 Local party rock band Shameless will headline the Centennial Savin Rock Festival in West Haven’s Old Grove Park at 8 p.m. July 31. (Publicity Photo)
|
|
|
|
Mean Carlene, Shameless headlining city’s Centennial Savin Rock Festival in Old Grove Park on July 30-31
WEST HAVEN, July 20, 2021 — Local party rock bands Mean Carlene and Shameless will headline the Centennial Savin Rock Festival in Old Grove Park on July 30-31, respectively.
The two-day festival, presented by the City of West Haven Centennial Celebration Committee, is part of a six-month series of free events commemorating the community’s 100th anniversary and its incorporation by the General Assembly as Connecticut’s youngest municipality.
Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, the committee’s honorary chairwoman, said 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.”
The festival, which pays homage to the legacy of “the Rock,” is set for 5-10 p.m. July 30 and noon-10 p.m. July 31.
Along with live music, it will feature a midway of games and rides — and, of course, boatloads of seafood and other mouthwatering dishes.
Marenna Amusements will offer wristbands for unlimited rides for $25.
A number of nonprofit organizations will set up informational booths in the 151-year-old Grove, and a fleet of food trucks on nearby Palace Street will serve up burgers, hot dogs, cheesesteak, fried dough, gyros, kebabs, and sausage and peppers. Dessert trucks will offer cannoli, cupcakes and ice cream.
The festival will open at 5 p.m. July 30 with welcoming remarks by Rossi and the national anthem sung by Grace Kelly Nowak.
Brian Smith, a former co-host of WPLR’s “Smith and Barber the Morning Show,” will serve as the “ringmaster” of ceremonies for a fourth time.
The Hooch, a Top 40 duo that “combines elements of hip-hop, pop, soul and smooth vocals,” will perform at 6:30 p.m., followed by hometown favorite Mean Carlene at 8 p.m.
Mean Carlene is Rob Hames on bass guitar and vocals, Joe LaDore on acoustic guitar and vocals, Bobby Moran on electric guitar and vocals, and Rich Weber on drums and vocals.
“When West Haven asked Mean Carlene to help celebrate the city, our only question was what time and what portable stage,” the band said in a statement. “The Savin Rock Festival returns this year, and MC will be helping to wish a happy 100th birthday to all things Westie by getting the band back together. Again.
“Come join us under the stars for some fun, a few laughs, and to rekindle what made the ‘last Friday of every month’ so special for so long.”
On July 31, festival organizers will hold a craft fair from noon-7 p.m.
At 3 p.m., members of the West Haven Fire Department will demonstrate the Jaws of Life tool during an extrication by prying open parts of a vehicle to free those trapped inside. Members of the West Shore Fire Department will demonstrate their amphibious rescue boat.
Rubber City, powered by a horn section in the vein of Chicago and Tower of Power, will perform at 4 p.m., followed by local party funk band Covergirl at 6 p.m. and Shameless at 8 p.m.
“Shameless is excited and honored to be closing out this year’s Savin Rock Festival,” the band said in a statement. “The festival has always been a highlight of summer in southern Connecticut. We are thrilled to see it return for the West Haven Centennial Celebration and just as excited to join in on the fun.
“The boys in the band can’t wait to get a little Shameless with West Haven on July 31!”
Watch the Shameless promotional video on YouTube.
If it rains, all bands will play in the West Haven High auditorium, 1 Circle St.
The Centennial Savin Rock Festival will join other events observing West Haven’s secession from Orange a century ago. The rural and residential sections of Orange separated in 1921 when the residential part, West Haven, became the state’s youngest town.
The committee’s hospitality table will sell centennial coins, lapel pins and lawn signs at the hospitality table.
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.
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.
All merchandise proceeds generated by the centennial committee will offset expenses and support the $50,000 centennial budget approved by the City Council, said committee Chairwoman Beth A. Sabo, the city’s commissioner of human resources.
Local vendor JOD Designs, a veteran-owned screen printing company, will sell centennial T-shirts.
West Haven’s flagship festival was established in 1982 by the Chamber of Commerce — initially under the direction of Brian M. Stone, David Gesler and Michael Shiner and thereafter by John L. Perrone and his wife, Mary Perrone — to bring organizations, clubs, businesses and families together for a summer festival that celebrates life in one of America’s oldest coastal communities.
