Banquet to Honor Derby High School's Hall of Famers

DERBY -  A banquet to honor the Derby High School Athletic Hall of Fame's Class of 2018 will be held at 12:30 p.m. April 28 at Vazzano's Four Seasons, 337 Kenyon St., Stratford.

Doors open at noon.

The cost is $50 per person, payable by cash or check. Checks can be made payable to: Derby Athletic Hall of Fame, and mailed to: Derby High School, 75 Chatfield St., Derby, CT 06418; Attention Jenn Moffat. 

To reserve a table please email Tom Abel at tom.c.abel@lmco.com 

Each table holds 10 people.

Also, anyone who'd like to sponsor an ad in the banquet program can do so for $25 for a quarter page;  $50 for a half page and $100 for a full page.

For more information, email Mike Cannici at neech76@aol.com or by phone 203-305-9442.

A story about the Class of 2018 Hall of Famers can be viewed online at the New Haven Register: https://www.nhregister.com/valley/article/Derby-High-School-inducts-8-more-in-Athletic-Hall-13330703.php

Nominate a Veteran for CT Veterans Hall of Fame

  

 

 

Vice-Chair of the legislature’s Veterans Affairs Committee, State Senator George S. Logan is letting the public know that the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame is seeking nominations for its 2017 hall of fame class.

 

Nominees must be veterans who honorably served in a branch of the military and who have been leaders in a variety of areas, such as arts, education, public service, volunteer activities, and community and business leadership.

 

Anyone can nominate a veteran, and the award also can be given posthumously.

 

Nomination packets and selection criterion can be found on the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs website under forms, or by going directly to: :http://www.ct.gov/ctva/lib/ctva/halloffame/veterans_hall_of_fame_nomination_packet_2017.pdf

 

All nomination packets must be received by the Office of the Commissioner of Veterans’ Affairs, 287 West Street, Rocky Hill, CT 06067, by 4 p.m. on Sep. 29.

 

Nominations received after Sep. 29 will be automatically considered for the next year.

 

Questions about nominations should be directed to Tammy Marzik at 860-616-3603.

 

*Sen. Logan represents Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany and Derby; and parts of Hamden, Naugatuck and Woodbridge. He can be reached at George.Logan@cga.ct.gov or 800 842-1421. On the web: www.SenatorGeorgeLogan.com .

 

(This is a press release from Sen. Logan)

 

Derby High Sports Hall of Fame honors 10 in inaugural class

Lou DeFilippo

By Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
Register Correspondent

DERBY >> When it comes to sports in Derby, legendary names like Lou DeFilippo, Walter “Buster” Jadach and Vin Greco probably come to mind.

Those three standouts have joined seven others as the inaugural class to be inducted into the Derby High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Joining Coach DeFilippo, Jadach (class of ’67) and Greco (class of ’70), are John Pagliaro (’74), George Budzinak (’66), Leo Ryan (’22), Bob Orchano (’82), Mike Marcucio (’97), Tony Passander (’66) and Diane Potkay (’96).

According to Mike Cannici, a former student athlete and member of the DHS class of ’95, who created the Hall of Fame, the 10 inductees were selected from nearly 100 nominees received by the Hall of Fame Committee since February.
Read more here.

Hall of Fame induction in Ansonia honors club's alumni

Pictured from left: Adam Roscoe, Paul Picirillo, Ed Deptula, Joe Kirei, Mike Cotela, Jr., Walter Oko Sr., Paul Padilla, Mark Andersen, Cody Winslow, John Zaprzalka. / Contributed photo


ANSONIA - More than 170 people attended the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley’s Alumni Association Hall of Fame ceremonies Jan. 26 at Molto Bene Italian Restaurant.
The event marks the eighth year that the Boys & Girls Club’s Alumni Association has honored its own.

