West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer presents a citation to Hispanic American of the Year Jeffrey Moreno for “lifting up the Hispanic American community you love” at the sixth annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration on the steps of City Hall on Friday. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)

Jeffrey Moreno honored as city’s Hispanic of the Year

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 11, 2024 — Jeffrey Moreno received the city’s Hispanic American of the Year award at the sixth annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration on Friday.

During a midday ceremony on the steps of City Hall, Mayor Dorinda Borer and the West Haven Hispanic American of the Year Alumni Committee honored 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.

On a picture-perfect day, Moreno, who has served on the city’s Board of Ethics since 2019, including a stint as vice chairman, celebrated his Puerto Rican roots with dozens of friends and relatives at the half-hour event.

Read the full story and see the photo gallery here.

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. 11, 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.

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.