Retired West Shore fire Capt. Richard “Woody” Beirne is West Haven’s 2023 Irishman of the Year. Beirne, 65, a second-generation Irish American, will receive the “Irish Person of the Year” honor at the 30th annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration outside City Hall’s Campbell Avenue entrance at noon March 17. (Contributed Photo)

‘Woody’ Beirne named West Haven’s Irishman of the Year

WEST HAVEN, March 3, 2023 — Retired West Shore fire Capt. Richard “Woody” Beirne, one of the hardest working volunteers on the West Haven St. Patrick’s Day Committee and in the Irish American community, has been named the city’s Irishman of the Year.

Beirne, the grandson of Irish immigrants, will receive the honor at West Haven’s 30th annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at noon March 17.

The committee will fete the lifelong Westie by hanging a green street sign designating City Hall’s Campbell Avenue entrance as “Richard Beirne Square” for a year.

Keith Sweeney, the 2020 recipient who was honored in 2022 after a two-year pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will take home his sign at the start of the ceremony.

The “Irish Person of the Year” award is bestowed annually on an Irish resident or couple who personifies service in West Haven’s robust Irish community.

“I’m both humbled and honored to receive this (award),” said Beirne, who will toast his Irish heritage with scores of his closest friends and loved ones, along with an array of shamrock-clad dignitaries and descendants of folks from the Emerald Isle.

Accompanied by Celtic music played by bagpipers and drummers, the West Haven Police Honor Guard will escort Beirne to the Campbell Avenue side of City Hall for his special recognition.

A reception will take place before the event in the basement conference room of City Hall at 355 Main St.

The committee is co-chaired by 2009 Irishwoman of the Year Mary Lyng Malenda and 2011 Irish Couple of the Year Glenn and Joanne Conlan.

It includes the lifeblood of West Haven’s Irish society, such as members of the Irish American Club and former honorees, as well as former and current city, fire and police officials.

“I am thrilled to recognize Richard Beirne as our Irishman of the Year,” Mayor Nancy R. Rossi said. “Woody is well known in the community for his civic participation, and I thank him for his service with the West Shore Fire Department.”

Beirne, 65, hails from an ancestry whose legacy is woven into the tapestry of the American fabric.

More than two centuries ago, countless Irish people, escaping the Great Famine, embraced the dream of a brighter tomorrow and crossed the Atlantic for a new beginning in the United States. With indomitable spirit and unshakable perseverance, the sons and daughters of Erin embarked on an intrepid journey to make their new home in a place of hope and promise. And when they landed on America’s shores, they shared the true treasures of their homeland: song and literature, humor and tradition, faith and family.

In 1891, Beirne’s paternal grandfather, Patrick Beirne, left the family farm in County Roscommon, Ireland, in pursuit of prosperity in America, settling in New Haven. Four years later, his grandmother, Mary Jane, whose last name coincidentally was also Beirne, came to the Elm City from the Irish parish of Bornacoola, which straddles counties Leitrim and Longford. Each Beirne had followed cousins to New Haven, where the couple met and later wed at St. Mary’s Church in 1901.

Beirne’s paternal grandparents’ journey from celestial green shores to the States was preceded by his maternal great-grandparents.

In 1848, Beirne’s great-grandfather, Thomas Mathews, then age 2, left County Down with his mother and sibling. Seven months earlier, Mathews’ father went ahead to Norwich to find work. In 1865, Beirne’s great-grandmother, Ellen Connell Mathews, departed from the Emerald Isle and worked as a maid in Norwich before later marrying Mathews in 1877. The couple settled in New Haven in the 1880s.

Beirne, the youngest of three brothers, grew up in a single-family home on Magnolia Avenue in West Shore. He attended public and private schools in West Haven and New Haven and graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1975. He also attended Southern Connecticut State University and the University of New Haven.

His father, J. Vincent Beirne, was a deputy inspector with the New Haven Police Department.

