Emmett O'Brien Teachers Receive Grant

ANSONIA - Fund for Teachers has awarded Emmett O’Brien Technical High School teachers a grant to attend the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York July 23 –July 28^th 2017 to attend a conference called, Mindfulness in Education Teacher Training.

The  $4,800 grant award called “Mindful Teachers” will allow team leader, grant writer Mary Parady, EL & Language Arts Teacher and team members, Francesca Ford, English Teacher and Diane Salmeri, Hairdressing and Cosmetology Teacher the opportunity to learn, explore and research effective techniques into the way of mindful education and to introduce and implement mindfulness into the academic and trade areas. 

Schools worldwide are turning to mindfulness and social and emotional learning as antidotes to rising stress, and attention deficit. Research shows that students and teachers in school systems that have adopted mindfulness are happier, more focused, more compassionate, emotionally regulated and less impacted by stress.

Daniel Rechtschaffen, Morris E. Ervin Jr. and Rachel Brown will lead the conference.  

The teachers attended an orientation dinner at The New Haven Lawn Club on Tuesday May 2, 2017, with 125 Connecticut fellows. The O’ Brien fellows spent the evening with an amazing group of teachers travelling around the world to enrich the lives of their students.

Fund for Teachers supports educators' efforts to develop skills, knowledge and confidence that impact student achievement. By trusting teachers to design unique fellowships, Fund for Teachers grants validate teachers' professionalism and leadership, as well. Since 2001, Fund for Teachers has invested $22 million in nearly 6,000 teachers, transforming grants into growth for teachers and their students.

(This is a press release from Emmett O'Brien)

Valley Businesswomen Win Grants

 

    

On Tuesday, December 13th, the Greater Valley Chamber Women In Networking Group distibuted $3000 from their Annual WIN Entrepreneurial Grant program to ConnectiKidz Pediatric Dentistry located in Derby, Law Office of Karen A. Fisher located in Seymour and One Smart Dog located in Shelton.

Pictured (L-R) Dr. Julia Bonks, ConnectiKidz; Sharon Massafra, Home Instead Senior Care (WIN Co-Chair and Grant Selection Committee); Mary Jo Romano, Financial Planner (WIN Co-Chair and Grant Selection Committee); Dawn Lowery, One Smart Dog ; Karen Fisher, Law Office of Karen A. Fisher; Katie Keeney, Comcast (WIN Grant Selection Committee); and Tracy Tenpenny, Tea with Tracy (WIN Grant Selection Committee).

Valley United Way Grant Helps Griffin Bring Good Health to the Valley

DERBY - The Valley United Way is helping Griffin Hospital’s Community Outreach Department and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley make good health habits a part of children’s education.

 

The Valley United Way’s Special Needs Grants Program recently awarded Safe Kids and Griffin $4,000 to support its monthly health education programs in area Head Start Programs, preschools, public schools and Boys & Girls Clubs.

 

The health presentations cover a range of topics including germs, seasonal safety and nutrition. The presentations include hands-on activities and every participant receives an activity book and an apple to take home. The program serves between 400-1,000 children each month.

 

“The lessons we learn at a young age tend to stick with us throughout life,” said Cathi Kellett, MA, Special Programs Coordinator for Griffin Hospital Community Outreach. “This grant will make many children in the Valley will have a strong foundation to build a healthy lifestyle.”

 

The Valley United Way Special Needs Grant program is designed to provide funding for special needs or new programs. The funding for the program comes from donors who have expressed an interest in funding areas of importance to them, including health, education and graduation, income, elder care basic needs, youth and recreation, and housing and shelter.

(This is a press release from Griffin Hospital)

 

Derby Senior Center wins grant for new computers

DERBY – Derby Senior Center members will soon be able to freely access online resources, exchange emails, and follow friends and family on Facebook thanks to a grant recently awarded by Valley Community Foundation. 

With assistance from Derby’s Department of Community and Economic Development, Derby Senior Center Executive Director Sarah Muoio, submitted a grant application to Valley Community Foundation seeking funding for two new computers and a new printer for the center.

Her motivation for pursuing the grant was to offer computer access, as well as training, to center members.   
The technology would also allow the center to continue publishing its very popular monthly newsletter, as well as update its website, event calendar, and Facebook page. 

