Centennial Boat Parade honoring West Haven’s 100th anniversary
WEST HAVEN, May 12, 2021 — A fleet of more than 100 boats are expected to set sail and parade across the West Haven seaboard at 1 p.m. June 12 to christen the community’s 100th anniversary.
The West Haven Centennial Boat Parade, presented by the City of West Haven Centennial Celebration Committee, will pay homage to the community’s nautical heritage and 3 miles of publicly accessible beaches on Long Island Sound — the crown jewels of West Haven, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi said.
The parade will follow the city’s coastline from the jetty off Sandy Point in New Haven Harbor to the Oyster River in Baybrook, said West Haven Harbor Master Robert Pimer, who has charted the course for the committee and will help steer the procession.
Rossi is encouraging city residents to descend on the beaches along Beach Street, Captain Thomas Boulevard and Ocean Avenue for a front-row view of the boating spectacle.
“I cannot wait for our residents to witness this one-of-a-kind boat parade along our very shore,” said Rossi, who will join Pimer at the helm aboard his harbor master boat. “This event is a tribute to the enduring history and legacy of West Haven as a true maritime community.”
Organizer and committee member John Biancur said he expects over 100 boats of varying sizes to participate in the free parade, including motorboats, personal watercraft, and sailboats from the Prospect Beach Fish & Game Club and the City Point, Pequonnock, Waucoma and West Haven yacht clubs.
The procession will also include rescue boats from the West Haven, West Shore and City of West Haven Allingtown fire departments.
Biancur pointed out that the parade is not limited to just yacht club members. It is open to all watercraft operators, provided they meet at the West Haven jetty at 1 p.m. and follow the Police Department’s patrol boat throughout the route.
“The committee is reaching out to the boating community to take part in this unique event,” Biancur said. “We are also inviting as many people as possible to come down to our beaches and see our parade.”
Skippers are asked to decorate their boats in patriotic colors, including displaying American, Connecticut or West Haven flags.
The rain date is June 13 at 2 p.m.
Although the parade will celebrate West Haven’s 100th anniversary, the official centennial kickoff ceremony is June 24. Details are forthcoming.
The committee is planning a series of commemorative events to observe the 1921 birth of Connecticut’s youngest town, said Rossi, the honorary chairwoman.
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Rossi virtual town hall meeting on Zoom scheduled for 6 p.m. June 1
WEST HAVEN, May 12, 2021 — Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and her staff invite residents to participate in a virtual town hall meeting on Zoom at 6 p.m. June 1.
The community event is aimed at fostering communication and transparency between City Hall and West Haven residents.
Residents can join the virtual town hall at the following Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9493755050. The meeting ID is 9493755050.
The meeting is sponsored by the mayor’s office and the University of New Haven Mayor’s Advisory Commission, a collaborative, student-driven task force founded in 2015 to strengthen town-gown relations.
The MAC is led by Killian Gruber, a junior studying political science, and adviser Chris Haynes, an associate professor of political science and national security.
All members of the community are encouraged to participate in the town hall and ask questions. The moderators are UNH student Cassie Napoli and Haynes.
Participants can send questions before the meeting by email to cnapo1@unh.newhaven.edu or chaynes@newhaven.edu. They can also ask questions on Zoom by using the “Raise Hand” function.
Those watching the town hall on Facebook Live can also submit questions.
Participants are allowed one question with a one-minute time limit. At the beginning of the question, they must state their name and the subject of their question, with all comments related to the city or government of West Haven.
Moderators will use the “Thumbs Up” function to give the person speaking a 10-second warning. Participants must keep all dialogue courteous and respectful.
For more information, call the mayor’s office at 203-937-3510, or send an email to cnapo1@unh.newhaven.edu or chaynes@newhaven.edu.
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Sound Health publishes 12th edition
WEST HAVEN, May 12, 2021 — For the latest COVID-19 vaccine information and resources, stay connected and engaged during the pandemic with Sound Health, the Health Department’s newsletter.
Read about all things public health at Sound Health, Volume 12.
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 The brick Veterans Walk of Honor in Bradley Point Park, West Haven. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh, File)
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Dedication of brick Veterans Walk of Honor on May 29
WEST HAVEN, May 12, 2021 — In accordance with federal and state guidelines, members of the West Haven Veterans Council and city officials will dedicate the 13th phase of the brick Veterans Walk of Honor at 5 p.m. May 29 in Bradley Point Park.
All veterans are invited to participate in the seaside ceremony, which will feature a presentation of the colors, an invocation and taps, as well as remarks by Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and Veterans Council President Dave Ricci.
The public is also invited. The city will follow all current and future COVID-19 directives to ensure the health and safety of both participants and spectators.
Rossi’s executive assistant, Louis P. Esposito Jr., will serve as the master of ceremonies.