His mother, Dorothy Mathews Beirne, was a teacher for 44 years, including 16 years at Union School in West Haven and stints at St. John the Evangelist and St. Francis schools in New Haven. She worked at the West Haven Community House during summer vacations and was a charter member and an officer of the West Haven Laurel Woman’s Club.

Woody Beirne and his wife, Suzan Beauchamp Beirne, live on Rockefeller Avenue in West Shore and will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary in November. They have two children, Katie Beirne Rossi and Patrick Beirne, both of West Haven, and two grandchildren, Jillian Rossi, 3, and Brayden Beirne, 1.

The city’s top Irishman is a longtime member of the Knights of St. Patrick in New Haven and the Irish American Club in West Haven. He is a former member of the Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee.

A long-standing member of the St. Patrick’s Day Committee, he has participated in many wearin’ o’ the green celebrations in his hometown by leading dignitaries in the opening procession and presenting the colors as a member of the West Shore Fire Department Emerald Society.

He is also a longtime member of the New Haven County Firefighters Emerald Society.

The mayor praised the civic-minded Beirne for “devoting his time, talents and energy” to the yearly St. Paddy’s Day event and the close-knit Irish American community.

At the event’s pearl anniversary, Rossi will present him with an Irish flag and a proclamation citing his dedication to his “deep-rooted heritage.”

Beirne will also receive an embroidered “Irishman of the Year” jacket.

West Haven’s Irish community takes great pride in the St. Patrick’s Day traditions handed down from each generation. Every March 17, those of Irish birth or lineage honor the memory of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland who brought the message of Christ to the Irish people nearly 1,600 years ago. Teaching the word of God, St. Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock, with each leaf representing the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The need to preserve their Celtic identity in the U.S. led the Irish to form the Hibernian Society, which held the first St. Patrick’s Day parades, and local organizations, such as the West Haven Irish American Club.

Members of the New Haven County Firefighters Emerald Society Pipes & Drums will lead the event’s opening procession, followed by remarks by committee member David Coyle, the master of ceremonies.

The Rev. Mark R. Jette, the 2010 Irishman of the Year, will offer an Irish blessing. Jette is the former pastor of St. Lawrence and St. Paul churches in West Haven and now serves Sacred Heart Church in Suffield.

Fiona Stewart, the queen of the 2013 Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade, will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the Irish national anthem, “Soldier’s Song,” followed by remarks by Rossi.

Beirne, joined by his wife, children and grandchildren, will then pull off a shroud revealing the rectangular sign.

Other relatives accompanying him will include his brother and sister-in-law, Vincent and Laurie Beirne, of Chantilly, Virginia.

Woody Beirne is perhaps best known for his decorated career as a West Shore firefighter. He served on the department for 29 years, rising through the ranks to captain before retiring in 2008.

During his distinguished tenure, he was a two-term president of West Haven Professional Fire Fighters Local 1198 and served as an officer on the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut for more than 20 years.

He is a founding and charter member and a past president of the West Shore Fire Department Emerald Society. Back in the day, he spent numerous hours getting the society off the ground with his friend Arthur Sheehan, the 2001 Irishman of the Year.

Beirne is a lifetime member of West Haven’s Elks Lodge 1537 and was its Elk of the Year in 2019. He is a past exalted ruler, serving on two occasions, and has served as a trustee for 20 years.

His propensity for public service includes serving on the Parks and Recreation Commission for the past 10 years and supporting nearly every charitable cause and fundraiser in West Haven.

Beirne has paid it forward to his community by serving as a commissioner, an EMT and a trustee of the Ray Tellier Midget Football League and the West Haven Seahawks organization for nearly three decades.

He has also volunteered for the West Haven High School football team as a spotter, helping to identify the players for announcer Steve Dargan.

Insurance company opens shoreline office in West Haven

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 28, 2023 — (Pictured): Holding oversize scissors, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and State Farm agent Christopher Carucci, who owns the Christopher Carucci Agency, cut the ribbon to celebrate the Milford insurance company’s new State Farm office in West Haven on Monday.

