Nora Mason

Naugatuck resident Nora Mason has been named regional director for the Special Olympics of Connecticut’s Northwest Region.

Although new to this role, Mason has a long association with Special Olympics including serving as vice president of regional services, southwest regional director and vice president of sports. She was also the deputy director of volunteer services and deputy director of games operations when the Special Olympics World Summer Games came to New Haven in 1995.

“I am thrilled to be coming back home to Special Olympics. Special Olympics brings those with and without disabilities to the playing field to participate in much more than sports. Sport is the vehicle for growth, fitness, pride and personal achievement for all who take part in this movement, whether one participates as an athlete, partner, coach, volunteer or staff member,” Mason said in a news release.

Mason received a Bachelor of Science degree in special education from Lock Haven University, Pennsylvania.

As regional director, Mason will be responsible for managing all phases of the regional program, including community-based Special Olympics programs in the area, year-round sports training and regional competitions, and fundraising initiatives and partnerships that will further the organization’s mission of inspiring acceptance and respect for individuals of all abilities.

Prior to taking on this new role, Mason served as executive director of Jane Doe No More, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Naugatuck that assists and advocates for victims of sexual assault.

For more information, call (203) 267-6566 or e-mail noram@soct.org.

State Rep. David Labriola (R-131)

HARTFORD — State Rep. David Labriola (R-131) joined his fellow legislators in calling for the creation of a select committee to focus solely on agricultural issues.

“Connecticut farms employ over 20,000 residents and contribute $3.5 billion to the state’s struggling economy. In the region I represent, our farms are the heart of our communities and have tremendous potential to be an engine of job growth,” Labriola said in a news release.

State Rep. Penny Bacchiocchi (R-52) and State Sen. John Kissel (R-7) hosted a press conference Thursday in which they were joined by Labriola, Dean of the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Gregory Weidemann and Henry Talmage, the executive director for the Connecticut Farm Bureau and co-chair of the Governor’s Council for Agricultural Development in calling for the committee.

“Creating a select committee on agriculture would help state government to focus more legislative attention to farm communities and their ability to thrive. We need this committee to address the challenges of working farms and encourage legislation that will spur their growth and expansion in the coming years. I want to emphasize that the creation of this committee would come at no additional cost to taxpayers as we could utilize preexisting select committee staffers.” Labriola said in the release.

A major part of the continued success of the agricultural industry is developing a smart and capable workforce. Labriola noted that supporting exceptional vocational-agricultural schools, such as Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury, is crucial to workforce development.

Naugatuck Savings Bank’s new branch office at 3580 East Main St., Waterbury, is expected to open this spring. –CONTRIBUTED

NAUGATUCK — Naugatuck Savings Bank announced plans to open a branch office on East Main Street in Waterbury.

“We continue to grow our branch network as we strive to better serve our customers” said Mark Yanarella, chairman and CEO of Naugatuck Savings Bank, in a news release. “The east end of Waterbury seemed to be a natural location for us to expand our footprint. Our new office will feature our customer-oriented design including a computer café and investment center, created to enhance our customer’s banking experience.”

The office, which will be the bank’s second branch in Waterbury and 18^th branch office in total, will be located at 3580 East Main St. The office is expected to open in the early spring.

“We provide the products and services to help our customers achieve their financial goals and provide a secure financial future for their families.  We also offer a full line of business products from business loans, deposit solutions and wealth management to merchant and payroll services” Yanarella said in the release. “At Naugatuck Savings Bank we are committed to giving friendly and personalized service to every customer, every day.  Our new location will be staffed with employees who are committed to our customer centric philosophy and high service standards.”

NAUGATUCK — The Whittemore Memorial Library is accepting donations of old computer cartridges, cell-phones, and digital cameras for its recycling program.

A portion of the proceeds generated from this ongoing program helps benefit the book budget and programs at the library.

The library is also selling bags for $5 that can be filled with two free booksale books.

For more information, call the library at (203) 729-4591.

The Prospect Planning and Zoning Commissioned denied two special permits for a farm stand off of Straitsville Road Wednesday night. Whitney, seen above, and Christopher Caporaso, who operate a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) on the site, applied for the permits. –FILE PHOTO

PROSPECT — The Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously this week to deny two special permits for a farm stand off of Straitsville Road on the corner of Porter Hill Road.

At the Feb. 1 meeting, commission members cited a dangerous traffic situation coming out of the property’s driveway as their main reason for denying the application.

According to expert testimony presented during the public hearing last month, the line of sight coming out of the proposed parking lot is 125 feet, which is less than the 150 feet required in Prospect’s zoning regulations.

