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The Pop Rocks headlining centennial kickoff Thursday
WEST HAVEN, June 22, 2021 — The West Haven Centennial Celebration will officially kick off Thursday — 100 years to the day of West Haven’s incorporation by the General Assembly as Connecticut’s youngest town.
The opening ceremony is set for 6:30 p.m. in Old Grove Park and will feature remarks by Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and her executive assistant, Louis P. Esposito Jr., the master of ceremonies, as well as appearances by former West Haven mayors and other dignitaries.
At 7 p.m., The Pop Rocks, “Connecticut’s ultimate ’80s experience,” will perform a two-hour show as part of the West Haven Centennial Concert Series.
The five-piece band, sporting the era-defining fashion that was all the rage, will play an array of the best pop and rock from the decade of decadence, including “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Footloose” and “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
The star-studded event is presented by the City of West Haven Centennial Celebration Committee.
The committee’s hospitality tent in the Grove will sell centennial coins, lapel pins and lawn signs, said Chairwoman Beth A. Sabo, the city’s commissioner of human resources.
According to Sabo, each person who buys a $10 lawn sign will get entered into a raffle for a chance to push a “start button” to help launch this year’s fireworks. The winner and up to three guests will also dine on burgers and hot dogs under the Savin Rock Fireworks Committee’s hospitality tent before and during the display, she said.
All merchandise proceeds generated by the centennial committee will offset expenses and support the $50,000 centennial budget approved by the City Council, Sabo said.
Local vendor JOD Designs, a veteran-owned screen printing company, will sell centennial T-shirts in the Grove as well.
To coincide with the kickoff, the West Haven Child Development Center and the West Haven Community House will start distributing centennial diaper bags to the first 100 West Haven babies born on or after June 24 through the city clerk’s office at City Hall, 355 Main St. Call the office for details at 203-937-3535.
While June 24 marks West Haven’s incorporation, the committee earlier this month commenced the community’s 100th anniversary festivities with a West Haven Historical Society exhibit, “From Village to Town,” followed by the West Haven Centennial Boat Parade and a Juneteenth event, called West Haven Celebrates Juneteenth.
Rossi, the committee’s honorary chairwoman, recently announced a six-month series of free concerts, historical exhibits and fireworks — headlined by the long-awaited return of the Savin Rock Festival in the Grove on July 30-31 — to commemorate West Haven’s 1921 birth.
The Centennial Savin Rock Festival will showcase West Haven’s past 100 years and the “sights, sounds, smells and tastes” that made the 20th-century Savin Rock Park “the playground of New England.” Details are forthcoming.
The 2021 fireworks, billed as “They Will Be Heard on the 3rd,” will launch off Bradley Point Park at 8 p.m. Sept. 3, with a rain date of Sept. 4.
The display, moved from July 3 to Labor Day weekend to safely accommodate the many throngs expected, is sponsored by the centennial committee and the fireworks committee.
Before the fireworks, people of all ages can shake, rattle and roll to funk and rock music performed by the Kathy Thompson Band on a portable stage in front of Savin Rock from 6-8 p.m.
For a complete list of centennial events, see the Schedule. For centennial merchandise, visit the official Online Store.
The store, hosted by West Haven vendor West Shore Associates, sells such centennial-branded merchandise as long- and short-sleeved T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, stainless steel tumblers, stemless wine glasses, insulated beverage bottles, ceramic mugs, retro sunglasses, canvas and cotton tote bags, eco-performance face masks, and pigment-dyed twill and mesh trucker caps.
A portion of the vendors’ merchandise proceeds will support the centennial account, Sabo said. |
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 Mayor Nancy R. Rossi reads a proclamation declaring Juneteenth in West Haven on Saturday during the city’s first Juneteenth celebration in Allingtown’s Brent Watt Park. Looking on is police Commissioner Christopher M. Suggs, the master of ceremonies. (City Photo/Andrew Kosarko)
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West Haven marks Juneteenth; watch on YouTube
WEST HAVEN, June 22, 2021 — Mayor Nancy R. Rossi fittingly issued a proclamation declaring Juneteenth in West Haven on Saturday afternoon during the city’s first Juneteenth celebration in Allingtown’s Brent Watt Park.