From the dawn of the Savin Rock House hotel in 1838, the Rock had long been a resort hub until it was officially incorporated as an amusement park by the Savin Rock Park Co. on Memorial Day 1925, when it opened to 300,000 visitors and 66,000 automobiles in one spectacular day.
For the next four decades, the popular seaside park captured the hearts and imaginations of “Rock rats” of all ages. “The Coney Island of Connecticut” shuttered Sept. 21, 1966, to pave the way for the Savin Rock Urban Renewal Project.
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. |
|
|
|
 Local party rock band Mean Carlene will headline the Centennial Savin Rock Festival in West Haven’s Old Grove Park at 8 p.m. July 30. (Publicity Photo)
|
|
|
|
 The Hooch, a Top 40 duo that “combines elements of hip-hop, pop, soul and smooth vocals,” will play the Centennial Savin Rock Festival at 6:30 p.m. July 30. (Publicity Photo)
|
|
|
|
 Rubber City, powered by a horn section in the vein of Chicago and Tower of Power, will play the Centennial Savin Rock Festival at 4 p.m. July 31. (Publicity Photo)
|
|
|
|
 Local party funk band Covergirl will play the Centennial Savin Rock Festival at 6 p.m. July 31. (Publicity Photo)
|
|
|
|
Rossi virtual town hall meeting on Zoom slated for 6 p.m. Wednesday
WEST HAVEN, July 19, 2021 — Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and her staff invite residents to participate in a virtual town hall meeting on Zoom at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The community event is aimed at fostering communication and transparency between City Hall and West Haven residents.
Residents can join the virtual town hall on Zoom by entering the meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9493755050. They can also join by entering the Zoom meeting ID: 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 senior 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 Gruber and Haynes.
Participants can send questions before the meeting by email to kgrub2@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 kgrub2@unh.newhaven.edu or chaynes@newhaven.edu.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Simply Swing playing concert series at 7 p.m. Friday in Old Grove Park
WEST HAVEN, July 19, 2021 — The West Haven Centennial Concert Series will continue Friday night with Simply Swing, a 10-piece orchestra featuring “swinging horns, a dynamic rhythm section and wonderful vocals.”
The two-hour concert is set for 7 p.m. in Old Grove Park.
The concert series will follow in the Grove 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. The bands’ rain dates are Aug. 16 and Aug. 30, respectively.
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.
|
|
|
|
 From left, Victoria Eberle and her mother, Lisa Eberle, are joined by mayoral Executive Assistant Louis P. Esposito Jr. and West Haven Mayor Nancy R. Rossi to unveil a wooden red, white and blue sign dedicating The Ralph Eberle Park on Sunday. The 2.1-acre park, formerly Third Avenue Park, was renamed in memory of Eberle, who represented the Center’s 3rd District on the City Council from Dec. 1, 2013, until his death on July 8, 2017, at age 52. (City Photo/Ernie Chiarelli)
|
|
|
|
Ralph Eberle Park dedicated in memory of councilman
WEST HAVEN, July 19, 2021 — Third Avenue Park was renamed The Ralph Eberle Park in honor of the late councilman at a dedication ceremony Sunday.
Mayor Nancy R. Rossi helped Eberle’s wife, Lisa, and his daughter, Victoria, remove a black shroud revealing a wooden red, white and blue sign in his memory, as dozens of friends, loved ones, and former and current city officials who served with Eberle looked on.
Eberle, a lifelong resident of the neighborhood he represented on the City Council, served the Center’s 3rd District from Dec. 1, 2013, until his death on July 8, 2017, at age 52.
The afternoon dedication, held on the park grounds at Third Avenue and May Street, included remarks by Rossi, West Haven Fire Department Chief James P. O’Brien and City Council Chairman Ronald M. Quagliani, D-at large, all of whom served with Eberle on the council.
Also speaking was state Rep. Dorinda Borer, D-West Haven, and Louis P. Esposito Jr., Rossi’s executive assistant, was the master of ceremonies.
Rossi said Eberle, a Democrat, was a public-spirited member of the community who served West Haven well, including serving as president of the PTA Council.
“I have such fond memories of Ralph,” Rossi said. “He was a leader with a commitment to public service and an independence that reflected the concerns of his district.”
