Sharing snowy scenery in Derby

I almost didn't bother to venture out today, but decided to give it a whirl. 

Nature is beautiful no matter what the temperature.

Brrrr...

Red Cross urges caution in extreme cold

FARMINGTON >> The American Red Cross has issued safety tips to help the public cope with the extreme cold forecast in the next few days, according to spokesperson Paul Shipman.

If outdoors:

• Avoid unnecessary exposure to the cold. Be aware of both the temperature and the wind chill factor when planning outdoor activities.
• Most of your body heat is lost through your head, so wear a hat, preferably one that covers your ears.
• Dressing in layers helps retain heat. You can remove layers as needed if you become too warm.
• Mittens provide more warmth to your hands than gloves.
• Wear waterproof, insulated boots to help avoid hypothermia or frostbite by keeping your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing in ice and snow.
• Get out of wet clothes immediately and warm the core body temperature with a blanket or warm fluids like hot cider or soup. Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol if you think you or someone you are trying to help has hypothermia or frostbite.
• Recognize the symptoms of hypothermia, which can be a serious medical condition: confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.
• Recognize frostbite warning signs: gray, white or yellow skin discoloration; numbness; waxy feeling skin. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.
If indoors:
• Do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. Use flashlights only.
• Use caution with portable space heaters. Heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires during the winter, according to the National Fire Prevention Association. Place space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything combustible, including wallpaper, bedding, clothing, pets and people. Never leave space heaters operating when you are not in the room or when you go to bed. Don’t leave children or pets unattended near space heaters. Do not dry wet mittens or other clothing over space heaters.
• Make sure smoke alarms are working properly and replace batteries as necessary.
• If you use a portable generator during a power outage, always operate the generator outdoors -- never inside, including the basement or garage. Do not connect a generator directly to your home’s wiring -- leave that work to a professional electrician and buy a generator designed for that purpose. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator. Connecting a cord from the generator to a point on the permanent wiring system and back-feeding power to your home is unsafe.
• Don’t overload electrical outlets. Be careful of extension cords that create hazardous walkways.
• Have your chimney connections and flues inspected by a professional and cleaned if necessary prior to the start of every heating season.
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen when burning fires. Burn only wood, never burn paper or pine boughs.
• Create a disaster supplies kit. Gather lifesaving items in both your home and vehicle. Visit www.redcross.org/prepare for more information on disaster preparedness.
• Protect your house pipes from freezing and bursting.
• Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage or in walls adjacent to the garage.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
• If the temperature is very low outside, let the cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes or pipes in exterior walls. Running water through the pipe, even at a trickle, helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water is above freezing.
• Keep the thermostat at the same temperature both day and night. You may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
• If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.

• Visit www.redcross.org/prepare for more information on preparing for cold weather.

Cassetti opens Ansonia senior center as warming location

ANSONIA >> The Doyle Senior Center will be open as a warming center for Ansonia residents from 1-4 p.m. Friday and from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Mayor David S. Cassetti said Thursday afternoon.

Temperatures are expected to be extremely low over the next couple of days.

“I encourage all residents who need to come in from the outside and warm up to stop by the senior center,” Cassetti said.

The senior center is located at 153 Main St.
For information call 203-736-5933

No injuries reported in Ansonia school bus accident

ANSONIA >> A school bus was involved in an accident with one other vehicle Thursday morning on Woodbridge Avenue and Clark Street, according to police.

No injuries were reported and as of 8:15 a.m., the incident had been cleared.

Children were on the bus but no one was transported from the scene.

Pet safety tips offered by Fidelco in Bloomfield

BLOOMFIELD – Winter weather isn’t just hazardous to people, it’s dangerous for our pets, too! As Connecticut braces for a winter wallop, Dr. RuthAnn Solomon DVM, Director of Animal Medicine at the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation wants residents to remember these key points to keep pets warm and safe. 

By planning ahead of the storm, pets and people will be properly prepared!

During the storm

Keep your pets inside! All pets need shelter and insulation from the cold. Cats and dogs may wear fur coats but they aren’t equipped to be out in freezing temperatures for long periods of time. 
Domesticated animals are not adapted to the cold like wolves or bobcats. Bottom line - if it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet.

If you absolutely must keep an animal outside, be certain it has an insulated shelter, access to plenty of fresh (not frozen) water and increase their food to two times normal serving, e.g., if they get one cup of kibble per meal, give them two cups for that meal.
A pet’s energy requirements increase to maintain body temperature (shivering for example) and those living in a very cold climate have a greater caloric need just to stay warm than the average dog that lives indoors.  

If you need to go outside during the storm, limit exposure and make sure your dog is on a leash and wearing an ID tag. During heavy snowfall, they can lose their scent and become lost. More dogs get lost during winter than any other time of year.

Keep candles, heat lamps and space heaters away from pets, children and flammable materials. These are all burn and fire hazards.
Inspect any pet heating blankets or pads for frays or exposed wires, and never leave a pet unattended with such a device.

For those that use Duraflame logs, those logs are actually sawdust pulled together with wax. Those two ingredients make for an attractive snack for dogs! Duraflame log ingestion will usually just cause mild gastric upset; however the problem arises when the dog eats a big piece which could cause an intestinal obstruction.  So please leave these logs of convenience well out of reach of your pets.

