Fund Established to Replace Stolen Monuments

Julia Baldini, Executive Director of the Derby Historical Society, James Dellavolpe, Mayor of Ansonia, Jamie Cohen, President of the Valley Community Foundation, Congresswoman Rosa DeLuaro and Congressman Chris Murphy

At a press conference in front of the Woodbridge Avenue monument in Ansonia, the Valley Community Foundation announced the establishment of a new fund known as the Veterans Memorial Plaques Restoration Fund and an initial matching grant of $6,000 to encourage additional funds. The funds will help cover the replacement costs of monuments stolen in the Valley during the last two months. The mayors of Ansonia, derby and Shelton and Derby Historical Society are working collaboratively on the program with the Society serving as the fiduciary agency for the grant. The Society's monument to Commodore Isaac Hull which was located near the northbound entrance ramp to RT. 8 in Shelton was one of the first monuments to be stolen.

Derby suffered the loss of three plaques at Witek Park which were installed in memory of the Valley's only Congressional Medal of Honor Winner, Frank Witek. Ansonia suffered their loss at the Woodbridge Avenue Memorial.

U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro and Chris Smith were on hand to promote legislation that they are sponsoring in Congress that would make stealing and moving veteran memorials across state lines a federal crime regardless of the dollar value of the monuments.

For more on the story, visit the Valley Independent Sentinel's story here.

 Story posted on January 12, 2012