Mark Consorte, West Haven’s 2024 Italian American of the Year. (Contributed Photo)

Regional Italian American Heritage Festival on West Haven Green on Saturday will honor Mark Consorte

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 9, 2024 — The Greater New Haven Italian American Heritage Festival is sailing into West Haven, this year’s host community.

The free festival will take place on the city’s historic Green from noon-4 p.m. Saturday. The rain date is Sunday.

The cultural event celebrates the region’s deep-rooted Italian heritage with food trucks, live music, children’s activities, craft vendors and more.

It is presented by the Greater New Haven Italian American Heritage Committee.

To coincide with the festival, at 1 p.m. on the Green, the West Haven Italian Heritage Committee will hold its 25th annual Italian Heritage Celebration honoring its Italian American of the Year, the first time the city has combined the celebration with another event.

Mark Consorte, a longtime social studies teacher and department head at West Haven High School, will serve double duty as the festival’s grand marshal and the celebration’s top Italian.

West Haven Funeral Home owner Celia Pinzi will receive the Greater New Haven committee’s Laura Luzzi Award for outstanding public service.

Pinzi is a successful woman entrepreneur who is well known for supporting the region’s civic and cultural life.

Consorte and Pinzi are lifelong Westies and third- and second-generation Italian Americans, respectively.

Mayor Dorinda Borer, who tapped Consorte for grand marshal and Italian American of the Year, said: “Mark is a great representative of what the Italian culture stands for: kindness, charitable and family-oriented. As a longtime teacher, he’s mentored thousands of students with his knowledge and passion and additionally has volunteered toward organizations across our city.”

Borer added: “Celia has been there for so many of us, myself included, and I felt it was important to recognize a wonderful person who silently stays behind the scenes and doesn’t look for recognition but provides great comfort and support to our residents. Celia always steps up and generously participates in our nonprofits, lifting up the community.”

Read the full story here.

Jeffrey Moreno, West Haven’s 2024 Hispanic American of the Year. (Contributed Photo)

Moreno named West Haven Hispanic American of the Year; event set for noon Friday on steps of City Hall

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 8, 2024 — Jeffrey Moreno will be the latest resident to receive the city’s Hispanic American of the Year award at the sixth annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Mayor Dorinda Borer announced.

Borer and the West Haven Hispanic American of the Year Alumni Committee will honor Moreno, the grandson of a Puerto Rican-born grandmother, based on his community commitment and cultural pride.

The committee bestows the award annually on a Hispanic resident who epitomizes service in West Haven’s thriving Hispanic community.

The ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held at noon Friday at City Hall, 355 Main St.

“It feels good to be named West Haven’s Hispanic American of the Year,” said a humble Moreno, who has served on the city’s Board of Ethics, including a stint as vice chairman, since 2019. “To be honored by the city and the community as a whole is motivating and uplifting.”

Moreno is a project manager for the city of New Haven and has worked for the Elm City since 2014. He previously was an operations manager for 12 years at ADT Security Services in Wallingford.

Moreno, 43, will celebrate his Puerto Rican ancestry with dozens of loved ones, friends and city officials, along with an array of dignitaries and descendants of folks from Puerto Rico and Latin America.

Committee members and West Haven officials led by Borer will escort Moreno to the steps of City Hall for his special recognition. A Latin-flavored lunch will follow.

West Haven’s diversity is its strength, Borer said, and Moreno is a testament to the hope and promise of America.

“I am delighted to announce Jeffrey Moreno as our 2024 Hispanic American of the Year,” Borer said. “His dedicated service to our city and the Hispanic American community is proof that the American dream is alive and well.”

Read the full story here.

An aerial view of the fourth annual West Haven Fire, Emergency Management, 911 ERS, Police & Health Expo at Savin Rock on Saturday. The free exposition, in observance of Fire Prevention Week, brought together families and first responders from around the state for hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations to promote public safety education. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)

4th public safety expo marks Fire Prevention Week in West Haven

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 8, 2024 — For the fourth straight year, the city joined West Haven’s three fire departments to celebrate Fire Prevention Week at an exposition of all things fire, emergency management, public safety, police and health at Savin Rock on Saturday.

The West Haven Fire, Emergency Management, 911 ERS, Police & Health Expo brought 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.

Read the full story and see the photo gallery here.

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.

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.