YMCA Board of Directors, the CCPA Behavioral Health Division, and the CCPA Membership Committee.

She was president of the CT Rehabilitation Association in the 1990s, and was co-chair of DMHAS’ New Haven Housing Subcommittee.  

She participates in the New Haven Chamber Nonprofit Council and Healthcare Council and was most recently elected to the steering committee for Opening Doors New Haven which is dedicated to ending homelessness in Connecticut. 

Higgins is vice president of the St. Anthony’s Church Ladies Guild and serves on its Hope Ministry which raises money to help the needy in Prospect. She volunteers at St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen in Waterbury and recently joined the Ladies Auxiliary of the Prospect Volunteer Fire Department.

BHcare is a regional community provider of behavioral health, addiction prevention, and domestic violence services for the Lower Naugatuck Valley, Greater New Haven and Shoreline communities. For  information, visit www.bhcare.org.

The Connecticut Commission on Community Service administers programs under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993. 

The Commission is dedicated to supporting service and civic engagement to strengthen communities throughout Connecticut.

In partnership with the Office of Higher Education, the Commission funds and supports programs that encourage all Connecticut residents to volunteer. Learn more at  www.ctohe.org/cccs/.

This is a press release from BHcare.

Crisco welcomes new law to help horse owners, stables

State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, D-Woodbridge, talks Tuesday with 'Cheyenne' and Fiona Hynes, 12, of Woodbridge at Locket's Meadow Farm in Bethany just before the ceremonial signing of a new state law designed to help reduce insurance costs for horse owners and horse stables. Hynes testified earlier this year before the General Assembly in favor of the new law./ Contributed photo

BETHANY - State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, D-Woodbridge, Tuesday joined horse owners and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy for the ceremonial signing of a new state law that will protect horse owners and equestrian businesses from paying significantly higher insurance premiums for owning or boarding horses and other, related animals. 

Crisco, Malloy and others were on hand at Locket's Meadow Farm for the re-signing of Public Act 14-54, which requires that in any civil action brought against the owner or keeper of any horse, pony, donkey or mule to recover damages for any alleged personal injury, the animal shall not be found to belong to a species that possesses a naturally mischievous or ‘vicious’ propensity. 

The bill passed the General Assembly in early May on a unanimous and bipartisan vote.

“I was alerted to this issue earlier this year by calls from my constituents in Bethany, many of whom own horses or board their horses at places like Locket's Meadow,” Crisco said, who co-sponsored the legislation. 

“From a personal perspective, insurance coverage for these animals would have become unaffordable if they were automatically deemed to be vicious in nature. And from an economic standpoint, horse farms, stables and training centers – which contribute quite a lot to Connecticut’s economy – could have been put out of business. So I think this new law gives everyone a little peace of mind.”

The new state law was passed in reaction to a state Supreme Court ruling earlier this year which found that an owner of a domesticated animal has a duty, under a two-part test, to use reasonable care to restrain the animal so as to prevent it from doing injury. 

“Connecticut has a large population of horse owners and handlers, and as such, I’m happy to sign this legislation so that we can ensure their operations can continue without possible negative consequences,” Malloy said.  

“I am proud of Connecticut’s growing agricultural sector, and I remain committed to the growth of this industry and to the hard working farm families of Connecticut.”

This is a press release from Crisco's office.

Malloy visits Bethany farm to celebrate passage of law to protect horse owners

Bethany resident Kathleen Schurman of Locket's Meadow Farm, left, rejoices Tuesday after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, far right, held a ceremony to mark passage of a law that protects owners and handlers of domesticated horses. 

Stay tuned for a story in the New Haven Register.

Malloy touts success of jobs program at Seymour event

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy speaks Monday at Microboard Processing, Inc. in Seymour. Stay tuned for a story in the New Haven Register. 

Crisco says law means more mental health support for youth

'Comprehensive package of reforms'

State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, joined Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in his Capitol office last Friday as he ceremonially signed into law one of Crisco’s signature legislative efforts: Public Act 13-178, “An Act Concerning the Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Health of Youths.”

“In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, we passed an historic, comprehensive package of reforms that included significant mental health provisions,” Crisco said.

“This companion legislation digs deeper into addressing the root causes of these tragedies, making early identification and intervention a priority. This law ensures that our state will have a solid system of mental health support commensurate with the task of addressing children’s mental health issues in Connecticut.”

PA 13-178, which officially became law on June 24, serves as a complement to the gun violence prevention and child safety law which was passed by the legislature in reaction to the December 2012 school shootings in Newtown.

The new law seeks to reduce mental, emotional and behavioral health issues in children. It will do so through enhanced prevention, early identification and intervention, better communication and consistency between home visitation programs, and new initiatives.