Tony Cretella of Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Services testified at the public hearing that the short sight line would mean that cars going slightly over the speed limit would not have time to stop before hitting another car coming out of the driveway.

Besides the sight line, the commission also cited testimony from a real estate appraiser contending that the proposed farm stand would lower property values for surrounding properties and negatively impact the character of the neighborhood.

Commissioners also mentioned that the farm owners have not complied with their original special permit, which required the construction of a fence or other barrier to screen between the farm and a neighboring property.

“They have not kept up their end of the bargain,” Commission Chair Gil Graveline said.

The 1.7 acre property is owned by Whitney and Christopher Caporaso. The couple operates a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) on the site, wherein members purchase a share of the farm pre-season and pick up a box of produce each week during the growing season. Some of those members picked up their shares on the farm until Land Use Inspector Bill Donovan issued a cease-and-desist order in August. The town asserts that the Caporasos violated their special permit issued in 2008 which specified that produce would be taken off-site for sale.

The cease-and-desist order prompted the Caporasos to apply for a new special permit and an amendment to their original special permit to allow for retail sales on their farm.

The commission’s denial of the special permit means the Caporasos will continue their fight against the Zoning Board of Appeal’s October ruling to uphold the cease-and-desist order in court. The Caporasos argue that their CSA does not qualify as retail sales since CSA members assume the risks inherent in the agricultural process.

Whitney Caporaso could not be reached for comment as of this post.

According to Donovan, the town’s lawyer is finalizing paperwork to submit to Waterbury Superior Court before the case will be heard. The court has not yet set a date for a hearing.

Len Greene

SEYMOUR — State Rep. Len Greene (R-105) hosted a Small Business Forum Wednesday morning showcasing the details of the bipartisan “jobs” bill approved in the special legislative session last October.

More than four dozen people came to the Seymour Town Hall, where state Rep. Themis Klardies (R-114), along with representatives from the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development and Department of Labor, joined Greene to present the “Small Business Express” package approved by the legislature last fall. Greene and Klarides also discussed the details of a variety of other grant and loan programs.

“For the residents of Connecticut there’s no more important issue than this state’s economy and the availability of quality jobs that can support families,” said Greene, who represents Ansonia, Beacon Falls and Seymour, in a news release. “It’s our job as legislators to make sure businesses of all varieties know about these great programs legislators on both sides of the aisle worked to create.”

Slashing red tape that bogs down business creation and expansion was among the goals sought as Klarides, Greene and their colleagues drafted the legislation late last year. For one, agency officials described a new emphasis on expedited permitting process for businesses.

“Legislators can’t create jobs, but we can do our best to create an environment where companies view our state as a place to put down roots,” said Klarides, who represents Derby, Orange and Woodbridge, in a news release. “We took a step toward doing that back in October, but there’s a lot more work to be done.”

For more information about the new state’s new business programs, visit www.ct.gov/ecd or call the Department of Economic and Community Development at (860) 270-8000.

ANSONIA — No Vet Left Behind, Inc. has a new, bigger home.

Stars and Stripes Thrift Shoppe, the home of the veterans’ organization, recently opened in a new location at 14 Jewett St., Ansonia. The new location is 4,000 square feet and houses the thrift shoppe along with a computer lab that will be dedicated for veterans and their families job searching and resume writing. Classes in Microsoft applications will be offered free to veterans.

According to a release issued by the organization, No Vet Left Behind will also now be offering veteran outreach and counseling.

For more information, visit www.thenovetleftbehind.org.

Naugatuck residents to lead courses at OLLI

WATERBURY — The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Connecticut in Waterbury announced that Naugatuck residents, Judy Jaworski and Barbara Schafer, will be leading programs during the upcoming spring/summer 2012 session.

Jaworski will lead an eight-week course, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, designed to expand the powers of perception through drawing.

Schafer will present two eight-week courses, Metaphysical Interpretation of the Bible, and Reiki II.

The classes will be held from March 16 to May 11 at the Waterbury campus. For more information on courses and pricing, visit www.waterbury.uconn.edu/osher, call (203) 236-9924 or e-mail Osher@uconn.edu.

Friendly fundraiser for Easter Seals

WATERBURY — Easter Seals is teaming up with Friendly’s restaurants for a fundraiser.

Through Feb. 13 any Friendly’s customer who donates $1 to support Easter Seals will receive five Valentine’s Day cards, redeemable for free Friendly’s Kid Cones and $5 off a $25 purchase coupon.

