The week in photos – April 3, 2025
Moody’s announces bond, credit rating upgrades for city
Moody’s Ratings on March 12 upgraded West Haven’s general obligation bond rating from Baa3 to Baa2, while S&P Global maintained the city’s long-term credit rating at A- with a “positive” outlook, Mayor Dorinda Borer announced.
Borer said she’s delighted about the Baa2 rating upgrade and maintaining the A- rating.
“The continual upgrades in the national credit ratings are tangible evidence that West Haven continues to move in the right direction,” Borer said. “This has been a wider team effort, and I’m thankful to everyone involved for focusing, buckling down and working to change the way we do business. This includes our residents who have been patiently understanding and receptive to changes that were necessary in order to move the needle.”
The mayor added, “I’m proud of our city collectively.”
In its analysis upgrading West Haven’s 2025 general obligation bonds, Moody’s said: “The town’s financial position has benefitted from notably improved financial management” … “and a wholesale replacement of people in many of the key political and administrative positions over the last year. As such, governance is a key driver of the rating assignment.”
The report continued, “In addition, the fiscal 2023 audit was published on-time, breaking a two year streak of late audits.”
According to S&P’s analysis, the city’s A- rating “reflects our view of West Haven’s adoption and implementation of stronger financial management practices, coupled with improvement in internal controls.”
The New York agency said the rating also reflects that “the city has been taking positive steps to address these issues and completed its fiscal 2024 audit in a timely manner.”
In addition to governance, another aspect of criteria that West Haven was rated on was environmental.
“Although rising sea levels and extreme weather events pose long-term risks for the city, we believe management continues to plan and implement resiliency efforts to help minimize them,” the report said.
S&P touted West Haven’s positive outlook, saying: “The positive outlook reflects the city’s strong performance resulting in increases in available reserves and improved financial management practices. The outlook also reflects what we believe is a one-in-three chance that we could raise the rating if the city can continue its positive performance.”
In its credit opinion regarding management, the agency said, “With a new administration as of January 2024, the city has taken several steps to cure the deficiencies highlighted in the fiscal 2023 audit and improve its internal control functions.”
Annual Tradition
Students in WHHS art classes performed what has become a traditional rite of spring with the senior class painting the monolith that now sits before the entrance of Frank Fitzgerald Athletic Complex. Originally located in the courtyard of the old high school, the rock was moved to its present location. Over the last decade or so, the tradition began for the outgoing class to make its mark by painting the rock. The Class of 2025 will grace the site until the current junior class has its turn.
Pubic hearing on budget set for HS tonight
The City Council meets in special session tonight in West Haven High School’s auditorium for the annual public hearing on Mayor Dorinda Borer’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026. According to the City Charter this is the one and only opportunity to critique the proposal. Originally scheduled for the Harriett North Room in City Hall, the venue was switched to WHHS just before press time last week.
The $187.5 million spending plan has come under the recent revaluation required every five years by state statutes, The revaluation saw real property values balloon some 56%, according Borer, when she outlined her proposal two weeks ago. In an open letter in last week’s edition she outlined the progress accomplished by her administration in the past year, and what is hoped to be accomplished in the new fiscal year, beginning July 1.
For most city residents, the number they are most concerned with is the bottom line. The proposed budget shows an increase of about $5 million over the current fiscal year, attributed to inflation and other economic pressures. The rise is only 2.6%, according to the mayor.
Given the revaluation numbers, Borer said a decrease in the mill rate is reflected in the spending plan
“To mitigate the impact, we lowered the mill rate from 36.57 to 25.76 and reduced the Allingtown mill rate from 11 to 8,” she announced. The Fire Dept. of West Haven—Allingtown is under the operation of the city since the fire district was dissolved more than decade ago. The other two departments, First Taxation District (Center) and the West Shore Fire Department remain independent, and will announce their proposed budgets to be finalized in May over the next several weeks.
A homeowner can expect a tax of $25.76 per thousand of assessed value as the tax for the coming year, not including fire taxes.
The breakdown of this year’s budget sees the Education Department getting $93.8 million to operate the school system in FY2026. This is a total $1.7 million increase over the current year.
The annual public hearing is the only public act of the City Council, which then does a total review of the spending plan over the next four weeks. This is done as a committee-of-the-whole under the direction of the chairman of the Finance Committee. The session, once called to order is only suspended, not adjourned to ensure the quorum rules can be applied. A final budget ordinance must be passed by the first Thursday of May.
