Southern Connecticut Gas relocating some employees, operations to city
WEST HAVEN, Aug. 19, 2021 — Avangrid Inc., the parent company of Southern Connecticut Gas, is in the process of selling its 104,000-square-foot SCG headquarters at 60 Marsh Hill Road in Orange and relocating employees and operations to new and existing facilities in the area, including West Haven.
“Employees now working at SCG’s facility will be moving to facilities with generally superior amenities, including a new operations and office facility on Frontage Road in West Haven and satellite field locations in the Bridgeport and North Haven areas,” according to a company letter by Frank Reynolds, the president and CEO of UIL Holdings Corp.
UIL is the Avangrid subsidiary that oversees its natural gas and electric companies in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Mayor Nancy R. Rossi welcomed the “great news.”
“West Haven is fortunate to be the beneficiary of Avangrid’s relocation plan,” Rossi said. “Avangrid is well known for their efforts to build and maintain a diverse workforce, so they are a good fit for our city.
“West Haven professionals who are thinking about new employment possibilities would be well served by taking a look at the various job offerings now open at SCG. And I encourage our college students and recent college graduates to consider the internship opportunities that Avangrid offers.”
According to city officials, SCG has occupied a portion of the former Sears Outlet at 190 Frontage Road since January 2020, when a lease was signed by Avangrid.
The Frontage Road space, near the West Haven train station, houses meter-reading trucks and other equipment, according to a SCG spokesman.
Avangrid shares space in the building with American Freight, which merged with Sears Outlet in 2020.
The SCG relocation will consist of three phases, with the latter two benefiting West Haven and occurring by mid-2022.
Reynolds said phase two will include relocating about 130 SCG field operations personnel to the new locations on Frontage Road and in the Bridgeport and North Haven areas. The final phase will include relocating about 85 SCG office employees to the new office space on Frontage Road, he said.
Reynolds said the SCG building sale and relocation is expected to significantly reduce operating costs while passing savings on to customers.
“A new, decentralized operations model will allow us to reduce overall service travel and improve response times,” Reynolds said. “Reducing travel will also help us deliver on our commitment to the environment by lowering vehicle emissions and reducing our carbon footprint.”
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 State Rep. Dorinda Borer, D-West Haven, and West Haven Mayor Nancy R. Rossi speak during a groundbreaking ceremony announcing a 24-hour 7-Eleven store at 480 Sawmill Road on Aug. 10. (City Photo/Louis P. Esposito Jr.)
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7-Eleven breaks ground on new Sawmill Road store
WEST HAVEN, Aug. 19, 2021 — Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and state Rep. Dorinda Borer were among a contingent of West Haven leaders who touted the announcement of a 24-hour 7-Eleven store during a groundbreaking ceremony at 480 Sawmill Road on Aug. 10.
Rossi and Borer, D-West Haven, were joined by father and son developers Jed and Jack Hayes to herald the convenience store giant’s new West Haven location at the former site of Staples, which was recently demolished after sitting vacant since 2006.
Those attending the ceremony included City Council Chairman Ronald M. Quagliani, D-at large, Majority Leader Robbin Watt Hamilton, D-5, and members Chrystal Fanelli, D-8, Gary Donovan, D-at large, and Colleen O’Connor, R-at large; Planning Director Christopher Soto; Economic Development Commission Chairwoman Christine Gallo; and mayoral Executive Assistant Louis P. Esposito Jr.
The future 5,635-square-foot store, under construction off Interstate 95’s Exit 42, will feature 20 gas pumps for passenger vehicles and two counter-service restaurants owned and operated by 7-Eleven Inc.: Laredo Taco Co., an authentic Mexican quick-service eatery, and Raise the Roost Chicken & Biscuits.
Jed and Jack Hayes, the representatives of project co-developer SullivanHayes of Farmington, chose West Haven for a 7-Eleven store because of Sawmill Road’s dense population and high visibility from I-95. |
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Family Day at farmers market moved to Aug. 26 on Green
WEST HAVEN, Aug. 19, 2021 — Due to inclement weather, Family Day at the Tony Inzero Farmers Market on the Green is postponed to Aug. 26.
The farmers market, in collaboration with Sustainable West Haven and the West Haven Prevention Council, will now present Family Day, an inclusive and interactive day filled with fun activities to celebrate the city’s families and community, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 26 on the Green at Campbell Avenue and Main Street.
The semiweekly market features a variety of farm-fresh goods, such as honey, flowers, fruits and vegetables, from longtime Connecticut Grown farmers Mary Ann Borrelli, the owner of Borrelli Farms, and John Marcucio, the owner of Marcucio Farms.
The Family Day market will showcase many additional guest vendors alongside seasonal vendors that will offer a range of different goods, including homemade artisan vegan pet treats, palm wax candles, handcrafted soaps and much more.
There will also be a variety of jewelry vendors, ranging from precious metal and wire works to resin creations and crystal jewelry.
