West Haven observing 9/11 with flag-raising ceremony and candlelight vigil

WEST HAVEN, Sept. 4, 2025 — West Haven will observe the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on 9/11 with a flag-raising ceremony at 6:30 p.m. at the Bradley Point Park flagpole, followed by a candlelight vigil at the city’s 9/11 memorial.

The solemn service will begin with a presentation of the colors by the West Haven Police Honor Guard and the flag-raising by the West Haven Fire Department Honor Guard.

The flag-raising will honor the memory of the nearly 3,000 people who died in the attacks. It will include remarks by city leaders, including Mayor Dorinda Borer, Police Chief Joseph S. Perno and Fire Chief James P. O’Brien.

Rick Spreyer, Borer’s chief of staff, will serve as the master of ceremonies.

Sophia Bella Martineau will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and St. Lawrence School students will sing “God Bless America.” Vertical Church Outreach Pastor Paul Bronson will give the opening remembrance prayer, and Art Gilbert will play taps.

The New Haven County Firefighters Emerald Society Pipes & Drums will perform “America the Beautiful.”

At 7 p.m., the candlelight vigil will take place at the Richard S. Gabrielle Sept. 11 Memorial on the boardwalk next to the former Savin Rock Conference Center, 6 Rock St.

Members of the West Haven Rotary Club will distribute candles and programs at the granite monument, which was paid for by the service club in 2002. It was designed by Harold J. Schaller of H.K. Peacock Memorials Inc. in Valhalla, New York.

Gabrielle, 50, of West Haven, was killed during the attack on the twin towers in New York’s World Trade Center complex. An insurance broker at Aon Corp., he was last seen on the south tower’s 78th floor.

Declared Patriot Day by Congress in 2002, the city will fly flags at half-staff in recognition of the national day of remembrance.

The vigil will feature a presentation of the colors by the police honor guard and Celtic folk performances by Irish singer-songwriter Liz McNicholl, including “The Bravest,” a tribute to the heroes of 9/11.

It will also include a wreath-laying by Deputy Police Chief Carl V. Flemmig Jr. and Deputy Fire Chief William S. Johnson IV, along with a performance of “Amazing Grace” by the emerald society.

Catch of the day

WEST HAVEN, Sept. 4, 2025 — (Pictured): A West Haven angler holds a sea robin he caught off the Oak Street pier during a saltwater fishing derby Saturday.

The free program was offered by the city Department of Parks and Recreation in conjunction with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education program.

Park-Rec Pool and Waterfront Coordinator Margaret Ruggiero, who runs the annual derby, collaborated on the program with Ray Potky, a volunteer instructor with CARE, who educated West Haven families on the basics of fishing and aquatic resources.

(City Photo/Margaret Ruggiero)

Chris Lavery performing at Acoustic Concert Series on Sunday morning

WEST HAVEN, Sept. 4, 2025 — The city’s Acoustic Concert Series continues with Chris Lavery from 9:30-11 a.m. Sunday at the Oak Street deck, off Captain Thomas Boulevard.

Grab a coffee and a beach chair and chill out to popular cover songs performed by Lavery.

The free concert is presented by Mayor Dorinda Borer and the Department of Parks and Recreation and is sponsored by The Breakwall.

Bulk trash pickup is Sept. 15-19, e-waste drop-off is Sept. 20 in West Haven

WEST HAVEN, Sept. 2, 2025 — The final bulk trash pickup week of 2025 is Sept. 15-19.

West Haven residents are reminded to separate metals, recyclables and regular trash from bulk trash and put them out no more than 24 hours before pickup. Violations carry a $100 fine per daily offense, Public Works Commissioner Philip J. Sissick said.

Residents are also reminded to “Put a Lid on It!” and use lids on all trash cans. Rain-soaked trash costs West Haven 10 times more at the dump, according to Sissick, adding that using trash can lids will save the city money by reducing the weight of trash and cost of tipping fees.

Bulk items include couches, chairs, tables, carpeting, padding and fencing, which may not exceed 6 feet in length. No building materials, tires, mattresses/box springs, propane tanks or hazardous waste are accepted.

Options for disposing of building materials include renting a dumpster or bringing the materials to a disposal facility for a fee.

Tires and mattresses/box springs are not considered bulk trash and will not be collected.