The community event, called West Haven Celebrates Juneteenth, was organized by Councilwomen Robbin Watt Hamilton, D-5, and Treneé McGee, D-7, and was sponsored by districts 5 and 7 of the Democratic Town Committee as part of the West Haven Centennial Celebration.
The three-hour event, held in the small but well-arranged park on Tile Street, included remarks by Rossi, McGee and Watt Hamilton, along with a rendition of the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Police Commissioner Christopher M. Suggs served as the master of ceremonies.
June 19 is the traditional commemoration date of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring all slaves free in Confederate territory on Sept. 22, 1862, but the news took time to travel.
“On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger landed on the shores of Galveston, Texas, to declare that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved people were now free,” said Rossi, reading the proclamation to the crowd.
Since the first Juneteenth event in Texas in 1866, Juneteenth has been observed in hundreds of communities across the country, providing an opportunity to mark the emancipation of enslaved people.
“Juneteenth also highlights the artistic and intellectual achievements collectively preserved through the slave trade, the emancipation era and the civil rights movement, as well as more recent accomplishments of African American cultural expression,” Rossi said.
West Haven’s Juneteenth celebration featured performances by talented young people from the area, including cheerleaders, a poet, dancers, a saxophonist and singers.
It also included a drum call by Rhythm From the Heart, a performance by the Village Drill Team and a concert by The Nu Groove Band, which played R&B and classic rock hits.
Local artists and authors showed their works, and vendors sold novelties and wares, such as T-shirts, jewelry and soaps. Vintage cars were also on display.
The Cool Runnings food truck served the taste of Jamaica, and members of the Health Department’s coronavirus response team gave doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to those 18 and older.
“Our community honors the strength and resolve of African Americans throughout our history and commemorates Juneteenth with cultural readings, prayer, musical performances, food, and exhibits of art and literature,” Rossi said.
Brent Watt Park, just a block west of Ruden Street near the University of New Haven and Notre Dame High School campuses, is near and dear to Watt Hamilton’s heart.
The 97-by-110-foot pocket park was dedicated on July 1, 2017, in honor of her brother, the late Democratic Councilman Brent Watt, who served Allingtown’s 5th District from Dec. 4, 2011, until his death on June 25, 2016, at age 54.
Watt Hamilton was unanimously tapped by the City Council on the one-month anniversary of her brother’s death to fill his council seat and to carry on his legacy.
Watch “West Haven Juneteenth 2021” on West Haven YouTube. |
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Renovated Allingtown Green hosts destination wedding
WEST HAVEN, June 22, 2021 — Justice of the Peace Jasmine Acevedo, the city’s assistant registrar of vital statistics, officiates the marriage of Jackeline Quizhpi and Jean Michael Paredes on the recently renovated Allingtown Green on Friday.
The new West Haven couple, formerly of Manhattan, chose the beautiful Green as their wedding destination.
Among the family and friends in attendance were Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and City Clerk Patricia C. Horvath.
(City Photo/Patricia C. Horvath) |
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City Hall fully reopened to public
WEST HAVEN, June 22, 2021 — City Hall has fully reopened to the public for in-person business, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi announced.
On Monday, City Hall returned to in-person operations from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday — except for the tax office, Rossi said.
The tax office will operate from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those paying by cash must pay at the counter inside the office on the first floor of City Hall. Those paying by check, credit card, debit card or money order must pay at the window outside the office on the Campbell Avenue side of the building.
Rossi said the Department of Parks and Recreation at 190 Kelsey Ave. has also resumed normal operating hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
To enter City Hall, employees and visitors may only use the west entrance on the Savin Avenue side of the building, across from the dental office, city officials said.
Health Director Maureen B. Lillis said face masks are still required for adults and children who are not vaccinated.
