‘Late great’ Vinnie Carr named West Haven’s Italian American of the Year

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 3, 2025 — Mayor Dorinda Borer and the West Haven Italian Heritage Committee will honor the late great Vinnie Carr as the city’s posthumous Italian American of the Year at the 26th annual Italian Heritage Celebration.

Carr, the grandson of emigrant grandparents from Naples, Italy, was known around West Haven for entertaining audiences as the dynamic leader of Vinnie Carr and the Party Band and the Vinnie Carr Orchestra and for serving as a musical ambassador of his proud Italian ancestry.

His widow, Denise LaMonica Carr, will receive the Italian American of the Year award on his behalf during a City Hall ceremony at noon Oct. 10.

Accompanied by Italian music and guided by Borer, members of the committee and the West Haven Italian American Civic Association will escort Carr’s wife and their children, Vinnie Carr Jr., 32, and Daniella Carr, 28, to the steps of City Hall for his posthumous recognition.

“This award is bestowed posthumously on Vinnie Carr and is presented annually to a resident of Italian descent who exemplifies the values of our community while demonstrating exceptional service and dedication,” Borer said. “As a long-standing Westie, Vinnie personified these enduring qualities through his music and his inspiring contributions to our vibrant Italian American community.”

Borer and longtime committee member Paul M. Frosolone tapped Carr for this year’s honor during a July visit at the retired performer’s West Shore home.

Sadly, less than a month later, on Aug. 26, Carr died at age 78 after a long illness.

Denise Carr will pay tribute to her late husband’s Italian lineage with scores of friends and loved ones, along with an array of dignitaries and descendants of folks from the old country clad in red, white and green.

She said Carr was “honored” and “looked forward” to receiving the award from Borer and the committee for his Italian musical legacy.

“When people would ask if Vinnie gets tired working all day at different events, especially at Christmas time, he would say: ‘I’ll never get tired of this. I don’t consider what I do as work. If I can make people feel good with my music and entertainment, then I had a great day!’”

Carr Jr. added: “My father was a great man who definitely touched many lives all across West Haven and Greater New Haven, including seniors and people of all generations. He did it his way, and his way was what made him happy. Music was his passion, but his first passion was his family.”

At the City Hall ceremony, Denise Carr will receive a glass-framed citation from Borer for her husband’s civic-minded good works.

She will also receive an Italian flag from Frosolone, the president of the Italian American Civic Association, and Debbie Giordano, the vice president of the association’s Ladies Auxiliary.

The cultural event will include remarks by Borer and her chief of staff, Rick Spreyer, the master of ceremonies. Before an Italian blessing, West Haven’s own Liz Levy will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the Italian national anthem, “II Canto degli Italiani.”

In observance of Italian American Heritage Month, West Haven recognizes the unique traditions of Americans of Italian descent and celebrates the story of generations of Italian sons and daughters who came to the United States seeking hope and opportunity to reach for the American dream.

Carr’s paternal and maternal grandparents left their homes on the western coast of southern Italy and came to America for a better future, settling in New Haven.

In the daring spirit of Italians who charted a course for millions of immigrants who followed their crossing to America, Carr and his grandparents are a testament to the diversity and promise of the United States.

Carr was born Vincent Stephen Carfora in New Haven in 1947 to Pasquale and Julia Parillo Carfora.

A 1965 graduate of Wilbur Cross High School, Carr served in the Army before becoming a New Haven police officer. He later focused his attention on his popular band, playing the keyboard and performing music from the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.

According to Denise Carr, the Vinnie Carr Orchestra performed for countless occasions back in the day, playing two to three shows a day in lounges, dance halls and senior centers.

Vinnie Carr also served as the West Haven Senior Center’s resident musician for more than 40 years and received a city citation at the center’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2018, thanking him “for all the memories.”

He regularly headlined the West Haven Green and boardwalk and provided the Italian music at the city’s heritage events.

Denise Carr said that one of her husband’s fondest memories was performing for “a sea of people” at the 1975 Italian festival in New Haven’s Wooster Square.

“Playing music for live audiences and watching them dance and sing in response to his music made Vinnie happiest,” she said.

Borer added: “For over a half-century, Vinnie Carr brought joy to so many in the New Haven area with his music and talent. His captivating performances at local Italian festivals and on community greens cemented his legacy as a top entertainer.”

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Carr served as then-Mayor H. Richard Borer Jr.’s one-man house band and sidekick on “The Mayor’s Office,” Borer’s public access TV show at the time.

In his private life, Carr loved to travel and vacation with his family.

“When not traveling, he would relax at home, tanning in the sun and enjoying a cigar,” Denise Carr said.

New West Haven bakery, Gusto, opens on Wagner Place at Sawmill Rd. and Elm St.

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 3, 2025 — (Pictured): Mayor Dorinda Borer, center, helps Gusto Bakery owner Jesus Bareves, center right, cut the ribbon to celebrate the bakery’s grand opening at 17 Wagner Place on Friday.

Joining the ribbon-cutting are, from left, West Haven state Rep. Bill Heffernan, 4th District Councilman Gary Donovan, business community friend Anthony Reilly, Gusto employees and Simon McDonald, the director of membership and marketing at the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber-organized ceremony was also marked by West Haven Economic Development Director Steve Fontana and chamber board members Robert Creigh and Erin Eberhardt, the owner of West Shore Associates of West Haven.

The event featured remarks by Borer, McDonald and Bareves, the son and grandson of bakers, who thanked the mayor and the chamber for welcoming his business to West Haven.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our community,” Borer said, “and I look forward to watching your bakery grow and thrive in West Haven.”