Participating Friendly’s locations are 544 Reidville Dr., Waterbury; 130 Rubber Ave. Naugatuck; Heritage Village, Southbury; 408 Queen St., Southington; 497 Farmington Ave., Bristol; 81 Newtown Road, Danbury; and 108 Danbury Road, New Milford; and
48 Berlin Rd., Cromwell.

For more information, visit www.waterburyct.easterseals.com  or www.friendlys.com.

Symphony presents ‘Forbidden Love’

WATERBURY — The Waterbury Symphony Orchestra will present “Forbidden Love” just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The program will feature Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, excerpts from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet ballet score along with additional selections from West Side Story, and The Walk to the Paradise Garden.

The show I scheduled for Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20, $30 and $50.  For tickets, call (203) 574-4283 or visit www.waterburysymphony.org.

Dance to benefit St. Jude Hospital

WATERBURY— The Fifth Annual St. Jude Kyla’s Starlight Dinner Dance will be held in March.

The dance will take place March 9 at La Bella Vista Fine Catering (formally Villa Rosa, Pontelandolfo Club) in Waterbury. The dance is a fundraiser for St. Jude Research Hospital, a world leader in advancing the treatment and prevention of catastrophic disease in children.  The hospital commits itself to the mission of treating patients regardless of their ability to pay for medical services.  No child or family in need is ever turned away from St. Jude.

In 2011, the Starlight Dinner Dance raised over $25,000 for the hospital.

To become a part of this event or for more information, e-mail the dance committee at starlight.lindsey@gmail.com.

Naugatuck resident Gina Allison, left, performs during the borough’s holiday kickoff ceremony in December. Allison and her husband Chris co-founded Cirque du Jour after years of traveling with the Ringling Brothers Circus.

NAUGATUCK — Every child dreams of running off and joining a circus. Naugatuck native Chris Allison actually did. Now, he and his wife run a circus and perform all over the world.

At a young age Chris knew he wanted to be a clown when he saw the Ringling Brothers Circus on a fifth grade field trip with Cross Street School.

“A light bulb just went off in my head,” Chris said.

He went straight home and taught himself to juggle. Shortly after, he joined a clown club in Stratford which met once a month and performed for nonprofits and fundraisers. Throughout the years, Chris said his parents always supported his passion. For birthdays, they gave him magic sets, unicycles, and juggling equipment.

“When I graduated high school and ran off to clown college, they weren’t surprised at all. They knew it was coming,” Chris said.

Starting in sixth grade and every year thereafter, Chris auditioned for the Ringling Brothers’ Clown College in Hartford.

“I just wanted them to know who I was,” Chris said.

His persistence paid off, a two months after graduating from Naugatuck High School, Chris went off to clown college.

It was no small feat. Ringling Brothers’ college only accepted 60 out of 5,000 applicants, and only 15 to 20 percent would go on to work for the circus.

“They said it was easier to get into Harvard than clown college,” Chris said.

Back then, Ringling Brother’s had two shows, with 26 clowns in each show, Chris explained.

Clown College was two and a half months of juggling, miming, and practicing clown skills seven days a week, all day long. Even during lunch, the students watched videos.

Chris and Gina Allison of Naugatuck met when were they working and traveling with Ringling Brothers Circus. The couple now operates Cirque du Jour. -CONTRIBUTED

“It was just non-stop clowning, clowning, clowning the whole time,” Chris said.

Even with all that education, Chris said his real training began when he started touring with Ringling Brothers in 1984. He travelled with the best circus performers from all over the world.

Chris said about half the students had practiced clowning for a long time, while the others came from a theatre background or just thought it would be interesting.

“The more you can do the better, but there are some people who have absolutely no skills,” Chris said.

Each clown has his or her own unique set of skills. Chris specializes in juggling, magic, stilt walking, and unicycle.

“Besides the fact that I think I’m pretty funny, I bring all of those to my performance,” Chris said.

For 11 years, Chris lived on a train, moving from city to city every week.

“I’ve seen this country inside and out 11 times over,” Chris said.

Touring with the Ringling Brothers was hard work, but it was a dream-come-true, he said. He took advantage of traveling to every major city and national park in the states to sight-see.

“I loved it,” he said.

On tour, Chris met and fell and love with Gina, a dancer-turned-clown who would be eventually becomes his wife.

Gina grew up in Westchester, N.Y. and was trained as a dancer. She toured with Ringling for two years as a dancer and did a trampoline and aerial act before going back to school to become a clown.

“It just seemed like a lot more fun, and it was,” Gina said.

