One of our distinct pleasures at The Valley Indy is to bring our podcast each week.
We’re not shattering records for downloads on iTunes with our weekly talk show, but we’re proud to produce a type of in-depth conversation that plays to the strengths of the web as a publishing tool.
With that being said, here is a list of the five most-listened to “Navel Gazing” episodes of 2017.
This post is brought to you by ValleyGivesBack.org. Check out the website to learn about a new way to support Valley nonprofit groups and causes.
See the ad embedded in this post for more information.
By the way, The Valley Indy returns from vacation Jan. 2.
Happy New Year!
5. BIG NEWS with Seymour’s Kurt Miller
Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller keeps residents up to date on Seymour happenings by appearing roughly once a month on the Valley Indy podcast.
Usually he talks about fund balances and bashes us for our lack of comprehensive Seymour coverage.
But in February he chose the podcast as the venue to announce that he was seeking a fourth, two-year term as the town’s top elected official.
Miller didn’t face an opponent later in the year, and was re-elected in November.
4. Seymour Deputy Fire Marshal Tim Willis
In May, The Valley Indy participated in The Great Give, a 36-hour fundraiser for nonprofits all over Connecticut.
The Great Give has become very important to us, as we use it as our major reader drive each year.
To raise awareness and, hopefully, contributions for other Valley nonprofits, each year we do live interviews with leaders of various nonprofit groups.
In 2017 we expanded our Great Give coverage a bit by having on Timm Willis, the Town of Seymour’s Deputy Fire Marshal. We talked about fire prevention, and Willis talked about an old arson case in town.
Willis later appeared with Derby Fire Department Assistant Chief David Lenart during fire prevention month.
3. Jay from The Dew Drop Inn
Jason Carlucci, his wife, Kenna, and their staff have transformed The Dew Drop Inn from a local watering hole into something of a regional tourist attraction.
In May, during the aforementioned Great Give, Carlucci went on camera to talk about how he built the business.
— — — — — -A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR— — — — — -
What will you be remembered for?
Adding a charity to your estate plan creates a legacy that tells future generations what causes mattered to you during your life.
Learn more at ValleyGivesBack.org, an initiative of the Valley Community Foundation.
Plan now, give later, and impact tomorrow at ValleyGivesBack.org.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
2. Would Ansonia Welcome The Bluefish?
When the City of Bridgeport announced over the summer that the city’s minor league baseball team would be laid to rest, The Valley Indy got a little click-baity with the title of this “Navel Gazing” episode.
And it worked, because people tuned in!
While the episode featured some wild speculation as to whether the Bluefish would consider relocating up river to Ansonia, guests Sheila O’Malley and Hugh Bailey conveyed a ton of interesting (and accessible) info about economic development.
O’Malley is Ansonia’s grant writer and economic development director. Bailey is The Connecticut Post’s business editor (and Valley resident).
1. The Artie Lange Interview
Comedian Artie Lange was playing a casino in Connecticut, so The Valley Indy randomly hit him up on Twitter asking for an info.
Usually a small publication like ours has to go through levels on PR people who dutifully ignore requests, but Lange responded personally, saying he’d do the interview immediately.
The interview with the troubled funnyman was, by far, the most listened-to “Navel Gazing” of 2017.
