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Eugene Driscoll | Jan 2, 2023 3:00 pm
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DERBY — ‘Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast’ makes a choppy return with its first episode of the New Year.
It’s primarily an attempt to practice StreamYard, a popular video conferencing platform.
The Valley Indy took off one week for the holidays, and Monday was the first day back on the job.
However, how much news the publication will produce this week remains to be seen, thanks to the influenza virus currently making its way through the editor’s domicile.
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Eugene Driscoll | Oct 11, 2022 4:22 pm
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Pat Oates!
ANSONIA — Pat Oates is a standup comic who has appeared on WPLR, “Who Are These Podcasts,” and Compound Media.
Oates is determined to bring live comedy to the Valley, and he’s doing it through organizing open mic & regular shows at Retro Grub & Pub and RiverWalk Social, both on Elizabeth Street in downtown Derby.
Oates has a “birthday show” at Retro on Oct. 15 with John Romanoff. Click here for tickets.
Plus he’s started an open mic at Retro every Thursday. Sign ups start at 7:30 p.m., first act goes on at 8 p.m. There’s no cover or drink minimum.
He’s also talking about an open mic once a month at RiverWalk Social.
ANSONIA — Sometimes words just don’t do a story justice. That’s what I like also using podcasts to report local news.
Earlier this week a new Ansonia Opera House Committee met to begin brainstorming ways to fund the restoration of the Ansonia Opera House at 100 Main St., which has been vacant since the 1970s. Click play to hear clips from the meeting, and get a sense of the commitment this group has to bringing the old building back to life.
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Eugene Driscoll | Sep 3, 2022 10:10 am
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NAUGATUCK — The Valley’s grumpiest podcast returns with special guest Christine Caprilozzi, the brains behind CT Horror Fest, scheduled to be held Friday, Sept 16. and Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Naugatuck Events Center.
Press play to listen to the interview!
Christine’s interview starts about 9 minutes and 30 seconds into the show, after the two hosts double down on their dislike of “Tombstone,” a very unpopular opinion expressed on last week’s episode.
Visit CTHorror.com for tickets and info about Connecticut’s only horror convention.
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Eugene Driscoll | Aug 31, 2022 5:24 pm
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DERBY — ‘Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast’ returns with a look at a power struggle happening between Mayor Rich Dziekan and the Democratic majority on the Derby Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen.
This year the mayor took over the creation of the monthly meeting agenda, discontinued the practice of making department head reports public during meetings, and most recently dissolved the Aldermanic subcommittees. The mayor’s office says city government is finally following procedures outlined in the charter, while some Democrats said it’s simply a game of toxic local politics.
Click play to listen to two audio clips from the Aug. 11 meeting of the Derby local legislators, where questions were raised about a subcommittee formed to search for a location for a senior center within Derby’s borders.
SEYMOUR — Click the play button on the YouTube video above to watch a video interview with John Marini of ‘Sci-Fi At The Strand.’ Two classic fantasy flicks are screening Saturday night at The Strand in Seymour:
“Conan the Barbarian,” the 1982 movie that put Arnold Schwarzenegger on the map, and; “Highlander,” the only-in-the-80s could this thing have been made flick starring Christopher Lambert.
Producer/director and all-around nice guy Brian Volk-Weiss.
The latest episode of “Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast” is something completely different. Press play to listen.
The background:
I jumped at the chance to interview Brian Volk-Weiss because he’s the guy behind “The Movies That Made Us,” “The Holiday Movies That Made Us,” and “The Toys That Made Us,” three documentary series on Netflix that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The shows have a breezy, tongue-in-cheek vibe, but many episodes pack a surprising emotional punch. I challenge you not to be close to tears after watching the making of “Elf.”
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Eugene Driscoll | Jul 15, 2022 1:14 am
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The Derby Senior Center on Main Street.
DERBY — “Don’t give us bologna.”
“Subcommittee after committee after committee. How many committees do you need to see that the seniors need (a) safe place?“
Derby Senior Center members did not sound happy on Thursday after learning the Derby Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen would not vote again on an agreement to merge its senior center with Ansonia and send Derby members to a new senior center under construction in Ansonia.
Instead, Derby’s legislative body opted to send the senior center issue to a subcommittee, whose members will be tasked with creating another committee to look for locations for a senior center within Derby’s borders.
It’s the latest twist in the decade-plus road to a new facility for Derby senior centers — and the Derby senior centers sounded sick and tired of the journey.
Click play to listen to the audio from the meeting.
Who is in this image and what's it for, you ask? Click play below to sort of find out!
DERBY-ANSONIA — It’s a new episode of “Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast,” the award-winning local news talk show!
In this episode:
Audio from the July 12, 2022 public hearing on whether Ansonia should sell land on Olson Drive to a private developer who wants to build a sports complex. After the hearing, the Aldermen approved the sale. Click here for my story.
But before that, listen to The Valley Indy reporter blab about missing a Derby meeting, promote Ansonia Paraconn, and mess up a City of Ansonia song.
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Eugene Driscoll | Jun 22, 2022 1:23 pm
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Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan, center, with members of the Derby Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen at a meeting Tuesday, June 21, 2022.
DERBY — An investigative report released by Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan’s office on Tuesday says Derby Finance Director Agata Herasimowicz violated the City Charter several times but stops far short of assigning blame to her.
Instead, the report concludes her actions were “reasonable” when it came to paying for police video equipment and bringing in temporary workers to help fill vacancies in Derby City Hall without the proper authorization outlined in the charter.
In addition, the report notes the city lacks basic financial policies — an issue Herasimowicz tried to address before she was put on paid administrative leave. The report is embedded at the bottom of this story.