The 2.1-acre park, also formerly known as Chamber of Commerce Park, was recently renovated with a new playground and basketball court.
Eberle loved to sail, according to those who knew him best, and worked as a manager at North Sails, an international sailmaker based in Milford. He graduated from Platt Technical High School in Milford. |
|
|
|
|
|
Sandcastle queens
WEST HAVEN, July 19, 2021 — (Pictured): Samantha Boyd, left, and Brooklyn Loehfelm, both 10, receive a mayoral citation for their winning sand sculpture, “Shelltown,” from city Youth and Family Services Director Diane Dietman during the West Haven Centennial Celebration’s Summer Sandcastle Contest at Sea Bluff Beach on Saturday.
The runners-up for their blobfish sand sculpture were Jocelyn Kenny, 9, Paige Kenny, 12, and Kai Ruotolo, 10.
Each team received a “Mayor’s Choice Award” citation from Mayor Nancy R. Rossi.
The event was presented by the West Haven PTA Council in collaboration with the West Haven Prevention Council, Youth and Family Services and the city Department of Parks and Recreation.
(City Photo/Heather Shea) |
|
|
|
|
|
Airborne drops contemporary jazz on Allingtown Green
WEST HAVEN, July 19, 2021 — (Pictured): Percussionist Asher Derleme and the contemporary jazz band Airborne play a two-hour concert on the Allingtown Green on Saturday as part of the West Haven Centennial Concert Series.
The series will continue at 7 p.m. Friday in Old Grove Park with Simply Swing, a 10-piece orchestra featuring “swinging horns, a dynamic rhythm section and wonderful vocals.”
(City Photo/Alycia Sandella) |
|
|
|
 Airborne on the newly renovated Allingtown Green. (City Drone Photo/Alycia Sandella)
|
|
|
|
Centennial bocce tournament slated for July 31 in Old Grove
WEST HAVEN, July 15, 2021 — The Department of Parks and Recreation is registering 24 two-person teams for the Centennial Savin Rock Festival Bocce Tournament.
The free tournament is set for 10 a.m. July 31 at the Old Grove Park courts on Palace Street.
The coed, single-elimination tournament is composed of three divisions of eight teams for those over 60 and those under 60.
Prizes will be awarded.
Sign up by calling Park-Rec at 203-937-3651 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Centennial Coed Volleyball Tourney set for July 31 at Sea Bluff Beach
WEST HAVEN, July 9, 2021 — The Department of Parks and Recreation is registering six six-person teams for the West Haven Centennial Coed Volleyball Tournament.
The double-elimination tournament, for those 16 and older, is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 31 at the Sea Bluff Beach courts on Ocean Avenue. The rain date is Aug. 1.
The team entry fee is $100.
All participants will receive a centennial T-shirt, and the tournament winner will receive a prize.
Organizers require a minimum of two females and one male on the court during match play.
Register at Park-Rec’s Painter Park office, 190 Kelsey Ave., or download a waiver/roster at Park-Rec and return the completed form with the $100 fee — check or cash, no credit cards — to the office by July 26. Make checks payable to the City of West Haven — Centennial Account.
For tournament information, call 203-937-3651.
|
|
|
|
 People gather in Old Grove Park to commemorate West Haven’s 100th birthday June 24 — 100 years to the day of West Haven’s incorporation by the General Assembly as Connecticut’s youngest town. The West Haven Centennial Celebration kicked off with a 1980s tribute concert performed by The Pop Rocks. (City Drone Photo/Alycia Sandella)
|
|
|
|
West Haven marks 100th birthday; watch on YouTube
WEST HAVEN, June 25, 2021 — Westies young and old, many donning blue and white, gathered in Old Grove Park to help their beloved West Haven blow out the figurative candles on its 100th birthday June 24.
Amid a cool breeze and a spectacular strawberry sunset, The Pop Rocks, “Connecticut’s ultimate ’80s experience,” kick-started the West Haven Centennial Celebration by interacting with the audience while playing a two-hour set of totally awesome hits — 100 years to the day of West Haven’s incorporation by the General Assembly as Connecticut’s youngest municipality.
The showstopping performance, presented by the City of West Haven Centennial Celebration Committee, put the icing on the cake for a birthday bash 100 years in the making and left partygoers clamoring for more.