Still to be determined once the City Council gives its go-ahead is the Municipal Accountability Review Board. Under the Tier IV designation the city has come under for the past several years, the budget, though passed by the City Council, must still be approved by MARB. In the past the panel has imposed its own revisions of the budget, including tax increases.
MARB has mentioned some concerns during the preliminary budget-making process, including its concerns about underfunded fire pensions in the city’s independent fire districts.
Mayor Borer is hoping this is the last budget to go under official scrutiny by the panel, which has sat overseeing the city’s finances since December of 2017. It was thought the panel would see its way out of the city in the near future, though some officials have said privately they wonder if this year will be the year of exit.
Dear Felicia
Back-to-back missives to go with back-to-back isshews. Jest like the old days, honeybunch. Cuz of the way the budget was presented, we moved the last issue back to last week, but still wanna keep our original schedule as close to what it was as possible. Over the years whenever we moved things around, it created a ripple effect that pushed things back and made for more problems later. This year, we are trying something a bit different. It makes for a lotta work here in the office, but it’s better than sitting around and doing things as they come.
Here in the Asylum by the Sea, we’re gettin’ the “colder by the shore” mantra that the weathermen and gals talk about. It has been exactly that. Whilst other parts of the state were enjoying some balmy weather for this time o’ year, our temps have hovered around 50 and the wind jest keeps comin’ off the Sound with a fury. There were a couple days that Cobina thought she was gonna have to hold onto something else she’d be carried away. Spring weather don’t come to these parts until mid-May if we’re lucky. Sooo, keep the thermals and sweaters handy. We’ll need ‘em.
Tennyrate, whilst we’re talking about the Sound a couple things came to mind via Sammy Bluejay. We see the City Council gave its approval to the “Kelsey,” the new wedding venue that is gonna use the former Phyllis’, Casino, Conference Center as its venue. The okay came last week, finally, and there are high hopes that – barring another lawsuit from a certain neighbor – things will git off the ground this time.
Lawsuits are a concern cuz it was court proceedings that deep sixed the NEBCO project. It was given approvals, and then languished for two years due to judicial foot stomping caused by…well, you know. Iyam sure effen there is a problem or supposed problem, we will find out soon enuff whether a summons will appear. I’m sure the thought has crossed the minds of more than a few since the approval was given.
Continuing on things that hafta do with the Sound or its environs, I asked Sammy effen he’d heard anything new about the former Debonair Motel property. Word was a few months back that things were starting to percolate over there with a new owner, but not much has been heard since.
Let’s jest hope that its “drawing board” stuff that is being taken care of by those in the know, and that a plan for the site will be proffered soon enough. That site has languished like none other , and having something put over there that will be enhancing to the neighborhood would be most welcome.
A little further down the road – two-plus speed humps, methinks – is the new restaurant where the Chick’s Drive-in used to be. Work seems to be progressing on that, and there was some talk about a May opening, hoping for Memorial Day. We shall see.
As Sammy sez, things are moving along down there, but one property that probably won’t be considered anytime soon is the former Captain’s Galley site. That is now seven feet or so below the roadbed, and one wonders effen that makes the entire parcel outta reach, literally and figuratively. Many of the homes that used to be in the area have been razed cuz of the flooding over there, and one wonders if the place is up for consideration for anything. Sammy ain’t heard anything about the site in quite the while, and with the new geography, probably won’t anytime soon.
~~~
Keeping with the topic of redevelopment, development or buildings, we see a kerfuffle has arisen betwixt the city and the owners of the property that jest happens to be right across from our little office on the Post Road. It seems the owner and the city were involved in some correspondence and the owner went to the local daily papyrus. Now, I dunno what to make of it all, but Cobina seems to think based on what she has read that this is a great case of the English language being a hindrance rather than a help.
Many times, people read things with a certain inflection or with a certain ingrained attitude and what might be meant by the writer to be perfectly reasonable is seen by the reader as a cause for consternation. Heck, I’ve seen that in little things like emails. People will send an email for something and a reader will take offense cuz he or she has inflected a different word than the writer, jest reading it and processing it in the head.