Visitors must sign in with the security guard, noting the time and location where conducting business, and sign out when business is done, officials said.
Those uncomfortable with conducting business inside City Hall can still do business at the windows outside the assessor’s and tax offices on the Campbell Avenue side of the building and the window outside the city clerk’s office on the Savin Avenue side.
People are encouraged to continue using online payments and the drop box at the 355 Main St. entrance of City Hall.
In-person board meetings held at night will resume in July. Details are forthcoming.
Rossi and other city officials will hold a soft reopening of the Allingtown/West Haven Senior Center on July 8, followed by a grand reopening at a later date.
The Department of Elderly Services’ senior shuttle service will also resume July 8.
To request a free recycling bin, call the Department of Public Works at 203-937-3585. A staff member will leave a bin with the guard at the west entrance.
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 Louis P. Esposito Jr., the executive assistant to West Haven Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, second from right, cuts the ribbon with BioClean CT owners Ray Daneault, second from left, and Tom Homola on Wednesday to mark the grand opening of the mold removal company at 88 Farwell St. With them are Christine Matthews Paine, the president of the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, and new West Haven Planning Director Christopher Soto. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
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BioClean expands operations, opens West Haven location
WEST HAVEN, June 18, 2021 — City officials joined the owners of BioClean CT on Wednesday to celebrate the grand opening of the mold removal company at 88 Farwell St.
Louis P. Esposito Jr., the executive assistant to Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, cut a blue ribbon with BioClean owners Ray Daneault and Tom Homola to mark the event, along with new city Planning Director Christopher Soto, Christine Matthews Paine, the president of the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Simon McDonald, the chamber’s director of membership and marketing.
BioClean, founded in 1988, has expanded its Milford mold remediation business by adding a location in West Haven, a 6,600-square-foot warehouse off Route 1 in Allingtown’s thriving business district.
“This is a perfect location for my business,” Daneault told Esposito, representing Rossi, who was at West Haven High School’s graduation. “West Haven is a good, safe town.”
In addition to mold removal, the company specializes in air quality testing, dehumidification, basement waterproofing, foundation repair, disinfecting and water cleanup.
BioClean has more than 40 full-time employees in West Haven and serves clients in Connecticut and New York’s Westchester County. |
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Sound Health publishes 14th edition
WEST HAVEN, June 18, 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 14.
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Join the Sustainability Team!
WEST HAVEN, June 15, 2021 — The city recognizes that diversity improves civic engagement, which strengthens communities by building more equitable outcomes. Therefore, the city is seeking volunteers to join the West Haven Sustainability Team.
Read the official Recruitment Letter. |
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Calendar benefits West Haven Veterans Museum
WEST HAVEN, June 15, 2021 — City artist and photographer Libby Earle is assembling a calendar of West Haven that covers the 2021-22 school year from this summer to next.
Calendar sales will benefit the West Haven Veterans Museum & Learning Center, one of the city’s biggest cultural assets, said ArtsWestCT organizer Elinor Slomba.
“The Veterans Museum does so much to honor those who served bravely so we can enjoy our lifestyle and the freedoms depicted in these photographs,” said Earle, a native of Canada. “This has come to be my home, and I feel very patriotic about it.”
The calendar will include a photo of The Lone Sailor. The statue, a replica of the original at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., overlooks Long Island Sound from its position in Old Grove Park.
The Lone Sailor is an iconic symbol of the memorial’s mission to honor, recognize and celebrate the men and women of the sea services and pays tribute to West Haven's long seafaring history.
The statue was donated by city resident and Navy veteran Martin “Marty” DeGrand. Arlene Painter, the daughter of the late DeGrand, manages the museum.
The calendar will also include photos of West Haven’s seaside views and traditions.
Each calendar costs $20. All proceeds, excluding printing costs, will go to the museum at 30 Hood Terrace.
Preorders are available before June 18 at Calendar.
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Free summer programs offered
WEST HAVEN, June 15, 2021 — The city and school district have partnered to offer programs for West Haven’s young people this summer — all at no cost, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and Superintendent of Schools Neil C. Cavallaro announced.
