Sustainable CT awards $5K grant for West Haven pollinator project

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 13, 2020 — The West Haven Pollinator Pathway project has received a $5,000 Community Match Fund grant from Sustainable CT, project coordinator David Carr announced.

The Pollinator Pathway project aligns with the objective of action 2.5 to “create a natural resource and wildlife inventory,” said Abe Hilding-Salorio, Sustainable CT’s community outreach manager, “and is eligible to receive matching funds for as long as they remain available.”

Using the money, Carr aims to establish pollinator-friendly habitats and food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinating insects and wildlife by installing native plants that will support pollinator in West Haven.

“The West Haven Pollinator Pathway will help our community increase the biomass of native plants,” Carr said. “The project will succeed when lots of neighbors get involved and get excited about improving our natural world.”

The project’s next steps, according to Carr, are:

— Working with the Department of Public Works, parks, libraries, homeowners and school employees to determine the final locations for the plantings.

— Raising $5,000 between Feb. 1 and March 31.

— Providing community education resources about the importance of pollinators.

— Buying the highest quality and quantity of plants for the most comparable sources.

— Planning “Last Frost Community Planting Days.”

Sustainable CT, managed by the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University, is a statewide initiative that inspires and supports communities in becoming more efficient, resilient and inclusive.

To join the Pollinator Pathway effort, interested residents can attend a planning meeting at 1 p.m. Friday at City Hall, 355 Main St. They can also attend the West Haven Sustainability Team’s “Green Drinks” event at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at Iishin Ramen Bar, 291 Captain Thomas Blvd.

For the latest news and information about the West Haven Pollinator Pathway, residents can subscribe to the project’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pollinatorpathway06516/. They can also call Carr for details at 203-877-2704, ext. 400826.

Carr said residents can find information about making West Haven a welcoming place for friendly pollinators in the community at https://www.pollinator-pathway.org/westhaven and https://sustainablect.org/.

City honoring couples married for at least 50 years on Valentine’s Day

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 10, 2020 — The city will honor couples who have been married for at least 50 years during its 30th annual Valentine’s Day party from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Feb. 14 at West Haven Elks Lodge 1537, 265 Main St.

The couples will receive chocolates and roses from the mayor’s office.

The party will feature music by the Clam Diggers and include hors d’oeuvres and refreshments.

Mayor Nancy R. Rossi will recognize the oldest and youngest couples.

For reservations, call Elderly Services Director Sharon R. Mancini at 203-937-3507 by Feb. 10.

Marchers sought for Memorial Day parade; applications due April 10

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 10, 2020 — The city is seeking veterans, civic groups, fraternal organizations, service clubs and marching bands to participate in the annual Memorial Day parade, which steps off at 10:30 a.m. May 25.

The parade has no rain date.

Participants must register and list required special accommodations.

Transportation is provided for veterans who are unable to walk the 1 ½-mile parade course, which follows Campbell Avenue from Captain Thomas Boulevard to Center Street. To make arrangements, call the mayor’s office at 203-937-3510.

The parade grand marshals are World War II veteran Frank Corso, who served in the Army Air Forces in 1942-45, and Korean War vet Salvatore Gullo, who served in the Navy in 1948-52.

Download a Participation Form.

Forms are also available in the mayor’s office at City Hall, 355 Main St., where they are due April 10.

Forms can also be emailed to parade organizer Kristen Teshoney at kteshoney@westhaven-ct.gov or faxed to 203-937-3705.

Taxes due now in West Haven

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 7, 2020 — The second installment of city tax bills — real estate, personal property, motor vehicle and sewer — were due Jan. 1, and payments after Feb. 3 are considered delinquent and subject to interest, Tax Collector Dorothy Chambrelli said.

The 2018 supplemental motor vehicle bills are for vehicles registered after Oct. 1, 2018, and were also due Jan. 1.

The tax office is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays on the first floor of City Hall, 355 Main St. The city has an ATM outside the office.

Taxpayers can make a payment at Tax Collector. Sewer bills are on the same page but under a separate heading. Tax payment history can also be viewed and printed.

The fees for credit cards and electronic checks are posted at Tax Collector and outside the tax office.

During tax season, through Feb. 3, current taxes can be paid by the drop box outside the tax office from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Current taxes can also be paid by mail to the tax office lockbox, P.O. Box 150461, Hartford, CT 06115-0461. When paying by lockbox or drop box, the canceled check is the receipt.

After Feb. 3, taxes with interest can be paid by mail to the Office of the Tax Collector, P.O. Box 401, West Haven, CT 06516. Payments can also be made in person.

Anyone needing a motor vehicle clearance must pay in person with cash, credit card, bank check or money order.

Tax help offered at senior center

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 7, 2020 — The Allingtown/West Haven Senior Center is offering a free tax preparation service to help low-to-middle-income taxpayers.

The AARP Tax-Aide program is available by appointment from 9-11 a.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, starting Feb. 5, at the Johnson Community Center, 201 Noble St.

Special attention is given to help those 50 and older fill out federal tax forms.

The service, which includes tax counseling, is offered by trained volunteer tax preparers from AARP in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service.

For an appointment, call the senior center at 203-937-3507.

