To the editor,

Please assist me in sending a heartfelt “Thank you” to the Naugatuck Elks Lodge 967.

The men selflessly took time out of their day to rake and clean up my yard. It makes me

so happy to look out my windows. God bless them all.

Mary Urina

Naugatuck 

Joseph Crisco Jr.

HARTFORD — State Sen. Joseph Crisco, Jr. (D-17) offered reassurance to state residents about the dim prospects for a JP Morgan Chase-style derivative collapse within Connecticut’s insurance industry.

Crisco, who is Senate chair of the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee, wrote a law that was enacted in 2009 that restricts a U.S. insurer doing business in Connecticut from entering into derivative financial transactions unless it is prudent for the company to do so and consistent with its business and diversification considerations, according to a release issued by Crisco’s office.

According to the release, PA 09-48, “An Act Concerning Derivative Financial Transaction Controls,” requires insurance companies making comparable investments to include in audited financial reports a statement from an independent certified public accountant verifying adequate internal controls.

“For the past week the world has watched troubling details unfold in the press of J.P. Morgan’s ill-advised $2 billion gamble, and the aftershocks of that bungled investment have rocked financial and banking institutions,” Crisco said in the release. “I want to commend my legislative colleagues and then-Gov. Rell for having the foresight to enact this law and guard against such upheaval in Connecticut’s insurance industry by strictly regulating the allowable scope of its derivative investments.”

Crisco recounted how derivative investments in the real estate industry are often cited as the primary cause of the financial collapse in 2008, which triggered a lasting, global recession.

“No one challenges the rights of private businesses and corporations to make investments as they see fit and engage in capitalism — it is the basis of our economic system and the engine that generates jobs and careers generation after generation,” Crisco said in the release. “But when the insurance premiums — or bank deposits — of private citizens are exposed in those investments, the government and its regulatory authority have a vitally important role to play.”

Crisco added, “Connecticut residents should know my 2009 law protects their stake in insurance companies and helps ensure the solvency of those companies for when claims must be paid or annuities come due.”

The Hawks (12-6) are on a two-game winning streak as of press time Wednesday, having scored 19 runs in wins over Derby and Ansonia. That followed a pair of losses to Watertown and Seymour in which Woodland surrendered a combined 29 runs.

Those losses came during a time of readjustment for the Hawks after losing starting pitcher Samantha Lee to a hand injury, likely for the rest of the season according to coach Loren Luddy.

Lee was among the upper echelon of pitchers in the Naugatuck Valley League, posting a 2.28 ERA and allowing just 48 hits in nearly 80 innings pitched.

Lee’s first replacement was senior Angie Wirsing, the Hawks’ regular third baseman. Wirsing’s move to the circle threw Woodland’s defense out of whack, so Luddy gave freshman Stephanie Kiley a try on the rubber. It’s worked out well, as Kiley is 2-0 with a 2.27 ERA.

“We struggled initially making some changes,” Luddy said. “Moving Angie to pitcher was tough because she hadn’t really pitched much since last season, and she’s also our third baseman so we had to replace a player there. Stephanie Kiley is adjusting to the varsity level pretty quickly for a freshman. She’s pitched our last two games, and it seems to be working to have Angie back at third.”

Woodland’s offense has also awoken in the last two victories. The Hawks average just 3.5 runs per game in losses, compared to scoring at least seven runs in nine of their 12 wins.

Before her injury, Lee was leading the charge with a .458 average. In her absence, a number of other hitters have stepped up, including a fellow underclassman.

Freshman Courtney Jurzynski has been the designated player of late, and her insertion to the lineup has paid dividends. Her .385 average, racked up over the last two weeks, is second-best on the team.

“Courtney Jurzynski had two hits against Seymour and two hits against Ansonia, so she’s been a nice addition to the lineup with Sam out,” Luddy said.

Natalie Veneri (.378, seven RBI), Brooke Leshin (.375, 11 RBI, 13 runs), and Rachel Starkey (.317, team-best 18 RBI) are also above .300 while Emily Wirsing (.298, 13 RBI, 19 runs), Angie Wirsing (.293, 13 RBI, 20 runs), and Brianna Pacileo (.275, seven RBI, 16 runs) are not far behind.

Luddy also credited Starkey, a sophomore tied for the team lead with seven extra-base hits, for helping calm the pitching staff during Lee’s absence.