In November 2006, the Veterans Council began the first of 13 campaigns selling bricks to memorialize vets on the 100-yard Walk of Honor between the William A. Soderman and Vietnam Veterans memorials.
The bricks, which cost $75, have charcoal lettering for personalized messages.
About 2,850 bricks have been installed so far, including 130 for the 13th phase and 51 for the 12th phase, which was dedicated May 25, 2019. Last year’s ceremony was postponed because of the coronavirus.
In May 2015, the dedication of the eighth phase included the dedication of a granite stone in memory of Veterans Council President Lorelee “Lori” Grenfell, who died Feb. 19, 2015, at age 60. The memorial was crafted by Giordano Bros. Monuments of West Haven.
The Walk of Honor’s first phase and the city’s Korean War Memorial were dedicated in May 2007.
In May 2008, the walkway’s second phase and a memorial in honor of World War II Army Pfc. William A. Soderman were dedicated.
Soderman received the Medal of Honor after he distinguished himself in December 1944 while defending an important road junction near Rocherath, Belgium.
Four years after his death, on July 1, 1984, the flagpole in Bradley Point Park was dedicated in Soderman’s memory.
City Human Resources Commissioner Beth A. Sabo has overseen the construction of all phases of the walkway, which was built by City Point Construction Co. of West Haven.
Sabo has also supervised the design and placement of the granite Korean War and Soderman memorials, which were made by Shelley Bros. Monuments of Guilford.
Also in 2008, 14 grave markers signifying every war in U.S. history and peacetime were dedicated. The markers are mounted on granite posts.
Subsequent dedications have been held amid much fanfare, attracting hundreds of veterans and their families from all corners of the state and beyond. |
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Charging kiosk for electric cars coming to City Hall
WEST HAVEN, May 7, 2021 — (Pictured): Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and city grants writer Doug Colter join seniors of the electrical department at Eli Whitney Technical High School in the parking lot of City Hall on Thursday.
The student electricians, instructed by department head and master electrician Mike Siefker, are installing West Haven’s first charging kiosk for electric cars.
The 240-volt charger was donated by Enfield manufacturer Control Module Inc. under a pilot program sponsored by the Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition Inc.
Rossi has agreed to have the charger installed in the City Hall parking lot for public use.
Once the two-week project is finished, electric car owners can use the charger for free because it is connected to an existing solar array atop the adjacent, future West Haven Center for the Arts, Colter said.
The city, however, will monitor the usage cost and may install a pay station if the usage exceeds what it earns from the rooftop solar photovoltaic system, he said.
The charger installation is a cooperative effort between the West Haven Department of Public Works and the Hamden school’s electrician training program.
(City Photo/Michael P. Walsh) |
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 Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, fourth from left, reads a proclamation declaring Arbor Day in West Haven on April 30 as, from left, Treasurer Michael P. Last, Housing Authority Commissioner Harold “Hal” Burns, Tree Commission member Gail S. Burns, Hubbard Farm’s Wood and Snow owner Steven Johnstone, Councilman Gary Donovan, D-at large, and Tree Warden Leo Kelly look on. During the ceremony, held in Old Grove Park, Rossi dedicated the planting of a sugar tyme crab apple near the beachfront bathhouse. (City Photo/Louis P. Esposito Jr.)
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Tree plantings mark Arbor Day in West Haven
WEST HAVEN, May 3, 2021 — Throwing shovels of dirt, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and city leaders dedicated the planting of a sugar tyme crab apple in Old Grove Park in observance of West Haven’s Arbor Day celebration April 30.
Accompanying Rossi at the annual tree planting were her executive assistant, Louis P. Esposito Jr.; Councilman Gary Donovan, D-at large; Treasurer Michael P. Last; Tree Commission member Gail S. Burns; Housing Authority Commissioner Harold “Hal” Burns; Tree Warden Leo Kelly; and Steven Johnstone, the owner of Hubbard Farm’s Wood and Snow LLC of West Haven.
Rossi marked the ceremony, held near the beachfront bathhouse, by reading a mayoral proclamation declaring Arbor Day in West Haven.
Reading the proclamation, Rossi said the sugar tyme crab apple, grown in the North, “is known for its abundant pink buds, lightly fragrant white flowers and persistent dark red fruit.”
The tree was paid for by the city.
“The spirit of Arbor Day remains strong and underscores the importance of planting trees to provide us with clean air and water, habitat for wildlife and endless natural beauty — all for a better future,” Rossi said.
The next day, Rossi also dedicated the planting of a pink flowering dogwood on the Campbell Avenue side of the First Congregational Church during an Arbor Day event attended by members of Cub Scout Pack 288 and the church, including Christopher E. Vargo Jr., a pack den leader, and the Rev. E. Carl Howard, the senior minister of the 301-year-old church.
