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Juneteenth event slated for Brent Watt Park on Saturday
WEST HAVEN, June 16, 2022 — West Haven’s second annual Juneteenth celebration is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in Allingtown’s Brent Watt Park on Tile Street.
The free event, called West Haven Celebrates Juneteenth and sponsored by the West Haven Seahawks, will include food, a talent showcase, vendors and a concert featuring R&B and classic rock music performed by The Nu Groove Band.
Brent Watt Park is a block west of Ruden Street near the University of New Haven and Notre Dame High School campuses. Free on-campus parking is available at UNH via the Isadore Street entrance.
June 19 is the traditional commemoration date of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation making it a U.S. federal holiday.
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.
Since the first Juneteenth event in Texas in 1866, Juneteenth has been observed in hundreds of communities nationwide, providing an opportunity to mark the emancipation of enslaved people. |
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Free bowling program offered to West Haven residents ages 13-17
WEST HAVEN, June 16, 2022 — West Haven’s Youth and Family Services and Department of Parks and Recreation are teaming up to provide an alternative enrichment bowling league for residents ages 13-17.
The five-week league will take place at the Bowlero Milford bowling alley, 1717 Boston Post Road, from 4-6 p.m. Mondays, July 11-Aug. 8.
The free program, paid for by a state Judicial Department grant, is for West Haven residents looking to participate in a safe and fun summer activity. At the end of the program, participants will receive a voucher for a free bowling ball.
Register for the program at Park-Rec.
Free bus transportation is provided for those enrolled in the program.
Bus pickup sites and times are: Carrigan Intermediate School, 2 Tetlow St., 3:15 p.m., and Bailey Middle School, 106 Morgan Lane, 3:30 p.m.
Participants should arrive at the pickup sites 10 minutes early. The bus will depart at the designated time and will not wait for those who are late.
Anyone with questions can email Youth and Family Services Director Diane Dietman at dietman@westhaven-ct.gov.
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Tree planting scheduled for Arbor Day event June 23 at Painter Park
WEST HAVEN, June 16, 2022 — City officials and volunteer “tree tenders” will join Mayor Nancy R. Rossi to dedicate the planting of an American white oak at Painter Park’s main entrance during West Haven’s Arbor Day observance at 10 a.m. June 23.
The public event is the first of many tree plantings planned for parts of the city under the auspices of Tree Warden Leo Kelly and his tree tenders.
The group of volunteers is tasked with helping the city implement a $10,000 grant from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to plant and maintain trees in urban areas of West Haven.
Kelly said many city trees have been lost because of storms and utility projects and have not been replaced or replenished. The tree tender initiative hopes to change that, he said.
Rossi will mark the annual tree-planting ceremony at the park’s Kelsey Avenue entrance by reading a mayoral proclamation declaring Arbor Day in West Haven.
The white oak was recommended by Kelly and paid for by the city.
The ceremony will also recognize West Haven’s recent designation as a Tree City USA community for its commitment to urban forestry.
For a sixth time, the city earned the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City distinction by meeting the program’s four requirements: forming a tree board or department, creating a tree care ordinance, having an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and holding an Arbor Day observance.
The Tree City program, established in 1976, is sponsored by the Lincoln, Nebraska-based foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.
Rossi has been working with Kelly and the Tree Commission to improve West Haven’s tree inventory process and implement a sustainable and safe treescape.
Arbor Day was founded in 1872 by Julius Sterling Morton in Nebraska City, Nebraska.
By the 1920s, each state had enacted public laws mandating an Arbor Day observance. The customary observance is to plant a tree.
On the first Arbor Day, April 10, 1872, more than 1 million trees were planted.
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Rossi announces ARPA grants to tackle food insecurity in West Haven
WEST HAVEN, June 14, 2022 — The city is soliciting financial grant support proposals from West Haven charitable organizations that provide residents with services for combating hunger, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi announced.
The city has received a $400,000 allocation from the U.S. Treasury Department’s American Rescue Plan Act to tackle inequities exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Addressing community food insecurity is an authorized use of the federal funding.
The City Council has authorized Rossi to request grant proposals as part of her ARPA spending plan from charities serving West Haven’s hunger needs.