What we’ve seen is perty vanilla as far was what city officials sent to the developer, and even though the property has been approved in the past for some type of sports facility, it ain’t outside the purview of the Planning and Zoning people to wanna have a general idea of what’s being planned. In fact, it seems effen they didn’t do it one could say the P&Z isn’t doing its due diligence.
Cobina called it a kerfuffle, and thinks when all this is rinsed out nary a slight will be seen by anyone. We shall see effen Iyam right about this Whilst thinking about this, though, I hafta admit, I started calling it by what it was known in the 50s and 60s: Topp’s. That was a large discount store and stayed that way until the 1970s, when discount houses went out of fashion. Now they’re back, but they are called “dollar stores.”
Like the Bard said, “A rose by any other name…”
~~~
The Wag came in and wanted to talk about the budget hearing that is set for tonight at the Harriett Nawth Room of the Actors Colony at 6:30. He perused the budget as we published it last week, and was interested in the commint that the tax rate is going down.
He pernted out he thought the term “tax cut” on the mill rate was a bit misleading as the revaluation of the city’s properties every five years has its effects. According to the mayor, the property values went up by almost half, and keeping the mill rate the same would have seen an exodus the like of which we ain’t ever seen.
Soooo, the cutting of the mill rate is a given under the circumstances. The key, as he pernted out, is whether the new mill rate costs the average taxpayer more than last year, or less than last year. ‘Twas it ever thus.
This has been a topic Cobina has seen since she can’t remember when. Each time the revaluation process is got through and – most of the time – property values increase (though she remembers when they went down a few times) this cutting of the tax rate is done. The proof of whether it’s a real tax cut or not is whether it costs people less in the long run.
Any bets?
~~~
Nelly Nuthatch was interested in the spring fling the city’s Republican Town Committee is planning. A simple get-together of the political clan. One wonders whether there is still a political clan to be gathered. It ain’t no secret that people have dropped off the GOP Town Committee and that there has been factionalism to beat the band over there for years; though, for the life of me I can’t figger out what the fighting is all about. The party ain’t one an election in 36 years, coming close one, and that was by a candidate that half the party hated.
Nelly noted that the ninth districk is trying to git people interested, and one can understand why. The ninth and tenth seem to be where many GOP types might be located given the elections results. Still, the party has to get some new faces involved and build itself up to something other than a coffee klatch. It also has to come together under one ledership and have a message.
In other words, it has to build itself into a real political party and not whatever it has been for the last three-plus decades. Having a one-party city is not good and has not helped this berg move forward in any meaningful way. One need only look at New Haven to see the stagnation that 70 years of one party has done to that city. We are halfway there. That’s not something to be proud of.
~~~
Iva Lootey came by and sez that his traversing of the Brown Street neighborhood has him convinced the Washington School is gonna be open on time. After looking like a job site for more than 18 months, the site is starting to take shape with landscaping jest beginning including access and other things.
Cobina still thinks it has a look like a typical institution, but that’s the way they are building these cookie cutter things. All utility and no style. Not like the noble building it replaced. That was a beauty.
Still, it’s nice to know that things in the berg can be planned and constructed and be one time or near time. There are still a few weeks left before the deadline, but effen she were a betting gal, Cobina would say a late May opening is in the cards.
~~~
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next mitt luff und kizzez,
Behind the Stacks
937-4233
Welcome to Behind the Stacks, your go-to column from the West Haven Library! We here at the library are always looking for fun, creative ways to provide educational and recreational experiences for children and adults alike. Part of this mission is partnering with some wonderful CT organizations to provide our patrons with discounted tickets to a multitude of activities in the area. With the warmer weather upon us (and Spring Break rapidly approaching), take a trip to the Beardsley Zoo or a number of CT State Parks! Our zoo pass allows for a discounted admission price to just $10 per person for up to 6 people, while the CT State Parks pass covers entrance fees to the centers and historical buildings at Gillette Castle, Fort Trumbull, and Dinosaur State Parks for up to 2 adults and 4 children. We also have passes for discounted admission at the EverWonder, Discovery, and Stepping Stones children’s museums! Both the Discovery and EverWonder Museums boast exhibits to spark imagination and learning in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math related fields. At Stepping Stones, play is essential for life-long learners to cultivate and shape their own educational journey. You can also receive half-off admission at a beloved local favorite, The Shoreline Trolley Museum in East Haven–please note this museum is not open all year round, so it is always best to call ahead! Take a trip to Hartford and visit the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art; our pass allows for two free general admission tickets for adults (children 17 and under are free). While in Hartford, swing by the CT Science Center to keep the fun and learning going! The library has coupons for a 20% discount for up to 4 people. The goal to provide our community with educational and recreational resources is paramount here at the West Haven Library!
