On the tenth anniversary of that terrible day, the Woodbridge Volunteer Fire Association unveiled…read morethis memorial to the murderous attacks on the World Trade Center. You can see it right at the main entrance of the Woodbridge Volunteer Fire Department. Members of the association traveled to JFK airport and returned to Woodbridge with a 1,200 pound steel beam from one of the fallen towers. A crane was needed to hoist the beam in the air and place it into its final position at the memorial. The memorial's design has the beam rising from a pool of water. At night, the pool is illuminated in a blue light that shines an image of the Twin Towers onto the firehouse. A stone at the base of the memorial is engraved with these words: "Never Forget 9-11-01" Around the steel beam is a memorial garden that also honors the fallen firefighters of Woodbridge.

1654. That's a looooong time ago. But that's when the first settlers arrived in Ansonia. So it…read moremakes a sense that most of the homes in this area, at least on Elm Street, precede the American Revolution. This is a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has the same inscriptions on each side. The marker was dedicated in 1976 and is in excellent shape. The blue background is fairly bright with no signs of fading or peeling. You can see the marker directly across from the Police Department, more or less at the intersection of Elm Street and Platt Street. The full inscription reads: Here the first settlers came in 1654 and established a settlement called Uptown Derby. It is now part of the City of Ansonia, incorporated in 1889. South of this green is the home of General David Humphreys who, as aide-de-camp to General George Washington, accepted the British colors in surrender at Yorktown. Many of the private homes on Elm Street are pre-Revolutionary and the Episcopal cemetery has gravestones dating back to 1741. During the Revolution, men who lived here served with the Second Connecticut Regiment and drilled on this green, then called Cankwood Plain. Erected by the City of Ansonia The Ansonia Historic District Commission and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1976 155 CT towns done, 15 to go

Are you a Beatles fan and are you pretty good at Beatle trivia? OK, fanboy, what unusual musical…read moreinstrument, dating to the 1800's can be heard on "We Can Work It Out", "A Day in the Life", "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", "Hello, Goodbye", and "Your Mother Should Know"? The answer is a harmonium a/k/a melodeon. They are varieties of free reed organs. And guess what old CT town manufactured melodeons? Ever use a book of matches? Some of the earliest matches made in the US of A were also made here. The Woodbridge Historical marker from the CT Historical Commission is located on an exterior wall of the Old Center School, which now houses the police station and various town offices. You'll see the familiar white lettering on a blue background mounted high on the gable end of the brick building. The marker was dedicated in 1979 and is in pretty good condition with no signs of fading or peeling The full inscription reads: Woodbridge The town consists of portions of the colonial jurisdictions of New Haven and Milford. Founded in 1738 as the Parish of Amity, it was incorporated in 1784 by act of the Connecticut General Assembly and named after the first parish minister, the Reverend Benjamin Woodbridge, who served 1742 to 1785. The first meetinghouse was built in 1740 on the green and met the needs of the community until 1832, when it was replaced by the present building, dedicated on January 1, 1833. The early economy was largely agricultural, but there were several small factories producing such items as melodeons, corkscrews, cement, candlesticks, clocks, and spinning wheels. Some of the earliest friction matches in this country were made in Woodbridge. The decline of farming and improved transportation after 1900, together with the natural beauty and topography of the land, have contributed largely to its growth and distinction as a residential community. Erected by the Town of Woodbridge the Amity & Woodbridge Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1979 156 CT towns done, 14 to go

The sign up front. I can never tell if this place is open. I would revise my review once I get the…read moreopportunity to actually tour it. It would be nice if they had hours of operation and grab and go calendars readily accessible.

The Seymour Historical Society is a gem! The Catherine Matthies house serves as a working museum…read morealong with hosting the Society. The Society puts on 8 to 10 programs throughout the year and invites the community in for them and to view the collections. The speakers that they get for the programs are fantastic! I have attended talks on bees, the Naugatuck River dams, all the wars, on Yale Bowl, on old trails and roadways in the area, and all sorts of other topics. If you haven't had a chance to visit, check their Facebook page or website, www.SeymourHistoricalSociety.org for upcoming event dates.

