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The week in photos – October 25, 2018
Seahawks head into first round
The West Haven Seahawk Junior Peewee Team (7-1) will advance to the Pop Warner playoffs this weekend as the number-one seed after a 28-0 win over the New Britain Raiders.
Aedan Coe, Nick Conlon, Ethan Holy and Bryan Tillman all had rushing touchdowns. Jireh Rawlison and Tillman recovered fumbles and Conlon had an interception to preserve the shutout.
The Unlimited team beat the Amity Spartans, 14-12, in an exciting game to end the regular season. Matteo Petruzziello and Hannah Burrows each scored for the Seahawks. Israel Nicholson and Kadear Dembele played well on defense.
The Junior Varsity team fell to the New Britain Raiders, 32-0. The flag football team played well in the last games of the year and hosted Ansonia, Danbury, and Seymour. Jaden Spell, Kahill Tomlinson, Chase Stanley and Jaxon Ryan played well.
The Mighty Mite team fell to Waterbury, 26-6, in a hard fought game. Azriel Pizarro scored for the hawks and Darryl Small and Tristan Crawford ran the ball well on offense. Mighty Jackson and Erza Vereen led the team on defense.
The Mighty Mites will host Manchester in the first Road of the playoffs and the Junior Peewees will travel to Manchester on Sunday.
The Peewee team will host Stratford and the Junior Varsity will host Milford on Saturday at Veterans Field at 3 and 5 p.m. The winners of this week’s playoffs will advance to the Southern Connecticut Pop Warner championship games on Nov. 3 and 4.
U-11 Boys shutdown Wallingford
The Baybrook Remodelers, Inc. U-11 boys travel team shut-out Wallingford, 2-0, Saturday afternoon in a tightly contested game at Veteran’s Park in Wallingford. It was a back-and-forth match in the first half as both teams created opportunities. Maicon Miguel made several saves for the Westies, while Pedro Furtado, Ryan Malone, Leo Mazuroski and Mehmet Aciker controlled the midfield.
In the second half, West Haven broke through for the opening goal. Sean Studley flicked Efrain Brown’s throw-in over the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead. Late in the game, Malone’s cross was redirected by Pacey Larka and eventually knocked in for an own goal and the 2-0 scoreline. Brown, Nate Charron and Matt Panton were terrific on defense for the Westies.
The Stowe’s Seafood U-14 boys hosted Hamden at Duffy Field Saturday in their league game. The Westies came out strong with a three-goal lead behind goals from Edgar Lopez, Diego Soto and Sebastian Treat. The Westies were unable to defend the lead however, and allowed Hamden to battle their way back into the game. Late fouls, turnovers, and defensive lapses gave way to three unanswered Hamden goals. The game ended in a 3-3 tie, ending fall league play with the Westies holding a 2-1-1 record. The team will be back in action this weekend in a non-league matchup against Madison.
The Elite Soccer Camps West Haven U-14 girls traveled to Branford Saturday afternoon in an important league match-up. The Westies started the game slowly, falling behind, 2-0, early on. The girls found their groove however, and cut the deficit in half by halftime. The second half was a complete turnaround, as the Westies took control of the game, coming from 2-1 down to win, 5-2. Julia Tsakonas played well up top, supported in midfield by Brooke Flaherty. Jospehina Lakaj played well on the wing, and Brooke Throm did a superb job at outside back in the win for the Westies.
Sunday afternoon saw the Elite Soccer Camps U-12 Lightning take on the Gunning Law Firm U-12 Thunder in cold, blustery conditions. The two West Haven teams battled back and forth in the first half, with Sydni Gayle making a number of beautiful diving saves before Jaylyn Powell was able to sneak one past her to give the Lightning the 1-0 lead going into halftime. Taylor Guarino and Isabella Melissano battled each other for midfield dominance, as Ashlynn Trenchard and Amanda Fagnani had their own mini-battle going on at the outside wing.