Marking the grand opening at 4 Ocean Ave. are, from left, Simon McDonald, the director of membership and marketing at the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce; chamber President Michael Moses; State Farm associate agent Mariely Gonzalez and office manager Eric X. Negron; and state Sen. James J. Maroney, D-Milford.

The Christopher Carucci Agency LLC, a State Farm affiliate, signed a long-term lease last fall to open the 1,800-square-foot insurance office at a former dental practice in West Shore’s Baybrook Shopping Center, just across the street from Oyster River Beach.

Like Carucci’s Milford office, the West Haven office is open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and offers a full range of insurance options, including policies for auto, home and property, life, health, disability, small business, liability, and identity restoration. It also provides financial services, such as banking and investment options.

Founded in 1922, State Farm is the largest property and casualty insurance provider in the U.S. It is also America’s largest auto insurance provider.

The mutual company, headquartered in Bloomington, Ill., has 70,000 employees and 19,000 independent contractor agents who service 80 million policies and accounts nationwide.

(Creigh/West Haven Chamber)

Bake sale raises funds for special needs programs

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 28, 2023 — (Pictured): Members of the West Haven Interagency Network for Children sell baked goods at City Hall on Feb. 21 to raise funds for special needs programs.

From left, co-chair Sharon Rodriguez, Youth and Family Services Director Diane Dietman, co-chair Viola Waldo, Kyle Scarpulla, Michelle and Briana Pettaway, and co-chair Lucia Salazar-Cano.

The Mardi Gras bake sale collected $645 for special events and social activities organized by WHINC for families of special needs children enrolled in its support group program.

(City Photo/Jadine Finch)

West Haven issues snow rules for parking

City issues snow rules for parking

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 28, 2023 — To help crews expedite snow removal, Public Works Commissioner Tom J. McCarthy is reminding residents and businesses to observe parking regulations during and after storms.

Per the “Severe Weather” parking ordinance under Chapter 188 of the West Haven Code, police will ticket and tow vehicles violating the ordinance at the owner’s expense. Violators will receive a $100 fine.

Once snow begins to fall, a parking ban is in effect on the even-numbered side of most roads, unless one is posted with a “No Parking” sign on the odd side.

The ban is in effect for 36 hours after a storm. Residents are urged to park in driveways or designated private lots.

However, during an official snow emergency declared by Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, a parking ban will run from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. on both sides of Campbell and Savin avenues, Morgan Lane, Elm Street, Meloy Road, Second Avenue from Elm to Beach streets, and Main Street from Savin to Washington avenues.

McCarthy is also reminding residents and businesses to shovel their sidewalks within 24 hours after a storm or face a $25 fine “for each day that the violation persists.”

According to the “Removal of Snow and Ice” ordinance under Chapter 195 of the West Haven Code, people are given 24 hours to remove snow from sidewalks on and bordering their properties. Violators are subject to the $25-per-day fine, which is enforced by the Police Department, the ordinance states.

To report a complaint, call the department’s nonemergency line at 203-937-3900. Complaints are kept confidential.

McCarthy also pointed out that plowing or blowing snow into city streets is prohibited and violators are subject to a $60 fine for each offense, per the ordinance.

Also, residents and businesses with mailboxes damaged by snow thrown from a plow are the responsibility of the property owner. The city will only repair mailboxes damaged by the striking of a plow blade if there is visible evidence, such as paint or tire tracks.

Snow removal around mailboxes is the property owner’s responsibility.

Residents are also urged to help firefighters keep hydrants clear of snow.

For more information, call the Highway Department at 203-937-3644.

DOT replacing state-owned traffic signal controllers in city

DOT replacing state-owned traffic signal controllers in West Haven

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 24, 2023 — The state Department of Transportation is developing plans to replace traffic signal controllers and cabinets at select state-owned traffic signals in the city, along with installing communication equipment at several of the locations.

The DOT will coordinate the project with city officials during the design phase.

