A group of 26 Naugatuck High School Air Force Junior ROTC cadets recently cleaned the east riverbank of the Naugatuck River and Greenway in Linden Park in Naugatuck. Master Sgt. Gary Morrone, USAF (ret) and Lt. Col. Valerie Lofland, USAF (ret) led the cadets. The cleanup was the eighth time the group has completed conservation projects along the Naugatuck River. More than a dozen large bags of light debris, a shopping cart and tires, metal barrel, a rug, several lengths of pipe and rusted metal debris were removed. The project was organized by Joe Savarese and Bob Gregorski of the Naugatuck River Watershed Association and sponsored by the borough of Naugatuck. Student Transportation of America in Naugatuck donated the bus transportation. Pictured, bottom row from left, Lofland, Kaitlyn Barry, Dan Solberg, Grace Santiago, Leanne Blanc, Nick Testone, Enid Velez, Aaliyah Tripp, Erin Schofield, Jessica Rodriguez and Morrone. Middle row from left, Anthony Sandri, Luis Zamot, Noah Desantis, Parthe Soni, Chris Farmassony, Joe Tavares, Logan Lowe, Jared Sullivan and Benjamin Reinhard. Top row from left, Allen Noss, Kevin Pimpinelli, Josh Robinson, Anthony Brill, Chad Cole, Jason Wargo, Chris Werner and Kevin Johnson. –JOE SAVARESE
The Woodland Interact Club decorated two Christmas trees for the United Way’s annual Festival of Trees, which opened with a cocktail reception Dec. 6 at Ion Bank, 87 Church St., Naugatuck. The tree on the left was decorated in memory of Susan Lewis, a former Woodland art teacher who died in January after a long battle with cancer. The tree on the right was decorated to honor servicemen and servicewomen at home and abroad. That tree is part of the Interact Club’s broader initiative to recognize recent Woodland alumni in the armed forces, said Interact Club President Casey Stevens. She was inspired by her friend James Tompkins’ deployment, and the club is accepting donations toward holiday care packages (writing supplies, T-shirts, snacks, movies or letters) through Dec. 18. To donate or for more information, call Casey Stevens (203-560-2771) or Dawn Stevens (203-592-9567).-KYLE BRENNAN
Students from Algonquin School in Prospect sing during a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction for the new Prospect Elementary School Nov. 25. –LUKE MARSHALL
Woodland Regional High School students, from left, Tyler Smith, Nicholle Petracca, and Everett Miner were the first to represent Woodland at the second annual High School Iron Chef Culinary Competition hosted by Naugatuck Valley Community College Nov. 8. Students from five area high schools practiced, including Naugatuck High School, participated in the competition. Participants were charged with the task of preparing two courses in three hours — an appetizer that had to incorporate a mystery ingredient and a hot entrée prepared from assigned recipes. –CONTRIBUTED
Girls Scouts from Naugatuck Troops 64518 and 67067 hosted a Girl Scout Brownie Mother Daughter tea held at St. Vincent’s Family Center in Naugatuck Nov. 16. The scouts invited state Rep. Rosa Rebimbas (R-70) to join them. The girls and mothers sipped tea, ate goodies, learned proper table etiquette, learned about Rebimbas’ life in Naugatuck and state government, and practiced napkin folding. Lexi Fleming sang God Bless America for all. Pictured (bottom row from left) Savanna Simonds, Madison Gaillard, Chelsea Checo, Alivia McCabe, Nora Galvin, Apryll Galli (top row from left) Hannah Billings, Alana Johnson, Emily Bailey, Rebimbas, Ayana Williams, Angelina Re, Fleming and Megan Lisko-Snelling. –CONTRIBUTED
Naugatuck YMCA preschool students, from left, Wesley Wergin, 4, of Naugatuck, Vincenzo Caminita, 4, of Naugatuck, Adam Hayward, 4, of Naugatuck, and Maximus Lapke, 4, of Middlebury sit with their teacher Andrea Rodgers at the YMCA Nov. 27 for a Thanksgiving meal. The students each made a Pilgrim hat and a Native American headband to wear during the meal. –LUKE MARSHALL
Naugatuck resident Lisa Carlson spoke to Upper School students at Chase Collegiate School about breast cancer awareness Oct. 29. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, Carlson shared statistics about the disease and told her own, personal story. Maryellen Holden, foreign language teacher, said her advisory has organized a Breast Cancer Awareness Program and invited Carlson to speak with students since 2009, according to a press release issued by the school. At the time, Holden had Carlson’s son, Matt, in her advisory. Carlson has been cancer free for four years and eight months and is awaiting her ‘five-year mark’ this February. –CONTRIBUTED
