Valley Navel Gazing

Naugatuck Valley leaders are expected to show up in large numbers at a press conference at 10 a.m. in Hartford Monday to advocate for more improvements to the area’s Waterbury branch train line. A public hearing on a bi-partisan Valley bill aimed at the same goal is scheduled for 11 a.m. in front of the state legislature’s transportation committee. Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller is one of the many elected officials scheduled to be there. On Friday, Miller sat down for a ‘Navel Gazing’ podcast interview with The Valley Indy in his office to talk about transportation. Sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.

A group of eighth graders sneaked into the Derby Community Center after hours Feb. 7. Click play to learn about what they did once inside. Also, the future of Factory Street in the Derby downtown redevelopment zone could change after a meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 18) in Derby City Hall. The episode concludes with audio clips from the Feb. 13 meeting of the Derby Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen, where there was some disagreement over the appointment of a city Democrat to a charter revision commission. Music by The Bad Slugs. The podcast is sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.

Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan and his chief of staff Andrew Baklik answer about 20 questions posed from Valley Indy readers. Topics include downtown redevelopment, the Route 34 widening project, taxes, crime, a lawsuit and much more.

Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller returns to NAVEL GAZING: THE VALLEY INDY PODCAST to take town-related questions from people on Valley Indy Facebook. Sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org

Chris Bowen, an elected member of the Seymour Board of Selectmen, joins reporter Eugene Driscoll to comment on the comments generated by stories The Valley Indy posted to Facebook. Among the Facebook posts discussed: Ansonia Alderwoman suggests the city use gender-neutral titles for local legislators; an Oxford brewery pays up after a state trooper crashes, and; Driscoll doesn't like aggressive door-to-door salesmen.

Joe Meyers, the former critic and features writer for The Connecticut Post, REALLY knows movies. He’s this week’s guest on ‘Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast.’ Press play to listen.

We're not done with local elections just yet! Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller and Seymour Democratic Party leader Stephan Behuniak react to the referendum results in Seymour, where voters rejected borrowing $15 million for a new recreation center. Miller talks about what's next for the project. Then Behuniak gives a frank summary of his local Democratic Party, and what it's like to be a Democrat in a town that heavily favors Republicans. The pair then share their unique views on the mayoral race results in Derby, where Mayor Rich Dziekan was re-elected to a second term by a slim margin. Finally, the two share their thoughts on the heated, sometimes messy mayoral race in Ansonia.

Mayor David Cassetti says he’s earned a fourth term by shepherding economic development that has transformed Main Street, brought back manufacturing jobs and laid the foundation for major investment in long-dormant former factories downtown. The Republican is being challenged Nov. 5 by Phil Tripp, an Alderman who switched parties in May. Cassetti sat down with The Valley Indy for a podcast interview last week. No questions or topics were provided in advance of the interview.

Second Ward Alderman Phil Tripp says he should be elected mayor because he’s a consensus builder who has dedicated his life to public service -- first in the National Guard, and then as an Ansonia legislator. Tripp is challenging incumbent Mayor David Cassetti, a Republican trying for his fourth two-year term as the city’s top elected position.

Sharon Closius, the president and CEO of The Valley Community Foundation, returns to the podcast to talk about "Valley Gives Back," a planned giving initiative from her organization. Closius runs down what planned giving is, and how the average Naugatuck Valley resident can use ValleyGivesBack.org to help the nonprofit groups and organizations that do so much good every day. Just press play to listen!

Mayor Rich Dziekan sits down with The Valley Indy to talk about what he's done in his two years as Derby's top elected official. Dziekan, a Republican, is running for a second, two-year term. Election Day is Nov. 5.  This episode is sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.

Brian Coppolo, the firefighter running as a Democrat against incumbent Mayor Rich Dziekan, promised to bring transparency and professionalism the City Hall’s top floor if residents vote for him Nov. 5.  Coppolo recently sat down with The Valley Indy for a wide-ranging podcast interview about the issues facing Derby. Please click play to listen to the entire interview.  This episode is sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org, an initiative of The Valley Community Foundation.

The updated Valley Community Index is scheduled to be unveiled at a public forum 8 a.m. Oct. 22 at Scinto Auditorium, 3 Corporate Drive in Shelton. The document gives a snapshot of the Valley and provides a wealth of data -- data that can be used to improve life in the Naugatuck Valley. In this episode of ‘Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast,’ Valerie Knight-DiGangi, a program officer with The Valley Community Foundation, gives an overview of the index and how it can be used to benefit your neighbors. This episode is sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org Music courtesy of The Bad Slugs.

