Navel Gazing, The Valley Indy Podcast

Derby CT Legislative Meeting Of Oct 12 2023

Show guide: 4:00 minute mark: The Valley Indy tries for figure out whether to put the garbage cans out. 6:26: The Valley Indy tries to figure out when to throw out the Christmas tree. 8:14: Ansonia police are investigating a commercial burglary. 10:35: Ansonia are investigating two shootings during which no injuries were reported. 13:25: Jean's top five stories of the year! 17:10: A look at upcoming municipal meetings in Ansonia, Derby & Seymour. 24:25: We listen to Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti address the public during a virtual meeting of the Ansonia Board of Aldermen. 31:52: The editor thinks the Olson Drive redevelopment saga was a top Valley story of 2022.

State Rep. Kara Rochelle won a third term to represent Ansonia and Derby in Hartford, according to unofficial results from Tuesday's election. Unofficial results shared by Rochelle's campaign show her beating her opponent, Josh Shuart, 3,305 to 2,987. Rochelle is a Democrat who lives in Ansonia. Shuart, a college professor, lives in Ansonia and is president of the Ansonia Board of Aldermen. Updated numbers from the state Wednesday morning has Rochelle winning 3,371 to 3,022.

State Rep. Kara Rochelle won a third term to represent Ansonia and Derby in Hartford, according to unofficial results from Tuesday's election. Unofficial results shared by Rochelle's campaign show her beating her opponent, Josh Shuart, 3,305 to 2,987. Rochelle is a Democrat who lives in Ansonia. Shuart, a college professor, lives in Ansonia and is president of the Ansonia Board of Aldermen. Updated numbers from the state Wednesday morning has Rochelle winning 3,371 to 3,022.

Pat Oates is a standup comic who has appeared on WPLR, "Who Are These Podcasts," and Compound Media. Oates is determined to bring live comedy to the Valley, and he's doing it through organizing open mic & regular shows at Retro Grub & Pub and RiverWalk Social, both on Elizabeth Street in downtown Derby.

In this episode of "Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast," reporter Eugene Driscoll plays clips from the very first meeting of the Ansonia Opera House Committee, a group that is working to restore the  . . . you guessed it, the Ansonia Opera House!

Navel Gazing returns with clips from a contentious Derby Aldermen meeting of Aug. 11, 2022.

Click the play for an interview with John Marini of ​‘Sci-Fi At The Strand.' Two classic fantasy flicks are screening Saturday night at The Strand in Seymour (Connecticut): “Conan the Barbarian,” the 1982 movie that put Arnold Schwarzenegger on the map, and; ​“Highlander,” the only-in-the-80s could this thing have been made flick starring Christopher Lambert.

Brian Volk-Weiss is the guy behind the hugely popular Netflix documentary series 'The Toys That Made Us' and 'The Movies That Made Us.' He's back with "Icons Unearthed," whose first chunk of episodes concentrates on the making of 'Star Wars.' Volk-Weiss landed a six-hour interview with legendary movie editor Marcia Lucas for the series, which premiered July 12, 2022. He's also worked with every comedian known to God. Click play!

Derby Senior Center members did not sound happy on Thursday after learning the Derby Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen would not vote again on an agreement to merge its senior center with Ansonia and send Derby members to a new senior center under construction in Ansonia.

Audio from the July 12, 2022 public hearing on whether Ansonia should sell land on Olson Drive to a private developer who wants to build a sports complex. But before that, listen to The Valley Indy reporter blab about missing a Derby meeting, promote Ansonia Paraconn, and mess up a City of Ansonia song.  Cheap. Free. Forever? ValleyIndy.org

The Derby corporation counsel talks about an investigative report with members of the Derby Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen.

Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan's administration has changed the way the monthly agenda for the city's legislative body is put together.  While the administration says they are simply following the Derby City Charter, the Democratic majority of the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen think otherwise. In this audio clip, Derby Town/City Clerk Marc Garofalo complains about the mayor's new policies, saying it hurts the public's access to local government.

Valley Indy Facebook reader Santiago Achinelli thinks 10 hours isn't enough time for a person to respond for comment to a news article. The Valley Indy says 10 hours is enough time, especially if there's a primary-source document explaining the person's views.  

