YNH Health announces plans for developing Rte. 34 property

YNH Health announces plans for developing Route 34 property

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 2, 2017 — Yale New Haven Health formally announced plans today for developing the Route 34 property it purchased in August for its future Yale New Haven Health Regional Operations Center.

Read the official Yale news release at YNHH.

City sets fundraising drive for Puerto Rico hurricane victims

City holding fundraising drive for Puerto Rico hurricane victims

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 2, 2017 — The city is holding a fundraising drive for the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mayor Edward M. O’Brien announced today.

To aid the hurricane relief effort, O’Brien said the city has established a GoFundMe page that will send people’s donations directly to UNICEF, an international organization focused on supporting the needs of children in disaster-stricken areas.

“Our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands desperately need our help,” O’Brien said. “As lives have been lost and homes have been destroyed, our community is answering the call by coming together during this tragic time to assist those in crisis.”

The city is working with the Latino Haven Committee of West Haven, the University of New Haven Mayor’s Advisory Commission, and the West Haven Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club to drum up support for the hurricane benefit.

“This is a real joint effort between the city and these local organizations,” O’Brien said. “Their support, networks and resources are vital to making sure we raise as much money as possible and have the greatest impact we can have for those in need.”

O’Brien pointed out that while the city is focusing on accepting monetary donations, it is also partnering with West Haven’s three fire departments to collect nonperishable items for the hurricane victims.

O’Brien said people can drop off the food at any of the city’s fire stations or City Hall, 355 Main St.

They can also drop off cash or check donations in the mayor’s office on the third floor of City Hall. Cash donors will receive a receipt, O’Brien said.

To make an online credit card donation, go to the city’s GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/westhaven.

“UNICEF is a great organization that knows exactly what they need to help the children of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands,” O’Brien said. “They are on the ground and know what items they need, and we want to help them purchase those items.”

Columbus parade sets sail for 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, in West Haven

Columbus parade sets sail for 1 p.m. Sunday along Campbell Avenue

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 2, 2017 — For the first time since 2011, the Greater New Haven Columbus Day Parade sails into the shore of West Haven’s deep-rooted Italian-American community at 1 p.m. Sunday with the largest procession of its kind in New England, featuring 80 marching units and 25 bands.

The city takes over the Columbus Day Committee of Greater New Haven’s rotating parade from last year’s host, Hamden, assuming site duties for the annual procession that celebrates the intrepid spirit of Christopher Columbus, the Italian navigator who discovered the New World 525 years ago and charted a course for millions of Italian sons and daughters who followed his crossing to America.

“The journey of Christopher Columbus is one of the great stories of daring and discovery, just as the journey of Italian immigrants is a story of discovery and bravery,” said Mayor Edward M. O’Brien, whose Italian roots run on his mother’s side of the family. “As we embark on our city’s third parade in Columbus’ name, let us commemorate his indomitable legacy and recognize the inspiring contributions of the Italian people to the heartbeat of our nation.”

More than 15 million Americans claim Italian heritage, including about 40 percent of West Haven’s residents, O’Brien estimated.

O’Brien has tapped Italian-American residents Natalie Guiliano DeRosa, Grace Iannucci Hendricks and Marie D. Lacobelle to helm the parade as grand marshals.

The 1 ½-mile parade route steps off, weather permitting, at Captain Thomas Boulevard and flows up Campbell Avenue to Center Street as Italian flags line the way.

The two-hour procession was also held in the city in 2006.

To make the parade more of a regional event and attract more spectators, the committee in 2003 expanded the procession, originally held in New Haven, to North Haven, East Haven, Hamden and West Haven and added Branford in 2013, said Chairwoman Laura F. Luzzi, of Hamden.

The municipalities take turns hosting the parade once every six years, Luzzi said.
Heavy rain canceled last year’s parade in Hamden.

The parade began in New Haven in 1892. The Knights of Columbus held a parade to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus arriving in the New World.

“On behalf of the Columbus Day Committee of Greater New Haven, we are thrilled to be returning to the city of West Haven,” said Luzzi, a supervisor at the Hamden Recreation Department. “My committee along with Mayor O’Brien and his hardworking staff have worked diligently to organize and fundraise for this year’s parade, in which we anticipate a great celebration in West Haven.”

The parade begins with an escort division led by the grand marshals with the West Haven High School Band, committee members and the Second Company Governor’s Foot Guard.

The procession, composed of five divisions, includes just about every kind of group, marching unit, float and vehicle imaginable, including the armed forces, police and fire departments, Italian-American societies, drill teams, drum and bugle and fife and drum corps, fraternal organizations and service clubs, school bands, and veterans and nonmilitary color guards.

It also includes such dignitaries as U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-3, and area mayors and first selectmen.

To kick off the Columbus Day weekend festivities, the committee is presenting its annual Columbus Day Heritage Dinner honoring the parade marshals at 6 p.m. Thursday at Anthony’s Oceanview, 450 Lighthouse Road, New Haven. The donation is $55 and includes hors d’oeuvres, a sit-down dinner, an open bar and live music.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, the committee is sponsoring its annual wreath blessing at St. Michael Church, 29 Wooster Place, New Haven, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Columbus statue in Wooster Square Park.