Seymour's Rob Caprilozzi talks about his new documentary, 'Halloween in a Box," which will be available on streaming platforms such as Amazon and Google Play on Oct. 1. The doc is about the companies behind those old-school plastic Halloween costumes, and how the Tylenol poisonings of 1982 almost canceled Halloween and nearly destroyed an industry. Rob and his wife, Christine, own Horror News Network and organize the annual CT Horror Fest. This episode is sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org. 'Ride the Dinosaur' is courtesy of The Bad Slugs.

The Valley Indy's CT PODCAST INVITATIONAL continues with Steven Christina of "Super Retro Throwback Reviews." It's an eclectic podcast that touches upon movies, games and all things pop culture. Christina fills us in on his place to take over the podcast universe, one ear drum at a time. "Super Retro" has a booth Sept. 14 at the CT Horror Fest in Naugatuck, and Christina will be a guest at this month's RetroWorld Expo, happening Sept. 28 and 29 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. "Ride the Dinosaur" is courtesy of The Bad Slugs.

Pinhead's coming to Naugatuck! That's in Connecticut if you're reading or listening from outside the area. The CT Horror Fest is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Naugatuck Event Center, 6 Rubber Ave. There will be horror celebrity autographs and photos, along with Q&A panels and a dealer's room for all things horror-centric. Press play to listen to an interview with Christine Bucci-Caprilozzi, the co-founder of the event, which is in its sixth year. She lives in the Seymour area.

The Valley Indy’s “CT PODCAST INVITATIONAL” continues this week with Andrew Morgan, the host of “The NOMCAST (Netflix Original Movie Podcast).” Netflix, in its quest for streaming domination, is spending billions on creating and/or buying original content. The company has very much changed the game and could be emerging as a challenger to movie theaters. Example -- legendary director Martin Scorsese’s latest film “The Irishmen,” which teams him again with Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci, is scheduled to stream in November after a limited theatrical run. Morgan and a guest have a deep discussion of the latest Netflix original movies during each “NOMCAST” episode. Morgan, by the way, is a Milford resident with a background in film and television. He’s also a standup comedian who runs, with his brother, Jerry, the Fistful of Jokes website. https://fistfulofjokes.com/the-nomcast

The Flood of 1955 devastated the Naugatuck Valley 64 years ago this month. In this episode of ‘Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast,’ you’ll hear the voices of people who there, including the late Ed Cotter of Derby and Charles Seccombe. The episode features the work of former Valley Indy reporter Jodie Mozdzer Gil, now an assistant professor of journalism at Southern Connecticut State University.

Actor David Naughton will appearing at the CT Horror Fest, scheduled for Sept. 14, 2009. Naughton, a Connecticut native, starred in "An American Werewolf in London," one of the best damn movies ever made. I also chat him up about "My Sister Sam."

John Amenta of the Connecticut-based podcast PINT O' COMICS chats with The Valley Indy about his podcast's history, the Pint O' Comics radio show, CT Cult Classics, YouTube, the damn Marvel cinematic universe, Stranger Things 3, and whether his pop culture tastes have changed as he's grown older.

In this episode Stephan Behuniak, chairman of the Seymour Town Democratic Committee, talks about his party's slate of candidates for the election in November.

By day John Marini is a mild-mannered corporation counsel with a loving wife and two twin boys. BY NIGHT HE'S A COMPLETE AND TOTAL GODZILLA GEEK. Click play to listen to Marini talk about a $10 Godzilla double feature happening 7 p.m. Saturday, July 27 at The Strand Theater, 165 Main St. in Seymour, Connecticut.

Kurt Miller Nominated For Fifth Term As Seymour First Selectman

Tri-Town Plaza. Political opponent? DUI educator. Ansonia budget. Vacation. Reader questions. Click play for all that and more with Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller.

Live comedy returns to The Strand Theater in Seymour June 29, 2019 when Treehouse Comedy Productions presents funny guy Anthony Rodia. For tickets go to TreehouseComedy.com.

'Valley Sports Rewind'/'Valley Navel Gazing' takes a bite of the turn buckle this week with a deep dive into golden era pro wrestling. Click play to listen. Both host Mike Cannici and reporter Eugene Driscoll are children of the 80s, when Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan transformed wrestling from a regional low budget affair into an international juggernaut.