Audio of the discussion from the June 9, 2022 meeting of the Derby Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen. For the full story go to ValleyIndy.org and search 'Derby Rejects Senior Center Agreement With Ansonia By A 5-4 Vote.'

Jason Carlucci, owner of The Dew Drop Inn in Derby, CT, talks about wings, inflation, and staying relevant in the ever-changing tavern world. Recorded during The Valley Indy Great Give Livestream of 2022. Please note Jay is the only 'Navel Gazing' guest to accuse The Valley Indy of stealing ketchup.

The Derby Board of Apportionment and Taxation adopted a budget of $48,385,128 on April 28. There's no mill rate increase. This podcast has clips from the end of the meeting, including statements from BOAT chairman Jeff Polis on what the budget accomplishes, and a statement from Derby Town Clerk Marc Garofalo on how the board worked through a highly unusual budget season.

Citing a lack of progress and a lack of staff in its finance department, an advisory commission could recommend the City of Derby be placed under the watch of the state's Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB). The city already meets regularly with the Municipal Finance Advisory Council, but that's only advisory -- MARB has teeth. The move to MARB would put Derby finances under some degree of official state oversight. Example: cities designated as "tier II" must have budget projections on state aid and property tax revenues approved by MARB.

Thomas Hennick, the public education officer for the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, returns to the podcast to offer his informed opinions on a bunch or real-world open government issues faced by Valley Indy reporter Eugene Driscoll. Enjoy!

Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan was willing to allocate more money for education in his budget but wanted to tie funding to academic performance, according to statements made at the Tuesday, April 5 meeting of the Derby Board of Apportionment and Taxation. In addition, a $1 million increase in medical insurance costs for the school district precluded additional funding from the city because the mayor had capped all department increases to no more than 2.5 percent. Jim Gildea, chairman of the Derby Board of Education, said the administration's reasoning does not make sense.

John Marini joins 'Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast,' to talk about two subjects: a 'Godzilla' double feature in Seymour to raise money for the people of Ukraine, and a just-signed lease agreement between the City of Ansonia and the owners of the Ansonia Opera House at 100 Main St. The lease agreement discussion starts 19 minutes and 47 seconds into the broadcast.

Ansonia Chief Financial Officer Kurt Miller explains why the city isn't sticking to the rules with the city's budget process, and why the city enacted a spending freeze at the start of the year.

SEYMOUR — First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis joined The Valley Indy live on Facebook to talk about the Seymour budget process, a bunch of items related to economic development, and to take questions from the audience.

At a Derby Aldermanic subcommittee meeting in January 2022, members of the subcommitee made a motion to pass information related to the formation of a search committee to hire an economic development director to the full Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen. This is simply audio of the motion was made.

On this week's episode Valerie Knight-DiGangi of The Valley Community Foundation stops by to encourage groups to apply for a VFC "responsive needs" grant, which are multi-year grants that can be used to bolster a nonprofit group's operating budget. The deadline for "responsive needs" grant applications is Feb. 24, so head to the VCF website to learn more and to complete an application. At about the 31 minute of the podcast, the topic switches to a recent debate that started during a meeting of the Ansonia Board of Apportionment and Taxation, when two Ansonia Democrats said the board only has five members when the city charter says there should be seven members.  

Derby's Larry Dwyer and special FX makeup artist Brian Spears ('Orange Is The New Black,' 'The Punisher') talk about 'The Howling' and 'Ginger Snaps,' a double bill happening Feb. 19 in Seymour, Conn. Tickets here. https://www.connecticutcultclassics.com/ Here is the show guide: 0:56  'Derby, Connecticut . . . what a nice small Connecticut town.'   3:35  Larry talks 'Night of the Werewolf 2'   4:50  Which is better: 'An American Werewolf in London' or 'The Howling?'   6:15  A rundown of Brian's movie and TV work   7:50  Brian talks about the influence of 80s-era movie makeup Gods like Rob Bottin and Rick Baker   11:00  The company that financed "The Howling" has deep Connecticut connections   16:16 'Weirdo Wonderland' shoutout (I'll send you an invoice)   17:40 Germ talk.   19:50 The latest 'Texas Chainsaw' thing on Netflix looks terrible   23:17 A word from Dworkin Chevrolet of Derby   24:15 LARRY'S HOT TAKES   28:00 Let's talk feminist horror flick 'Ginger Snaps!'   35:23 CT Horror Fest is returning to Naugatuck, assuming Mayor Pete fixes the air conditioning   38:40 Brian talks about working with legendary playwright Sam Shepard on the movie "Cold In July"   42:58 Shout out from WADS radio (Ansonia) 