Speaking of Spring Break, our librarians are hard at work preparing lots of activities to keep your young ones occupied! On Monday 4/14, kids ages 5-14 can join us for a Spring Break Theatre Workshop with award winning teacher, director, and Theatre Department Chair: Ingrid Schaeffer. This program is generously sponsored by CT Humanities. We’ve also got crafts galore to keep the creativity flowing over break! All April long, our Ora Mason branch will have Take and Make Decoupage craft kits available. Little ones can also drop-in for a Spring Chick craft! Participate in our Faerie House Program at the Main Library and return your completed house to the Graham Room by 5/16 and attend the Wee Faerie Village Party at Ward-Heitmann House on 5/21 and see your house on display. Create and color No-Sew Bunnies or make Mini Perler Bead designs during in-person crafts at Main. All crafts are available while supplies last! All ages are welcome to attend a special story hour at Ora Mason with Ann Shapiro, Executive Director from the CT Storytelling Center. Ann will showcase the art of storytelling and singing together using folk instruments and assistance from some of her finger puppets!
In an exciting collaboration with the International Festival of Arts and Ideas as part of their 30th anniversary, West Haven Library will also host an all-ages community discussion of the book, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury on April 15th. We will mingle and enjoy refreshments, discuss the book and its themes, and hand out complimentary copies of the book (while supplies last). Adults can kick off Spring Break on April 12th with some grown up time, enjoying a screening of the film Love Hurts at the Main Library. During the week, adults are welcome to attend an Open Mic Night in celebration of National Poetry, a Mortgage Education Seminar, or join one of our ongoing Cross Stitch or Quilting clubs! Finally, relax after a long week of no school with our Saturday morning Yoga class on April 19th.
Beginning next week, you will be able to reserve our museum passes yourself through our website at westhavenlibrary.org; you can also view our site to see what other upcoming events we have planned, as well as check age restrictions and registration requirements for each! As always, feel free to call the library directly with any questions or for more information at 203-937-4233 – Have a happy and healthy Spring Break!
Michelle Wu’s perverse morality
By Rich Lowry
Syndicated Columnist
The Mayor of Boston wants everyone to know that her city is all about the fundamentally American value of protecting lawbreakers.
Michelle Wu, a first-term Democrat, is a fierce defender of Boston’s sanctuary city policies that seek to frustrate federal immigration enforcement.
She sees a direct connection between King George and President Donald Trump. The British monarch imposed the Intolerable Acts of 1774, which closed Boston Harbor and restricted self-government in Massachusetts; the president of the United States sent his border czar to arrest criminal aliens.
Separated by 250 years, these two actions both supposedly raise the question: Just how much tyranny can the Cradle of Liberty tolerate?
Wu declared in her State of the City address last week: “No one tells Boston how to take care of our own. Not kings, and not presidents who think they are kings. Boston was born facing down bullies.”
It is a strange reversal of values when the government agency that wants to remove people who have broken laws is the “bully,” and the people who committed the crimes are the victims.
The Boston mayor exemplifies the perverse morality of a Left that pushed Joe Biden to create a de facto open border, and then defended his cataclysmic handiwork to the last. Now, with Trump delivering on his enforcement promises and benefiting in the polls, progressives like Wu still can’t give up their near-theological commitment to illegal immigration.
For much of the Left, illegal immigration isn’t so much about gaining additional voters in the future — although that’s a consideration — than triumphing over the artificial constraint of a border that shouldn’t separate us.
“We may not always agree or see eye to eye,” Wu said of her fellow Bostonians in her address, “but at the end of the day, we are a family. If you come for one of us, you will get all of us.”
This is a banal sentiment that plays on natural feelings; no one is against family togetherness. But there is a distinction between a law-abiding, civically engaged member of Boston’s community and someone from Honduras who crossed the southern border illegally twice, traveled to Boston because it was a cheap bus ticket, and got jailed on a drunk-driving rap.
That Wu can’t tell the difference isn’t a symptom of her generosity but of her ideologically besotted vision.
