The state Department of Environmental Protection has given Derby a $3,735 grant to plant more trees at O’Sullivan’s Island, the city announced this week.
The money comes from the DEP’s “America the Beautiful” grant program.
Mayor Anthony Staffieri, in a written statement, said the grant will help transform the island “into a beautiful recreational site.” Click play on the video to hear him talk about those plans last summer.
The trees planted on the island will help shade the island and prevent soil saturation from water overflows of the bordering Naugatuck and Housatonic rivers, the statement said.
O’Sullivan’s Island is a 20-acre parcel near the Derby river walk, where the Housatonic meets the Naugatuck. It is technically a peninsula.
The site was contaminated for years, but has recently been the target of intense clean-up efforts.
Tons of contaminated dirt was trucked away to be destroyed. Town workers cut back years of overgrowth. A dilapidated building was demolished. Lowes Home Improvement even donated new picnic tables for the site.
There are plans in the works to extend the Derby Greenway by installing a loop around the peninsula. There is also grant money available to improve a boat launch.
“My goal is to make O’Sullivan’s Island a recreation site that’s the envy of the State of Connecticut,” Staffieri wrote in the statement.
PLEASE Valley Ind. STOP putting these videos of Staffieri…IT’s EMBARASSING
To Hill Top: I disagree! Mayor Staffieri is very photogenic and looks good. Sounds like you do not like the Mayor?
Back to business, I like the cleanup work being accomplished on O’Sullivan’s Island, however, let’s not build a Dog Park here, and undo a so-far, productive effort, to make the area, attractive for PEOPLE to enjoy.
To Watchman: I’m not talking about his looks or being photogenic. I’m talking about his intellect and his demeanor when answering questions. It’s EMBARASSING. Watchman…Do you remember the channel 8 interview when a reporter asked staffieri about the turbines that were discovered off main street???…stafieri said and i quote..”These turbines are in prisonteen condition” the reporter laughed and said “pristine” condition. There are many others but thats just one my friend.
Hill Top:
You are very judgemental in your clandestine comments about a real, proven-person, which are “always a slip of a tongue!”
If you can’t say anything good about a respected Mayor of Derby, it’s better to say “nothing!”
I’m very objective when I feel someone or something is wrong for the city. It’s clearly obvious that watchman is a close supporter of staffieri(maybe a family member). 99% of your comments are in defense of staffieri. I like Tony. I believe his interests for the city of derby are genuine but he’s decision making is horrendous. The Hughes situation was a debacle.
Hill Top:
You guessed wrong, as I am not a relative, and not supporting him in the Hughes-Staffieri debacle, or the proposed Derby Dog Park. ‘Why do you keep taking dog bites, at Staffieri? ? You sound like a disgruntled Democrat, but many Democrats in Derby, do support Staffieri, as he was once a Democrat, himself. If you like Staffieri, and you address him as “Tony,” exactly what horrendous decisions, do you allege, he is making?
Your only “innuendo,” that ever appears in Valley Independent Sentinel, is an indirect intimation about Mayor Staffieri, especially of derogatory nature. ‘Are you only a one topic hit-man?’