If you ask 8-year-old Giana Wall about her favorite television show she'll give you a hesitant look. Ask about the citizen scientist program she participated in while heading to explore Antartica, and her eyes light up. She starts talking phytoplankton and microplastics. Then she'll talk about crossing the Drake Passage, encountering chinstrap penguins, and what's it's like to see an ice berg as big as a building. That's right, the third grader at the Chatfield-Lopresti School in Seymour is an experienced world traveler, thanks to her parents, Lana and Gil. Please click play to listen to the family share their travel adventures, and how the family plans to visit Giana's seventh continent by the time she turns 10.   This podcast is sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.

Seymour's Chris Bowen is the guest on the latest episode of 'Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast.' Click play to listen.   Bowen is a member of the Seymour Economic Development Commission, a five-member panel trying to improve Seymour's business atmosphere. The commission recently decided to hire the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC) to act as economic development director for Seymour. It's a new approach to economic development in Seymour. Previously the town had a Realtor working in the position part-time. Bowen said a specific dollar amount to bring on CERC has not been finalized, but that he expects the town to get more bang for its buck. Bowen also said the money to hire CERC is coming from his commission's budget. "Bringing in CERC -- who have received plaudits for their work in Hamden and Beacon Falls, among other communities -- allows us to put our EDD role into the hands of experienced people with greater resources, while also giving us the benefit of an outsider's perspective, an important tool in a small town like Seymour, where tenured personalities tend to hold disproportionate sway -- and an available resource for people with questions about investing in our town," Bowen said in a Facebook post. Sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.

Ansonia Economic Development Director/Grants Writer Sheila O'Malley is the guest on the latest Valley Indy 'Navel Gazing' podcast. Press play to listen to O'Malley talk about how city government erred when it hinted at legal action against a government "parody" page on Facebook. Then O'Malley talks about a public hearing scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday March 12 on the Connecticut City and Town Development Act. The act gives towns such as Ansonia more power to offer economic incentives aimed at problem problem properties such as the former Ansonia Copper and Brass in the downtown area. O'Malley also talks about Main Street Ansonia being designated as a federal "opportunity zone," another tax-break program meant to attract investors to struggling cities. Finally, O'Malley gives her two cents on the Route 34 widening project in Derby. The project still hasn't gone out to bid, but a state contractor recently began dismantling buildings on the south side of Main Street to make room for the expanded road. This podcast is sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.

Click play to listen to an audio interview with former Howard Stern Show head writer Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling, who is scheduled to perform 8 p.m. Saturday March 2 at The Strand Theater, 165 Main St. in Seymour. Here's an episode guide for people who can't focus: 1 minute, 5 seconds: Intro and the plugs!   3 minutes, 57 seconds: Jackie says he's 1,000 years old and no longer knows how to travel.   6 minutes, 26 seconds: Jackie talks about how he managed to lose his beer gut   7 minutes, 22 seconds: CLASSIC JACKIE LAUGH   8 minutes, 9 seconds: Jackie interrupts to make sure the plugs get mentioned.   10 minutes, 18 seconds: Jackie about the strange convergence of dirty jokes, Alexa, and streaming-music services.   11 minutes, 45 seconds: I suggest that "The Joke Man" has been around so long he's now considered "alt-comedy."   13 minutes, 29 seconds: Jackie reminds listeners his views don't necessarily represent the views of me, the Online Journalism Project, or any sponsors.   13 minutes, 40 seconds: I admit I previously interviewed Jackie and tried to get him to bash Howard Stern but he would not take the bait.   14 minutes, 47 seconds: Jackie on something that bothers him from his Stern Show days.   16 minutes, 2 seconds: Jackie on whether he walked off the show.   16 minutes, 42 seconds: Jackie references a bloated attorney.   17 minutes, 59 seconds: Jackie reveals the name of the one guy who stood between him and a raise on the Stern Show.   19 minutes, 16 seconds: Jackie, responding to a question from listener Pete Gerner, talks about what the work week was like when he was doing both "The Howard Stern" radio show and "The Howard Stern" television show on WWOR in 1990. Some sketchy Ralph behavior mentioned.   24 minutes, 58 seconds: Jackie on the last time he talked or communicated with Connecticut-native Fred Norris.   26 minutes, 16 seconds: Jackie on the most underrated Stern Show staffer or personality.   28 minutes, 21 seconds: Did Jackie asking for writing credit wreck his relationship with Howard?   33 minutes, 33 seconds: Jackie on his career immediately after he was no longer a Stern Show staffer.   35 minutes, 55 seconds: Jackie on why he didn't want a gig with Anthony Cumia's Compound Media.   39 minutes, 39 seconds:How's Stuttering John doing?   42 minutes: Jackie teases a project he's working on with Billy West and Stuttering John.   45 minutes, 55 seconds: How sweet would a Stern Show-related convention be?   49 minutes: What is Jackie doing in California?   52 minutes: Jackie says goodbye. Show ends with a Jackie laugh compilation.