In a sweep intended to highlight the danger of sanctuary policies, ICE in Boston last week arrested 370 illegal aliens. More than 200 of the arrestees reportedly had significant criminal convictions or charges, including for homicide, rape and manslaughter. Just members of the Boston family, right, Mayor Wu?
Boston’s sanctuary law allows the police to cooperate with immigration authorities regarding offenders charged with offenses like sex and drug trafficking, but otherwise is meant to obstruct the deportation of illegal immigrants.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, during the Biden years, sanctuary jurisdictions released roughly 22,000 immigrants from jail that ICE was seeking for deportation. At the very least, this makes ICE’s job more difficult; at the worst, it results in entirely avoidable tragedies.
Last year in New York City, an illegal immigrant released into the country by the Biden administration in 2022 brutally raped a woman when the city refused to hand him over to ICE after a prior arrest. The New York Times headlined its story, “How a Migrant Accused of Rape Was Freed and Charged with Rape Again.” And yet sanctuary supporters like Wu dare to assume a posture of great righteousness.
There is a sign that some Democrats realize their error. Asked on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” if there’s anything that he likes about Trump’s second term, Senator Bernie Sanders cited the president’s work at the border and acknowledged Joe Biden should have done more. In other words, Biden’s abdication was too much even for the socialist.
It’s Wu, though, who still speaks for much of the party, in a voice that is resolutely clueless.
Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.
(c) 2025 by King Features Synd., Inc.
Editorial
With the coming of spring, the venerable tradition of “spring cleaning” is still practiced in many homes in West Haven and elsewhere. This could include indoor and outdoor tasks to cull out things that may have collected, or to repair damage, or blemishes that occurred during the past winter. Either way, spring cleaning is an annual task to make things a bit brighter and newer to go along with the revival of life dormant through the cold season.
We are seeing it all around as residents have used the (barely perceptible) warming to begin getting their grounds in order. Repairs are being made, touchups applied where needed and, now that the crocuses have appeared, yard work is becoming a weekend task again.
While many do take the opportunity to make their homes and spaces better, we find that in our little corner of the universe, many do not. This is particularly the case for many places where absentee ownership is the rule of the day. Over the last couple of decades properties have become accumulations of investors, rather than owned by those who would live in them. Many use property management companies that do regular maintenance as part of their contractual obligations, but just as many smaller clusters of properties, owned by individuals or consortiums, are too concentrated on collecting rents than making sure their properties are well maintained.
One example of this, and one we have discussed on various occasions, is the allowance of tenants to use front lawns as parking areas. One needs only to travel along any major downtown thoroughfare to understand what we mean. The parking of vehicles on front lawns depreciates the area, not only the particular property.
Property ownership includes a responsibility to maintain one’s grounds as well as one’s building. While many take this responsibility seriously, too many do not.
Keeping the city clean is a combined effort. While the city and its various departments have tasks to accomplish, such as rebuilding sidewalks and streets, property owners must do their part.
This includes business properties, not only those along major thoroughfares, but those in every part of the city. While it is only anecdotal, it seems in those places where businesses and industries fail to properly maintain their areas, homeowners follow suit.
Prior to the end of last summer, an announcement was made by the Borer administration that various departments would be included in aiding prod property owners into keeping up their areas. We encourage the administration to enter this new season with renewed vigor in this regard. For most a letter or notice is all it will take, while others might need something a bit more stringent.
Keeping the city clean, maintaining its neighborhoods and businesses, and engendering an attitude of city pride are a joint effort of the private and public sectors of the city. Expecting the city to do its part while failing to make individual private properties at their best will not accomplish the goal.
This is a citywide effort, requiring resident property owners, absentee owners, businesses, and municipal departments to work together.
We all want a cleaner, brighter city. It can only come about if we work together.
Spooky clan
The Addams Family spooked the city over the weekend with the West Haven Theater Workshop presented its spring production in the school’s auditorium to appreciative audiences.
Having a will necessary in estate planning
By Attorney Mark A. Healey
Local Attorney
For most people, thinking and talking about estate planning is unpleasant, to say the least. Taking the next step to create the plan is something many people have procrastinated about for years. After all, who wants to deal with such a depressing subject?