This episode features clips from the Jan. 24, 2022 meeting of the Seymour Board of Education during which the superintendent announces there is an approximate $839,000 hole in the education budget. Please visit ValleyIndy.org or the Seymour Public Schools website for more info.

Derby Fire Department Chief David Lenart reviews the ups and downs of this past weekend's COVID-19 home test kit distribution. As of Tuesday, Jan. 4, officials do not know when the next distribution will take place. However, the test kits are available to purchase and local stores and on Amazon, until they are not.

Gov. Lamont and his department heads said Jan. 4 there are no plans to allow remote learning in Connecticut schools, though the state's positivity rate keeps getting higher. But, before that, The Valley Indy reporter admits he's tired of reading your anti-COVID vaccination posts on Facebook.

Police believe Jair Irogoyen — Flores, 24 of West Haven, was driving a neighbor's Acura MDX when he struck James and Barbara Tamborra, both 81 of Shelton, as they tried to cross Route 67 the evening of Dec. 10.

DERBY -- The Derby Board of Education voted 6-0 to oppose a plan laid out by Ansonia to merge school districts. While the vote is symbolic -- the Derby BOE has no formal say in the process -- its chairman is the co-chair of the regionalization committee, and a petition has started online opposing the merger resolution as presented by Ansonia. This podcast episode contains the audio from the Derby school board's discussion.

Derby's Mike Cannici, the host of "Hometown Heroes" on Comcast and YouTube, returns to the podcast to update on the latest version of his long-running local talk show. Cannici talks local sports, interviewing Ralph Mouth from "Happy Days," and explains how the show has changed during the COVID era.

On this week’s “Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast,” a few all-stars from TEAM, Inc. stop by a Zoom room to talk about two important topics: 1. The annual “Toys 4 Kids” campaign, which benefits thousands of area children, and; 2. The volatile Valley rental market, where it is becoming increasingly difficult to find apartments. Press play to listen, and please note the podcast is sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.

The state DOT announced Friday it is receiving a $12.6 million grant to update the Derby-Shelton train station. This episode features Valley Indy ramblings interspersed with people who know what they're talking about: VCOG Exec Dir Rick Dunne, Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti,  and CT DOT Commissioner Joseph J. Giulietti. Valley Indy story here: https://valley.newhavenindependent.org/archives/entry/12.6_million_grant_will_rehab_and_upgrade_derby-shelton_train_station/

Mayor David Cassetti's administration said there are still no formal agreements in place nor contracts signed between the City of Ansonia and The Primrose Companies, the developer that has been eyeing Olson Drive for a recreation facility since 2019. The topic came up during an Ansonia Board of Aldermen meeting on Nov. 9. This podcast contains the audio from the discussion. Read The Valley Indy story here: https://valley.newhavenindependent.org/archives/entry/no_deal_yet_on_olson_drive_development_but/

John from Pint o Comics is the guest host of this very special episode. Guest John Marini of Sci-Fi at the Strand (165 Main St. Seymour, CT) is hosting a double feature Nov. 20, 2021: "Masters of the Universe" (1987) and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (1990). Tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/turtle-power-double-feature-tickets-187768018197

Episode guide: First three minutes and fifty seconds: introductions & insults 4 min: Gildea & Miller react to last week's election results. 14 min, 25 seconds: Miller and Gildea react to a recent Hartford Courant story about state Rep. Kara Rochelle consulting for West Haven. 33 min, 46 seconds:  Reaction to Mayor Cassetti's rant against Derby on WICC radio. This podcast is sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.

A 28-year-old man was charged with murder and risk of injury to a minor after allegedly killing his wife inside 73 Root Ave. Tuesday afternoon in Ansonia. Kamil Zielinski is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Derby today (Wednesday, Nov. 10). His name and charges were discussed at a press conference at the Ansonia Police Department. Police identified the victim Wednesday as Grace Zielinska, a mother of three children, ages 5, 3 and four months.