The second half saw the teams trade shots back and forth, with the Thunder almost equalizing from an Amyah Kelly shot that was just save by Llyana Griffith-Waite in the goal for the Lightning. The Lightning soon took control, aided by the strong wind at their back. Alexandria Nunes scored a nice goal with a well-placed shot, and Powell found the back of the net again off a one timer from an Nunes cross. The Thunder did score towards the end of the game when Madyson Ortiz found the back of the net, but the Lightning prevailed, 5-1.
The Rock House School of Music West Haven U-12 boys had an exciting win,2-0, over Meriden on Saturday. Matthew Hunter played strong offensively while Brian Cruz tapped in West Haven’s first goal of the game. Bobby Severino and Tom Williams kept Meriden at bay with their strong defensive plays. During the second half, Ethan Masoperh fought through the Meriden defense for a second goal, securing the win for West Haven.
The Milano & Wanat U-10 girls shut out all three teams they faced this weekend. On Friday night, under the lights in Naugatuck, the girls won, 6-0. Valentina DeMartino was unstoppable in goal. Madison Gargiulo and Amiyah Jones showed great defense. On Saturday, the girls faced off with Cheshire at home for a 6-0 win. Cristel Miguel joined Valentina DeMartino in goal and kept Cheshire from scoring. On Sunday, the team traveled to Madison for a cold and windy afternoon game. Winning 6-0, goals were scored by Camilla Murphy (2), Kayci Gayle, Cristel Miguel, Amiyah Jones and Bella Antonucci. Great defense by Michelle Mora-Cyrus and amazing speed and footskills were shown by Marcy Funke. The team will go into their last weekend with an 11-0 season.
The Dillman & Dillman Adjusters, LLC Blue Jays won in a close contest against the Cappetta’s Italian Imports Killer Bees, coming out on top, 11-9. Stella Porto once again led the offensive attack with multiple goals, while Brooklynn Omara and Julissa Oliveras showed excellent footwork, with Allison Buccheri playing great defense for the Blue Jays. For the Cappetta’s, Annabelle Fiorillo, Luciana Cappetta, and Kylie McCoart all scored. Kai Ruotolo played strong defense.
The Lions Club of West Haven Red Lions played Elsie Encarnacion-State Farm Ins., winning 9-7. Bastian Tandazo led the way for the Red Lions with a flurry of goals. Adam Lennon and Jackson Schoeman also both played very well for the Red Lions scoring two goals each. Trent Fagan contributed well to the team with excellent defense.
The CT Pest Elimination Blue Dragons won, 6-2, against Lacistrong Gold. Jaire Brus Setzer and Jaxon Cruz scored for the Blue Dragons, Jacob Colón and Olive Payne showed their growing skills by taking some great throw-ins and goal kicks. The Elite Soccer Camps Green Beans won, 8-3, against Dillman & Dillman Adjusters, LLC. Ryan Abekah led the scoring for the Green Beans, with Jax Guarino and Ben Trenchard both picking up assists. Trenchard also added a nice goal of his own after he dribbled past three defenders. Christley Lops, Avielle Bernardo and Reagan Kennedy all did well defensively. Seth Empiric and Layla Nesmith worked hard, and Matteo D’Elia added a nice goal for the Green Beans. For Dillman & Dillman, Danna Kodjo, Dzaky Hermawan and Andres Cedillo all played well.
The Bohemian Body Art Golden Dragons played Porto Funeral Homes, winning 5-0. Joel Forbes-Wolf, Andrew Loehn and Mason Panton all played great for the Golden Dragons.
The Shoreline Wellness Center U-10 Red Devils played a tough game against Cappetta’s Italian Imports Green Warriors, ultimately losing, 5-1. Jaelyn Clark, Emilia Yavagnilio played strong throughout the game. Vrinda Patel and Viviana Cuevas did a great job playing midfield for the Red Devils. For the Green Warriors, Amiyah Jones and Mariella Cappetta scored, while Haliegh McCarthy was strong in goal.
The Oyster River Energy Soccer Rockers tied the Stars Ice Cream Blue Seals, 3-3. Julianna Mancini scored a great goal with a long range shot from just inside the box. Asia Ford had a great game in goal making some key saves. At midfield, Summer Krajcir controlled the pace of the game and got the ball wide to the flanks. For the Blue Seals, Nada El Mouki scored two goals. Carnasia Shabazz, Camille Merritt, and Ezri Ramirez played good defense.
The Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center Pythons won a thriller against Eli’s Orange, 4-2, scoring two goals in the last two minutes to secure the win. The Mulkerin School of Irish Dancing Mighty Leprechauns tied Seacrest Retirement Center, 3-3. Top Hat Dance Academy and Watson Foods Co, LLC both played hard in a scoreless draw, while West Shore Family Dental and the York Business Center also tied, 0-0. In the final game of the weekend, the West Haven Italian-American Civic Association beat the WH Professional Firefighters, 4-1. Matt Treat picked up three goals, but also helped the other team score after a botched clearance bounced off Chris Petrie and rolled into the goal.
Squirt A squad loses a weekend pair
The West Haven Squirt A travel hockey team opened the weekend with a strong win over Yale A on Saturday morning before losing a pair of games to Northeastern A and Greenwich A on Sunday. The Westies are now 8-5-1 overall on the season.
On Saturday morning at Edward L. Bennett Rink, the Westies hosted the Yale Bulldogs A team. At the end of an evenly played first period, West Haven’s Ryan Pniewski passed to Jonathan Charbonneau for a shot from the blue line. Ethan Kelly redirected the puck past the goaltender for the 1-0 lead. Yale tied it half way through the second period, before Sean Studley went five-hole on a breakaway with Cameren Lipford assisting to give the Westies a 2-1 lead.
Lipford was later denied on his own breakaway, but Ethan Kelly buried the rebound and West Haven led 3-1 going into the third period. Just 14 seconds into the third, Studley’s backhand redirection of Leo Mazuroski’s point shot made it 4-1. Yale made it 4-2 with a short-handed goal, but the Blue Devils capitalized on the power play when Studley found Lipford in front for a wrist shot. Maddex LaFountain made the lead stand up and finished with 15 saves to earn the win between the pipes for West Haven.
The Blue Devils headed to Storrs on Sunday morning to face the Northeastern Huskies on the UConn campus. UConn assistant coach and West Haven native Joe Pereira arranged for a tour of the UConn Huskies locker room before the game. Northeastern jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, before Studley hit ahead to Lipford who coolly cashed in the breakaway to cut it to 2-1. The Huskies scored the only goal of the second period, but Ethan Kelly took the opening faceoff of the third period directly to the net and jammed it home to make the score 3-2. Northeastern scored a power play goal later in the game and the Westies could not find the back of the net again and fell 4-2. LaFountain made 18 saves in the game.
The Westies returned home to face Greenwich on Sunday afternoon at Bennett Rink. The speedy Greenwich team opened a 7-0 lead through two periods before West Haven got on the board. Lipford ripped a wrist shot with Studley assisting to make it 7-1. Studley scored off a scramble in front of the Greenwich net and later added another goal with Ethan Kelly assisting, but Greenwich was too much and skated to the 8-3 win. LaFountain recorded 13 saves in net for the Westies.
The West Haven Peewee A travel hockey team split a pair of games this weekend. The Westies fell to ECHO in Bolton on Saturday, before rebounding to defeat Greenwich Skate Club at home Sunday morning.
On Saturday, after a scoreless first period, ECHO took control of the game with six second period goals on its way to a 7-4 victory over the Westies. Mickey Dowd led the way with three goals, while Zach Goetze added two assists.
Dowd get West Haven on the board with an unassisted goal to start the third period, before Haygen Axelrod scored off an assist from Ray Heenie. Goetze set up Dowd twice in the final three minutes, but the comeback fell short.
West Haven rebounded with a 7-3 victory over Greenwich Skate Club Sunday morning in West Haven. Goetze led the way with three goals, Mike Page scored twice, Michael Madera had one goal and three assists, and Dowd added one goal and two assists.
Trailing 1-0, Page evened the contest with an unassisted goal with 4:26 remaining in the first period. Dowd gave the Westies the lead for good when he scored off an assist from Madera 1:48 later.