Among the West Haven officials in attendance were Donovan, Last, Kelly, and Gail and Hal Burns. They were joined by City Council Chairman Ronald M. Quagliani, D-at large; council members Barry Lee Cohen, R-10, and Colleen O’Connor, R-at large; City Clerk Patricia C. Horvath; Tax Collector Dorothy Chambrelli; and Ernie Chiarelli, the project coordinator and sidewalk inspector for the Department of Public Works.
At the Campbell Avenue tree planting, held on a small plot of land maintained by the city and picked out by Kelly, Rossi read a citation congratulating and recognizing the Scouts for their leadership and volunteerism, saying, “Your dedication to this project and event is truly appreciated.”
The flowering dogwood, native to eastern North America, “is commonly planted as an ornamental in residential and public areas because of its showy bracts and interesting bark structure.”
According to Vargo, who is also chairman of the church’s board of trustees, the Scouts wanted to do something special to commemorate Arbor Day, “so we had the idea of asking the First Congregational Church, its charter organization, to partner together and plant a tree in the city. Without hesitation, the Rev. Carl Howard agreed to purchase a tree as part of the church’s outreach initiative.”
Both trees were recommended by Kelly.
“Leo Kelly was a tremendous help with setting up the event, acquiring the tree, and advising us of its placement and care,” Vargo said. “This project and event were a great learning experience for the Scouts and a wonderful outreach for the church.”
Vargo added, “The Scouts were excited to work together to plant a beautiful dogwood around the church’s Campbell Avenue driveway.”
Rossi has been working with Kelly and the Tree Commission to improve West Haven’s tree inventory process and implement a sustainable and safe treescape in the heart of downtown.
Arbor Day was founded in 1872 by Julius Sterling Morton in Nebraska City, Nebraska.
By the 1920s, each state had enacted public laws mandating an Arbor Day observance. The customary observance is to plant a tree.
On the first Arbor Day, April 10, 1872, more than 1 million trees were planted. |
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 Mayor Nancy R. Rossi reads a citation recognizing members of Cub Scout Pack 288 for their leadership and volunteerism in planting a pink flowering dogwood on the Campbell Avenue side of the First Congregational Church of West Haven during an Arbor Day event May 1. With them are, from left, Tree Warden Leo Kelly, City Clerk Patricia C. Horvath, Tax Collector Dorothy Chambrelli, Treasurer Michael P. Last, and City Council members Colleen O’Connor, R-at large, Gary Donovan, D-at large, Barry Lee Cohen, R-10, and Chairman Ronald M. Quagliani, D-at large. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
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 Rossi and the Scouts are joined by the Rev. E. Carl Howard, the senior minister of the First Congregational Church. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
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 Rossi and the Scouts with Pack 288 leaders. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
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City Council slates spring cleanups
WEST HAVEN, April 20, 2021 — Each City Council district will hold spring cleanups over the next few months. The cleanup efforts will be led by each district council member in cooperation with Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and the Department of Public Works.
Details at Spring Cleanups.
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Applications available May 3-28 for summer youth jobs in West Haven
WEST HAVEN, April 20, 2021 — Applications for the Summer Youth Employment Program will be available from May 3-28 in the athletic director’s office at West Haven High School and the main office at Bailey Middle School.
The four- or five-week summer program, which begins July 5, is aimed at funding positions for low-income city residents ages 14-21.
Students must return applications with all required documents to their school office.
Students who attend other schools must download an Application.
Downloaded applications with all required documents are due by noon May 28 to coordinator Jim Eagan, Summer Youth Employment Program, Department of Human Resources, 355 Main St., West Haven, CT 06516. Applications can also be inserted into the drop box at the Main Street entrance of City Hall.
No applications will be accepted after May 28.
Students must also include copies of information, such as a birth certificate and Social Security card, as well as documentation of household income.
Family income is based on the number of people per household and is required to be within 185% of state poverty income levels.
Incomplete applications will not be processed. Applicants will be notified by mail or phone if more information is needed.
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Every Friday is #FunFactFriday on W. Haven centennial Facebook page
WEST HAVEN, April 9, 2021 — The City of West Haven Centennial Celebration Committee has launched a new series called #FunFactFriday to promote the community’s 100th anniversary this year.
Every Friday, the committee will post tidbits celebrating historical events, people and places in West Haven from the past 100 years on its official Facebook page, City of West Haven Centennial Celebration - 1921-2021.
The page is administered by the city and edited by Dan Shine, one of the foremost authorities on West Haven history. Like the page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CityofWestHavenCentennialCelebrationCommittee.
The historical facts are compiled from various West Haven Library references by staff members Taylor Cordova and Kiana Arevalo under the supervision of Executive Director Colleen Bailie.
The committee is planning a number of commemorative events, starting June 24, to observe the 1921 birth of Connecticut’s youngest town.
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