Quirky, fun visit for a relaxed, self-guided tour. We enjoyed the scavenger hunt with prizes at the…read moreend. We enjoyed the pristine showroom for an hour or so, enjoying our memories as children with this candy and dispensers. Customer service was friendly, professional and efficient. We got to watch the production in process, which was interesting. We picked up gifts for the children and Pez fans in our lives and used the great coupon of $2 for each ticket toward the very reasonable purchase. Fun, fun, fun. Just go and enjoy.

Saw the sign for the Pez museum while we were driving around on the first full day of our trip to…read moreConnecticut. Didn't plan on coming here, but glad that we did. The visitor center is located adjacent to the Pez Factory in Orange, CT, being the sole manufacturer for the Pez candy (not the dispenser) for the United States since 1973. Thus most of the large parking lot is filled employee cars, but off to the side is the visitor center along with an ample parking area. Admission is $5 per person, with the remark that $2 of it could be used as credit to purchase anything in the company store. Products for sale are intermingled with antique Pez dispensers, and consists of two stories. Most of the time is spent glancing at dispensers behind glass. To encourage this, a game sheet was given to every entrant: The Close Up Hunt. The goal was to identify the eight close up views of different dispensers, found throughout the museum: basically a scavenger hunt. My wife and I were able to finish it (thanks to her) and the prize was a spin on the prize wheel. I got the emoji Pez while she got the My Little Pony. My wife likes Pez candy (a lot more than the dispensers), so our obvious choice was to buy a self-service bucket of pez candy for $6.99. There were eleven flavors to choose from, and I had fun filling the bucket (and didn't spill any!). The cashier let us know that there was a minimum purchase of $5 for a credit card charge, so ended up choosing a Pikachu dispenser to reach that amount One game was to find and identify 8 different Pez dispensers in the display cases. There were two floors. We were able to identify all of them, and as a prize got to spin a little wheel. I got the emoji Pez dispenser and Odette got the my little pony one. Each $5 ticket gives $2 in credit which we used to buy a bucket of candies. You have to spend at least $5 to use credit card, so bought a Pez dispenser of Pikachu ($2.49) as well. The entire stay was about an hour. The employees are behind transparent glass so we can see them and they us. It's the main packaging area. Guessing the actual making of the candy isn't that fun to watch, and the dispensers are made overseas.

My boyfriend and I went for a mini vacation in Norwalk, CT and I booked the Sunset Harbor…read moreLighthouse Tour which we went on this past Sunday evening from 6:30-8:30, on 8/10/25. This tour was definitely a highlight of our trip! Captain John and Charlie were great and all the passengers aboard had a great time! We passed three lighthouses-Peck Ledge LH, Sheffield Island LH and Green's Ledge LH. Charlie, co-captain of Captain John, had just toured the inside of Green's Ledge LH the day before which is listed on Airbnb for $6,000! He went around the ship showing everyone the floor plan. It especially exciting to be on the Long Island Sound and to see the red and white towers from Northport, since I live on Long Island!! We were able to see several different viewpoints of the sunset and osprey nests as well. Definitely recommend to residents of Norwalk AND tourists alike!

What a treat! If you live in the area, you need to put this on your summer to-do list. I've lived…read morein the area for five years but didn't learn about this cruise until this summer. Be warned, book tickets online and in advance. They sold out for day/time we wanted to take the cruise, but there were 20 tickets still available the night before. Plan accordingly. We arrived for a 3:30 cruise on a beautiful August afternoon. The cruise seemed to be full, and there was a mix of couples and families on the boat. The boat ride is smooth and relaxing. The boat staff was offering a "guided" tour, but it was tough to hear, so I gave up trying and just enjoyed the experience of being out on the water. The boat ride is about 30 - 40 minutes each way. You won't get wet, at least we didn't, and there are enough seats/room for everyone. Once you arrive at the island, you have about 1.5 hours to explore. They have a guided lighthouse tour, a small concession stand, a small beach (not one that you would lay out at, so no need to bring a suit), volleyball courts, nature trails, etc. This entire experience is set up to be calm and relaxing. There isn't too much to do on the island, but that's kind of the point. You are only there for 1.5 hours, and there's no way you can get that bored in that period. Just unwind and take in the scenery for a few minutes, it will clear your mind. They offer limited food at the concession stand, but you can always bring your own snacks as well. Next time, I will bring a few snacks for us, especially since our trip was over dinner time. The bugs - BEWARE. They don't spray for mosquitos, and as a result, they are everywhere. I didn't know bugs would be a problem in advance, but the cruise provides spray upon arrival for free! I brought my own SPF, but they also provided that as well. The staff is lovely and do anything they can to make your experience as pleasant as possible. This is the perfect low-key day trip, and I highly recommend it to anyone in the area.

