Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast

Naugatuck Valley leaders are expected to show up in large numbers at a press conference at 10 a.m. in Hartford Monday to advocate for more improvements to the area’s Waterbury branch train line. A public hearing on a bi-partisan Valley bill aimed at the same goal is scheduled for 11 a.m. in front of the state legislature’s transportation committee.

Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller is one of the many elected officials scheduled to be there. On Friday, Miller sat down for a ‘Navel Gazing’ podcast interview with The Valley Indy in his office to talk about transportation.

Sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.

A group of eighth graders sneaked into the Derby Community Center after hours Feb. 7.

Click play to learn about what they did once inside.

Also, the future of Factory Street in the Derby downtown redevelopment zone could change after a meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 18) in Derby City Hall.

The episode concludes with audio clips from the Feb. 13 meeting of the Derby Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen, where there was some disagreement over the appointment of a city Democrat to a charter revision commission.

Music by The Bad Slugs. The podcast is sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org.

Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan and his chief of staff Andrew Baklik answer about 20 questions posed from Valley Indy readers.

Topics include downtown redevelopment, the Route 34 widening project, taxes, crime, a lawsuit and much more.

Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller returns to NAVEL GAZING: THE VALLEY INDY PODCAST to take town-related questions from people on Valley Indy Facebook.

Sponsored by ValleyGivesBack.org

Chris Bowen, an elected member of the Seymour Board of Selectmen, joins reporter Eugene Driscoll to comment on the comments generated by stories The Valley Indy posted to Facebook.

Among the Facebook posts discussed:

Ansonia Alderwoman suggests the city use gender-neutral titles for local legislators; an Oxford brewery pays up after a state trooper crashes, and; Driscoll doesn't like aggressive door-to-door salesmen.

Joe Meyers, the former critic and features writer for The Connecticut Post, REALLY knows movies. He’s this week’s guest on ‘Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast.’

Press play to listen.

We're not done with local elections just yet!

Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller and Seymour Democratic Party leader Stephan Behuniak react to the referendum results in Seymour, where voters rejected borrowing $15 million for a new recreation center.

Miller talks about what's next for the project. Then Behuniak gives a frank summary of his local Democratic Party, and what it's like to be a Democrat in a town that heavily favors Republicans.

The pair then share their unique views on the mayoral race results in Derby, where Mayor Rich Dziekan was re-elected to a second term by a slim margin.

Finally, the two share their thoughts on the heated, sometimes messy mayoral race in Ansonia.

Mayor David Cassetti says he’s earned a fourth term by shepherding economic development that has transformed Main Street, brought back manufacturing jobs and laid the foundation for major investment in long-dormant former factories downtown.

The Republican is being challenged Nov. 5 by Phil Tripp, an Alderman who switched parties in May.

Cassetti sat down with The Valley Indy for a podcast interview last week. No questions or topics were provided in advance of the interview.

Second Ward Alderman Phil Tripp says he should be elected mayor because he’s a consensus builder who has dedicated his life to public service -- first in the National Guard, and then as an Ansonia legislator.

Tripp is challenging incumbent Mayor David Cassetti, a Republican trying for his fourth two-year term as the city’s top elected position.

Sharon Closius, the president and CEO of The Valley Community Foundation, returns to the podcast to talk about "Valley Gives Back," a planned giving initiative from her organization.

Closius runs down what planned giving is, and how the average Naugatuck Valley resident can use ValleyGivesBack.org to help the nonprofit groups and organizations that do so much good every day.

Just press play to listen!