Gusto is located in a small-business plaza at Sawmill Road and Elm Street and is the second bakery to open near the center of West Haven since Peschell’s Pastry Shop closed at 107 Campbell Ave. in 2013 after 67 years of business.

The new 1,800-square-foot bakery specializes in a variety of house-made breads, cakes, cannoli, cookies, doughnuts, flan, pastries and rolls.

Bareves also sells baked goods to wholesalers across Connecticut and New York.

Gusto is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday from 6 a.m.-3 p.m. The space was formerly occupied by Kidz Clothing Closet.

(City Photo/Steve Fontana)

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

WEST HAVEN, Oct. 3, 2025 — The city will join West Haven’s three fire departments on Saturday to mark Fire Prevention Week at an exposition of all things fire, emergency management, public safety, police and health.

The fifth annual West Haven Fire, Emergency Management, 911 ERS, Police & Health Expo is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Savin Rock Park, 6 Rock St. 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 103rd anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, is organized by West Haven Fire Department Chief James P. O’Brien, West Shore Fire Department Chief Rafael Zayas, 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 356 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, a hazmat trailer and rides in West Haven’s 1935 Mack pump firetruck, along with live music, food trucks and face painting.

It will also include Life Star, Hartford HealthCare’s critical care transport helicopter, as well as educational demonstrations on smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, drone technology, 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.

Members of West Haven Professional Firefighters Local 1198 will collect for their annual charity event benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

On the Savin Rock stage, INITY, a reggae dance band, will perform a set of soulful, funky reggae favorites. The concert is sponsored by Surfside Veterans.

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 Haven and West Shore firefighters will 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 over 100 car seats in the past four years.

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

West Haven fire Capt. 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 the department’s 125th anniversary merchandise. Heffernan will also show his 1920 Ford Model T firetruck.

Acting Director Rick Fontana 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. Animal control officers will hand out information on programs and services.

In addition, the West Haven police and Connecticut State Police K-9 units will hold demonstrations.

Members of the city Health Department will display information on the flu season, vaccines and food sanitation.

Representatives from the Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center will display information on health care services, and representatives from the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation will sign up participants for clinical trial research studies.

Fontana, who is also West Haven’s emergency management director, will present information on the city’s Community Emergency Response Team, storm preparation, post-storm recovery, and natural and human-made disasters.

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.

Fontana 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 protected 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.

Important Info for West Haven Residents Who Selected to Use the Quarterly Tax Payment Option

Dear West Haven Residents:

While the city sent out letters to banks and mortgage companies letting them know that residents had an option to pay taxes in four installments this year, it appears that some mortgage companies sent out checks to mortgage holders for overpayment of escrow. Prior to cashing a check from your bank or mortgage company, please confirm with your mortgage company that your escrow account remains sufficient to cover the three remaining installments for this tax year. The second installment is due Oct. 1, 2025.

If you build it, they will come

West Haven partners with The Grind on Morse Park transformation; fields to be new home for baseball tournaments

WEST HAVEN, Sept. 19, 2025 — Mayor Dorinda Borer on Sept. 18 announced an exciting new partnership between the city and The Grind LLC, a premier travel baseball program across Connecticut and the Northeast.

The Grind, which also owns a training facility and is based in Orange, has entered into a long-term mutual licensing agreement with the city where it will make significant investments and maintain the fields at Morse Park on Beach Street and in turn host games and tournaments in West Haven.

The agreement covers batting cages and fields 2, 3, 4 and 6, according to city Human Resources Commissioner John M. Carrano, who helped negotiate the new partnership.

“This is a win-win-win for the city, the Grind, and the young residents who deserve quality fields to play on and be proud of,” Borer said. “The Grind has the professional reputation for delivering the results we are looking for.”

Under the licensing agreement, the Grind will transform the city-owned ballpark into a first-class tournament destination for teams from around the Northeast.

“This partnership is about more than just baseball; it’s about building something lasting for the next generation,” said Michael Moras, who owns the Grind. “We’re excited to help transform Morse Park into a place where young athletes can compete, grow and take pride in their community. If you build it right, they don’t just come — they stay, they thrive and they come back!”

The seasonal tournaments are expected to drive thousands of players, ranging in age from 10 to 18, and their families to the West Haven shoreline during the season, which will boost the local economy, Borer said.

“Having an attraction that brings nonresidents into our city for sports programs will benefit our businesses, which benefits all of us at the end of the day,” the mayor said. “In addition to creating quality fields for our athletes, this area will go from a drain on resources to a revenue driver.”

Under the agreement, Carrano said the Grind will invest in capital improvements to the seaside ballpark, including reconditioning and resurfacing all infields and outfields, updating the sprinkler system, and drill-seeding and fertilizing all fields. The Grind will also install artificial turf pitching mounds, maintain all fields, and renovate and resurface all batting cages, he said.

The city will continue to maintain fields 1 and 7, along with areas adjacent to the fields.

“Our Public Works Department lines, trims and mows the fields; but it’s hard for them to mow dirt, and that’s what these fields have become — dirt and rocks due to lack of investments over the years,” Borer said. “This has not only resulted in poor aesthetics but can cause unsafe playing conditions. That’s all about to change with this partnership.”

Borer said the agreement will not affect the West Haven Little League, whose teams have played on the Morse Park fields for decades. The Grind will work around the Little League’s seasonal schedule, she said.

Games, practices and tournaments will all conform to city ordinances regarding times and lights, Borer said, and additional parking spaces are being created to allow for ample parking.

Founded in 2012, Grind Baseball has grown into Connecticut’s premier travel program. Grind travel teams are coached by a professional staff of former collegiate and pro standouts. Teams begin at age 10 and continue to the age 18 college showcase team.

Tony Inzero Farmers Market open through Oct. 11

WEST HAVEN, Sept. 19, 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.