The law creates a Children’s Mental Health Task Force to study the effects of nutrition, genetics and psychotropic drugs on children. 

The task force will gather and maintain current information regarding these effects; and advise the General Assembly and Governor concerning the coordination and administration of state programs that may address these issues using a results-based accountability framework.

The task force membership will include, but is not limited to a psychologist, a psychiatrist, an educator, a pediatrician, a dietician and a pharmacologist.

The task force will submit its finding and recommendations to the Commissioner of Children and Families and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children by Sept. 30, 2014.

This is a press release from Crisco's office.

Opinion: Ansonia Republican questions Malloy visit to city

Editor's note: Henri, a Republican, is running for alderman in the 6th Ward. He submitted this column Wednesday prior to Malloy's visit to Ansonia City Hall to announce a $400,000 grant from the state Department of Housing to rehabilitate 12 houses.

By Patrick Henri
Guest column

Why is Gov. Malloy in Ansonia today? 

Ostensibly he will be paying a visit to discuss the Small Cities Housing Rehabilitation Grant Program that Ansonia has successfully applied for over the past three years. 

However, Ansonia residents could be forgiven if they suspect an ulterior motive.  After all, Ansonia has received this grant for three previous years. Where was the governor on those occasions?

The Housing Rehabilitation Program represents a great success story for Ansonia. It has brought in a total of $900,000 to the city since 2010. 
That amount is expected to exceed $1 million with the next round of funding. The purpose of the program is to rehabilitate housing in Ansonia’s most needy areas.

Ansonia’s successful participation in the program is due to the efforts of a rejuvenated Economic Development Commission re-established by Alderman John Marini, R-7, in 2010.  The Commission – which included a mix of Republicans and Democrats – deserves credit for reversing an abysmal track record of failed Small Cities Grant applications extending back to the early 2000s.

It remains to be seen if Gov. Malloy will give proper credit for the Housing Rehabilitation Grant.  It is interesting, however, that the timing of Gov. Malloy’s visit coincides not only with Ansonia’s most recent grant application, but also with a certain mayoral election.  It also occurs just months after Ansonia has realized the one of the highest mill rates in the Valley and one week after the Ansonia Republican Town Committee has put up a full slate of candidates for the November municipal elections.

Is Gov. Malloy being brought in as a lifesaver for the Della Volpe administration?

If so, Ansonia residents will not be fooled. Gov. Malloy has the distinct privilege of governing a state with one of the highest employment rates, worst economies, worst business atmospheres, worst roads and on and on and on. This “dog and pony show” photo op isn’t going to gloss over those facts or decrease Ansonia’s taxes.

Gov. Malloy is not a “lifesaver.” He and his administration are an anchor that continues to drag the state down into the briny depths of high taxes and anti-business policies.

Crisco welcomes Malloy support of 2 health-care laws

State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, co-chair of the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee, today welcomed the signature of Gov. Dannel P.  Malloy – representing official enactment – of two new health care initiatives.

 

Crisco said the two new laws were among his priorities for this year’s session: to expand biomedical research funds to cover stroke research and extend health insurance coverage for those on the autism spectrum.

 

With regard to research into causes and treatment of stroke, Crisco said Connecticut’s Biomedical Research Fund was originally meant to supplement funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) but over time, with drastic cuts at the federal level, Connecticut’s program has largely supplanted NIH grants.

 

“Researchers already know that several risk factors with regard to stroke include high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and tobacco use, each of which aligns perfectly with the original purpose of the Biomedical Research Fund,” Crisco said. “But the debilitating fallout from stroke depends on which part of the brain is deprived of blood and oxygen, and for how long, so there’s a world of research still waiting to be done.”

 

“There are more than seven million stroke survivors in the United States who are recovering, but additional research is needed to help them – and new stroke patients – do so more quickly and more thoroughly,”  Crisco added.

 

The other new law, to ensure health insurance coverage for autism patients in Connecticut, was prompted by a concern that some patients might lose their benefits based upon new diagnosis criteria expected imminently from the American Psychiatric Association.

 

“Connecticut leads the nation providing for those with autism and their families; with this new law we underscore our long-term commitment to help the families of those afflicted with autism, especially children,” Crisco added. 

“This will provide families some measure of assurance that their coverage will continue no matter what revisions are made in the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).”

 

“I’m grateful for the support of legislators, leadership, and the governor throughout the process leading to enactment of these laws,” Crisco said.

 

 

This post is taken from a press release from Crisco's office. 