“It is the department’s policy to keep the public informed and involved when such projects are undertaken,” said Matthew C. Blume, the division chief of traffic engineering at the DOT’s Bureau of Engineering and Construction. “At this time, it is anticipated that an informational meeting or formal public hearing will not be necessary.”

The following West Haven intersections are included in the state project: Ocean Avenue (Route 705) at South Street; Ocean Avenue (Route 705) at Platt Court; Derby Avenue (Route 34) at Central Avenue; and Jones Hill Road (Route 162) at South Street.

Blume said the bureau should complete the design plans in June, with a tentative advertising date for construction of August.

Anyone interested in requesting information on “Project No. 0173-0532” can contact the project manager, John W. Lockaby, at john.lockaby@ct.gov or 860-594-2719.

Food scrap bags sold at retail sites

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 24, 2023 — Residents who need more green and orange food scrap bags can buy them at the following retail locations ($1.05 for five green bags and $1.55 for five orange bags):

• Krauszer’s Food Store, 10 Jones Hill Road (Babybrook Shopping Center, corner of Ocean Avenue)

• Krauszer’s Food Store, 911 Campbell Ave. (corner of Spring Street)

• Krauszer’s Food Store, 377 Campbell Ave. (corner of Brown Street)

• Krauszer’s Food Store, 191 Platt Ave. (near the WHHS entrance)

• Nazar Halal Meat & Market, 39 Elm St. (West River Plaza)

• Greatway Food Store, 502 Sawmill Road (across from Walmart)

• Best Gas & Food Mart, 161 Boston Post Road (near the Allington Green)

• Noble Gas Station, 941 Boston Post Road (corner of Farwell Street)

Marchers sought for West Haven Memorial Day parade

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 10, 2023 — The city and the West Haven Veterans Council are seeking veterans, civic groups, fraternal organizations, service clubs and marching bands to participate in the annual Memorial Day parade, which steps off at 10:30 a.m. May 29.

Participants must register and list required special accommodations for the procession, which has no rain date.

The city will provide transportation for veterans who are unable to walk the 1 ½-mile parade route, which follows Campbell Avenue from Captain Thomas Boulevard to Center Street. To make arrangements, call the mayor’s office at 203-937-3510.

The parade grand marshal is Mark Levine, an Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Download a Participation Form.

Forms are also available for pickup in the mayor’s office at City Hall, 355 Main St., where they are due May 8.

Completed forms must be faxed to 203-937-3705 or mailed to the West Haven Memorial Day Parade, Office of the Mayor, 355 Main St., West Haven, CT 06516.

West Haven heralds launch of state’s largest food-to-clean-energy program

WEST HAVEN, Nov. 14, 2022 — West Haven is the first city in the state to offer a citywide curbside food scrap diversion option to all single-family residents, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi announced.

Rossi said the program allows all single-family homes — one, two and three families — to easily separate food scraps and have them collected at the curb in the same container now used for residents’ trash collection.

The city has received a $1.3 million Sustainable Materials Management grant from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to develop and launch a food-to-clean-energy program.

Grant Coordinator Doug Colter, who secured the funding for the city, said the state is facing a solid waste disposal crisis, as traditional options for disposing of municipal solid waste are diminishing or becoming more expensive. With fewer and rapidly aging disposal options in Connecticut, residents and municipal leaders can expect disposal costs to increase at the remaining waste incineration facilities “as well as out-of-state landfilling,” Colter said.

On Nov. 7, the West Haven Food to Clean Energy program launched a nine-month pilot project for curbside food scrap diversion. Participation in the program comes at no cost to the 16,000 eligible households.

Colter said the funding covers the purchase of special color-coded bags for trash and for food scrap separation for the nine-month pilot. It also covers the cost of educational materials — mailers, a website and a Connect mobile app — along with personnel to sort the bags and the shipment of food scraps to Quantum Biopower in Southington, where the food will be converted into clean electricity, he said.

More details at Food Scrap Recycling.

Informational Materials

The Downsizing Donation Guide: A Resource for Residents of New Haven County (PDF)

What’s In? What’s Out? A Guide to Recycling (PDF)