Each candidate was nominated by either our Alumni Association, Board of Directors, Board of Corporators, or the general public.
The criteria for selection included being a former member of the Shelton-Derby Boys Club, the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, or the Community Center. Each candidate was judged on notable contributions in his or her life which would serve as a role model for children. Each candidate’s outstanding leadership and dedication to children and their service to our community were important factors in the selection process. Non-members of the Club are nominated and judged on their impact on children at the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley.


The inductees were:


Mike Cotela, Jr. Member of the Boys & Girls Club before the fire that destroyed the Shelton Clubhouse, during the transition, and after the new Clubhouse was opened in 1999. Counselor, Program Director, Keystone Advisor, and promoted to Unit Director for Ansonia Clubhouse in 2013.


Ed Deptula. Member of the Boys & Girls Club. Involved in Shelton National Little League, Shelton Babe Ruth League, and Shelton Flag Football. Volunteer and food consultant at St. Joseph’s Church for their yearly carnival and fish fry. City of Shelton employee. Semi-retired professional chef; graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.


Joe Kirei. Member of the Boys & Girls Club. Graduated Shelton High in the Class of ‘72’. Chef at the Ascot Club for the past 17 years.


Walter Oko Sr. Member when the Boys Club was shared with the Community Center. Worked as physical director for the Club, coached the basketball team, assistant director for summer camp. Attended Bridgeport Engineering, Southern Connecticut State University, and the University of Bridgeport. Worked for 37 years in education as a teacher and administrator.


Paul Padilla. Member of the Community Center. Coached basketball at the Club. Graduate of Shelton High. Earned a BA in History and an MA in education at Sacred Heart University. Teacher in Naugatuck.


Adam Roscoe. Member of the Boys & Girls Club. Member of Echo Hose Fire Department, and was first man in the door to extinguish the fire at the Club on Howe Avenue. Past Leiutenant of Echo Hose Ambulance Corp and former dispatcher for Shelton Police. Graduated second in his class for Police Academy Post Training and has been a Bridgeport Police Officer for 16 years.


Cody Winslow. Member of the Boys & Girls Club. Owner/operator of Winslow Landscaping and Winslow Oil.


John Zaprzalka. Member of the Boys & Girls Club. Still has the friends he made here 40 years ago.  Received his Bachelor Degree in Accounting from Fairfield University, certified public accountant and registered investment advisor. Partner in the accounting and consulting firm Apicella, Testa & Company, P.C. Chairman of the Board of the Valley Community Foundation, former Chairman and current Vice-Chair of the Board of the Griffin Health Services Corporation including Griffin Hospital; serves on the Parish Council and financial committees of St. Michael’s Church in Derby; corporator of both the Valley United Way and the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley.


Porky’s Café. Co-owners Paul Piccirillo and Mark Anderson first encountered the Club’s Alumni Association during the softball tournament in 1988. Since then, through friendships, sponsorships of leagues, golf tournaments, and even a fantasy football league, they have forged a partnership that has helped a lot of our local youth.
 



For information about the Boys & Girls Club, visit www.BGC-LNV.org.


This is a press release from the Boys & Girls Club.  

Seymour seeks nominees for Sports Hall of Fame

SEYMOUR - The Seymour High School Sports Hall of Fame committee has successfully completed its inaugural induction of coaches and athletes into its Sports Hall of Fame.

Members "are extremely appreciative of the overwhelming support of the local community in recognizing our inductees," the committee said in a release. "Without their continued support it would not be possible to honor coaches and athletes at this level."

The committee is now focusing on the induction class for 2014 and is currently accepting written nomination forms at Seymour High School.

Completed forms should be mailed to SHSSHoF, 2 Botsford Road, Seymour, 06483 before April 15, 2014 to enable sufficient time for processing.

The committee is also encouraging new memberships.
Persons interested in joining the committee can do so by attending monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Seymour High School, Room 109.


This post is taken from a press release.

Derby Hall of Fame adds 3 old-timers

By Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
jean.sos@snet.net / Twitter: @nhrvalley

DERBY — A world renowned banjo player, one of New York City’s first multimillionaires and a two-time mayor with a bridge named on his behalf have one thing in common: They were all born here.