Derby Senior Center, located at 293 Main St., currently serves nearly 2,000 members from

25 towns.   
Most of its members reside in the surrounding communities of Derby, Ansonia, and Shelton.  However, some come from as far away as Fairfield and Hamden.

“Many of our members do not have computers at home,” Muoio said.  “With today’s high cost of living, a computer is simply not an option in many cases.”

Muoio said computer access is not just a matter of convenience. 

According to studies cited in the grant application, computer usage has many benefits for older adults. 
 Research has shown that those who use computers report fewer depression symptoms than those who do not.  In addition, computer usage has been credited in helping seniors stay sharp and mentally alert. 

“Computer availability will also allow our seniors to keep in touch with loved ones, which is very important to their quality of life,” Muoio said.

Mayor Anita Dugatto praised Muoio’s efforts. “Sarah recognized the value in bringing computer access to our older community members," Dugatto said. "Through teamwork, as well as the generosity of Valley Community Foundation, she filled an important need.”


This post is taken from a press release from the City of Derby.

Grant to help beautify Derby

Funds will be used to plant mature trees

DERBY - Mayor Anita Dugatto recently announced the city was awarded a $2,200 grant from the Connecticut Urban Forest Council.

Derby was one of  just a few communities to receive this grant, she said.

CUFC’s mission is to promote urban and community forestry programs in Connecticut. 
To honor this, the funds  will be used to plant up to  10 mature trees at several locations  throughout the city.

“Most of the new trees will replace ones that had to be cut down due to damage or disease,” said Anthony DeFala, public works director.

"Unfortunately, our budget doesn’t always allow us to replace them, so this grant is greatly appreciated.”

In keeping with CUFC’s mission, Derby will be planting native species including poplar, mulberry and maple trees.

Unlike many introduced species, once established, native plants do not require fertilizer, pesticides, or watering.

And the new trees won’t just look pretty.

Wherever possible, trees with phytoremediation qualities will be planted. Such trees have the ability to absorb pollutants.

This form of environmental remediation has become increasingly popular as an effective and low cost way to remove soil contaminants.

Dugatto said, “I am thankful to CUFC for giving Derby the opportunity to beautify our city. I also applaud our public works department for taking the initiative to use this green investment in a way that will leave our city a little better than we found it.”

This is a press release from the City of Derby. 

Ansonia gets $70K for generator at police station

ANSONIA - Mayor James Della Volpe announced today he has received notification of an award to the City of Ansonia for a $70,000 grant from the Hazardous Mitigation Grant Program, through FEMA, for a new generator at the police station.

“During Hurricane Sandy, the current police generator was insufficient in meeting all the needs of the Emergency Operation Center and our disaster communications had been compromised,”

Della Volpe said.

This location had lost power for about 24 hours and the Army, through the Department of Emergency Management Homeland Security, transported a generator unit to temporarily address our needs.”

The mayor also commended the city’s grant writer, Eileen Krugel, for her diligent efforts in securing the grant funds.

The goal of the HMGP is to “reduce the risk of damage for future natural disasters” according to grant documentation.

The federal match for the $70,000 is 75 percent; with the city’s share of 25 percent.

Police Chief Kevin Hale commented that “this is very good news and relieves a huge concern that we have at this building. This generator not only backs up the police department, but also the EOC. This center over the past four storms has served as the nerve center for city services and as such, has to operate fully.”

Della Volpe also noted that the City of Ansonia is disappointed that it did not get funded in the first round of the State of Connecticut’s School Security grants. He is hopeful that the submitted grant application will be funded in subsequent rounds.

This was a collaborative effort between the Board of Education, the Ansonia Police Department and City Hall personnel.

Both the generator and school security funds are included in the November bond referendum. Della Volpe said that in securing these grant funds, it would reduce the amount of money to be expended for the bond if the referendum questions pass on Election Day.

This is a press release from Mayor Della Volpe's office.

Griffin in Derby receives $50K for breast health education

 DERBY - The Susan G. Komen Foundation has awarded Griffin Hospital $50,000 to increase breast health education in the Lower Naugatuck Valley and provide free mammograms.