Over the years, we’ve heard from many clients who feel that they don’t have enough assets to justify creating a Will or that they have plenty of time to figure it out later. However, life is unpredictable, and not having a Will in place can create serious problems and conflicts for families. Without one, Connecticut laws determine how assets are distributed and that can lead to unnecessary complications and unintended outcomes. Taking the time now can save a lot of stress and financial burden later. Contacting an experienced, trustworthy attorney to begin the process can help alleviate the awkwardness or uneasy feelings you may have on the subject.
Although there are many reasons why you should have a Will, here are five good reasons to consider:
Keeps Family Out of Conflict – When a loved one passes away without a will, the laws of the State of Connecticut dictate how assets are distributed. In short, assets are distributed along blood lines. This means that certain relatives, close friends or even a significant other may be left out. It can also mean that certain relatives can be left IN. A Will eliminates uncertainty by spelling out exactly who is to receive the assets and how they should be divided. A Will can prevent legal disputes and strained relationships.
Protects Young Children – If you are responsible for minor children or grandchildren, a Will allows you to choose a guardian for the minor should something happen to you unexpectedly. Without a Will, the court will have the final decision, which may not align with your wishes. Naming a guardian in advance ensures children are cared for by someone they know and trust and more importantly, someone you know and trust.
Avoids Costly Delays – The probate process, which oversees the distribution of the decedent’s assets, is governed by State of Connecticut Law which establishes a minimum timeline. The minimum timeline is quite often extended to an average or longer timeline for many reasons. One reason is usually due to the lack of a Will. In extreme cases, the lack of having a Will can delay the probate process for months—or even years— if legal proceedings become necessary to determine the outcome of distribution of assets. A properly executed Will can streamline this process, saving time and the expenses associated with lengthy court proceedings.
Makes Sure Assets Go to the Right People – Family dynamics have changed drastically over the last decade. Children are becoming the caregivers of their parents or helping them financially on a much larger scale. “Inheritance equality” may not always be the decision that works for your family and your circumstances. A Will ensures that money, property, and personal belongings go to the intended recipients and are divided the way you see fit and not how the state law dictates. Whether it’s a home, savings, or sentimental heirlooms, a Will ensures you are in charge of the distribution of your assets.
Gives Peace of Mind – Another decision you make when preparing your Will is who will have the authority to carry out your decisions? Who do YOU trust to make sure your wishes are carried out in the manner you wanted them to be? Your Will is the document that conveys this relationship to the Probate Court. You are naming the person/persons you trust to do this very important task. If you are putting your trust in the Executor/trix you have appointed, the Probate Court will do the same. It may also save the Estate money by alleviating the need for a bond and the cost that is associated with it, make it easier to gather asset information, and allow for a timelier liquidation of assets. Knowing you put someone in charge, who you trust will get the job done, gives you a piece of mind and lessens anxiety on the process.
Creating a Will is a crucial first step, but it’s just as important to keep it updated. Life changes—such as marriages, divorces, new grandchildren, or significant financial shifts—can affect how assets should be distributed. I recommend reviewing a Will every five years to ensure it still reflects current wishes and circumstances. Keeping your Will up to date ensures that no important details are overlooked and that loved ones remain protected.
If you own assets, on your own or joint with someone else, it is an extremely good idea to have a Will prepared. The Will represents your voice and your decisions. Think of your Will as a gift to those you leave behind. During a time of loss, a Will can bring clarity, direction, and simplification to an already confusing and stressful time. In my line of work, I have come across many different opinions on whether or not you “need” a Will, or what a Will does or doesn’t do. I have heard many people offer the advice of their neighbor as to why they do not see a need to have this important document in place. Although your neighbor means well, they may not have the most up to date information and knowledge of the law that will help you make the right decision for you and your family. My team and I are here to answer any questions you may have in order to help you do just that.
Call my office today at (203) 937-6500 or email [email protected] to schedule your initial consultation. Don’t wait until it’s too late—start planning today.
Historian’s Corner
By Dan Shine
Voice Columnist
When The Flying Horses
Came To West Haven
Part One
When most people mention Savin Rock — Giuliano’s Savin Rock Arcade on Beach Street comes to mind. That’s where THE carousel lived, which everyone simply called the Flying Horses. Its official name was PTC No. 21, short for Philadelphia Toboggan Company No. 21, and it first arrived at Savin Rock in 1912 as part of Fred Wilcox’s Long Pier. It might come as a surprise to learn that PTC No. 21 was only one of at least a dozen major carousels that once called Savin Rock home through the years.