After the storm

Protect those paws! Ice and snow can easily collect between paw pads. Check your dog’s feet periodically, especially if they are limping or walking awkwardly.

Keep dogs off the ice and away from frozen bodies of water. Thin ice poses a grave danger for pets and humans alike, and even a walk on an icy sidewalk puts your pet at risk of injuries like torn ligaments and footpads.

Salt, antifreeze (ethylene glycol) and chemical de-icers on roads and sidewalks are dangerous for your pet. Dogs that lick their paws or fur and ingest these substances can become ill. Wipe your pup’s paws, legs and stomach with a warm, wet washcloth after walks and outdoor playtime. 

Speaking of antifreeze, there are two commercial products available in the U.S. that have a “safer” chemical (propylene glycol) in them: Sierra and LowTox. 
However, just because they are safer does not mean that they are non-toxic! For example, it would only take ONE teaspoon of ethylene glycol antifreeze (more dangerous form) to be deadly to a seven-pound cat. It would take several ounces of the safer form to be a problem.

Remember

Take extra care with puppies and older dogs, especially those with arthritis. Wet, cold weather can worsen arthritis symptoms. Do not leave young, old or sick dogs outside unattended at any time.

Certain medical conditions like diabetes can affect your pet’s ability to regulate body temperature. Check with your veterinarian.

Further, winter does not necessarily mean the end of bug season. Likewise, winter does not mean you should stop giving heartworm, flea, and tick preventatives to your cherished companions. 

As the old saying goes: It is better to be safe than sorry and continuous use of these preventatives is the simplest act you can make to keep your pet safe.

 

Lastly, have the following numbers programmed into your charged cell phone:

-Your veterinarian

-Local animal emergency clinic

-Poison Control (1-800-222-1222)

-ASPCA Poison Control (1-888-426-4435)

For information, visit www.fidelco.org or “like” us on Facebook at facebook.com/fidelcoguidedog

This is a press release from the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Bloomfield. Fidelco is an internationally accredited organization and an admired expert throughout the world for its highly valued German Shepherd Guide Dogs.

Cross-country skiing slated at Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center

ANSONIA - If there is snow on the ground at 10 a.m. Jan. 12 the Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center has invited people to learn about cross-country skiing at that time.

Enjoy gliding over the fields and along wooded trails of the nature center, 10 Deerfield Road.

If there is no snow, a hike is planned that will include information about local natural history.


The alternate snow date is Feb. 9.

Participants are asked to register at least a week in advance by calling 203-736-1053.

For those who do not have their own equipment, rentals are available from Rotary Ski Shop in Stratford.


Call the shop at 203-375-5261 at least a week in advance to reserve equipment and arrange to pick up the rental equipment the day before the program.




This is a press release from the Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center. 

Valley resident shares sunset scene

 

Tuesday afternoon's sunset after the snow stopped falling made for a picture-perfect scene in this Valley resident's backyard.

If this were my yard I'd use this photo for a Christmas card. Beautiful!

Inclement weather postpones WIN event in Shelton

SHELTON - Due to the inclement weather and poor driving conditions expected today, the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce Women In Networking Luncheon & Grant Award Presentation scheduled for today has been postponed to 11:45 a.m. Dec. 17 at the Courtyard by Marriott, Shelton.

The award presentation will immediately follow the luncheon at 1 p.m.

WIN members and grant recipients: RSVP to Nancie at Nancie@greatervalleychamber.com or call 203-925-4981.



This is a press release from the Chamber.

Derby-Shelton Rotary to deliver sand to seniors, disabled

Club seeks signups               


The Derby-Shelton Rotary Club will be delivering five-gallon buckets of sand and salt mixture Sunday to seniors and disabled individuals residing in Derby and Shelton to spread on walkways and driveways during the winter.

If you are interested in receiving a bucket, sign up at the Derby or Shelton Senior Centers or contact Kim Ryan at Curtiss Ryan Honda, 203-929-1484 x227 or email at kim@curtissryan.com.

Individuals residing in housing developments that already provide sand are not eligible.

The Rotary motto is Service Above Self.

Rotarians are involved in projects such as curing the world of polio and providing a dictionary to every third grader in Derby and Shelton. 


Contact the club at derbysheltonrotary@yahoo.com.


This is a press release from the Derby-Shelton Rotary Club. 

Ansonia in 'cooler' times

Main Street, Ansonia as it looked in February.

After enduring all the heat and humidity that July has already given us, the question today is "would you rather have this ^?"

 I took this photo on Feb. 11. At the moment I can't answer my own question.

Winter wonderland returns to Valley

 

What do you think about this morning's scenery? Is it beautiful? Or just a nuisance?

Promising photo from Ansonia

Look what I found this morning hidden under a pile of leaves. I was so excited I took several shots.

It's green - a sign of spring!

I think this is a crocus.

Rain, snow, and wind are in the forecast for tomorrow, but today the sun is shining and we can dream about the arrival of spring.

Sharing photo from downtown Derby

It can be pretty...

Photo contributed by Randy Ritter of Derby.


This lovely historic building at 253A Elizabeth St. - home of the Valley Community Foundation - looks picture-postcard perfect today after the Blizzard of 2013.