The funds will help provide better understanding of the high breast cancer mortality rates for the Lower Naugatuck Valley and hopefully reverse the trend by providing low-income and uninsured women free breast cancer screening.
According to the 2011 Komen Connecticut Community Profile, the towns of Shelton and Naugatuck were identified as having breast cancer mortality rates higher than the state rate.

“We do not know why the mortality rates from breast cancer are higher in the towns of Shelton and Naugatuck. We are currently collecting important demographic and cultural information to help us better understand why women are not getting mammograms in a timely manner, which will help to save lives,” said Daun Barrett, RN, director of the Griffin Hospital Community Outreach and Parish Nurse Program.

The community profile indicates that diverse types of minority populations are at particular risk for foregoing recommended breast screenings.
The black and African-American population represents nearly 4 percent of the population in Naugatuck and 1 percent in Shelton.
Hispanics represent 5 percent of the population in Naugatuck and 4 percent in Shelton. There are also large Polish and Portuguese communities in Naugatuck and even a larger Polish population in Shelton. Barrett said the education efforts will target these communities to ensure it reaches women with the most need.

The Komen award will support the breast health education efforts of the Griffin Hospital Valley Parish Nurse Program.
Formed in 1990, The Griffin’s Valley Parish Nurse Program is one of the largest programs of its type in the area, providing free health screenings, links to healthcare, wellness and safety programs, and support services to community members throughout the Valley.
The grant will fund evaluations and questionnaires conducted by the Program’s Community Outreach Coordinators and Outreach Nurses to determine women’s understanding of breast care, a patient satisfaction survey, and tracking systems to record the number of women who received education and breast screenings, and demographic information on those served.
A minimum of 1,000 women will receive breast wellness education in an effort to increase access to screening mammograms at The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital.

The Komen award will also provide for uninsured and underinsured women, free mammograms and screening ultrasounds, which are used for women with dense breasts or abnormalities. Working with the Valley Breast Wellness Initiative, the Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness will provide at least 200 free mammograms to women of the Lower Naugatuck Valley through the Komen funding.

For more information and to see if you qualify for free mammograms, contact the Griffin Hospital Breast Wellness Outreach Coordinator, 203-732-7371.

About The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital

The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness opened in 2011 and primarily serves the Lower Naugatuck Valley and surrounding communities. For information, call 203-732-1300 or visit griffinhealth.org/cbw.


This information is taken from a press release from Griffin Hospital.

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.

Grant to aid Ansonia firefighters in prevention efforts

Michael Spaziani, manager of the fire prevention grant program, presents a check to Ansonia Fire Marshal Ray Tingley and Mayor James Della Volpe. The grant will be used to assist with pre-fire planning to efficiently collect and track data related to local community buildings. The information will help the fire service respond in an emergency situation.


ANSONIA -- The Ansonia Fire Department has received a $1,892 fire-prevention grant from FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers.

FM Global representatives presented the award to Mayor James Della Volpe and Fire Marshal Ray Tingley at City Hall. The award will be used to assist with pre-fire planning to efficiently collect and track data related to local community buildings. The information will help the fire service respond in an emergency situation.

Because fire continues to be the leading cause of property damage worldwide, during the past 35 years FM Global has contributed millions of dollars in fire prevention grants to fire service organizations around the globe. Locally, the company has awarded grants to a number of Connecticut-based organizations.

 “At FM Global, we strongly believe the majority of property damage is preventable, not inevitable,” said Michael Spaziani, manager of the fire prevention grant program. “Far too often, inadequate budgets prevent those organizations working to prevent fire from being as proactive as they would like to be. With additional financial support, grant recipients are actively helping to improve property risk in the communities they serve.”

Through its Fire Prevention Grant Program, FM Global awards grants quarterly to fire departments—as well as national, state, regional, local and community organizations worldwide—that best demonstrate a need for funding, where dollars can have the most demonstrable impact on preventing fire, or mitigating the damage it can quickly cause.

To learn more about FM Global’s Fire Prevention Grant Program, or to apply for a grant, visit www.fmglobal.com/grants.

