Derby, Shelton veterans among DAV honorees

Top photo, left side of vehicle: Vic Carrol, Burke Ross, Lauren Cust (twice), Senna Punancy, Joe Wargo; bottom photo, right side: Ed Michaud, Maj. Betsy Walsh, Buffert Brooks, Ashley Kenyon, Frank Dlugokinski, Steve Frank, and Josh Phillips. Inset, rear of van: Capt. Dean White. / Contributed photo

Ten area veterans were honored for their dedication in assisting other veterans by being selected to have their service picture displayed on a new Disabled American Veterans Local Veterans Assistance Program van. 

 

The honorees were Capt. Dean White, Derby; Vic Carroll, Stamford; Burke Ross, Shelton; Lauren Cust, Shelton; Senna Punancy, Bridgeport; Joe Wargo, Trumbull; Ed Michaud, Stratford; Maj. Betsy Walsh, Milford; Buffert Brooks, Stamford; Ashley Kenyon, Waterbury; Frank Dlugokinski, Torrington; Steve Frank, Naugatuck; and Josh Phillips, Derby. 

 

They were selected from the list of hundreds of dedicated Connecticut veterans being considered for the honor.

The DAV and the AMVETS have partnered in the effort to purchase vans for the DAV created LVAP, which provides day trips to veterans in homeless shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and veterans who are “shut-ins.”

The LVAP vans also have been used for Operation Gift Cards. Operation Gift Cards has presented over $719,000 in post exchange (military department store) gift cards and other donated items to the wounded troops at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Hospital in Bethesda, Md. during its 99 visits over the last eight years. 

Sixty-eight groups have co-sponsored the program.

 

CT Heroes on Wheels is another major program which benefits by the use of the LVAP vans. CT Heroes on Wheels provides free electric wheelchairs, electric scooters and other medical equipment to needy veterans and their families.

 

The DAV and AMVETS are collecting donations for the purchase of at least one additional LVAP van. 

Anyone interested in making a donation for the LVAP van may contact Al Church (DAV State Treasurer) (860) 529-1759 or church_al@yahoo.com. 

For information about the DAV or AMVETS programs contact Al Meadows (203) 929-3357 or al.meadows@snet.net.

 

 

This is a press release from Al Meadows of Shelton. 

Beacon Falls fire training school to share $26.2M in state funding

By Phyllis Swebilius
Register Staff
A planned fire training school in Beacon Falls is among five in the state in line to share $26.2 million, under a midterm budget proposed recently by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
The other facilities are Wolcott, Fairfield, Eastern Connecticut and Burrville, which is in Torrington. A new facility is being eyed for Cheshire to replace the one in Wolcott.


Read the full story here.

Derby, Orange schools chiefs lose out on Torrington job

Derby Superintendent Stephen Tracy and Orange Superintendent Timothy James lost out on becoming the interim school superintendent in Torrington to an internal candidate.
The Board of Education voted Tuesday night to negotiate with Cheryl Kloczko as the interim superintendent.
Kloczko, the district’s director of special programs, was chosen over five others, including Tracy and James.
Tracy, 63, who has been with the Derby schools since June 2008, said Tuesday afternoon he had an interview last week with the school board in Torrington.
"It is the city next to where I live — in Goshen," Tracy said. He said the location of the job was a consideration.
Derby is about an hour’s drive from Goshen.
Philip Robertson, Derby chief administrative officer, said Tracy last week made Derby Mayor Anthony Staffieri aware of the interview.
Staffieri could not be reached for comment.
James, who could not be reached for comment Tuesday, has announced that he is retiring from the Orange system at the end of the year.
According to the Register Citizen newspaper in Torrington, the school board held more than 10 hours of interviews and discussions in three weeks. The paper reported that the school board wanted a candidate familiar with the district, and will start an aggressive search for a permanent superintendent later this year.