“Rachel’s been doing really well helping out Stephanie with pitching at the varsity level,” Luddy said. “For a sophomore, Rachel’s showing a lot of maturity at the catcher’s spot.”

Woodland was scheduled to finish the regular season this week with home games against Wolcott on Wednesday and Crosby on Thursday. Barring further rainouts, the NVL tournament was set to begin on Saturday. The Hawks will likely be a No. 4 or No. 5 seed.

“We have to play very solid defense and not make mistakes defensively, and if we do, recover quickly from them,” Luddy said. “At some point in the season, everybody’s been hot. If we can all get them hitting at once, we should be good.”

Award recipients look on as Laura Coffin of Act 4 Ministry, Inc. of Waterbury talks about her program during the annual Naugatuck Savings Bank Foundation's Community Awards Program held May 9 at the Naugatuck Savings Bank building on Church Street in Naugatuck. This year the Naugatuck Savings Foundation gave $53,500 to 35 area organizations. –RA ARCHIVE

The bank’s president, Charles Boulier III, and other representatives last Wednesday awarded $53,500 to 35 nonprofit organizations from 11 towns that won this year’s community awards. The program, in its third year, allows bank customers to vote for the nonprofits they think deserve a financial boost. About 2,000 voted this year at bank branches, on paper ballots sent home with statements, or online, Boulier said.

“This Community Awards Program is a way for customers to recognize their nonprofits in their communities,” Boulier said.

The senior center received 84 votes and won nearly $4,400. Other top winners included St. Francis Church and St. Mary’s Church, both of Naugatuck, with nearly $3,400 each, and the Middlebury Congregational Church and Prospect Senior Center with nearly $2,900 each.

Boulier thanked the bank’s employees and Chairman and CEO Mark Yanarella, who started the foundation 14 years ago and is retiring this year.

“It’s going to be, in my mind, one of his greatest legacies, because this foundation will live in perpetuity,” Boulier said.

Other winners included the Naugatuck YMCA, $2,440; the Ecumenical Food Bank in Naugatuck, $1,869; St. Hedwig Church in Naugatuck, $1,817; Oxford Special Olympics, $1,765; Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, $1,661; Pinebrook Assembly of God in Naugatuck, $1,558; Hillside Covenant Church and St. Anthony Church in Naugatuck and Oxford United Church of Christ, $1,506 each; Naugatuck Valley Community Church in Naugatuck, $1,454; Oxford High School Booster Club and GIL Foundation in Prospect, $1,402 each; St. Francis-St. Hedwig School in Naugatuck, Prospect Congregational Church and St. Augustine Church in Seymour, $1,350 each; Naugatuck Special Olympics and Stone Chiropractic Baseball Camp in Watertown, $1,298 each; Holy Cross Fathers Club of Waterbury, $1,246; First Congregational Church in Cheshire, $1,194; Salvation Army in Ansonia, $1,090; and Naugatuck Ecumenical Outreach Network, Woodbury Lions Club and Howard Whittemore Library in Naugatuck, $1,038 each.

Seven other organizations that received fewer than 20 votes were selected at random for $500 awards. Those were Acts 4 Ministry in Waterbury, Are You Dense in Woodbury, Augusta Curtis Cultural Center, Our Lady of Mount Carmel School and St. Stanislaus Church in Meriden, Eagles Club in Naugatuck and Waterbury Health Access.

Winners of the awards are required to spend the money locally. The foundation has given away nearly $3.8 million over the years to more than 240 nonprofit organizations.

BEACON FALLS — The position the Woodland baseball team finds itself in entering the last week of the season might not be enviable to some teams, but it’s a lot better for the Hawks now than halfway through the season.

Woodland battled back from a 1-9 start to earn a 6-11 record with three games to play, as of press time Wednesday. The Hawks need to win two of their final three games to qualify for the state tournament for the ninth straight season.

“We absolutely have to play one game at a time,” coach Mike Kingsley said. “We’ll rely heavily on our two senior pitchers that have been carrying us all year. We’ll put the ball in their hands and let them take us to the state playoffs.”

Woodland’s pitching has been one of the team’s strong points throughout the season. Senior starters Billy Alfiere and Brian Langdon have started the majority of the team’s games, both compiling ERAs under 3.40. Sophomore Tanner Kingsley also earns a start each week and has a team-best 1.17 ERA along with his 3-1 record.

