West Haven public safety expo slated for Saturday, Oct. 5, at Savin Rock, 6 Rock St.

An aerial view of the inaugural West Haven Fire, Emergency Management, 911 ERS, Police & Health Expo at Savin Rock on Nov. 6, 2021. This year’s exposition of all things fire, emergency management, public safety, police and health will return to Savin Rock, 6 Rock St., from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The fourth annual event is presented by the city and West Haven’s three fire departments in observance of Fire Prevention Week. (City Drone Photo/Courtesy of Andrew Kosarko, File)

West Haven public safety expo scheduled for Saturday at Savin Rock, 6 Rock St.

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 4, 2024 — The city will join West Haven’s three fire departments Saturday to mark Fire Prevention Week at an exposition of all things fire, emergency management, public safety, police and health.

The fourth annual West Haven Fire, Emergency Management, 911 ERS, Police & Health Expo will take place in front of Savin Rock, 6 Rock St., from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The rain date is Sunday.

Free parking is available in the former Savin Rock Conference Center lot and the Bradley Point Park municipal lot, both off Captain Thomas Boulevard.

According to organizers, the expo will bring together families and first responders — firefighters, police officers, EMTs, health care professionals — from across the state for hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations to promote public safety education.

The large public exhibition, held on the eve and 102nd anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, is organized by West Haven Fire Department Chief James P. O’Brien, West Shore Fire Department Chief Stephen Scafariello, City of West Haven Fire Department Allingtown Chief Michael R. Terenzio and retired city Human Resources Commissioner Beth A. Sabo, who is now a volunteer in Mayor Dorinda Borer’s office.

Check out the flyer.

West Haven’s storied fire service includes the independent West Haven Fire Department, which serves the First Fire Taxation, or Center, District, and the independent West Shore Fire Department, which serves the Shore’s 2nd District. It also includes the 3rd District’s formerly independent Allingtown Fire Department, which was taken over by the city in July 2012 and is now known as the City of West Haven Fire Department Allingtown.

Collectively, the departments have been in operation for 355 years: West Haven since 1888, Allingtown since 1907 and West Shore since 1918.

The free exposition will feature an array of fire engine and firetruck displays, including antique fire apparatus, spread along the park grounds of historic Savin Rock.

The shoreline expo will include marine units, food trucks and rides in West Haven’s 1935 Mack pump firetruck, as well as a hazmat trailer.

It will also include educational demonstrations on smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, home fire sprinklers, and fire code and investigation.

Danny, the West Haven Fire Department’s station and therapy dog, and Sparky the Fire Dog will engage with children.

On the Savin Rock stage, The Greg Sherrod Band will perform a set of blues, soul and R&B hits, and INITY Reggae Band will play a set of reggae favorites.

West Haven Fire Marshal Roger Sicotte will demonstrate the department’s smoke trailer and show children what to do in case of a fire. Sicotte and fire inspectors will also display information on fire education and prevention.

West Shore Fire Marshal Keith T. Flood will demonstrate a home fire sprinkler during a live burn. The side-by-side burn will consist of two 8-by-8-foot cells, one with a sprinkler and one without. The burn will show the fire’s destruction on a structure without a sprinkler, compared with minimal damage to a structure with a sprinkler. The demonstration is sponsored by the Connecticut Fire Sprinkler Coalition to show the importance of home sprinklers, which can save lives and reduce property damage, Flood said.

West Haven and West Shore firefighters will also demonstrate the Jaws of Life tool by prying open parts of a vehicle to free those trapped inside.

As part of Allingtown’s Child Safety Car Seat Installation and Inspection Program, firefighters will install car seats for people. They will also inspect those already installed to ensure that the portable seats are properly fastened for securing small children. The department has installed more than 100 car seats in the past three years.

Representatives from the Coast Guard and other armed forces and members of the University of New Haven’s Fire Science Club will present information on programs. Members of the UNH club will also show children and adults how to use a fire extinguisher.

Members of West Haven Boy Scout Troop 821, the first all-girl Boy Scouts of America troop established in the U.S., will sell a variety of popcorn for their fundraiser. The troop’s charter sponsor is the Allingtown Fire Department, led by liaison John Ordazzo, a department firefighter since 1999.

West Haven fire Lt. Andy Bennett, the chairman of the West Haven Fire Department Historical Library, and retired West Haven fire Lt. William Heffernan III, the department’s historian, will sell department merchandise, including 125th anniversary books, coins, mugs, placemats, T-shirts, pewter Christmas ornaments, and pin and patch sets. Heffernan will also show his 1920 Ford Model T firetruck.