Tires can be brought to Town Fair Tire, 63 Boston Post Road, Orange, for a fee of $3.75 per tire.

The New Haven Transfer Station, 260 Middletown Ave., is available to West Haven residents for bulk trash disposal. The fee is $122.60 per ton. The facility operates from 9 a.m.-noon Monday through Saturday. Household trash and garbage-filled bags are not accepted.

Hazardous waste can be dropped off for free at HazWaste Central, 90 Sargent Drive, New Haven. HazWaste is open Saturday mornings through October.

Propane tanks can be brought to Taylor Rental, 304 Boston Post Road, Orange, for a fee of $10.64 per tank.

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

Homeowners are required to rent a dumpster or hire a junk removal service at their expense if trash exceeds 6 cubic yards. Otherwise, trash exceeding 6 cubic yards will be left at the curb, and a $100 fine per daily offense will be imposed, Sissick said.

To prevent a potential fine, property owners should familiarize themselves with the city’s trash guidelines at Public Works.

Bulk trash must be generated by the customer at the residential unit where it is collected. Trash will not be collected if it is generated by anyone other than the resident of the home.

Bulk items must be separated and orderly. Do not place them next to a mailbox or utility pole or close to a fence, Sissick said.

Also, do not place bulk items in front of a vacant lot or home — they will not be collected, he said.

Details at Bulk Trash Pickup & Other Services.

In addition to bulk trash, the city picks up metals, including household appliances, also known as white goods, and toilets. To schedule a pickup on their curbside collection day, residents must call the Highway Department at 203-937-3644 or 203-937-3585. Appliance doors must be removed.

For electronic items, including TVs, the final e-waste drop-off day of the year is Sept. 20.

Residents can drop off electronic recyclables — typically anything that contains a circuit board or needs a battery — from 8 a.m.-noon at the city garage, 1 Collis St.

West Haven is partnering with Take 2 Inc. of Waterbury, a state-approved recycler and collector of universal e-waste devices, to collect residential electronic items on a quarterly basis.

The collection is free for residents who have such items as computers, monitors, printers, keyboards, modems, computer mice, tablet computers, TVs, VCRs, DVD players, photocopiers, fax machines, scanners, video game machines, digital media players, personal digital assistants, stereo equipment, telephones, cellphones, cameras, microwaves and other small appliances.

Anything that has refrigerant, including air conditioners and dehumidifiers, is not accepted. Those items are considered hazardous waste and can be brought to HazWaste Central.

Details at E-waste Drop-off.

For the e-waste drop-off, residents are asked to heed the following guidelines:

— Stay in your vehicle.

— Vehicles will be spaced out. Event workers will remove electronics from your vehicle. There should be no interaction between residents and workers.

— No mattresses/box springs will be disposed of at the moment.

— No smoke detectors, ballasts or hazardous waste — lighter fluid, liquids, paint — will be accepted.

— Electronic items left curbside will be tagged with information on the e-waste schedule and must be removed, or face a potential fine.

West Haven Wellness Walk promotes healthy living

WEST HAVEN, Sept. 2, 2025 — (Pictured): City public health nurse Stacie L. Walsh, left, and Stop & Shop pharmacist Scott Silver are joined by Health Director Sheila Carmon, right, at the Health Department’s Wellness Walk on Saturday morning.

Walsh and Silver led a group of walkers on the shoreline boardwalk while sharing healthy living tips along the way.

During a pit stop at West Haven’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Silver discussed the benefits and misconceptions of vaccinations, and Walsh stressed the importance of blood pressure screenings, diet and exercise.

It was the department’s fourth and final Wellness Walk of the summer.

Each hourlong walk featured an array of health care professionals, including from the Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center and Yale New Haven Hospital, who discussed health and wellness in people’s daily lives. Members of the University of New Haven’s public health team also participated, collecting information for a community needs assessment project.

In addition, city health officials provided valuable resources and giveaways to support the department’s wellness journey.

(City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)

Tony Inzero Farmers Market open through Oct. 11

WEST HAVEN, Sept. 2, 2025 — The 2025 season of the Tony Inzero Farmers Market is in full swing.

The 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 feature homegrown fruits and vegetables, baked goods and homemade crafts through Oct. 11.

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.