State Rep. Lezlye Zupkus (R-89) shakes hands with a new U.S. citizen during a recent Naturalization Ceremony held at the Old State House in Hartford, where 25 people became citizens of the United States. More than 12 countries were represented in the room, including Vietnam, Albania, China and Peru. Zupkus, who led the Pledge of Allegiance during the ceremony, and her husband are hosting a Guatemalan student, who was able to attend the event with Zupkus. Zupkus said the country is stronger for having these folks complete the process that affords them the rights and privileges that come with citizenship. –CONTRIBUTED
Mike Classey of the Beacon Falls Street Department hangs a wreath on a lamp post along the streetscape in downtown Beacon Falls Monday morning as Liz Falzone, co-chair of the Citizens for Tomorrow’s Downtown, looks on. Rick Cherhoniak, co-chair of the group, is looking into the possibility of installing outlets on the lamp posts in order to add more holiday decorations in the future. This year, Falzone worked with designer Jenna Limosani of AC Moore in Orange to design the wreaths, which have been decorated with silver and cracked ice decorations. -ELIO GUGLIOTTI
Officials from the Region 16 school district, which covers schools in Beacon Falls and Prospect, mark the start of construction for the new Prospect Elementary School Nov. 25 with a ground-breaking ceremony. –FILE PHOTO
Naugatuck Valley Savings and Loan recently joined the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation, Inc., and is funding the Senior Crimestoppers program for seniors residing in the Eastgate II Nursing Home in Waterbury. The foundation is a national organization that serves as a conduit for banks to use to fulfill their federally mandated Community Reinvestment Act requirements through providing aid to low and moderate income individuals in their local community. The foundation’s mission is to provide safe and secure living environments for senior nursing home residents, many of whom are low and moderate income individuals, through the Senior Crimestoppers program. The program is a coordinated set of components that work together to create a zero tolerance to crime platform in senior housing facilities. ‘As a community bank, Naugatuck Valley Savings and Loan prides itself on its safety, security and emphasis on customer service,’ said Bill Calderara, president and CEO on the bank, in a press release. ‘That’s why we’re so pleased to help support and protect seniors through this important program’ Pictured, from left, Kristine LaVigna, SCS field representative, Sandy Vaz, Naugatuck Valley Savings & Loan Waterbury branch manager, Calderara, Joyce Bakalar, manager of Eastgate II Apartments, Nicole Bakalar of Eastgate II Apartments and Jerzy Gajda, maintenance worker at Eastgate II Apartments. –CONTRIBUTED
Daniel Capone, a member of Boy Scout Troop 138 in Naugatuck, was awarded his Eagle Scout pin at a Court of Honor held at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church Hall on Nov. 17. Scoutmaster Ed Fennell presented Capone with his pin during an hour-long ceremony. For his Eagle project, Capone led a group of volunteers in October of 2012 in building a hiking path and a campsite with fire ring and benches at Toby’s Pond in Beacon Falls for town residents and scouts to use. It took 390 hours to complete the project. –CONTRIBUTED
A group of 26 Naugatuck High School Air Force Junior ROTC cadets recently cleaned the east riverbank of the Naugatuck River and Greenway in Linden Park in Naugatuck. Master Sgt. Gary Morrone, USAF (ret) and Lt. Col. Valerie Lofland, USAF (ret) led the cadets. The cleanup was the eighth time the group has completed conservation projects along the Naugatuck River. More than a dozen large bags of light debris, a shopping cart and tires, metal barrel, a rug, several lengths of pipe and rusted metal debris were removed. The project was organized by Joe Savarese and Bob Gregorski of the Naugatuck River Watershed Association and sponsored by the borough of Naugatuck. Student Transportation of America in Naugatuck donated the bus transportation. Pictured, bottom row from left, Lofland, Kaitlyn Barry, Dan Solberg, Grace Santiago, Leanne Blanc, Nick Testone, Enid Velez, Aaliyah Tripp, Erin Schofield, Jessica Rodriguez and Morrone. Middle row from left, Anthony Sandri, Luis Zamot, Noah Desantis, Parthe Soni, Chris Farmassony, Joe Tavares, Logan Lowe, Jared Sullivan and Benjamin Reinhard. Top row from left, Allen Noss, Kevin Pimpinelli, Josh Robinson, Anthony Brill, Chad Cole, Jason Wargo, Chris Werner and Kevin Johnson. –JOE SAVARESE