Schedule announced for bulk trash pickup, e-waste drop-off

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 6, 2020 — The 2020 pickup schedule for bulk trash is April 20-24 and Sept. 14-18.

Residents are reminded to separate metals, recyclables and regular trash from bulk trash and put them out no more than 24 hours before pickup. Violations carry a $100 fine per daily offense, Public Works Commissioner Tom McCarthy said.

Residents are also reminded to “Put a Lid on It!” and use lids on all trash cans. Rain-soaked trash costs West Haven 10 times more at the dump, said McCarthy, adding that using trash can lids will save the city money by reducing the weight of trash and cost of tipping fees.

Bulk items include couches, chairs, tables, carpeting, padding, fencing and small amounts of bundled lumber, which may not exceed 6 feet in length. No building materials, tires, mattresses, propane tanks or hazardous waste are accepted.

Options for disposing of building materials include renting a dumpster or bringing the materials to a disposal facility for a fee.

Tires can be brought to Town Fair Tire, 63 Boston Post Road, Orange, for a fee of $2.75 per tire.

Mattresses can be disposed of for free in a container at the city’s highway maintenance garage, 1 Collis St. Mattresses must be dry.

Hazardous waste can be dropped off for free at HazWaste Central, 90 Sargent Drive, New Haven. HazWaste is open Saturday mornings from mid-May through October.

Propane tanks can be brought to Taylor Rental, 304 Boston Post Road, Orange, for a fee of $10 per tank.

The amount of bulk trash per collection is limited to 6 cubic yards, which is equal to a pile of trash about 6 feet long, 6 feet wide and 4 ½ feet high.

Homeowners are required to rent a dumpster or hire a junk removal service at their expense if trash exceeds 6 cubic yards. Otherwise, trash exceeding 6 cubic yards will be left at the curb, and a $100 fine per daily offense will be imposed, McCarthy said.

To prevent a potential fine, property owners should familiarize themselves with the city’s trash guidelines at Public Works.

Bulk trash must be generated by the customer at the residential unit where it is collected. Trash will not be collected if it is generated by anyone other than the resident of the home.

Bulk items must be separated and orderly. Do not place them next to a mailbox or utility pole or close to a fence, McCarthy said.

Also, do not place bulk items in front of a vacant lot or home — they will not be collected, he said.

Details at Bulk Trash Pickup.

In addition to bulk trash, the city picks up metals, including household appliances, also known as white goods, and toilets. To schedule a pickup on their curbside collection day, residents must call the Highway Department at 203-937-3644 or 203-937-3585. Appliance doors must be removed.

The 2020 pickup schedule for leaf bags is April 1-June 1 and Oct. 1-Dec. 31. The pickup schedule for grass bags is May 18-Nov. 20. The bags are picked up on residents’ weekly collection days. Leaves and grass clippings must be in separate biodegradable paper bags and will not be accepted if they are in plastic bags.

The city also picks up brush that is cut into 3-to-6-foot lengths and tied in small bundles, no more than 70 pounds. Logs and stumps are prohibited.

Residents can bring grass clippings as well as bagged leaves and untied brush to the compost site, 1 Kimberly Ave., from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and, starting in the spring, from 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays. The first cubic yard of compost is free with proof of residence. Additional compost costs $25 per cubic yard. Residents must bring their own buckets and shovels.

For a $50 fee, the Department of Public Works will deliver up to 2 cubic yards of compost to city homes.

For electronic items, including TVs, the 2020 drop-off days for e-waste are Jan. 25, April 25, June 13 and Sept. 19.

Residents can drop off electronic recyclables — typically anything that contains a circuit board or needs a battery — from 8 a.m.-noon at the highway maintenance garage.

Anything that has refrigerant, including air conditioners and dehumidifiers, is not accepted. Those items are considered white goods, and residents are asked to schedule a pickup on their curbside collection day by calling the Highway Department.

The city is partnering with Take 2 Inc. of Waterbury, a recycler and collector of universal e-waste devices, to collect residential electronic items on a quarterly basis.

The e-waste drop-off is free for residents who have such items as TVs, hand-held video games, computers, monitors, copiers, scanners, microwaves, toaster ovens and other small appliances.

Details at E-waste Drop-off.

For the latest news and information, subscribe to the city’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CityofWestHaven.

Reminders about Christmas trees, holiday trash pickup in West Haven

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 6, 2020 — The city reminds residents not to put Christmas trees in plastic bags or stands for curbside pickup.

Lights must also be removed from Christmas trees. Plastic bags and other items can become tangled in the machine that grinds the trees into compost.

Christmas trees will be picked up in January and February only. Residents needing a pickup after Feb. 29 will be charged a $25 fee. Christmas trees can also be brought to the compost site at 1 Kimberly Ave.

Also, residents are reminded that four 2020 holidays will delay curbside pickup one day.

Affordable Waste Systems LLC of East Haven, the city’s private contractor for rubbish and recyclables, will not pick up rubbish, recyclables or metals on Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

If a holiday falls on a weekday, pickup for that week will move ahead one day. But when a holiday like Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday, only Thursday and Friday’s collections will move up a day.

Thanksgiving is also the only holiday that excludes metal pickup in those affected districts.

Separate metals and recyclables from regular trash.

Detailed information about the city’s trash and recycling guidelines is available at Bulk Trash Pickup.