Beginning as early as the 1870’s the first carousel at Savin Rock was a human-powered affair built by George Kelsey, owner of the West Haven Buckle Company, the New Haven & West Haven Horse Railroad that connected New Haven to Savin Rock, and a luxury hotel located on the corners of Beach and Grove streets called the Seaview. That carousel was soon replaced with a horse-powered version that became famous for two reasons. First, the horse had a fondness for chewing tobacco and it drew big crowds as both riders and spectators.
The second reason was more chilling, since the flying horses played a role in the famous Jennie Cramer murder of 1881. That affair involved the Malley boys of New Haven (yes, those Malleys, of the famed department store), who were accused of drugging a young lady with arsenic after taking her for countless rides on the carousel only to then panic when she overdosed. They threw her body into the LI Sound to make it look like she drowned. But that’s a story for another day.
In addition to the carousel and hotel, Kelsey oversaw the construction of the the Long Pier, which offered ferry service to Lighthouse Point and New Haven, as well as the Grove, complete with a large fountain and bandstand, where John Philip Sousa once performed. While some viewed the Grove as pleasant open space amid the bustling resort, others saw it as an opportunity knocking.
Two of those opportunists were young brothers from Brooklyn, NY, Timothy and Bartholomew Murphy. For these young entrepreneurs, Savin Rock was the perfect incubator for their fledgling carousel manufacturing and amusement concession businesses. If the Murphy boys had their way, they planned on transforming Savin Rock into another Coney Island. It didn’t take long for them to find a local supporter. His name was George Cameron, who bought the Sea View Hotel, where the two young Irishmen took rooms in season beginning in 1906. The Golden Age of Savin Rock was about to unfold.
To be continued…
Guest Historian: Peter J. Malia: Author of Visible Saints: The Colonial History of West Haven, available from Barnes & Noble and www.connecicutpress.com.
Voice still looking for local writers
The Voice is still looking for resident correspondents, who want to help convey items of interest to their fellow West Haveners. The response has been promising, and the newspaper’s editorial staff is trying to keep the interest going.
A few weeks ago, the Voice announced a new initiative to bring back something that was once a staple of this city’s newspaper heritage: resident correspondents. For many decades, citizen reporters would let the newspaper know what was going on in their neighborhoods or sections of the city. It was a successful way to get the word out.
“With the coming of Internet and electronic communications, much of that work is done on social media, but it doesn’t have to be an either/or situation. It can be a both/and,” said Voice Editor Bill Riccio.
The paper has had some initial interest, and some writers are working on some stories for future publication. Others have answered or inquired about writing, said Riccio, but have not followed through after the initial inquiry.
“One of the good things about the new initiative is a success already,” said Riccio. “The ‘Behind the Stacks’ column has given the library system an outlet that we once had on a regular basis, but through time just faded away. The new feature will keep the library and its events on the front burner and remind its many users what is going on.”
Once implemented fully, the paper hopes to have neighborhood correspondents that will let the public know what is going on in the various sections of the city.
“But it’s not limited to that,” said Riccio. “What we are envisioning is a rotation of business and professionals as well, who can let the readership know what is going on in their professional spheres that affects the general public.”
This type of writing helps at certain times of the year, like tax time, when a tax expert reminds people of the updated tax laws. This can be extended to other professions, such as the legal profession.
“In this edition, our outreach has resulted in local attorney Mark Healey writing an informative piece about estate planning and wills. That is something everyone needs to know as the make their individual plans,” Riccio said. “Other professionals have come forward and have been asked to submit copy for review.”
It is hoped that over the next several weeks, the number of resident correspondents will grow, and the variety of information offered by the publication will expand.
Voice eyes re-up of youth sports
As part of its initiative to generate more information coming from the public, the Voice is seeking writer/correspondents for the various spring and summer youth programs offered in various sports.
Currently, only the West Haven Youth Soccer League sends regular, weekly information to the newspaper during its spring and fall seasons. Other sports have slowly faded over the years.
“It used to be we had to make room for youth sports throughout the seasons, but leagues have not kept up with the demand,” said Editor Bill Riccio. “We have had complaints about the lack of youth sports coverage and have to tell the parents and coaches that it is up to the league to have a publicist for that task.”