Organizations that distribute food, such as food banks, operate public feeding services, such as soup kitchens, or provide support services for tackling food insecurity in the city are encouraged to apply for the ARPA grants.
For complete grant details, see the Notice of Funding Opportunity.
Download a Grant Application.
Application forms along with any supporting documents must be emailed as a PDF file to dcolter@westhaven-ct.gov by 3 p.m. June 30.
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 Fireworks light up the night sky over West Haven’s Bradley Point during a display from the past. (Photo Courtesy of Flickr)
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Fireworks moved to Sept. 3; Savin Rock Fest, concerts set
WEST HAVEN, June 9, 2022 — The city has decided to move the 2022 Savin Rock Fireworks Spectacular from July 2 to Labor Day weekend to give West Haven’s biggest event “more of a local flavor,” Mayor Nancy R. Rossi announced.
The fireworks, billed as “They Will Be Heard on the 3rd” and presented by the Savin Rock Fireworks Committee, will now launch off Bradley Point at 8 p.m. Sept. 3. The rain date is Sept. 5.
“I can’t wait to celebrate the Savin Rock Fireworks Spectacular with my fellow Westies on Sept. 3, the same date as last year’s display,” Rossi said. “This is a meaningful event for all of us who live in West Haven and is a special opportunity to come together as friends and neighbors to celebrate our hometown by demonstrating the best of the American community spirit.”
In a prepared statement, the fireworks committee, co-chaired by Sandy McCauley and Marianne Drapeau, said: “Due to recent concerns, the city has postponed the July 2 show to Sept. 3. We look forward to seeing you then.”
In addition to the fireworks, Rossi announced the return of the Savin Rock Festival on July 29-30 and the West Haven Summer Concert Series, starting in late June.
The festival, which debuted in 1982 in celebration of the bygone seaside amusement park, will take place in Old Grove Park. Details are forthcoming.
The free concert series will kick off on the Green from 7-9 p.m. June 23 and June 30 with classic rock hits by The Generators, sponsored by the West Haven Public Library, and oldies by Tony V. More concerts on the Green and in the Grove are forthcoming.
For this year’s pyrotechnics show, the city is focusing less on attracting out-of-town visitors and more on attracting West Haven residents, a strategy aimed at decreasing crowds to reduce overtime costs for police and public works crews, organizers said.
Before the fireworks light up the sky over the West Haven shoreline, a DJ will play music on a portable stage in front of Savin Rock from 6-8 p.m.
A fleet of food and dessert trucks will once again dish up eats and sweets on the north side of Captain Thomas Boulevard, from Dyke Street to Platt Court.
For the second straight year, police will close Captain Thomas Boulevard and Ocean Avenue, from Kelsey Avenue to Platt Court, for several hours to give the festivities more of a block party feel. |
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Historic New England accepting applications for preservation fund
WEST HAVEN, June 2, 2022 — Historic New England is accepting applications for the new Edward F. Gerber Urban Preservation Fund.
The endowed fund supports the preservation of private historic homes in Connecticut. It allows Historic New England to continue its work to build a network of historic preservation and community stakeholders by providing critical support to historic residential property owners in 10 Connecticut urban centers, including West Haven.
In addition to West Haven, eligible properties must be in Bridgeport, Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Norwalk, Stamford and Waterbury. By investing in those areas, Historic New England will leverage the power of a strong network of local, state and regional organizations to support visible preservation projects in the communities.
“Historic New England is deeply committed to preserving the rich architectural and cultural history that is reflected in homes across New England,” President and CEO Vin Cipolla said. “The Edward F. Gerber Urban Preservation Fund supports the vital work of maintaining private historic homes in Connecticut’s urban areas for the benefit of homeowners and their communities.”
Cipolla said the annual award grants up to $10,000 to the owner-occupant of a residential property with no more than four units.
“Ed Gerber’s thoughtful and generous gift to establish this fund aligns perfectly with goals in Historic New England’s new strategic plan,” Cipolla said. “It is an excellent move forward in broadening how we support historic preservation and community livability throughout the region.”
Applications are available and due July 8.
Read the Grant Guidelines and apply today.
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