The free programs, for West Haven residents and this season only, are subsidized by the federal coronavirus relief package, city and school officials said.
“The federal COVID-19 economic relief funds support summer programs like ours because recreation and education programs improve our students’ health, well-being and learning outcomes,” Rossi said. “Fresh air, games and spending time with friends — isn’t that what summer is for? I’m glad so many of our children are taking advantage of the programs.”
Cavallaro said: “The partnership between West Haven Public Schools and the city of West Haven to create opportunities for all students at no cost is a perfect complement to the work we are doing in schools this summer. Our students demonstrated such incredible strength and resilience this school year, and they all deserve an opportunity to have fun and socialize with their peers. We could not be more excited to collaborate toward that end.”
The school district has developed a number of recreation and enrichment programs aimed at reaching students who need opportunities to reengage after voluntarily opting out of in-person learning during an unconventional school year, said Marissa Acampora, the district liaison of West Haven Public Schools.
Acampora said the district has worked with the state Department of Education to design and implement a wide variety of programming that eliminates barriers to access by providing both transportation and meals.
“These programs are carefully crafted to address a range of ages and interest, and many are need-based so that we could specifically support the students who will benefit most from our support,” Acampora said.
All available spots for students, both by targeted spots based on predetermined criteria and through open enrollment, have been filled for the following programs:
— English Language Learners Elementary Academy.
— English Language Learners High School Academy.
— STEM/Forensics Academy.
— West Steppers Step Camp.
— Summer Theatre Workshop.
— Credit recovery program at West Haven High School.
— Multiage Basketball Camp with West Haven High coach Ty Sullivan.
— West Haven Public Schools/West Haven Community House partnership enrichment program for K-4.
— West Haven Cheer Camp.
On the city side, the Department of Parks and Recreation has rolled out a six-week playground program and a trio of camp programs, Park-Rec Director Mark E. Paine Jr. said. The playground program, for ages 6-12, will meet outdoors from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, starting July 6, at Carrigan Intermediate School and Haley, Molloy and Washington elementary schools. The program will not meet if it rains and may close early because of bad weather or excessive heat warnings, Paine said. College and high school counselors will supervise children with arts and crafts, games and swimming each week at the Carrigan pool. The federally funded Child Nutrition Program will serve children two free meals a day at the playgrounds. Park-Rec’s camp programs will hold up to four sessions from Monday through Friday, Paine said. The Painter Park Day Camp, for ages 6-12, will meet from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the Tiny Junior Day Camp, for ages 3-5, will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Pagels Elementary School all-purpose room; and the Junior Counselor in Training program, for ages 13-14, will meet from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Park-Rec’s Painter Park office. “We’re really excited to get the programs started,” Paine said. “I can’t wait to see the kids together, active and enjoying themselves outside in a less restrictive setting.” For program information and to register, visit Park-Rec or call 203-937-3651. Paine noted that anyone who has previously registered and paid for a Park-Rec camp program this season can request a refund by completing a Reimbursement Form and returning it to the West Haven Department of Parks and Recreation, Attention: Camp Refund, 190 Kelsey Ave., West Haven, CT 06516.
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Craft, farm, food truck vendors sought for farmers market
WEST HAVEN, June 15, 2021 — The city is seeking craft, farm and food truck vendors to participate in the Tony Inzero Farmers Market, which opens its 2021 season July 8 on the Green.
Through Oct. 23, the market at Main Street and Campbell Avenue will include state farmers selling homegrown fruits and vegetables and crafters selling wares from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
The Thursday markets will also include a smorgasbord of food trucks.
To participate in the semiweekly market, download an Application.
Applications are also available for pickup at City Hall, 355 Main St., where they are due July 1. Call the mayor’s office at 203-937-3510.
Completed applications can be emailed to market organizer Karin Curbelo at kcurbelo@westhaven-ct.gov or faxed to 203-937-3705.
