Steve Dargan named city’s 2025 Irishman of the Year

WEST HAVEN, March 6, 2025 — Stephen D. “Steve” Dargan, who has devoted his life to public service and has worked tirelessly to improve his city, state and Irish community, has been named West Haven’s Irishman of the Year.

Dargan, the grandson of Irish immigrants, will receive the honor at the city’s 32nd annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at noon March 17.

The West Haven St. Patrick’s Day Committee will fete the city’s top Irishman by hanging a green street sign designating City Hall’s Campbell Avenue entrance as “Stephen D. Dargan Square” for a year.

Read the full news release here.

Savin Rock School marks Read Across America Day

WEST HAVEN, March 6, 2025 — (Pictured): Mayor Dorinda Borer celebrates Read Across America Day by reading the Dr. Seuss children’s book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” to third graders of teacher Alexis Gilhuly‘s class at Savin Rock Community School on Monday.

The event, organized by literacy teacher Kristen Scanlon and her reading team, highlighted the importance of literacy while marking Dr. Seuss’ birthday, complete with balloons, posters and snacks.

The special day also featured other guest readers, including U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, state Treasurer Erick Russell, state Sen. James Maroney, City Council Chairman Nicholas A. Pascale, City Clerk John W. Lewis, West Haven Superintendent of Schools Neil C. Cavallaro and West Haven Fire Department Fire Marshal Roger Sicotte, as well as New Haven Register reporter Brian Zahn.

Read Across America, established in 1998, is an initiative of the Washington, D.C.-based National Education Association to encourage reading. The year-round program focuses on “motivating children to read through events, partnerships and reading resources that are about everyone, for everyone.”

(City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)

Cultural event celebrates city’s vibrant Black heritage

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 27, 2025 — The city paid homage to the nation’s African American pioneers and the immeasurable contributions they have made to shaping the most improbable, the most hopeful and the most enduring story on Earth — the American story — at the 29th annual Black Heritage Celebration on Feb. 26.

During the City Hall cultural event marking Black History Month, the West Haven Black Heritage Committee cited longtime youth advocate Levi Jordan Sr. as its second recipient of the Ernestine Jackson Citizen of Distinction Award, formerly known as the African American Citizen of the Year.

Read the full story and see the photo gallery here.

Nice Day Chinese restaurant marks grand opening on Sawmill Road in West Haven

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 27, 2025 — (Pictured): Holding oversize scissors, Yong Zhao and Wanting Zhang, the husband-wife owners of Nice Day Chinese Takeout, clap after cutting the ribbon with Mayor Dorinda Borer, second from left, to celebrate the grand opening of the couple’s Chinese American restaurant at 153 Sawmill Road on Feb. 21.

Joining them are, from left, state Reps. MJ Shannon, D-Milford, and Bill Heffernan, D-West Haven, and West Haven Business Alliance President Michelle Caprio.

The Sawmill Road location, formerly Great Wall Chinese Restaurant, joins five other Nice Day Chinese restaurants owned by Zhao and Zhang in Connecticut, including New Haven, and in New York.

Nice Day Chinese began in 2021 with a series of pop-ups in New York City, one of which gained national attention when NBC “Today” weather anchor Al Roker regularly visited and featured it on his broadcasts.

Encouraged by the pop-up events’ success, Zhao and Zhang took the next step in 2022 and planned their first permanent location.

The couple acquired their first restaurant in Huntington on Long Island as part of their rebranding initiative. Their mission was clear: acquire beloved but aging Chinese restaurants, modernize their operations, and maintain the authenticity of their food while elevating the quality and experience for a new generation of diners.

With a workforce of more than 100 employees, both full and part time, Nice Day has quickly established itself as a leader in the next era of Chinese American dining.

Nice Day’s Sawmill Road restaurant is nestled in Hillcrest Plaza with other small businesses and offers dine-in, delivery and catering options. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Zhao and Zhang chose the bustling retail corridor for a restaurant location because of the area’s dense population and proximity to West Haven Station, the city’s Metro-North Railroad commuter station, and to major traffic routes.

Nice Day combines classic flavors with a contemporary twist. Some of its signature dishes include Cheeseburger Egg Rolls, a fusion of American comfort food and Chinese crispy rolls; Ginger Pork, a fresh and flavorful take on a traditional favorite; and General Tso’s Chicken, made with all-natural ingredients for a cleaner, more authentic taste.

One standout dish is Ginger Beef, introduced by a renowned Canadian chef who joined the Nice Day team. As the head chef of the West Haven and New Haven locations, his expertise has made Ginger Beef one of the most popular menu items in Connecticut.

Zhao and Zhang were born and raised in China and hold multiple master’s degrees from Yale University in environmental science, philosophy and environmental policy.

