State Sen. George Logan Debuts TV Show

Newly-elected Connecticut State Sen. George S. Logan (left) recently taped his first edition of “The Senate Reports with Sen. George S. Logan” at the Hartford-based AccessTV.org studio with Access TV videographer J. Stan McCauley (right).  In the show’s debut, Sen. Logan discusses the reasons why he was inspired to run for public office and his efforts to improve the quality of life for everyone in Connecticut.  The show can be viewed at www.SenatorGeorgeLogan.com and www.accesstv.org/ch-22 .  Direct link: http://ctsenaterepublicans.com/2017/03/watch-sen-logans-access-tv-show-debuts-on-channel-22/#.WMAZ2YKQxjo .  Logan represents Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck and Woodbridge. He can be reached at 800-842-1421 and at George.Logan@cga.ct.gov.

Sen. Logan Applauds Proposal to Restore Cuts to Local Education

 

Sen. George S. Logan on Feb. 7 applauded the Connecticut Senate and House Republicans’ plan to reinstate nearly $20 million in education funding that was cut midyear to cities and towns throughout the state.

 

The Republican proposal would allow the state to restore Education Cost Sharing funding that was cut by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration in December and also close the current budget deficit of $11.9 million as estimated by the Office of Fiscal Analysis.

 

“The December cuts to towns were unfair,” Sen. Logan said.  “Local officials should be able to plan on what their state education funding should be.  This is what I hear over and over again when talking to area mayors and first selectmen.  My top priority is to protect Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck and Woodbridge.  Our Republican plan restores the cuts, and I will continue to fight to protect local education funding and property taxpayers.”

 

The plan can be viewed at www.ctsenaterepublicans.com .

 

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

 

(This is a press release from Logan's office) 

Shelton nursing assistant charged with identity theft, stealing from elderly man

By Register Staff

HAMDEN >> A Shelton woman hired as a caregiver for an 88-year-old man is facing several charges here after she allegedly stole nearly $1,400 from the man’s checking account.
Shante Pettway, 27, turned herself in to Hamden police last week and was charged with six counts of second-degree identity theft and fourth-degree larceny.

Read more here. 

In memory of a Hamden resident who left us way too soon

 

MARA LAVITT — NEW HAVEN REGISTER Former New Haven Register reporter Michael Bellmore working in the newsroom during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The dog with him, Nike, belonged to former Register reporter Jordan Fenster, who had no power at his home and brought the dog in with him to work so the dog would be safe.


A friendly young man who had worked as a reporter at the New Haven Register passed away last Saturday.

Michael Bellmore, a Hamden resident, was just 27.

Reporter Michelle Tuccitto Sullo penned a beautiful tribute to Mike. It appeared in Thursday's paper.
I overheard several people at his wake Thursday commenting on how well written it was, and I agree.

Although I barely knew Mike I wanted to share this sweet memory of him:

I met Mike last June at a training session for editorial employees.

Before the session started a friendly co-worker brought me a cup of tea. I work out of my home and she realized that I didn’t know where to get a hot beverage.

After the tea steeped I had a tea bag to discard and didn’t know where to put it. 

Mike, who was sitting in front of me, noticed my situation. He got up and put out his hand for me to put the tea bag on his outstretched palm.

I was startled. I certainly didn’t want to put a wet tea bag on his hand.

But he insisted I give it to him and he’d get rid of it for me, which he did.

I was truly taken aback by Mike's friendliness since we had not met before. I'll never forget it.




My condolences go out to his family and friends at this sad time. 



His family has asked that contributions in his memory be made to SCSU, MFA Fund/Poetry and Creative Writing, 501 Crescent St., New Haven, CT 06515, or at http://www.southernct.edu/giving.

Crisco announces arts grants

Organizations in Bethany, Hamden, Naugatuck among awardees

HARTFORD - State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Monday three local organizations have been awarded grants through the Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund to sustain their contributions to the community.

“Congratulations are in order for these outstanding awardees,” Crisco said.

“Thriving local arts are a hallmark of flourishing communities, and my constituents are lucky to have access to such outstanding offerings. I want to thank the governor for taking an active role in supporting the arts in our cities and towns.”

“Having a vibrant arts community not only increases our quality of life, it also spurs our economy and helps to create thriving centers of commerce,” Malloy said. “I’m proud that we could make investments in these different groups, so that they can continue to do the good and important work of enriching our communities.”

The grants will be awarded through the Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund, which is maintained by the state Department of Economic & Community Development and its Connecticut Office of the Arts.
The Fund was established to stimulate the development of private sector funding for the arts and to help stabilize arts institutions.

COA develops and strengthens the arts in Connecticut through its grant programs, investing in Connecticut artists and arts organizations and encouraging the public’s participation as creators, learners, supporters and audience members.