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 West Haven Mayor Nancy R. Rossi touts the announcement by state Rep. Dorinda Borer, right, on June 14 that the city is expected to receive $24 million in state funding for building a new Washington Elementary School. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
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$24M in funding heralded for new Washington School
WEST HAVEN, June 15, 2021 — Washington Elementary School has been named on the priority list for a new school and is expected to receive $24 million in state funding for the project, state Rep. Dorinda Borer and Mayor Nancy R. Rossi announced during a news conference June 14.
The morning announcement, held in the school cafeteria, was attended by a contingent of city and school leaders, including City Council Chairman Ronald M. Quagliani, Superintendent of Schools Neil C. Cavallaro and Board of Education Chairperson Cebi Burns Waterfield, as well as state Rep. Charles J. Ferraro, R-West Haven.
As Borer, Rossi and others took turns speaking, students held large paper signs with messages of thanks printed in colored markers, including “We Appreciate Your Kindness” and “Thank You for Our New School.” Some of the signs were penned in Chinese, Spanish and Turkish to reflect the diverse languages spoken by students at Washington, Principal Twana Shirden said.
“I know how passionate we all are in providing a quality education for the students of our city and state,” said Borer, D-West Haven, the chairwoman of the state’s General Bonding Subcommittee of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. “The students and staff deserve to walk into a facility they are proud of, is healthy and safe, and has state-of-the-art resources that are conducive to the top-notch education they are entitled to.”
Rossi said: “After visiting and evaluating our school buildings with Superintendent Cavallaro, it was apparent that Washington School, which is more than 100 years old, had to be my administration’s top school construction priority. “I want to thank Representative Borer for securing this state construction grant to modernize Washington School and provide our children with a 21st-century learning environment.”
Special education teacher Maria Stevens, who was assigned to Washington in 1973, also spoke, along with PTA Council President Kimberly Kenny.
The existing elementary school — West Haven’s oldest — was built in 1909 at 369 Washington Ave.
At the time, it was a modern structure featuring coal-fired hot water boilers, said Kenneth Carney, the chairman of the West Haven Building Oversight Committee.
“The renovation of this school is a priority for the state delegation and the city,” Borer said. “With no elevator, stairs roped off and restrooms in the basement, the accessibility for children in need is limited.”
Plans for a new Washington Elementary School call for making the building compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and constructing it farther from the road to improve vehicle access and traffic flow.
A preliminary rendering of the new K-4 school was on display at the news conference.
Carney said the $24 million in state bonding will supplement the project’s estimated $38 million cost through a school construction reimbursement program.
Plans include building a two-story, 52,000-square-foot school in the existing parking lot. The existing school will accommodate students until a new one is built, Borer said.
The new school, with a projected enrollment of 440 students, will include air conditioning, energy-saving fixtures, state-of-the-art safety devices and wireless internet,” Carney said.
The project is overwhelmingly supported by the City Council and the school board.
“If we want our kids to compete, they need the best, they deserve the best,” Cavallaro said.
According to Carney, Cavallaro and his team filed for the state grant and obtained the funding for the project, which should begin in about a year and take three years to complete.
Borer secured the bonding for the grant money and negotiated better language in the state bill that is favorable to the project, he said.
“All of these actions occurred under the leadership of the Rossi administration,” said Carney, who is also overseeing the reconstruction of West Haven High School. “Mayor Rossi has supported this project from the moment it was imagined.” |
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 Borer, the chairwoman of the state’s General Bonding Subcommittee of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, announces the $24 million in bonding for the estimated $38 million project as Rossi and Superintendent of Schools Neil C. Cavallaro look on. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
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 Cavallaro delivers remarks supporting a new state-of-the-art Washington Elementary School. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
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 A student holds a preliminary rendering of the new K-4 school as Borer looks on. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
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 People watch about 50 boats parade by Bradley Point on Long Island Sound during the West Haven Centennial Boat Parade on June 12. The event launched the West Haven Centennial Celebration. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
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Boat parade christens West Haven Centennial Celebration
WEST HAVEN, June 15, 2021 — Ships ahoy!