The Hawks have only faltered when the defense forces their pitchers to get more than three outs. Woodland averages about four errors in losses and about two in victories. Kingsley thinks the improved defense has something to do with the team’s mentality.

“The confidence level of the kids is higher,” Kingsley said. “All it took was the first win to get the team some confidence and relieve some pressure. A lot of pressure builds during a seven-game losing streak, but they’ve played a lot looser and better since then.”

The offense has also been better during the second half of the season. Five players are hitting over .300, while the team holds a .279 average. Alfiere leads the charge with a .424 mark, including the team’s only home run of the season last week against Watertown. Steve Baeder has been hot, raising his average to .355 with 19 RBI, while Anthony Scirpo checks in at .339 with 20 runs. Tanner Kingsley is hitting .312 and Dave Uhl has posted a .302 mark.

Woodland had a chance to gain its two necessary wins last week after winning five in a row to improve to 6-9, but lost to a pair of aces in games against Seymour and Derby. This week’s games have been rescheduled twice due to rain.

The schedule as of press time had Woodland playing Crosby, Wolcott, and Ansonia, on consecutive days beginning Thursday. Wins in two of three would clinch another state tournament bid for the Hawks, while a sweep plus help would keep alive a small hope to make the league tournament.

“You always think you’re going to win all your games,” Kingsley said. “If we can win these three games that makes us 8-2 in the second half of the season. That’s something positive to build on. All of the teams that will be in there are teams that we’ve competed with during the regular season.”

Residents must have a proof of residence sticker affixed to the windshield of their car. Stickers are $2 and can be purchased at the Beacon Falls Police Station, 119 North Main St., or the Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall.

Due to the expected high volume of items to be disposed, residents are asked to limit the loads to a maximum of two pick-up truck loads per household.

For more information, call Town Hall at (203) 729-4340.

BEACON FALLS — The Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance voted to accept a municipal loan proposal and move it forward to a public meeting.

The Board of Selectmen voted to accept it on Monday and the Board of Finance approved it the following day. A town meeting to discuss and vote on the bond was set for 7 p.m. June 14 at the fire house.

The 10-year loan would be for approximately $1.14 million and cover large ticket items, such as the final payments for Blackberry Hill Road repairs and the streetscape project, and items requested by the fire department.

The loan was broken down into five resolutions. First Selectman Gerard Smith explained why the resolutions had to be drawn up this way because even though it’s a municipal loan, it’s treated as a bond.

“So, as we go, we still have to have resolutions drawn up,” Smith said.

Smith said the town also had some previous fees, as well as fees for this bond, that the town had to take care of.

“There were some legal fees left over from the previous bond issues we had, for the placements we had to do. We owed a total of $65,000,” Smith said.

Smith told the board the law firm Day Pitney, who is acting as the town’s bond council, recommended that the town incorporate the fees into the loan.

That money was broken into smaller amounts and put throughout each of the five resolutions under the category of “other financing costs.” This brought the total loan amount to just over $1.14 million.

The first resolution is for various road and streetscape projects and totaled $206,700. It included $45,000 for the streetscape improvements along Main Street, $150,000 for the instillation of guard rails and reconstruction of portions of Blackberry Hill Road, and $11,700 for related bond and note issuances and other financing costs.

The second resolution, which totaled $294,356, is for various public safety equipment acquisitions, refurbishments, and facility improvements. It included $12,456 for a Lifepack defibrillator for the fire department, $130,000 for the refurbishment of the ambulance, $10,000 for the acquisition and instillation of a kitchen hood at the fire department, $85,000 for the acquisition and instillation of a radio system for the fire department, $40,000 for the acquisition of a Chevy Tahoe for the police department, and $16,900 for related bond and note issuances and other financing costs.

The third resolution was for various sanitary sewer system projects and totaled $427,660. It included $290,000 for a sewage treatment system upgrade study, $30,000 for the acquisition and instillation of a sewage treatment flow meter for the Pinesbridge Road flow meter, $82,960 for the acquisition of an eight-inch in-trailer mounted pump with accessories for use by the Water Pollution Control Authority, and $24,700 for related bond and note issuances and other financing costs.

The fourth resolution was for various road and streetscape improvement projects and totaled $61,034. It included $39,560 for the acquisition and instillation of financial software for the Town Hall and finance department computer systems, $12,224 for the acquisition and instillation of hardware upgrades of the Town Hall computer systems, $6,000 for the acquisition and instillation of two additional public access work stations in the Town Clerk’s office, and $3,250 for related bond and note issuances and other financing costs.