Columbus, a son of Genoa and an experienced seaman, set sail aboard three Spanish ships — the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria — across the Atlantic Ocean in the summer of 1492, a bold 10-week expedition that opened up the West.

The landmark changes his inaugural journey to a new continent brought about still resonate today. Explorers, adventurers and traders from many nations would follow his lead across the Atlantic, as would generations of immigrants in the wake of his voyages.

The Columbus Day holiday is observed Monday.

Guiliano DeRosa and Lacobelle, who are second- and first-generation Italian-Americans, respectively, are former recipients of the West Haven Columbus Day Committee’s Italian-American of the Year award, with Guiliano DeRosa receiving the civic honor in 2014 and Lacobelle in 2015. Iannucci Hendricks, a second-generation Italian-American, was recently named this year’s awardee.

Guiliano DeRosa traces her ancestry to the Campania town of Amalfi in the province of Salerno, Italy, and Lacobelle’s forebears hail from the Campania town of Cerreto Sannita in the province of Benevento and from Rome and Milan. Iannucci Hendricks traces her lineage to the Campania capital of Naples.

All three are longtime members of the West Haven Italian-American Ladies Auxiliary.
On parade day, neighborhood residents are asked to hold off putting out rubbish for their scheduled Monday curbside pickup until after the event.

Police traffic plans call for closing the south side of Captain Thomas Boulevard between Savin and Campbell avenues at 10:30 a.m. Captain Thomas between Campbell and Washington avenues will steer two-way traffic on the south side.

Traffic plans also call for closing all of Campbell Avenue at 12:30 p.m.

From 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a shuttle service for parade participants is available from the City Hall parking lot to the staging area on Captain Thomas Boulevard.

The West Haven Italian-American Civic Association is holding a reception with a cash bar after the parade at its Chase Lane club. The donation is $5 and includes food and beverages.

For the latest news and information, subscribe to the city’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CityofWestHaven.

West Haven accepts sign-ups for energy assistance program

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 2, 2017 — The city will begin accepting applications Oct. 17 for the federally financed Connecticut Energy Assistance Program in the human resources office on the second floor of City Hall, 355 Main St.

Appointments for all heating sources can be made by calling 203-937-3572.

The city will process applications by appointment Mondays through Thursdays. No walk-ins will be accepted.

Applicants who have difficulty speaking English are asked to bring a translator.

Eligibility for assistance is based on the income and assets of an applicant’s household. To qualify, applicants must provide pay stubs, including monthly Social Security benefits and pension checks, for the last four weeks for all household members 18 and older.

Applicants must also provide documentation of assets — recent bank account statements for all accounts for all household members — along with a current electric bill for all heating sources and a current gas bill for those who heat with gas, as well as Social Security numbers and birthdates for all household members.

Final bulk trash pickup week of 2017 scheduled for today through Friday

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 2, 2017 — The final bulk trash pickup week of 2017 is today through Friday.

Residents are reminded that bulk pickup is on their scheduled curbside collection days in the second calendar week of the four designated months. They are also reminded to separate metals and recyclables from regular trash and to put out trash no more than 24 hours before pickup.

Violations carry a $100 fine per daily offense.

Bulk items include couches, chairs, mattresses, tables, carpeting, padding, fencing and small amounts of bundled lumber, which may not exceed 6 feet in length.

The amount of bulk trash per collection is limited to 6 cubic yards, which is equal to a pile of trash 6 feet long, 6 feet wide and 4 ½ feet high.

Along with tires, the city also picks up such white goods as refrigerators, washing machines and stoves on residents’ weekly collection days.

To prevent a potential fine, property owners should familiarize themselves with the city’s trash guidelines. Details at Bulk Trash Pickup.

To report a complaint, call the Department of Public Works at 203-937-3585. Complaints are kept confidential.

Grace Iannucci Hendricks. (Contributed Photo)

Iannucci Hendricks named city’s Italian-American of the Year

WEST HAVEN, Sept. 26, 2017 — The West Haven Columbus Day Committee will honor its “prima italiana” at the city’s 19th annual Columbus Day Celebration.

Grace Iannucci Hendricks, the granddaughter of immigrant grandparents from the Campania capital of Naples, Italy, will receive the committee’s Italian-American of the Year award Oct. 6 at City Hall.

Accompanied by Italian music, members of the West Haven Italian-American Civic Association will escort Iannucci Hendricks to the steps of City Hall at 11:30 a.m. for her special recognition.

The award is given annually to an Italian resident, or couple, who epitomizes service in the city’s robust Italian-American community.

“I am honored and proud to be named West Haven’s Italian-American of the Year,” said Iannucci Hendricks, a long-standing member of the West Haven Italian-American Ladies Auxiliary. “It gives me great pleasure to accept this award, as I am proud of my heritage.”