The local grants are:

Bethany	Dandelion Productions/Bridgeport Free School	1,081.00
Hamden	The Eli Whitney Museum	941.00
Hamden	Young Audiences of Connecticut, Inc.	694.00
Naugatuck	Shakesperience Productions, Inc.	1,221.00

This is a press release from Crisco's office.

Crisco: State grants to support security upgrades

Derby schools to benefit

HARTFORD - State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, today announced state grants to help underwrite school security upgrades across his 17th District. 

Altogether, nine schools in three area towns – Hamden, Derby, and Naugatuck – have qualified for state support to help underwrite school security upgrades.

Funding is available through a competitive grant program, part of the bipartisan gun violence prevention law enacted after last year’s tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. 

State grants were awarded after school security assessment surveys were conducted by local districts; each will supplement local funding to be provided by the district.

“The legislature set up this program to address the school safety issues that became everyone’s concern last year; this grant program matches schools that have identified needs with the resources we made available to help,” Crisco said. 

“The security infrastructure upgrades we envision are meant to prevent or avoid a crisis wherever possible, and this initiative fortifies our efforts to deter violence in that regard.”

Crisco said school security improvements will include some combination of security cameras and videotaping capabilities, new safety glass, remote-controlled locks, new key

card entry systems, and panic alarms.

“We will never be able to prevent every random act, but we can take the steps necessary to make sure that our children and our teachers are as safe as possible. This funding allows districts with the most need to implement modern security measures that will make schools safer,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said about the new state grants.

Crisco said Derby will add to a $267,873 grant with $107,139 in local funds to upgrade three schools, Hamden will supplement a $152,505 state grant with $107,873 in local funds for improvements at three schools there, and Naugatuck is in line for a $463,314 state grant, to be augmented with $151,486 in local funds for security improvements at three of its schools.

This is a press release from Crisco's office.

We head to Hamden on National Ice Cream Day

HAMDEN - Son Cameron and I headed to Hamden to find a frozen treat on Sunday, which just happened to be National Ice Cream Day.
 

After all we had to celebrate ice cream!

We stopped at Cherry on Top Ice Cream Shop at 1654 Whitney Ave. in the Spring Glen section of town. The friendly server told us the shop opened in June of 2012.

Coincidentally the shop also serves Buck's Ice Cream, which I and my ice cream compadres have now enjoyed at several locations, most recently last week at Dave & Dave's in Shelton.

Cameron ordered a medium-sized sundae with two scoops of cookies 'n cream ice cream and a scoop of peanut butter fudge ice cream, Nutella (hazelnut chocolate spread), walnuts and whipped cream.

His reaction? "It was really good!"

I got a waffle cone with a scoop of birthday cake burst ice cream topped with a scoop of rich chocolate ice cream. I daresay it was a delicious combo.

The ice cream parlor has a few seats inside but since Sunday was not too hot we decided to sit at one of the tables out on the sidewalk to enjoy our treat.
The afternoon was quiet and there didn't even seem to be much traffic on normally busy Whitney Avenue.

Would we go back? Absolutely. I recommend you give it a try!

2 top Quinnipiac students are from Ansonia, Seymour

HAMDEN - Two students from the Valley are among those who will graduate at the top of their class on Sunday when Quinnipiac University holds its 82^nd undergraduate commencement exercises during two outdoor ceremonies on the Mount Carmel Campus, 275 Mount Carmel Ave.

Ikechukwu E. Umeugo of Ansonia, will receive both the President’s Scholarship Award for being one of four students to have the highest grade point average in the graduating class.
He also will receive the Alumni Association’s Academic Achievement Award for having the highest grade point average in the School of Business. 
Umeugo will be among the 734 students who will graduate at the 10 a.m. commencement ceremony for students in the School of Business and College of Arts and Sciences. Jessica Jackley, the founder and former chief marketing officer of KIVA, a microlending site, will deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary degree.  
James McGlothlin, chairman and CEO of The United Co., also will receive an honorary degree.

Samantha L. Barracca of Seymour, will receive the Alumni Association’s Academic Achievement Award for having the highest grade point average in the School of Communications. She will be among the 776 students who will graduate at the 3 p.m. commencement ceremony for students in the School of Communications, School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing.  
Josh Elliott of “Good Morning America” will deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary degree.
 

        Quinnipiac enrolls 6,200 full-time undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students in 58 undergraduate and more than 20 graduate programs of study in its School of Business and Engineering, School of Communications, School of Education, School of Health Sciences, School of Law, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, School of Nursing and College of Arts and Sciences. 

Quinnipiac consistently ranks among the top regional universities in the North in U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges issue. 

For information, visit www.quinnipiac.edu. Connect with Quinnipiac on Facebook at www.facebook.com/quinnipiacuniversity and follow Quinnipiac on Twitter @QuinnipiacU.



This post is taken from a press release.