Those who desire to submit youth sports articles will have until Monday prior to the publication at 4 p.m. as the deadline. Stories are subject to editing and cutting as do all submissions.
“We are not looking for just scores, we want kids’ names in the paper,” Riccio said. “The best way for that to happen is for the leagues to re-up their effort to get the word out.”
The stories will not only appear in the print edition of the paper, but its online edition and in its social media platforms. Writers will be given a byline.
WHHS Sports Roundup
Johnstone named first ND girls coach
A city man, who dabbles as a City Councilman, is going into the history books come the 2025-2006 school year. Steve Johnstone was recently named the first women’s soccer coach at Notre Dame of West Haven, heralding in the beginning of its life as a co-educational institution, and beginning a new chapter in his storied athletic history.
With the inclusion of women in its class of 2029, the school enters a new chapter, and with all the other components to accommodate females, must add programs for interscholastic athletics. Soccer will be the first offering for Notre Dame, and the pedigree of its new coach means the new program will be in good shape.
Johnstone played his scholastic soccer at Christian Heritage School in Trumbull as a four-year starter and captain his senior year. He then earned a walk-on scholarship at Nyack College, but finished his collegiate career at Eastern Nazarene College as a three-year starter and captain.
He played one year semi-professional ball with the New York Metro Stars, and then took up the whistle as a coach, working 13 years for the Ole Soccer training program out of Fiarfield County, which was followed up by coaching stints at Notre Dame of Fairfield (now Notre Dame Prep) Stratford High School and Haddam=Killingworth Regional High School. He took a job at Mitchell College as well, coaching there for two seasons.
But it was time to start a family, and with it came a hiatus in his coaching career.
“When my wife and I started our family five years ago the deal was that if I were to coach at the higher levels again that it would have to be local,” he said. “I’ve had so many interviews since then, but unfortunately due to union contracts with teachers, the job was always awarded to someone else. But when Notre Dame announced they were looking for a girls soccer coach I had to throw my name in the hat. And now to be able to coach in my hometown where I grew up and where my family has lived since before West Haven was even founded is pretty special.”
Not only that, the West Havener has been itching to get back to the sidelines, and the Notre Dame job filled a void he’s been feeling.
“I’m overjoyed and thrilled to be given this opportunity. I’ve been looking for a local coaching job for a long time,” he said
The announcement was a high point in a year that has seen its own special setbacks. Johnstone had to take a hiatus from his Tenth District City Council duties earlier, when it was determined he had suffered a heart attack at a young age. This job was just the thing to rebound from the ailment.
“To say the last year has been crazy is the ultimate understatement. Having a heart attack at the age of 37, celebrating the birth of my second daughter two weeks later, and then running for State Senate, it’s been one wild ride. Believe me, the Good Lord and I have had many discussions during that time but it’s been really cool to see it all come together,” he said.
On his coaching career, Johnstone has taken on assignments that have been varied, but always presented a certain challenge.
“Usually in the past I’ve always been brought in to fix programs that no one wanted or programs that we’re in severe need of overhaul. Not this time. This is my shot and my chance to show what I can do. I’m still considered to be very young on the coaching scale. The part I’m looking forward to the most is developing a culture. I want everyone to know I’m not here to play soccer politics. I’m here to compete, be successful on and off the field and get my players ready for the real world to make a positive impact. You’re going to hear me say it early and often, ‘No one is above the team.’ I can’t wait to get started and the fall can’t come soon enough,” he said.
Notre Dame is just as excited having Johnstone on its nascent female sports roster. Athletic Director Jason Shea was lavish in his praise.
“We are thrilled to welcome Steve to the Notre Dame athletic community as our first-ever girls’ head soccer coach. His extensive experience and success as a player, college coach, and high school coach make him the ideal leader to build our soccer program,” Shea said. “Equally important, Steve’s deep commitment to his community and public service—especially in West Haven—will serve as an inspiring example for the young women in our soccer program. We are confident that his leadership will instill the values and traditions of the Holy Cross mission in our student-athletes.”
Notre Dame High School was the first school founded by the Brothers of Holy Cross. Today, there are 22 Holy Cross high schools across the United States, all of which began as single-gender institutions. With our transition to coeducation, we are proud to become the 20th Holy Cross high school to welcome young women into our community.
He resides with his wife, Allie, and daughters, Allena (4) and Fiona (1).