A patriotic parade of about 50 boats, American flags blowing in the wind, set sail across nearly 3 miles of the West Haven seaboard June 12 to christen the community’s 100th anniversary as part of the West Haven Centennial Celebration.
The West Haven Centennial Boat Parade, presented by the City of West Haven Centennial Celebration Committee, paid homage to the community’s nautical heritage and publicly accessible beaches on Long Island Sound — the crown jewels of West Haven.
Amid overcast skies, the 1 p.m. procession followed the city’s coastline from the jetty off Sandy Point in New Haven Harbor, known as the West Haven jetty, to the Oyster River in Baybrook, said West Haven Harbor Master Robert Pimer, who charted the course for the committee and helped steer the procession with the Police Department’s patrol boat.
City residents and visitors dotted sections of beaches along Beach Street, Captain Thomas Boulevard and Ocean Avenue for a front-row view of the boating spectacle — many waving from shore, some also waving American flags, as boats paraded by.
“This one-of-a-kind event was a tribute to the enduring history and legacy of West Haven as a true maritime community,” said Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, who joined Pimer at the helm aboard his harbor master boat along with committee Chairwoman Beth A. Sabo, the city’s commissioner of human resources, and Pimer’s wife, Maria.
A fleet of boats of varying sizes participated 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 also included rescue boats from the West Haven, West Shore and City of West Haven Allingtown fire departments.
While the parade launched West Haven’s anniversary celebration, the official centennial kickoff ceremony is slated for Old Grove Park on June 24 — 100 years to the day of West Haven’s incorporation by the General Assembly as Connecticut’s youngest municipality.
The 7 p.m. event will include opening remarks by dignitaries and the recognition of West Haven centenarians, followed by a two-hour show by The Pop Rocks, “Connecticut’s ultimate ’80s experience,” as part of the West Haven Centennial Concert Series. The rain date is June 29.
To coincide with the June 24 kickoff, the West Haven Child Development Center and the West Haven Community House will start distributing centennial diaper bags to the first 100 West Haven babies born on or after June 24 through the city clerk’s office at City Hall, 355 Main St. Call the office for details at 203-937-3535.
Rossi, the committee’s honorary chairwoman, recently announced a six-month series of free concerts, historical exhibits and fireworks — headlined by the long-awaited return of the Savin Rock Festival — to commemorate West Haven’s 1921 birth.
On Saturday and Sunday, the centennial festivities also commenced with a West Haven Historical Society open house exhibit, “From Village to Town,” at the society’s Poli House headquarters, 686 Savin Ave.
The exhibit included maps chronicling the growth and development of West Haven, formerly known as West Farms, from a Colonial settlement in 1648 to its evolution as a separate town in 1921, society President Jon E. Purmont said. |
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 The fleet of boats parade along the West Haven coastline between Savin Rock and Bradley Point. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
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 An aerial view of the boats parading across the Savin Rock shoreline. (City Drone Photo/Alycia Sandella)
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 Twins Chase and Olivia Stemphowski, 6, of West Haven, wave Americans flags as a boat parades by Dawson Avenue Beach. (Contributed Photo)
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 People sit and watch the boat parade at Bradley Point. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
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 An aerial view of the boats approaching Bradley Point. (City Drone Photo/Alycia Sandella)
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 More people take in the boating spectacle at Bradley Point. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
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 An aerial view of the boats passing Bradley Rock en route to Baybrook’s Oyster River. (City Drone Photo/Alycia Sandella)
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Centennial includes fireworks, Savin Rock Festival
WEST HAVEN, June 10, 2021 — The City of West Haven Centennial Celebration Committee will toast the community’s 100th anniversary with a six-month series of free concerts, historical exhibits and fireworks — headlined by the long-awaited return of the Savin Rock Festival, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi announced.
The festival, last held in 2017 because of a $50,000 budget deficit under the previous administration, is coming home to the 151-year-old grounds of Old Grove Park on July 30-31.