With 70 performers and another 300 support staff, Gina said the circus was a traveling city. A priest travels with show alongside teachers, concessionaires, seamstress, cobbler, animal crew, driver, and mail collector.

“It’s a pretty unique way to see the country and every Friday you’re getting paid for it.

We didn’t know how good we had it. … You end up finding your own group, but you really are one big family. … It’s kind of like being part of a huge sorority or a frat house,” Gina said.

A lot of performers for Ringling have been with the circus for generations, but after over a decade on the road, Chris decided it was time to settle down and start a family.

“Ringling was a great place to work, but I don’t think I could have lasted my 40 years and gotten my retirement plan,” Chris said.

After nine years with Ringling, Gina was also ready to leave.

Cirque du Jour performer Erin Grins, performs in a balloon crafted duck. - CONTRIBUTED

“In the end I wanted a mail box and a bathtub,” Gina said.

In the 1980s and early ‘90s, circus performers didn’t have cell phones, so it was hard to communicate with friends and family back home.

“Back then if there was Facebook, I might have lasted longer,” Gina said.

Chris and Gina first moved into an apartment in New York. But, when Chris was showing his wife around his old neighborhood during a visit to Naugatuck for Chris’ brother’s house warming party, a for sale sign on a house caught their eyes. He saw an oversized three-car garage. She saw a big kitchen. They moved in two months later and 10 years later still call Naugatuck home.

Although the couple left Ringling Brothers behind, the circus remains an integral part of their lives.

Together, Chris and Gina founded Cirque du Jour, a circus and talent agency that supplies performers of all types.

“A lot of people still see us as ‘oh those clowns,’ but we’re not just those clowns. We’re so much more than that,” Gina said.

Their performers have worked at local events and fundraisers, including Naugatuck’s Duck Day and holiday kick-off. Chris said his rolodex of performers is 1,400 deep.

“If you want an elephant, call me. If you want a guy getting shot out of a canon, I’m your guy. If you want 50 mimes for a commercial shoot, call Cirque du Jour. … If you need a 7-foot-tall guy in a diaper, I would book him for you,” Chris said.

Cirque du Jour targets schools, corporations, country clubs, and malls with performances and education. Chris also teaches children circus tricks at schools and camps. Last summer, he toured with a traveling carnival. He also produces circuses as a big part of the business.

“It’s really given us a good opportunity to do a lot of fun stuff. We’re constantly running around to just keep everything going,” Chris said.

Right now, Chris said he is in the final stages of firming up a deal with Norwegian Cruise Lines to bring an interactive circus program to all their ships. Children will be able to come to a workshop and try juggling, stilts, and other circus acts. Chris said he has a recipe to bring kids together in a short amount of time and put together a performance for their parents.

“If all goes well, it will be fleet-wide,” Chris said. “It’s a huge gig for us, if it flies, which I think it’s going to.”

After years of clowning around, the Allisons aren’t slowing down any time soon.

“Once you get the sawdust in your blood, it’s hard to shake it,” Gina said. “Really it’s not a job, it’s a career, it’s a lifestyle choice”

The fund is seeking pictures of the 612 Connecticut men and women who died in the Vietnam War in combat and have their names inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. When collected, all will be displayed at The Education Center at The Wall.

The fund has collected more than 25,000 pictures of veterans across the country to date, but only 241 from Connecticut according to a press release.

With a groundbreaking planned for November, The Education Center at The Wall is a multi-million dollar visitor’s center and learning facility to be built on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans and the Lincoln Memorials. The Education Center will feature the faces and stories of the 58,272 men and women on “The Wall,” honoring those who fell in Vietnam, those who fought and returned, as well as the friends and families of all who served.

For more information, visit www.buildthecenter.org.

State Rep. Rosa Rebimbas (R-70), center, speaks during the Waterbury Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Breakfast earlier this week. –CONTIRBUTED

Rebimbas and other lawmakers spoke on the group’s legislative agenda and answered questions at the annual breakfast.

“The business climate in Connecticut has only gotten worse. The jobs bill from the last special session was only a small step in the right direction. My focus this session will be job creation and education, in addition to continuing my opposition to tax increases and high government spending. We must foster an environment that supports the production of a skilled and trained workforce and a business environment where businesses can afford to expand and create jobs,” Rebimbas said in a news release.

Rebimbas continued, “We and the business community throughout the state jointly need to tell the Governor and the legislature in Hartford that if the bill hurts the business community any further, then ‘We can’t have it in Connecticut.’”

Other issues discussed at the breakfast included the merger between Waterbury Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital, the Post University expansion efforts, and the potential impact of the state’s major unfunded pension liabilities.