Those three famous sons of the Valley — Horace Weston, Stephen Whitney and James B. Atwater — will be inducted for 2013 into Derby’s Hall of Fame next month.

Mayor Anthony Staffieri will induct this year’s class June 15 during the annual Derby Day. “We are proud of their legacy and wish to honor their lives and their dedication to public service,” Staffieri said. “Each one in their own inimitable way has shaped the course of our history.”

Weston, a famous banjo player, was born in 1825. He got his musical talents from his father and traveled the world, becoming recognized as “perhaps the greatest banjoist the world has ever heard,” according to a press release from Jack Walsh, chairman of the Derby Greenway Committee, which oversees the Hall of Fame.
Stephen Whitney, born in 1776, was an entrepreneur who moved to New York City and amassed a fortune believed to be second only to John Jacob Astor. His accomplishments include building the home for the New York Stock Exchange, helping establish New York University and helping rebuild New York after the tragic 1835 fire.

James B. Atwater, born in 1871, was a two-time mayor, who held many other elected and appointed positions. Atwater was president of the Derby Public Library, Housatonic Council Boy Scouts of America, Griffin Hospital and the Birmingham National Bank. Those unaware of Atwater’s feats know the name, as the bridge spanning the Naugatuck River is named in his honor.


Hall of Fame established in 2007

Walsh said there now are 35 members of the Hall of Fame, which was established in 2007 to pay tribute to Derby natives who played a significant role in shaping the city’s history.

The Greenway Committee honors inductees by placing a special brick bearing their name at Derby’s Hall of Fame Plaza at the entrance of the Derby Greenway on Division Street.

Walsh said inductees are selected from nominations submitted through the city’s website, or by committee members seeking them out.

“With Derby being as old as it is, there are over three centuries of people to consider,” Walsh said.

Sheila O’Malley, the city’s economic development director and chief administrative officer, said this year’s inductees do the city proud.

“I am always impressed with the people they select,” O’Malley said. “It seems Derby never runs out of citizens with creativity and ingenuity.” 

Crisco hosts Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Hartford

HARTFORD - State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, founder of the Connecticut Hall of Fame and chairman of its selection committee, today hosted a formal induction ceremony at which the newest honorees were revealed and enshrined.

Crisco said four former or current state residents are included in this year’s class – the fifth group to be so honored.

The four inducted today are Jim Calhoun, Geno Auriemma, A.C. Gilbert and Roger Sherman.

“Connecticut has been home for so many truly remarkable people over the years, each of whom made an indelible mark on American history and each of whom helped define our notable state,” Crisco said. 

“This year’s class lives up to standards set by previous inductees – I couldn’t be more proud of the caliber of Connecticut residents we’ve chosen.”

“Jim Calhoun’s name and reputation are synonymous with the men’s highly successful basketball program at the University of Connecticut and his ongoing legacy also includes his philanthropic and humanitarian work,” Crisco said. 

“Likewise, Geno Auriemma successfully raised the profile of women’s basketball at UConn and across the nation, with eight national titles and decades of excellence among scores of graduating UConn women.”

Crisco said contributions made by this year’s two other inductees were made previously and are by now part of Connecticut’s historic fabric.

“A.C. Gilbert won an Olympic Gold Medal in the pole vault, and received an M.D. from the Yale School of Medicine but made his name and reputation as an inventor and manufacturer, most notably of the famous and very popular Erector Set,” Crisco said. “And Roger Sherman was rare among Connecticut’s 18^th century activists – one of the very few to have signed all four documents that were to become the pillars of our nation: the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, and the Articles of Association.”

According to its website the Connecticut Hall of Fame is, “intended to recognize the outstanding achievements of Connecticut individuals,” and, “serve as an educational tool for the great number of students who visit the state Capitol and Legislative Office Building.” 

Crisco told all those at today’s event the Hall of Fame has operated since its inception with no state funding, reliant instead entirely upon contributions and donations.

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