For more than 175 years, many of the world’s largest organizations have turned to FM Global to develop cost-effective property insurance and engineering solutions to protect their business operations from fire, natural disasters and other types of property risk. 
With clients in more than 130 countries, FM Global ranks #572 among FORTUNE magazine’s largest companies in America and is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best and AA (Very Strong) by Fitch Ratings. 
The company has been named “Best Property Insurer in the World” by Euromoney magazine, “Best Global Property Insurer” by Global Finance magazine and was voted “Best Commercial Property Insurer” in Business Insurance’s 2010 annual Readers Choice Awards.

Congratulations go to Derby students, teachers

Irving School wins $3,000 grant for innovative art project

Irving School's budding artists are all smiles as they show off some of their new supplies. Pictured back row from left are Jurnee Pervis, Kameron Vereen, Kyle Baktis, Ariana Rodriguez. Front row, Grace Saldana, T.J. Orazietti, Samuel Florio. / Contributed photo

DERBY - Markers, paints, colored pencils, and of course, crayons, are now in good supply at Irving School.

That's because the school is one of only 20 nationwide to be awarded the 2012 "Champion Creatively Alive Children's Grant" sponsored by Crayola and the National Association of Elementary School Principals.
The $3,000 grant included $500 worth of supplies for students' artistic endeavors.

Please check out a story about the grant award by my colleague Jean Falbo-Sosnovich in today's paper. 

Crisco, Gentile hail grant for Ansonia operations center

$50,000 to go toward emergency communications generator

State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge and state Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, today welcomed news from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy of the imminent release of state funding to help Ansonia acquire a new emergency communications generator. A state grant for $50,000 will help the city underwrite improvements at its Emergency Operations Center at the John G. Prendergast School.

The lawmakers said the item is included on the agenda for next Friday morning’s meeting of the State Bond Commission and expected to receive final approval and allocation at that time.

“The serendipitous timing of this news – on the anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene’s devastation exactly one year ago – is a fitting reminder of how communications difficulties grossly compounded the response to that storm among first responders, other government agencies, and utility companies alike,”  Crisco said.
 “The old generator in Ansonia had far exceeded its life expectancy and replacement parts are no longer available – I’m grateful to Governor Malloy and the state Office of Policy and Management for their favorable consideration of this application to refortify Ansonia’s emergency preparedness in this manner.”

“Making sure that our towns and cities have the tools they need to assist residents during an emergency is absolutely essential,” said Malloy.  “With this funding in place, Ansonia will be in a better position to weather whatever Mother Nature throws our way next.”

“I'm delighted Governor Malloy is continuing his commitment to small cities and emergency preparedness,” Gentile said. “The lessons learned following last year’s October nor'easter and Tropical Storm Irene include having municipalities able to power their emergency infrastructure to better assist residents.  It is encouraging the state is taking action in Ansonia.”

The lawmakers acknowledged the leadership of Ansonia Mayor James Della Volpe and the comprehensive application prepared by city Grant Writer Eileen Krugel.

“Ansonia is in urgent need of a generator… for our emergency communications systems (that) serve the primary communications equipment for police, fire, EMS, and Department of Emergency Management Homeland Security Region 2,” Krugel wrote.
“This generator… is limited to the emergency communications equipment, the phone system, boiler and fire safety equipment. The city school bus company also relies on this equipment – this is important in the event of a disaster with evacuations.”

Crisco and Gentile said the urgent need for a new generator to power the communications equipment became undeniable during a recent, statewide emergency preparedness drill held in Ansonia.
The grant itself will be administered by the state Department of Economic and Community Development.


The above was taken from a release from Crisco's office.

Gentile welcomes road funding

      State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, welcomes the expected allocation of funds to the towns of Ansonia and Derby for road improvements. 

      The State Bond Commission will meet Friday and is expected to approve the first half of the 2012-2013 town aid road grant in the amount of $15 million. 

Ansonia and Derby’s portion of that is $146,824.  

A second similar grant will follow at the end of the year.  Also known as TAR, Town Aid for Roads grants are generally released in January and July each year.

      “These funds help stabilize local property taxes and put people to work on projects that need to be done,”  Gentile said. “Town Aid Road grants are especially important, allowing communities like Ansonia and Derby to maintain our roads.”

     Gentile said district towns can anticipate receiving the following grants:

• Ansonia – $80,088.
• Derby - $66,736.

     The state grant funds allocated are used for safety issues, design work and repaving.