Beyond their business endeavors, they are deeply committed to supporting the local communities they serve.

“We use food as a universal language to express ideas of living and communication within the communities,” Zhao said. “Food is our connection to new friends.”

With their innovative approach, the couple are not just serving meals; they are shaping the future of Chinese American dining — one restaurant at a time.

(City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)

UI and Borer kick off ‘Main Street’ energy efficiency programs for small businesses in West Haven

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 4, 2025 — United Illuminating and Southern Connecticut Gas, subsidiaries of Orange-based Avangrid Inc., on Jan. 30 kicked off their West Haven “Main Street” event, a three-week campaign to promote city businesses’ participation in the EnergizeCT Small Business Energy Advantage program.

The kickoff was held at Duffy’s Tavern on Campbell Avenue and featured remarks by Mayor Dorinda Borer, who emphasized the benefits of energy efficiency in bringing down costs for small businesses and promoting economic development in Connecticut cities and towns.

Watch the official kickoff video: Small Business Main Street Campaign: Duffy's | UI on Vimeo.

“West Haven is proud of its small businesses, and I’m glad that UI is providing them with access to energy efficiency upgrades,” Borer said. “Over the past year, my administration has pursued a number of initiatives to support our entrepreneurs and small businesses, and UI’s Small Business Energy Advantage program is one more resource to help them to start up and expand here.

“I want to ensure that our business community knows this is a proven program that can help them save money. I encourage West Haven businesses to explore the opportunity.”

The event included remarks by UI and SCG officials and Duffy’s owner Chris Walsh, who thanked UI and SCG for supporting the tavern’s recent energy efficiency upgrades and Borer for supporting small-business assistance programs in West Haven.

The Irish pub and restaurant, founded in 1983, received the upgrades through the SBEA program, which provides incentives for energy efficiency upgrades for small businesses statewide.

“Energy efficiency is one of the simplest, most effective ways that each of us can take charge of our energy usage and work to lower costs while mitigating energy waste,” said Frank Reynolds, the president and CEO of UI and SCG. “Spreading the word about energy efficiency to all our communities is an important responsibility we have to extend the benefits of these upgrades to all our customers, from the largest manufacturers to the smallest local businesses.

“I commend our team for their hard work in launching the EnergizeCT Main Street event in West Haven, and I am grateful to the city of West Haven, including Mayor Borer, for their partnership in these important efforts.”

The event also included a walk-through of Duffy’s projected upgrades, including new lighting, commercial kitchen hood controls, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning. The tour was led by UI contractor Dennis Robb of Titan LED Lighting Solutions of Fairfield.

As part of the West Haven Main Street event, for the next three weeks, energy efficiency vendors with EnergizeCT, which is administered by Connecticut utilities’ energy efficiency teams, will visit small businesses throughout the city and perform no-cost, no-obligation energy efficiency assessments.

The assessments aim to determine upgrades — transitioning lighting to LED, adding insulation or window sealing, or transitioning to high efficiency appliances — that could be made to manage energy usage and subsequently bring down businesses’ energy costs, according to UI officials.

On-bill financing is also available for qualifying customers.

Additionally, West Haven small businesses that take advantage of the SBEA program during the Main Street event will receive additional incentives, in addition to those normally offered, to reduce up-front costs related to the upgrades, which can be up to 90% of the cost, officials said.

The SBEA program is a commercial energy efficiency program through EnergizeCT, an initiative of the Energy Efficiency Fund, Connecticut Green Bank, state policymakers, and local electric and gas utilities that promotes energy efficiency measures for small businesses in Connecticut.

Through the program, which is funded by a charge on customers’ energy bills, businesses that use less than 1,250,000 kilowatt-hours annually across all their Connecticut properties can receive a no-cost energy assessment, a comprehensive proposal of all eligible energy efficiency measures, incentives to cover a portion of the installed cost, and zero-interest and low-cost financing available for qualifying businesses.

The Main Street event aims to promote the SBEA program in environmental justice and traditionally underserved areas of the state by offering additional incentives beyond what is normally offered through SBEA, which can be up to 90% of the up-front costs for the upgrades, according to UI officials.

Veterans Council launches 2025 Brick Campaign

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 10, 2025 — The West Haven Veterans Council has launched the 17th phase of its popular Brick Campaign.

In November 2006, the council began the first of 17 campaigns selling bricks to memorialize veterans on the 100-yard Walk of Honor between the William A. Soderman and Vietnam Veterans memorials.

The bricks, which cost $75, have charcoal lettering for personalized messages.

About 3,000 bricks have been installed to date, including 47 for Phase 16, which was dedicated May 25, 2024.

Download a brick application here.

Applications, due March 14, are also available in the mayor’s office at City Hall, 355 Main St. For details, call 203-937-3510.