 

Gentile thanks educators, Malloy after roundtable in Ansonia

Focus on school district's progress 

ANSONIA - State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, and state Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, D-Woodbridge, joined Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Education Commissioner Stephen Pryor Wednesday for a visit to John G. Prendergast Elementary School.

The event included a roundtable conversation with administrators and teachers on the progress their education program have achieved since it was approved by the state last year as an Alliance District. 

“I would like to thank the administrators and teachers for their commitment to our students and I would like to thank the Governor and Commissioner Pryor for visiting our school district,” said Gentile. 

“It is apparent from the educators’ remarks that the reading assessment pilot program is a very valuable and welcome tool. This program provides these professionals with immediate data and feedback that they can use to not only gauge student performance and progress, but also make very specific critical adjustments to a child's reading program so that that child can improve their ability to learn," she said.

"I applaud our teachers’ efforts and their enthusiastic support of the program and I hope that we can not only continue with this successful pilot program, but hopefully expand it.”  

The education reform package that Malloy signed into law in 2012 created the Alliance District program, which targets the state’s under-performing schools to receive additional Educational Cost Sharing aid while developing comprehensive reform strategies to turn the schools around.

“The bulk of these state funds are aptly directed at literacy programs in Ansonia’s primary grades, because early reading skills readily translate into a student’s improved ability to learn other subjects in every grade afterward,” Crisco said. 

“Once a student knows how to read, he or she can read about history, math, science – even music – to broaden his or her base of knowledge.”

Ansonia received an additional $539,715, or 3.6 percent in ECS funding, increasing Ansonia’s total education grant to $15,571,383 for 2012-13.

This is taken from a press release from Gentile's office.

Crisco, Malloy highlight value of education grant for Ansonia

State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, joined Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in Ansonia today to highlight state support for public schools there and more specifically, glean details about how state grants are applied to help Ansonia students learn.
This morning’s joint appearance was at John G. Prendergast Elementary School.

Ansonia qualifies for state grants through the state’s Alliance District Grant program; for the current year Ansonia received $539,000.

“The bulk of these state funds are aptly directed at literacy programs in Ansonia’s primary grades, because early reading skills readily translate into a student’s improved ability to learn other subjects in every grade afterward,” Crisco said. “Once a student knows how to read, he or she can read about history, math, science – even music – to broaden his or her base of knowledge.”

Crisco said funding for the primary grades literacy programs helped underwrite new materials for students and as importantly, training for teachers so they’re able to use the new materials most effectively.

“Another important initiative underway in Ansonia provides master teacher support for high school students and faculty to support implementation of research-supported reading strategies,” Crisco said. “And I was particularly interested in what was described as the wrap-around services program, through which faculty and staff in Ansonia schools provide resources for a community-based literacy program to help parents learn to teach literacy skills to their children at home.”

“It is extremely gratifying to see the manner in which these state resources have been invested to the benefit of Ansonia students,” Crisco added. “I was pleased to welcome the governor to our part of the state today so he could witness firsthand the improved learning environment as a result of that investment.”

This information is taken from a press release from Crisco's office.

Crisco, Malloy welcome insurance company to state

HARTFORD - State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, co-chair of the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee, recently joined Gov. Dannel P. Malloy at a formal announcement of plans to have The Navigators Group, Inc., an international specialty insurance holding company, move its corporate headquarters and additional operations from New York to Connecticut.

The move is planned for later this year.

Crisco commended the governor and his staff for negotiating terms of the move, which is expected to create 200 jobs in the state’s insurance sector within the next five years.

“The framework Connecticut has in place for continuing, successful economic development played a big role in today’s announcement, which, going forward, helps ensure our state’s place as the insurance capital of the world,” Crisco said.
 “Throughout my tenure as co-chair of the Insurance Committee we’ve worked collaboratively with the industry to create a welcoming environment and that partnership is once again paying off.”

“Our state’s longstanding familiarity with the insurance industry helps us provide for these companies a supportive setting, knowledgeable workforce, and an overall competitive advantage,” Crisco added.

The Navigators Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:NAVG), is an international commercial property and casualty insurance holding company with insurance company operations, underwriting management companies, and operations at Lloyd’s.
The company has a presence in communities across the United States, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, China and South America.

State support for the $25 million project will be provided through Malloy’s Next Five program, which is administered by Department of Economic and Community Development.
The agency will provide a 10-year, forgivable loan of up to $8 million at no interest, as well as a grant of up to $3.5 million.

All assistance and loan forgiveness is contingent on the company reaching certain job milestones.  State financial assistance will help the company purchase needed equipment, make facility upgrades, train employees and offset relocation expenses and other eligible project-related costs.

This information is taken from a press release from Crisco's office.