Will Cassetti be Mayor for Life in Ansonia? What are the Democrats plan for the Board of Aldermen/women in Derby? Did the Ansonia GOP hide from the press? What's the message from voters in Derby? Can the Ansonia Democrats recover from Tuesday's trouncing? Those questions are asked -- and so much more -- in The Valley Indy's 2021 Election Post-Election Autopsy! The guests include: Kianna DeCiucis, Ansonia Democratic campaign manager John Marini, Ansonia GOP chairman Aldermen Rob Hyder, Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan's campaign manager Aniello Malerba III, Derby Democrat Party chairman

The Valley Indy is attempting a public service project by giving every candidate for office in Ansonia, Derby & Seymour the opportunity to explain why they're running. Ansonia Aldermen have been given the additional opportunity to film video interviews about their candidacies -- something that's never been attempted in the lower Naugatuck Valley before. But -- candidates have to be able to make themselves available.

Larry Dwyer of Connecticut Cult Classics joins the podcast to talk about a Tromatic double feature happening Oct. 23 in Seymour, Connecticut. Matt Maisto previews the latest episode of 'Mondo Creepy,' set to premiere Saturday, Oct. 9 at 11 p.m. EST on YouTube. Recorded live while on Valley Indy Facebook.

Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti, Economic Development Director Sheila O'Malley, and Corporation Counsel John Marini talk about "Ansonia Recharged," a song commissioned as a marketing tool for the city. Joining the conversation is Richard Demko, the song's writer and composer, and Rafael Klein, who shot a video for the tune.

A preview of some stuff happening in Derby and Ansonia.

Press play to listen to a bunch of former Danbury journalists and the former Danbury mayor talk about the former Danbury hockey team, now featured in a Netflix true crime documentary. Some minor corrections to the record:   Guest Brian Koonz says the Trasher's salary cap was $250,000: he emailed me after the interview to say it was actually $275,000. Mayor Boughton mentions a documentary titled "Wild Wild West." It's actually "Wild, Wild Country." I  misstate the year of a News-Times Galante series as 2018. It was 2008.

Bob Elmore, the stuntman best known for breathing life into Leatherface during the truly distasteful 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part II,' talks to The Valley Indy about working with Dennis Hopper, teaming with John Candy -- and taking a punch from the loathsome Steven Seagal. Elmore is appearing Sept. 18, 2021 at CT Horror Fest at the Naugatuck Events Center in Nagautuck, CT. For more info visit CTHorror.com

Members of the city's planning and zoning commission approved an application on July 20, 2021 to allow 32 market-rate apartments to be constructed within a large building at 33 Main St. There will be 22 studio apartments and 10 one bedroom apartments. The studio apartments will range from 475 square feet to 689 square feet. The one bedroom apartments will range from 594 square feet to 736 square feet. The building owner is hoping to set starting rents somewhere between $1,000 and $1,200 a month.

A state panel keeping a close eye on Derby's troubled financial recording practices likes the fact that the city is hiring qualified personnel to run its finance department. Outgoing interim finance director David Taylor and Mayor Rich Dziekan's Chief of Staff Andrew Baklik appeared virtually June 30 in front of the Municipal Finance Advisory Commission. Click play to listen.

Connecticut's governor and a cadre of elected officials were in the city July 8 to celebrate the city receiving $1 million from the state to go toward the environmental assessment, demolition, and remediation of the former Farrel Foundry and Machine Co. site at the corner of Main Street and North Main Street in Ansonia, CT. This episode contains the audio from the press conference, along with info about a weekend concert and a fireworks show over the weekend in Ansonia.

In this clip from the June 10 meeting of the Derby Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen, Alderwoman Barbara DeGennaro asks why the city can't get a financial audit completed on deadline.

DERBY -- At the May 18 Derby budget vote, tax board member Brian Coppolo said the city's wasn't getting $1.23 million in "distressed municipality" funding from the state. Press play for a closer look at the issue.

A Derby police shot an armed man on Division Street Monday morning after the man started shooting at a passing car, police said.