Audio clips from the Derby P&Z never-ending saga involving The Hops Co., a wildly popular beer garden in east Derby. The business wants to renovate the back of its property, but a lawyer representing a neighboring landowner says the biz actually wants to expand, which is a no-no because the businesses is “grandfathered.” Also, Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan is guest bartending to raise money for a worthy cause, and this podcast is being downloaded 2,000 times a week.

Name another podcast where the host asked two Connecticut paranormal investigators which horror character they'd most like to get drunk with. GHOST STORM's Nick Grossmann and Peter Cerow will be at Twisted Vine, a restaurant in Derby, on Feb. 22 to check out all things ghostly. This podcast is sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.

From a Feb. 15, 2019 swearing-in ceremony. Click play now! Sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org

For this episode of "Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast," I'm joined by Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller and Stephan Behuniak for a wide-ranging discussion of issues in Seymour.

In this very weird episode of "Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast," reporter Eugene Driscoll joins a team of cult-movie buffs and movie professionals to preview Stephen King Night 2, the latest CT CULT CLASSICS screening at The Strand in Seymour, CT. Click play to listen. On Feb. 23, 2019 "Carrie" and "Maximum Overdrive" will be shown. This podcast is sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.

Guests on this episode include Twisted Vine owner Mike Picone, Boys & Girls Club executive director Shaye Roscoe, Boys & Girls Club Board President Fred Serra, Mayor Dziekan's chief of staff Andrew Baklik, and the mayor himself.

Ansonia Police Chief Kevin Hale is retiring in February.  In this podcast interview, he talks about growing up in Ansonia, how he got into law enforcement, how policing has changed in Ansonia, race relations in the city -- and where he's heading next.

The Derby Board of Aldermen voted Jan. 10, 2019 to grant a three-year tax break totaling $47,000 to a company that converted a former nursing home into a dormitory for international high school students -- but not before a debate on whether the project qualified for the benefit. Just press play!

Reporter Eugene Driscoll demonstrates the ugly art of early-morning Facebook posts.

An interview with Ansonia Economic Development Director Sheila O'Malley about the city's river walk. This podcast is made possible by ValleyGivesBack.org.

The New York Times recently published a "Living In" feature story about Somers, N.Y. Two current residents and a grumpy former resident react to the article.

Mike Cannici talks about the latest group to be inducted into the Derby High School Athletic Hall of Fame, then lists his top semi-local sports stories of 2018.

Does the lower Naugatuck Valley in Connecticut need five sewer plants a stone's throw from each other? Rick Dunne spills his guts!

IT'S HAPPENING! IT'S REALLY HAPPENING! Sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org

The Valley Indy was criticized by local Democrats last week for sharing a New Haven Independent story detailing a controversy between the president of the state's NAACP and the Connecticut Young Democrats. In this episode of "Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast," reporters Eugene Driscoll and Ethan Fry read and react to the negative comments posted on Valley Indy social media. The later part of the podcast features (low quality) audio from last month's Derby Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, during which the commission rejected a "zone text change" application from The Hops Co., a popular beer garden on Sodom Lane, that would have created a 'development district' for certain properties in the city.

I'm Judith Grimes. Aaron jumping Jesus off a horse. Daryl's dog. Rick Grimes. Did The Walking Dead OFFICIALLY jump the shark by November 2018?

Valley Democrats Stephan Behuniak and Tarek Raslan discuss the Naugatuck Valley election results with Republicans Kurt Miller and David Papcin. Reporters Eugene Driscoll and Ethan Fry constantly interrupt. Sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org

Remembering Melvin Mason, Regionalization Update With Jim Gildea by ValleyIndy.org

Preview of the 2018 Ansonia Harvest Festival, with Rich DiCarlo. Plus this week in history and a review of the most-popular stories of the week.

Ethan ran afoul of a reader for using a "laugh" emoji. Eugene says part of being a reporter is knowing when to hold your tongue -- or emojis.

The Valley Indy's editor is a movie geek and hosts a horror-movie podcast no one hears. So why not have on the Seymour resident organizing this year's CT Horror Fest? Have a listen, why doncha?