And there is more — much more, said committee Chairwoman Beth A. Sabo, the city’s commissioner of human resources.
Mayor Nancy R. 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.
Rossi, West Haven’s first female mayor, opened the centennial kickoff by welcoming concertgoers to the 151-year-old Grove and congratulating her fellow Westies on the community’s 100th anniversary.
The ceremony observed West Haven’s secession from Orange a century ago. West Haven and North Milford joined in 1822 to form the town of Orange. The rural and residential sections of Orange separated in 1921 when the residential part, West Haven, became the state’s youngest town.
After remarks by city Treasurer Michael P. Last, the master of ceremonies, The Pop Rocks hit the stage running — and sporting the era-defining fashion that was all the rage.
The five-piece band opened with a medley of Europe’s “The Final Countdown” and Loverboy’s “Working for the Weekend” and followed with an array of the best pop and rock from the decade of decadence, including Madonna’s “Material Girl,” Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
Men, women and children from all walks of life danced the night away, including forming an impromptu conga line with the band while performing Buster Poindexter’s “Hot Hot Hot.”
Rossi and other city leaders walked through the crowd, waving to and chatting with residents they serve. Around the historic Grove, decorative blue-and-white centennial banners blew in the wind.
It was a good night for West Haven — and a great night for families to come together as friends and neighbors for a sense of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal year.
West Haveners, like so many others nationwide, have been plagued with cabin fever caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and the musical entertainment provided a refreshing release from the uncertainty of the year.
The Westie pride on display demonstrated the best of the American spirit, reflecting the determination and resilience of a people who vowed to never lose hope — so much so they adopted “nil desperandum,” a Latin phrase meaning “never despair,” as West Haven’s official motto in 1935.
People showed their patriotic colors by purchasing centennial coins, lapel pins and lawn signs from Sabo and committee member Diane Dietman at the hospitality table.
Each person who bought 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.
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, sold centennial T-shirts.
To coincide with the kickoff, the city clerk’s office started distributing centennial diaper bags to the first 100 West Haven babies born on or after June 24.
The yellow-and-brown diaper bags were made possible by the West Haven Child Development Center and the West Haven Community House through a donation from the Eder family.
Each bag of donated supplies contains essential provisions for parents of newborns. Call the city clerk’s office for details at 203-937-3535.
Although June 24 marked West Haven’s official incorporation, the committee earlier this month commenced the community’s anniversary festivities with a West Haven Historical Society exhibit, “From Village to Town,” followed by the Centennial Boat Parade and a Juneteenth event, called West Haven Celebrates Juneteenth.
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.
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 played by the Kathy Thompson Band 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.
Watch the West Haven Centennial Celebration kickoff concert on West Haven YouTube. |
|
|
|
 The Pop Rocks with West Haven Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and city Treasurer Michael P. Last, the centennial kickoff event’s master of ceremonies. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
|
|
|
|
 Rossi welcomes people to the Grove and congratulates her fellow Westies on the community’s 100th anniversary. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
|
|
|
|
 An aerial view of concertgoers. (City Drone Photo/Alycia Sandella)
|
|
|
|
 Partygoers form an impromptu conga line with members of The Pop Rocks, “Connecticut’s ultimate ’80s experience.” (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
|
|
|
|
 Parents and children dance to the music. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
|
|
|
|
 The Pop Rocks hit a high note. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
|
|
|
|
 The band entertains the all-ages crowd. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
|
|
|
|
 The lead guitarist performs. (City Photo/Alycia Sandella)
|
|
|
|
 Beth A. Sabo, the chairwoman of the City of West Haven Centennial Celebration Committee, flashes a smile while selling centennial coins, lapel pins and lawn signs. (City Photo/Alycia Sandella)
|
|
|
|
 The drummer atop his kit, drumstick twirling in hand. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
|
|
|
|
 The lead singer dances with an audience member. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
|
|
|
|
 The frontman interacts with the crowd. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
|
|
|
|
 The lead singer performs with an audience member. (City Photo/Alycia Sandella)
|
|
|
|
 A fan is brought onstage for some fun. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
|
|
|
|
 People hit the dance floor. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
|
|
|
|
 Night falls on the stage. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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. |
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share via Email
