Ah, 2015.
It was a year. And 2016 is just about here, or maybe it already is, depending on when we decide to make this story live.
Happy New Year to anyone who celebrates.
But before that, let’s reflect for a moment about the good stuff.
Most Welcome Progress
The improvements to Ansonia’s Main Street, roughly from Crave to the housing authority office at the Maple Street bridge.
Developers Jerry Nocerino and Charles Smith brought a nice new restaurant to Main Street, and made some improvements to long-neglected properties on Main Street.
Now they’re trying to bring the same improvements to the other side of Main Street. Aww, yeah!
(FYI, the redevelopment of Pershing Drive in Derby — Panera and Aldi’s, etc., happened in 2014)
Coolest Valley-Based Documentary
Charlton Comics: The Movie
Connecticut residents Keith Larsen and Jackie Zbuska spent 2015 trying to raise money to create a documentary about Charlton Comics, the now-legendary business once housed at the corner of Division and Pershing in Derby.
Click here for a podcast interview we did with the producers.
Here’s the trailer:
Valley Indy Facebook Question We Hear In Our Sleep
“What’s going on (INSERT ROAD NAME HERE)?”
Sometimes we feel you only use us for our police scanner.
Most Unwelcome Trend
The Death of Local News
The lack of ad money caused The Valley Gazette to stop publishing a print edition in 2015.
It joined a long list of local news organizations that no longer publish local news.
The Oxford Gazette, The Valley Times, AOL Patch (now a content farm) are gone, and the CT Post and the Register have greatly reduced the newsrooms.
We’re here six years into a two-year grant thanks to foundation support and donation from readers. We’re still dancing around the graveyard — and 2016 looks to be a do or die year for The Valley Indy.
Is the future of local news a series of “trending,” data stories such as “best places to raise a lactose-intolerant Burmese python?”
Stay tuned.
Best Gov’t Use Of Social Media
Ansonia and Seymour have informative Facebook pages. The other communities, not so much.
Best Singing Alderman
Daniel Evans
In October the Valley Indy hosted a “Great Give” webcast. For 36 hours we talked about how your donations could help Valley nonprofits — including this one.
People watched — and donated.
One of our favorite moments was the appearance of then-Ansonia Alderman Daniel Evans, who sang a few country tunes to raise money for Ansonia Public Schools.
Alderman Evans sings a tune in the Valley Indy office to motivate #TheGreatGive donations to Ansonia Public Schools.
Posted by Valley Independent Sentinel on Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Our Favorite Readers
Given the state of local news, we want to end the year by thanking the readers who donated to the cause this year:
Trudy Ginsburg
Nancie Gray
Christine Conroy
James Cohen
Jay Carlucci
Barbara DeGennaro
Jordan Jones
Laura Lane
Matt DeRienzo
James Mascolo
Cynthia Poppa
Pamela Petro
Tracey Fry DeBell
Michael Weinmayr
Jessica Fusco
John and Nancy Marini
Jennifer Magri
Art Gerckens
Jodie Gil
Randal Ritter
Michael McFarland
Darlene Zawisza
Edward Baclawski
Pasquale Civitella
Carolyn Duhaime
Linda Romano
Rick Dunne
Kathy Moran
Christopher Bowen
Stephen Lonergan
Keith Whamond
Joanne Pelton
Amy O’Brien
John Young
Julia Soda
Tonino Mavuli
William Phipps
Richard Phill
Kevin Henri
Theodore (Tad) Hutchings
Mary Horbal
Carol Johnson
Karen Vega
Barbara Thom
Gerritt Ogden
Louis Dagostine
Denyse Miller
Ruth Parkins
Sharon Closius
Melissa Pucci
Steven Blanchette
Tom Harbinson
Katherine Hultgren
Ethan Fry
Silvana Monaco
Karen Kemmesies
Stephan Behuniak
Jenna Duff
Doug Hardy
Rita Fry
James Deloma
Mark Nichols
John Young
Lynne DeLucia
Walt Mayhew
Kate Pipa
Cheri Piccolo
Lynn Weitzner
Michelle Giannotti
Mike Bellamy
John Zaprzalka
Tammy Burrell
Mary LaBranche
Bart Flaherty
Allison Wells
Christine Syriac
Barbara Kenny
Rosalie Averill
Theresa Conroy
Jennifer Moffat
Carol Pendagast
Beth and Randall Colette
Lisa Mundle
Susan Agamy
Julie Risko
Dan Onofrio
Alan Tyma
Thomas Haley
Jason Cronk
Marc Garofalo
Susan Mauriello
Antoinette Tworkowski
Brian Spears
Helen Pipa
Judy Larkin Nicolari
Sean Sullivan
Joseph Greenberg
Leah Salomoni
Beth Carson
Eugene Driscoll
John Corraro
Christina Ciociola
Sarah Widomski
Francesca Scarpa
Lisa Matejek
Katherine Losito