Goetze scored a power play goal off an assist from Madera 2:07 into the second for a 3-1 lead, before the same combination connected again as Goetze’s second goal gave the Westies a 4-1 lead.
Goetze scored his third straight goal, this one short-handed, for a 5-1 lead 3:54 into the third. Dowd set up Page, and Madera scored West Haven’s final goal, both in the final five minutes for a 7-2 advantage.
Bryan Hong and Jacob Silva were stellar in goal, while Heenie, Bruno Martone, Dylan Bosworth, Axelrod and Jason Alling played solid defensively.
The West Haven Youth Hockey Bantam A travel hockey team won both games it played this weekend, knocking off both their opponents in their two games of the weekend.
On Saturday, the Blue Devils welcomed the Putnam Panthers and skated to a 9-0 win.
Mike Alfano got the scoring started early in the first period with an unassisted goal. Anthony Peschell netted one shortly after with Carl Murgo getting the helper. Later in the first, Alfano scored his second of the contest with Luca Ubaldi getting the assist.
Matt Morgan scored a minute later to bring the score to 4-0 at the end of the first period. Morgan scored again to start the second period, with an assist coming from Joe D’Aurio. Cade Simone got an unassisted goal just 30 seconds later and Joey Honcz buried the puck in the back of their net with an assist from Ubaldi two minutes later.
Nolan Cole scored his first goal of the year to make it 8-0 as Sean Bosworth got the assist. Ubaldi got the final goal for the Westies to make it 9-0 on an unassisted tally. Brendan Smith and Michael Andreesen split time in goal for the combined shutout. Matt Wezenski and Colin Deane both has strong efforts in the contest.
On Sunday, the Westies took a trip down I-95 to Norwich to take on the Southeastern Seahawks and skated to a 6-1 victory.
After the Seahawks scored early in the first three minutes, Alfano scored late in the first for the Blue Devils to get the game started.
After a scoreless second period by both teams, it was all West Haven the third period. Alfano scored his second goal of the game and his fourth of the weekend with 9 minutes left in the third. Peschell scored four minutes later with Ubaldi getting the assist, and Murgo scored an unassisted goal just a minute later.
Dante Hardt scored a nice goal from a great pass from Adrian Fielosh to make it 5-1. Jayden Spreyer scored the final goal for the Westies on an unassisted tally.
Andreesen and Smith split time again in the game in goal, combining to only allow one goal and keep the Blue Devils in the game. Justin Pniewski, Ryan Bernardi and Kevin Gardner all played well in the win.
ND: X-country places 10th; gridders top Amity
Cross country places 10th at SCC Championship Meet while football wins third in a row in the latest weekly recap of ND Athletics. Meanwhile, soccer fell on a late goal to North Haven on Senior Day as the fall sports season starts to come to a close.
Football — Two fourth-quarter touchdowns by Warren Murphy, a big fake punt by Zach Hoshman and another stellar defensive showing all added up to a 21-14 win over Amity. Notre Dame won its third in a row and improved to 4-2 with the win and will return to action traveling to Cheshire on Friday.
Trailing 14-6 following a 83-yard, 12-play scoring drive by the Spartans, the Notre Dame offense responded with a score of their own. Murphy scored the first of hi stwo fourth-quarter touchdowns on a 20-yard screen pass. The ensuing two-point conversion pass to Austin Pieck knotted the game with 9:36 left. Then, Hochman performed his magic converted a fourth-down fake punt running for 17 yards, needing only seven. That resulted in Murphy’s go ahead score, a 11-yard run with 3:14 left in the game. Murphy accounted for 99 total yards for the game.
Cross-Country — Tommy Minar paved the way for the Notre Dame cross country team to place 10th at the 2018 SCC Championship Meet on Friday at East Shore Park. Minar finished the 3.1 miles in 17:41 to place 24th overall.