Iannucci Hendricks will fete the Italian navigator and observe her ancestry with scores of her closest friends and relatives, along with a passel of dignitaries and descendants of folks from the old country clad in red, white and green.

In the late 1800s, overcoming hardship and strife through the values of faith and family, Iannucci Hendricks’ grandparents left their homes in southern Italy seeking a brighter day in the U.S., with her paternal grandparents eventually settling in West Haven.

In the adventurous spirit of Christopher Columbus, Iannucci Hendricks’ grandparents, like so many other immigrants, are a testament to the American dream.

Columbus, a son of Genoa and an experienced seaman, set sail aboard three Spanish ships across the Atlantic Ocean in the summer of 1492, a bold expedition that pushed back the boundaries of the known world and opened up a new continent for future generations.

Mayor Edward M. O’Brien, whose Italian lineage runs on his mother’s side of the family, praised Iannucci Hendricks, a longtime Westie with a passion for Italian music and opera, for her “enduring and inspiring good works in shaping the life of our community.”

“As we commemorate the daring legacy of Christopher Columbus and his intrepid voyage 525 years ago, we pay tribute to the millions of Italian sons and daughters who pursued the young explorer’s route to the New World in search of a better life,” O’Brien said. “We also acknowledge the incalculable contributions of Italians like Grace Iannucci Hendricks to the character, culture and vibrancy of our nation and our city.”

O’Brien will present Iannucci Hendricks, a parishioner of St. Lawrence Church and former president of its Mother’s Club and St. Theresa Ladies Guild, with a citation recognizing her “selfless devotion to West Haven and its deep-rooted Italian-American community — noble qualities that epitomize the city’s top ‘paisana’ of the year.”

She will receive an Italian flag from Paul M. Frosolone, president of the Italian-American Civic Association, and Josephine Matera, former president of the Italian-American Ladies Auxiliary, as well as a jacket embroidered with her new title, Italian-American of the Year, from O’Brien.

The event will include remarks from city Corporation Counsel Vincent N. Amendola Jr., the master of ceremonies, and Italian musical selections by Vinnie Carr.

The Rev. Eric Zuniga, parochial vicar of St. John XXIII Parish, which serves St. Lawrence, St. Louis and St. Paul churches, will offer an Italian blessing. Members of West Haven High School’s Bel Canto Choir will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” followed by a rendition of the Italian national anthem by Liz Levy and a greeting from O’Brien.

A lunch will follow in the basement conference room of City Hall, 355 Main St.

Iannucci Hendricks was born in New Haven in 1931 to Salvatore Iannucci, a supervisor at the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. in the Elm City, and the former Rose Zingarella, a homemaker who also toiled part time at Winchester during World War II.

After moving to West Haven in 1940, Iannucci Hendricks and her eight sisters and three brothers were brought up in a single-family home on Sumac Street in West Shore.

A graduate of Stiles Elementary School, she attended the old West Haven High School on Main Street and earned her GED diploma in 1974.

Iannucci Hendricks was employed as an office clerk at the Armstrong Rubber Co. on Elm Street in West Haven and worked at the Connecticut Savings Bank on Church Street in New Haven. She was also an administrative assistant for the Democratic registrar of voters and a paraprofessional for the Board of Education in West Haven.

Iannucci Hendricks’ propensity for community service includes sitting on the board of directors of the West Haven Community House and the board’s Fundraising and Head Start committees. She is also a member of the agency’s Head Start Policy Council and Personnel and Fund Development committees.

Her dedication to the Community House was rewarded in 2011 with the Pauline Lang Exceptional Board Member award.

Iannucci Hendricks was a 10-year member and secretary of the Board of Police Commissioners and served on the pension board.

She is a member of the Ward-Heitmann House Museum Foundation.

Iannucci Hendricks is the widow of James Hendricks, a warhorse of the city’s Democratic Party who died in 2001.

The couple raised their four daughters — Kathleen Hendricks, Patricia Carney, Rosemary Turcotte and Theresa Palluzzi — on Union Avenue in the Center. Sadly, Carney died in 2008.

Iannucci Hendricks has 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Her name will join the 18 previous Columbus Day recipients on a plaque in City Hall.

For the latest news and information, subscribe to the city’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CityofWestHaven.

VNA walk-in flu clinic tapped for city employees

Flu clinic on tap for city employees

WEST HAVEN, Sept. 15, 2017 — The Health Department will hold a VNA Community Healthcare-sponsored flu clinic for city residents from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Oct. 31 in the basement conference room of City Hall, 355 Main St.

The walk-in clinic will accept the following insurances for those 65 or older: Medicare Part B, Aetna Medicare, Anthem BCBS Medicare and Connecticare VIP. For those 18 or older, the clinic will accept Aetna, Anthem BCBS, Connecticare, Healthy CT and Harvard Pilgrim Health.

Insurance carriers Cigna and United Healthcare are not participating.

Residents should bring all insurance cards and wear a short-sleeved shirt.

People can also pay by cash, check, MasterCard or Visa.

For details, call the flu hotline at 203-458-5920.