The final resolution was for various public safety equipment acquisitions, refurbishments, and facility improvements and totaled $152,450. It included $57,000 for the acquisition of a dump truck and related equipment, $87,000 for a loader and related equipment, and $8,450 for related bond and note issuances and other financing costs.

Naugatuck’s Rich Pimental delivers a pitch against Sacred Heart May 10 in Naugatuck. The Greyhounds beat the Hearts, 6-4, behind the bat of Pimental, who hit a two-run double to give Naugy the game-winning runs. Naugatuck followed up the win over Sacred Heart with victories against Kennedy last Friday and Wilby on Monday. -ELIO GUGLIOTTI

NAUGATUCK — All season long, Naugatuck baseball coach Tom Deller has talked to his team about playing a meaningful game. That game has arrived.

On Thursday, the Greyhounds are set to travel to Torrington to take on the Red Raiders with the Naugatuck Valley League Copper Division title on the line. That game is only the first step on the road to glory as Naugatuck looks to regain a little prominence to which this storied program is accustomed.

“The Torrington game is one of those big games that I’ve been talking about,” Naugatuck coach Tom Deller said. “Hopefully it will be the first of many meaningful games that we still have left to play this season.”

The Greyhounds are riding a four-game winning streak, improving on an 11-7 record that has marked this up-and-down season. There have been three losses booted away by just one run and there have been three other games in which the ‘Hounds were simply outplayed.

Last Friday, Adam Neveski picked up the win and Ryan White secured the save as Naugatuck got past Kennedy, 5-2.

The Greyhounds found enough offense in their bats, led by Seth Mulhall’s two hits. Kyle Lopes added a run-scoring hit and Nolan Kinne doubled and scored two runs to pace the attack.

Following the game Naugatuck found out that Neveski could be lost for the season after being diagnosed with an illness (mononucleosis) that could end his high school career.

“That was a huge loss for our team,” Deller said. “He could be out for quite a while. The guys need to step up and get ready to play some meaning full baseball. They don’t get too rattled, not as much as I do.”

If Naugatuck needed someone to step up after losing Neveski, it came in the form of Rich Pimental, who threw a six-hit shutout in a complete-game effort over Wilby on Monday.

“Rich really stepped up with a huge game for us against Wilby,” Deller said. “He also leads the team with 25 RBI and is hitting over .400.”

Adam Tavares knocked in the eventual game-winning run with a single to score Zac Mercer. Kinne collected three hits to pace the Greyhounds at the plate.

“We have been playing solid defense and Ryan White has really come on to keep us in games,” Deller said.

Mike Burns and Jon Bisson have been getting it done defensively in the infield. Karl Johansen and Charles Healy have provided some senior leadership and solid bats in the lineup.

“Nolan is batting .534 to lead the team and recently Karl is hitting over .400 in the last four or five games,” Deller said. “We are scoring runs but we need to be a little more consistent with runners in scoring position. We can’t afford to lose out on our opportunities.”

The Greyhounds will finish out the regular season this week as they were set to host Crosby on Wednesday before traveling to Torrington to help decide the Copper champion. The NVL baseball tournament is scheduled begin this weekend at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury.

As a result, the Department of Labor issued stop work orders to VL Drywall of North Carolina, Kentucky Steel Erectors LLC of Kentucky, and Providence Building Co. Inc. of Illinois.

The labor department can shut down contractors and subcontractors under the employee misclassification law. Violators could be fined and even prosecuted criminally in some cases.

The law makes it illegal to classify employees as independent contractors to evade mandates regarding workers’ compensation, unemployment taxes and payroll reporting.

Companies issued a stop work order have 10 days to appeal the decision. Once a cited employer provides proof of appropriate coverage, work at that site is allowed to resume.

Work on a 23,000-square-foot addition at the store on New Haven Road is currently underway to turn the store into a Super Walmart with a full grocery store that is expected to be open 24 hours a day.

The art is displayed on the Whittemore Gallery Wall in the adult department and can be viewed during normal library hours. This month’s exhibit was coordinated by Rose-Ann Chrzanowski, an art teacher in Naugatuck as well as at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, and includes several different mediums covering a variety of subjects.

The library is located at 243 Church St., and is open Mondays from12 to 6 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call (203) 729-4591.