Director Nicholas DeJohn and dispatchers of the 911 Communications Center at West Haven police headquarters will educate people on the city’s Emergency Reporting System and hand out coloring books, emergency care kits and other informational materials. ERS dispatchers will also show city residents how to call 911 during an exercise in which they call the 911 center so the residents can talk with the call-taker and listen to questions.

Members of the West Haven police Special Response Team will show the department’s BearCat armored vehicle. Community outreach officers will give out informational materials on public safety, crime prevention and law enforcement programs, along with coloring books, mugs and key rings.

Members of the city Health Department will check blood pressures and display information on overdose awareness, mosquito prevention and hurricane preparedness.

A representative of the West Haven Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security will present information on the city’s Community Emergency Response Team, storm preparation, post-storm recovery, and natural and human-made disasters.

Emergency Management Director Rick Fontana said the CERT program, which needs volunteers, educates volunteers on disaster preparedness for hazards that could impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations.

The EMD representative will also sign up residents for the city’s emergency notification system to receive alerts. Sign up at https://www.cityofwesthaven.com/alerts.

The Citizen Notification System enables the city to quickly provide residents with critical information in various situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons, and building or neighborhood evacuations, Fontana said.

The system is operated in partnership with Everbridge Inc. of Burlington, Massachusetts, the world leader in incident notification systems.

Once registered in Everbridge’s secure database, the site will send subscribers time-sensitive messages via cell, home or business phones, email or text messages, hard-of-hearing receiving devices, and more. The notifications are broadcast through West Haven’s Emergency Operations Center.

Energy assistance offered in West Haven starting Oct. 3

Energy assistance offered in city

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 4, 2024 — The city is accepting applications for the federally funded Connecticut Energy Assistance Program.

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

Applications will be processed via phone by appointment Monday through Thursday. No walk-ins will be accepted.

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

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

Applicants must also provide SNAP benefits, Social Security numbers and birthdates for all household members, as well as current utility bills for the household.

West Haven Senior Center hosting veterinary wellness clinic Oct. 11

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 1, 2024 — The West Haven Senior Center is hosting a Veterinary Care Everywhere Wellness Clinic for dogs and cats.

The wellness clinic is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 11 at 201 Noble St.

The clinic will include a wellness check, rabies vaccines, a distemper vaccine, basic deworming and heartworm testing (dogs only).

For complete details, including fees and registration, read the WHSC news release.

West Haven launches program to recoup lost motor vehicle tax revenue

WEST HAVEN, Sept. 26, 2024 — The city has launched a program to identify and recoup lost tax revenue from out-of-state and unregistered motor vehicles, Mayor Dorinda Borer announced.

Borer said the city has contracted with Capital Tax Recovery of Berlin to scan license plates throughout West Haven to determine if residents have their vehicles registered with the state and have West Haven as their tax city.

The mayor said CTR is working with the assessor’s office to identify potential vehicles and personal property that have been missing from the city’s tax rolls for the past three years.

Assessor Ann Marie Gradoia, who is overseeing the new program, said CTR will send out notifications to motor vehicle owners who have been identified and will give them an opportunity to resolve any issues.

Borer said the number of people driving with out-of-state license plates and without current motor vehicle registrations has increased dramatically in recent years, most notably from surrounding states during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Residents who are paying taxes to another city are not contributing their fair share to the cost of the services West Haven provides, such as education, trash hauling and public safety, to name a few,” Borer said. “That means those who are properly registered here are footing the bill.

“The bottom line is we welcome new residents to our great city and want them to live, work and enjoy everything we have to offer, but you need to pitch in.”

Gradoia said the program is provided at no cost to West Haven, but CTR will receive a percentage of all taxes and interest collected by the city through the company’s contracted investigation. CTR will also receive a $50 fee per vehicle paid by the owner, she said.

The assessment year runs from Oct. 1-Sept. 30.

According to Gradoia, residents who live in West Haven on or before Oct. 1 of each year must have their vehicles registered in the city. Residents have 90 days to transfer vehicles once establishing residency in Connecticut.

Residents should check vehicle registrations to ensure they are up to date, they have the correct address and the tax town code is 156 for West Haven. If any of the information is incorrect, fill out a change of address form for an individual registration.