Mike (the owner) has a real love for the restaurant, its history & its customers. The servers were…read moreterrific, as was the food! I'm from out of state but would go back in a second. Highly recommend this place.

Came here now, four times with my daughter. We love this place. We love Dave who is always there to…read moregreet us and usually wait on us as well. We always enjoy the space as it used to be a bank in the 1800's. The safe is literally #1 and is still standing and storing the wine. The food has been consistently good. I haven't had a bad meal yet. They are large portions, so if you're like me, you're definitely having leftovers.

Things I learned from the Shelton Marker:…read more 1) The Pootatuck Indians lived here originally 2) Its first European settlement was way back in 1639 3) Over the years, Shelton manufactured oak and chestnut boards, pins and pianos 4) In 1790, Shelton was home to 120 slaves. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission with the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It's located on a strip of grass on the right side when you travel north on Howe Avenue, in front of the baseball field at Riverview Park. The front of the marker highlights events and highlights for six named years, and the back of the marker is a chronological narrative of the city's history. The sign dates to 1977, and its condition shows signs of serious deterioration with scattered fading, peeling and chipping in multiple locations. The top of the marker on both sides has been badly affected. Because of its condition, I am reluctantly giving this two stars because it is in below average physical condition, compared to the over 150 similar CT Historical Commission markers I have written about and photographed. Not even typing the glorious name 'Pootatuck' could counterbalance that. The full inscription reads: (front) Shelton 1639 - Stratford area settled, with present-day Shelton as the northern part. 1717 - Northern settlers established Ripton parish. 1789 - Ripton separated from Stratford and became the town of Huntington, named for Governor Samuel Huntington. 1870 - Derby-Shelton dam built, allowing industrial development along the Housatonic River. 1915 - The borough of Shelton incorporated as a city, named for Edward N. Shelton, industrialist and promoter of the dam. 1919 - Town of Huntington became Shelton by act of the General Assembly. (reverse) The Pootatuck Indians were the original inhabitants of Shelton. They had a palisade fort above Riverview Park and their burying ground was in the Park. By 1680 they had sold all their lands to the Stratford settlers and moved north. The First industry in the area was the Leavenworth Shipyards, 1685, on the Housatonic River at Indian Well. The nearby hills were forested with oak and chestnut, which was used for planking. As the lands were cleared, farmers moved in. They sent cattle, pork products, corn, and oak timber to the West Indies on Leavenworth ships. The 1790 census listed 2742 adults and 120 slaves. By 1900 Shelton was an industrial town of 5600 people and manufactured everything from pins to pianos. In 1977 Shelton has become a residential and light-industrial city with 30,000 people and more than 60 manufacturers. Erected by the City of Shelton The Huntington Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1977

I had the HONOR of being a part of the show- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on…read moreThursday. There are only two performances left now at Centerstage in Shelton! Don't miss it! I haven't done something like this since I was in the 8th grade and it was So Much Fun to be on the stage again! Director/Music Director Liz Muller has done such an amazing job and it was so awesome to meet her! Keep your eyes on her! She is a total rising star. As are the talented cast and crew! The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by William Finn, with a book written by Rachel Sheinkin, conceived by Rebecca Feldman with additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School. The theater was awesome setup with tables, cabaret style. You can bring in outside food and drink and it was so fun and entertaining all while having dinner. Can't wait for the next show there!

Excellent community theater. I have seen many shows here for a number of years and am always…read moreimpressed by the production values. I'm surprised there are not more reviews for this place. They have recently undergone a change of management but they still seem to be getting better. Strongly recommended.