According to Rossi, the committee’s honorary chairwoman, the Centennial Savin Rock Festival will showcase West Haven’s past 100 years and the “sights, sounds, smells and tastes” that made the 20th-century Savin Rock Park “the playground of New England.” More details are forthcoming.
Rossi said the committee is pulling out all the stops for the West Haven Centennial Celebration by throwing a birthday bash to remember — 100 years in the making.
The committee has hung decorative blue-and-white centennial banners around the community in observance of West Haven’s 1921 birth.
To mark the milestone, the committee has opened the centennial’s official Online Store.
The store, hosted by West Haven vendor West Shore Associates, sells such centennial-branded merchandise as long- and short-sleeved T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, stainless steel tumblers, stemless wine glasses, insulated beverage bottles, ceramic mugs, retro sunglasses, canvas and cotton tote bags, eco-performance face masks, and pigment-dyed twill and mesh trucker caps.
Another local vendor, JOD Designs, a veteran-owned screen printing company, will sell centennial T-shirts at events.
A portion of the vendors’ merchandise proceeds will offset expenses and support the $50,000 centennial budget approved by the City Council, Rossi said.
In addition, the committee will sell a centennial coin, lapel pin and book, said Chairwoman Beth A. Sabo, the city’s commissioner of human resources.
According to Sabo, most of the book’s content was generously provided by Dan Shine, one of the foremost authorities on West Haven history.
The committee will also sell centennial lawn signs for $10, said Sabo, adding that each person who buys a sign will get entered into a raffle for a chance to push a “start button” to help launch this year’s fireworks. The winner and up to three guests will also dine on burgers and hot dogs under the Savin Rock Fireworks Committee’s hospitality tent before and during the display, she said.
All merchandise proceeds generated by the committee will support the centennial account, Sabo said.
Did we mention fireworks?
The 2021 fireworks, billed as “They Will Be Heard on the 3rd,” will launch off Bradley Point Park at 8 p.m. Sept. 3, with a rain date of Sept. 4.
The display, moved from July 3 to Labor Day weekend to safely accommodate the many throngs expected, is presented by the centennial committee and the fireworks committee.
Before the fireworks, people of all ages can shake, rattle and roll to funk and rock music performed by the Kathy Thompson Band on a portable stage in front of Savin Rock from 6-8 p.m.
“We don’t celebrate many historic events in West Haven, and I’m excited to mark our 100th anniversary with several concerts, events for children, the Centennial Savin Rock Festival and the September fireworks,” Rossi said. “And that’s just the summertime events. There will be more ways to celebrate West Haven’s past and its people through the end of the year.”
On June 12-13, the centennial festivities will commence with a West Haven Historical Society open house exhibit, “From Village to Town,” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the society’s Poli House headquarters, 686 Savin Ave.
The exhibit will include maps chronicling the growth and development of West Haven, formerly known as West Farms, from a Colonial settlement in 1648 to its evolution as a separate town in 1921, society President Jon E. Purmont said.
“We are delighted to share with the public many artifacts, photographs and archival material that explain why West Haven became a separate town,” Purmont said.
Also on June 12, the Centennial Boat Parade will set sail across the West Haven seaboard at 1 p.m. The procession of more than 100 boats 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, Rossi said.
The parade will follow the city’s coastline from the jetty off Sandy Point in New Haven Harbor, known as the West Haven jetty, to the Oyster River in Baybrook, according to 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.”
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. It will also include rescue boats from the West Haven, West Shore and City of West Haven Allingtown fire departments.
Biancur said the parade 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 rain date is June 13 at 2 p.m.
A Juneteenth event, “West Haven Celebrates Juneteenth,” will take place in Brent Watt Park on Tile Street in Allingtown from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 19 — the traditional commemoration date of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring all slaves free in Confederate territory on Sept. 22, 1862, but the news took time to travel. June 19, 1865, is the date when word of the proclamation reached African Americans in Texas.