Valley and Hamden drug raids yield nine arrests

Ansonia Police Chief Kevin Hale, left, meets with reporters Friday outside the Ansonia Armory to announce arrests stemming from drug raids in the Valley and Hamden. With him are Lt. Andrew Cota and Ansonia Mayor James Della Volpe. Patricia Villers/Register

By Patricia Villers
Register Staff
pvillers@nhregister.com

ANSONIA - Police from several municipalities today arrested nine people during raids in 11 locations in Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, Hamden, and Waterbury, Police Chief Kevin Hale announced in a press conference.

A quantity of crack cocaine, cash, two stolen handguns and three stun guns were seized.

The raids were a culmination of a six-month investigation by the Ansonia Police Department’s Anti-Crime Unit, along with the Ansonia Detective Bureau and the Ansonia patrol force, Hale said in a written statement distributed at the press conference outside the Ansonia Armory.

The individuals arrested were involved in a drug distribution ring, the statement said.
Check back later for additional information.

St. Mary-St. Michael students dive into art

They visit Yale Art Gallery, take part in after-school art classes 

Last week I visited St. Mary-St. Michael School in Derby to observe an after-school art program.
I was impressed with the artwork being created with acrylic paints under the watchful eyes of Valley Arts Council President Rich DiCarlo and Vice President Steve DiRienzo.

A story about the six-week art program, funded by the Orange-based Jamie A. Hulley Arts Foundation, appears in today's Register. The program featured a trip to the Yale Art Gallery, where the fourth through eighth graders saw works by Picasso, van Gogh and more.

Here's a sampling of the students and their work. Photos by Patti Villers

Fifth-grader Genesis Brito, 10, of Derby, works on a painting of her dog following the style of Vincent van Gogh. Valley Arts Council President Rich DiCarlo of Derby works with her classmates in the background.

Fifth-grader Emily Tokash, 10, of Hamden, paints the sun. 

Valley Arts Council Vice President Steve DiRienzo of Derby, far left, works with art students.

Fourth grader Elizabeth DeCrisanti, 10, of Waterbury, works on her abstract painting in the cubism style.

 

This is some of the prep work performed by DiCarlo and DiRienzo before the class. They said they get the paints ready to save time during the lesson.

You can take a closer look at all the artwork and attend a reception for the budding artists at 7 p.m. Friday at the Valley Arts Council's Gallery@37, 37 Elizabeth St., Derby.
You won't be disappointed.

Paranormal team investigates Derby eatery

Hamden resident Rose Porto poses this week with her Connecticut Spirit Investigators team, clockwise from left, Tony Szpara, George Searles, and Nick DiGregorio. / Contributed photo

By Patricia Villers
Register Staff
DERBY — Hamden resident Rose Porto is a hairstylist by day, but on her time off she works as a paranormal investigator.
She and her team, Connecticut Spirit Investigators, recently visited The Twisted Vine, a restaurant in the former Birmingham National Bank on Main Street.
The bank was built in 1892, and is known for a certain amount of unexplained paranormal activity.
Porto has been investigating paranormal activity professionally for about a decade, she said.
She and her core group, Nick DiGregorio, Tony Szpara, Jeff Lambert and George Searles, dined at the downtown restaurant before setting up their equipment.
“When we do big investigations, we may have others” joining us, Porto said.
The visit “didn’t disappoint,” she said. The group spent about three hours in the building and found a lot of activity. “We didn’t want to leave,” Porto said.

Read the full story here.

New Haven man faces charges in Woodbridge, Bethany, Hamden and Derby burglaries

By Brian McCready
Milford Bureau Chief
WOODBRIDGE — Police leveled a weapons charge Wednesday against a New Haven man, who they believe is also responsible for a string of burglaries in Woodbridge, Bethany, Hamden and Derby, police said Friday.
Police Spokesman Sgt. Frank Cappiello said police were investigating three recent residential burglaries that occurred on Dillon Road on Jan.9,  Apple Tree Lane on Jan. 11 and the Litchfield Turnpike also on Jan. 11.

Read the full story here.

Kindergartners learn carpentry

The kindergarten class at Explorers Learning Center in Seymour recently attended a workshop at the Eli Whitney Museum in Hamden called "This is my house!" Each child created a house of his or her own design. Carpenters from left to right are: Nicco Sasso, Devonte Hanchard, Michael Azarrone, and Luke Cybulski. / Contributed photo

Rotary funds water filtration in village in India

By Patricia Villers
Register Staff
ANSONIA — More than 230 people in a remote village in southwestern India now have clean water thanks to donations from the Rotary Club.
The families, who make up about 55 households, live in Jogireddypalli in the Kolar province.
That’s according to Cathy Forsberg, who founded the nonprofit South Asia Pure Water Initiative of Hamden with her husband, Mike Lipman, in 2005.

Read the full story here.