Alongside farmers and vendors, Gateway Christian Fellowship will have games and activities for kids.
Along with games like jumbo Jenga and tic-tac-toe bean toss, the Prevention Council and Sustainable West Haven will have arts and crafts and activities, such as “Chalk the Walk.”
In addition, the West Haven Community House, PosiGen Solar Power and the United Way of Greater New Haven will have resource tables to raise awareness of their programs.
While enjoying the market and festivities, join in on the fun with family karaoke and add your favorite song to a family-friendly playlist by texting it to the market’s manager at 860-903-7660.
Stop by the Franco’s Fried Dough-Licious food truck for fresh fried dough and Whisk Together Catering’s booth for fresh-grilled street corn. Grab a treat or two at the Mister Softee ice cream truck. |
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Catch of the day
WEST HAVEN, Aug. 19 2021 — (Pictured): Javonnie Rodriguez, 13, of West Haven, gives a thumbs-up as Dalton Quint, an instructor for the Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education program, holds a largemouth bass that Rodriguez caught during a fishing derby at the Maltby Lakes off Route 34 on Aug. 12.
The free event was offered by West Haven’s Youth and Family Services and Interagency Network for Children in conjunction with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s CARE program.
(City Photo/Diane Dietman) |
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West Haven Senior Center luncheon
WEST HAVEN, Aug. 19, 2021 — Mayor Nancy R. Rossi will host a catered lunch for city residents 65 and older from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at the West Haven Senior Center, 201 Noble St.
The luncheon will celebrate the reopening of the center, which had been closed for more than a year due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event will also be a great opportunity for older residents to meet Alyssa Maddern, the new director of the Department of Elderly Services.
In keeping with the center’s current protocols, all visitors and staff must wear a face mask regardless of vaccine status. The mask may be lowered while actively eating or drinking.
Anyone who is at least 65 years old and lives in West Haven can register for the lunch by calling 203-937-3507 no later than today.
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West Haven ‘strongly’ recommends people wear face masks indoors
WEST HAVEN, Aug. 19, 2021 — The city departments of Health and Emergency Management strongly recommend that all people wear face masks indoors in areas of high or substantial COVID-19 transmission regardless of vaccination status.
All eight counties in Connecticut are considered areas of substantial transmission.
Read the full News Release.
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Concert by Shaded Soul Band slated for Aug. 27 in Old Grove
WEST HAVEN, Aug. 19, 2021 — The West Haven Centennial Concert Series will continue Aug. 27 with R&B music played by Shaded Soul Band.
The two-hour concert is set for 7 p.m. in Old Grove Park.
The Franco’s Fried Dough-Licious and Sultan Kebab food trucks and the Mister Softee ice cream truck will serve concertgoers on nearby Palace Street.
The rain date is Aug. 30.
On Sept. 5, the concert 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.
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Watch Centennial Savin Rock Festival on YouTube
WEST HAVEN, Aug. 5, 2021 — Watch the Centennial Savin Rock Festival on the city’s YouTube channel.
Amid a weekend of fabulous weather and crowds 5,000 strong, the festival, presented by the City of West Haven Centennial Celebration Committee, paid homage to the enduring legacy of “the Rock” while marking the community’s 100th anniversary.
The festival, held in historic Old Grove Park on July 30-31, was part of a six-month series of free events commemorating West Haven’s 1921 birth and its incorporation by the General Assembly as Connecticut’s youngest town.
The shoreline festival showcased West Haven’s past 100 years and the time-honored recipe — musical groups, rides, games, mouthwatering food — that made the 20th-century Savin Rock Park so storied as “the playground of New England.”
Watch the festival on West Haven YouTube. |
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 Party rock band Shameless performs at the Centennial Savin Rock Festival in West Haven’s Old Grove Park on July 31. The two-day festival, held by the City of West Haven Centennial Celebration Committee as part of events marking the community’s 100th birthday, attracted crowds of 5,000 and featured a fleet of food trucks. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
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Centennial Savin Rock Fest marks 100 years of ‘the Rock’
WEST HAVEN, Aug. 3, 2021 — Amid a weekend of fabulous weather and crowds 5,000 strong, the Centennial Savin Rock Festival paid homage to the enduring legacy of “the Rock” while marking West Haven’s 100th anniversary.
The festival, held by the City of West Haven Centennial Celebration Committee in historic Old Grove Park on July 30-31, was part of a six-month series of free events commemorating the community’s 1921 birth and its incorporation by the General Assembly as Connecticut’s youngest municipality.
The shoreline festival showcased West Haven’s past 100 years and the time-honored recipe — musical groups, rides, games, mouthwatering food — that made the 20th-century Savin Rock Park so storied as “the playground of New England.”
Read the full story and see the photos at Centennial Savin Rock Festival. |
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Every Friday is #FunFactFriday on W. Haven centennial Facebook page
WEST HAVEN, July 29, 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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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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