West Haven’s Juneteenth activities, held rain or shine, will focus on performances by talented young people from the area, including cheerleaders, a poet, dancers, a saxophonist and singers, said Councilwoman Robbin Watt Hamilton, D-5, a committee member.
The community event will include remarks by dignitaries, a rendition of the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, Watt Hamilton said.
It will also include a drum call by Rhythm From the Heart, a performance by the Village Drill Team and a concert by The Nu Groove Band, which specializes in R&B and classic rock.
Local artists and authors will show their works, and vendors will sell novelties and wares, including T-shirts, jewelry and soaps. The Cool Runnings food truck will serve the taste of Jamaica.
Watt Hamilton said the Health Department will offer the COVID-19 vaccine to those 18 and older.
The centennial kickoff ceremony is scheduled for Old Grove Park on June 24 — 100 years to the day of West Haven’s incorporation by the General Assembly as Connecticut’s youngest municipality.
The 7 p.m. event will include opening remarks by dignitaries and the recognition of West Haven centenarians, followed by a two-hour show by The Pop Rocks, “Connecticut’s ultimate ’80s experience,” as part of the West Haven Centennial Concert Series. The rain date is June 29.
To coincide with the June 24 kickoff, the West Haven Child Development Center and the West Haven Community House will start distributing centennial diaper bags to the first 100 West Haven babies born on or after June 24 through the city clerk’s office at City Hall, 355 Main St. Call the office for details at 203-937-3535.
The concert series will continue with Rubber City, “one of Connecticut’s premier concert, party and club bands,” in the Grove at 7 p.m. July 9. The rain date is July 12.
On July 10, the West Haven PTA Council will present “Chalk the Walk” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the boardwalk behind the Savin Rock Conference Center, 6 Rock St., followed by its Sand Sculpture Contest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 17 at Oak Street Beach. The rain dates are July 11 for the chalk event and July 18 for the contest.
The concert series will resume with Airborne, a contemporary jazz group, on the Allingtown Green at 7 p.m. July 17 and Simply Swing, a 10-piece orchestra featuring “swinging horns, a dynamic rhythm section and wonderful vocals,” in the Grove at 7 p.m. July 23. The rain dates are July 26 for Simply Swing and July 28 for Airborne.
On July 31, the Centennial Coed Beach Volleyball Tournament is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sea Bluff Beach courts. The rain date is Aug. 1.
The concert series will follow with the Chicago blues of The Cobalt Rhythm Kings at 7 p.m. Aug. 13 and the R&B of Shaded Soul Band at 7 p.m. Aug. 27, both in the Grove. The rain dates are Aug. 16 for Cobalt Rhythm Kings and Aug. 30 for Shaded Soul.
On Sept. 5, the series will culminate in the Grove at 7 p.m. with a two-hour concert by What a Fool Believes, “a Doobie Brothers experience” celebrating the Doobies’ 50th anniversary. The rain date is Sept. 9.
WestFest, a festival sponsored by the University of New Haven Mayor’s Advisory Commission, is slated for the downtown Green from noon-8 p.m. Sept. 18. The rain date is Sept. 19.
On Sept. 25, a “Hubbard Farms” exhibit, presented by Hubbard family member Steven Johnstone, will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Hubbard Farms Park, a wooded 7.6-acre park with walking trails in West Shore’s Hubbard Road neighborhood. The rain date is Sept. 26.
The West Haven Veterans Museum, 30 Hood Terrace, will hold an exhibit, “A Salute to Veterans of the Last 100 Years,” at 10 a.m. Nov. 9.
Other commemorative events will include walking tours of Allingtown and a fire muster in front of Savin Rock with members of West Haven’s three fire departments and the Orange Volunteer Fire Department.
Also planned is a reenactment of a spirited town meeting discussing West Haven’s separation from Orange in 1921 and starring leaders from both communities.
More details on those events are forthcoming. |
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Every Friday is #FunFactFriday on W. Haven centennial Facebook page
WEST HAVEN, June 2, 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 this month, to observe the 1921 birth of Connecticut’s youngest town.
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