For business vehicles, residents must fill out and return a commercial vehicle change of address form, which is available on the state Department of Motor Vehicles’ website.

Residents who have received a notice from Capital Tax Recovery must contact the company directly by calling 860-826-1100 or visiting the website. The assessor’s office does not have information why a vehicle was added — please do not call the office.

Residents who can provide proof of residency in another state would be exempt. Anyone who believes a vehicle was added in error must provide CTR with sufficient proof by the deadline on the letter or a bill will be generated.

Picasso Parties celebrates 10 years in business on West Haven shoreline

Picasso Parties celebrates 10 years in business on the West Haven shoreline

WEST HAVEN, Sept. 26, 2024 — (Pictured): Picasso Parties owner Darcee LoPresti receives a citation in recognition of her business’s 10th anniversary from Mayor Dorinda Borer, left, on Sept. 26.

With them are, from left, Picasso artists Ashley Gibbs, Crystal Betham and Gillian Murray.

Borer congratulated LoPresti and her “thriving” arts and crafts business at 944 Ocean Ave. for “providing a wide variety of services that encourage people to be expressive and imaginative.”

Reading the citation, the mayor said, “These services have inspired your clients to be the best version of themselves by helping them create memories that last a lifetime.”

The woman-owned business, located in the heart of West Shore’s Prospect Beach neighborhood, is nestled in a historic red brick building with a pair of established small businesses: Tom & Pat’s Pizza and Prospect Beach House Deli & Market.

Picasso specializes in painting parties for kids and adults. It also offers face painting and body art, including airbrush and glitter tattoos, as well as “take and make” crafts, after-school programs and photo booth rentals.

(City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)

West Haven receives $250K downtown planning grant from state Community Investment Fund

Mayor Dorinda Borer. (City Photo)

City receives $250K downtown planning grant from the state

WEST HAVEN, Sept. 24, 2024 — The state Community Investment Fund 2030 Board on Sept. 24 approved a $250,000 grant for development planning in the city’s downtown Village Improvement District, Mayor Dorinda Borer announced.

The board vote gives the green light for the State Bond Commission to consider the next step of approval.

Borer, who initiated the grant, said the city will use the funding to hire a consultant to conduct feasibility and market studies to support a renewed and vibrant West Haven Center.

To support the mayor’s vision for the district, the proposed project will include consulting fees, comprehensive community engagement, environmental assessments and renderings of the downtown area reimagined, Borer said.

Planning consultants hired with the funding will evaluate the district focusing on the Main Street and Campbell Avenue corridor.

“The Downtown District has been an area of focus for us, and in order to properly address significant changes, a professional plan is required,” Borer said. “This will consist of evaluating potential traffic impacts, the remediation of brownfield concerns and an overall comprehensive plan of smart development. This will allow us to be better positioned to request large-scale grants to help lift up the area.”

The mayor added, “I want to thank our entire General Assembly delegation for their unwavering support of this initiative.”

State Rep. Bill Heffernan, a Democrat representing West Haven’s 115th District, said: “I’m happy that the CIF Board has approved the request for $250,000 for the city of West Haven for the West Haven Revitalization Planning. The development planning for the West Haven Village Improvement District moves the city in the right direction.

“I want to thank Mayor Dorinda Borer for her vision for the future of West Haven. The next step for this funding is approval by the State Bond Commission.”

Tony Inzero Farmers Market every Thursday on West Haven Green, every Saturday at Oak Street Beach

WEST HAVEN, Aug. 27, 2024 — The Tony Inzero Farmers Market is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Thursday on the Green, at Campbell Avenue and Main Street, and every Saturday next to the Oak Street Beach parking lot, off Captain Thomas Boulevard.

The market will include state farmers selling homegrown fruits and vegetables and crafters selling homemade wares through Oct. 12.

Parking is available on Campbell Avenue and in the City Hall municipal lot, 355 Main St., as well as in the Oak Street municipal lot and on Palace Street. Oak Street is on the senior shuttle route and the CTtransit route.

The farmers market was dedicated in 2010 in memory of Anthony F. “Tony” Inzero, a leader in the downtown business community who co-owned Flower Affair on Campbell Avenue with Betty DelVecchio for many years. Inzero was a founding member and longtime president of the West Haven Business Association who spearheaded a variety of events and programs to drum up business for fellow merchants, including the first farmers market in 2000.

Inzero, who lived in Hamden, died in 2009 at age 59.