     The State Bond Commission meets at 10:30 a.m. Friday in room 1E of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

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

Health district seeks contractors

Agency gets HUD grant to make homes lead-safe 

The Naugatuck Valley Health District received a $2.48 million, three-year grant in renewed funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to protect children from lead-poisoning by making homes lead-safe.

 As a result, NVHD’s lead-hazards repair program, the Naugatuck Valley Emends Lead Hazards (NauVEL) project, is currently seeking Licensed – RRP Certified Contractors preferably based in the Valley to pre-qualify to bid on upcoming repair projects estimated below $5,000 per housing unit.  Contractors who participate in these projects must work lead-safe and meet all state and federal standards for lead-safe dust containment, worker and resident safety, and obtain dust-wipe clearance testing by a certified lab.

Detailed information about the NVHD and the NauVEL program are available online at:  http://www.nvhd.org/nauvel/ .

By visiting the website, interested contractors are able to review and print specifications including the Contractor Application 2012, the Contractors Manual 2012, and the Receipt for Contractors Manual 2012 posted in the Downloads section.   Applications from Contractors are accepted on an ongoing basis, but must be completed and received before a bid can be accepted from a construction company.

To receive an application to pre-qualify for bidding, call the NauVEL office, 203-828-9925.

Open bidding opportunities are posted online when available. Examples of past lead-safe renovation projects are also available online in the Gallery of Completed Projects.

Grant funds Griffin simulation-training center

Todd Liu, assistant to the President at Griffin Hospital, far left, and Assistant Program Director of Internal Medicine Residency Joseph Gnanaraj, MD, center, accept a $75,000 check from David Walsh, Government Programs manager at CHEFA along with Senior Development Officer Janet Hall, second from right, and Barbara Stumpo, vice president, Patient Care Services. /Contributed  photo


DERBY - Griffin Hospital and the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority recently celebrated the completion of the hospital’s high-tech Clinical Skills Simulation Training Center.
David Walsh, Government Programs manager at CHEFA, formally presented Todd Liu, assistant to the President at Griffin Hospital, and Assistant Program Director of Internal Medicine Residency Joseph Gnanaraj, MD, with a $75,000 check to fund the recent construction of the training center within Griffin’s School of Allied Health Careers at 300 Seymour Ave.
 The grant is part of CHEFA’s Client Grant Program.
“CHEFA is pleased to partner with Griffin Hospital in developing the Simulation Training Center,” Walsh said. “The grant application stood out for the impact the Center will have on the hospital’s patients and the surrounding community.”

Griffin built the training center to optimize a new state-of-the-art iStan simulation manikin purchased through a $300,000 Health Resources and Services Administration grant.
Some of the CHEFA funds were used to purchase additional Nursing and Allied Health training modules for the iStan.
The training center allows the hospital to enhance and expand training capabilities for its Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine Residency Program and create a model program for advanced training for physicians, nurses, Allied Health professionals, and even EMS providers from the surrounding communities.
Simulation can now be incorporated into training for hospital physicians and staff when a learning need is identified. The Rapid Assessment Learning Module – purchased through the CHEFA grant – will help train nurses, EMTs and paramedics for emergency situations.
To ensure the center is truly interdisciplinary and able to train the broadest group of medical providers possible, Griffin Hospital purchased an additional software module.
“The Center will help the hospital keep pace with advances in medical education, which has moved away from blackboards and traditional classrooms to an era where faculty can remotely deliver lectures by using video- conferencing and video-lecturing, making professionals and trainees more efficient, productive, and interactive,” said Griffin Hospital President and CEO Patrick Charmel.
 “Specifically, the iStan capability will enable medical residents to practice clinical procedures and learn how to properly evaluate and diagnose a variety of ailments on simulation manikins before working on live patients, in much the same way the airline industry has incorporated rigorous training and testing in a simulated environment to develop more highly trained pilots and flight crews.”

CHEFA recently  announced $1 million in grants to 13 of its nonprofit client agencies throughout the state.
CHEFA is a quasi-public agency created by the state legislature to help Connecticut healthcare and educational institutions, and other not-for-profit entities obtain tax exempt financing. CHEFA is self-sustaining and receives no taxpayer funds.
For information visit www.chefa.com.


The above is taken from a release from Griffin Hospital.