He was followed by underclassmen Oliver Shannon, Jacob Carson, and Ohm Patel to cross the finish line for the Green Knights. Shannon placed 56th overall in a time of 18:28. Carso and Patel crossed the finish line one after the other with Carson edging his classmate by a mere one second running in a time of 18:39. They finished 61st and 62nd overall. Notre Dame’s other runners included: Jacob Torres who ran in 18:44 and finished 69th; Anthony Bruno ran in 18:53 and Jon Katz who finished in 83rd with a time of 19:21. Notre Dame will conclude its season running in the CIAC Class L Championship Meet on Saturday at 9 at Wickham Park in Manchester.
Soccer –The soccer team suffered a 1-0 loss to North Haven on Senior Day on Friday at Veterans Field. With just under 20 minutes left, goalie Jay Brennan made a diving save off an Indian direct kick. He used every inch of his frame and deflected the ball to his right. The ball caromed off the post right to the foot of Tanner Powell, who deposited the ball into the open net for the lone score of the game. The Green Knights concluded their on Wednesday at Veterans Field.
You can get all the latest athletic news, scores, and more by following @NDWHAthletics on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Periscope while frieNDing the @NDWHAthletics Facebook group.
Devils falter v. Rams, face Gaels
The West Haven football has three losses on the season, two of those coming by a combined two yards. The Westies first loss of the season came at the hands of the North Haven Indians, when the Blue Devils were stopped inches from the goal line in a 20-19 loss.
On Friday night at Ken Strong Stadium, the Westies were stopped a yard short of the endzone as time expired in a 21-14 loss to the Cheshire Rams.
The Rams drew first blood when they capped their opening possession with a 1-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead with 6:59 left in the first quarter. The Westies responded with a drive of their own and after Juan Gutierrez plunged over the top from a yard out the boys were on the board with 58 seconds left in the quarter. A missed extra point left the Westies behind 7-6 heading into the second quarter.
Cheshire mounted another drive and increased its lead to 14-6 on a 27-yard TD run 52 seconds into the second quarter. The Blue Devils were able to respond again with a drive capped by a Jordan Berrios 1-yard touchdown run. Jaden Grant ran in the 2-point conversion to even the game 14-14 with 1:55 left in the half.
The Rams struck for a 42-yard touchdown run to take a 21-14 with 5:19 left in the third quarter. The Westies were driving but were forced to turn over the ball on downs with three minutes left in the game. A huge defensive stand by the Blue Devils’ defense allowed West Haven to get the ball back with under two minutes remaining. Jordan Berrios hit both Jaden Grant and Demerick Blackford with passes to get the Westies down to the Rams’ 4-yard line. The Blue Devils pounded the ball down to the 1-yard line but on fourth down, Jordan Berrios was stopped before reaching the endzone as time expired, sending the Rams into a frenzied celebration on a 21-14 victory.
Things don’t get any easier for the Westies when they travel to Shelton on Friday for a matchup with the undefeated Gaels at 7.
The boys soccer team began its week with a 4-2 victory over the Sheehan Titans at Ken Strong Stadium on Monday night. The Blue Devils took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Matt Ffrench 8:33 into the game, when he chipped the ball over the Titans’ keeper and into the goal. Nash Noble kept the score 1-0 when he made a spectacular, diving save that ricocheted off the crossbar with 15:50 left in the half. Aldo Barragan then extended the West Haven lead to 2-0 with 6:08 left in the first half on a set piece from 20 yards out. After the Titans cut the lead to 2-1 in the second half, Matt Ffrench made sure the Westies would come out on top when he tacked on two, more goals to complete his hat trick and lead the boys to the triumph. Nash Noble made eight saves in goal for West Haven.
On Wednesday afternoon, the boys visited the Career/Hillhouse team. Javier Yanez picked up a goal and the Westies were the beneficiary of an own goal to register a 2-0 victory. Joey Buestan-Lojano made seven saves between the pipes for West Haven. With the victory, the Blue Devils secured a spot in the CIAC playoffs.
On Saturday evening, the Blue Devils hosted the Xavier Falcons on their Senior Night. The Westies played an aggressive, high-energy first half and had numerous opportunities in the first 40 minutes. A crossing pass from the right corner eluded the feet of Javier Yanez and Massour Ourobode in the box 6:38 into the game. Yanez had another chance three minutes later but was denied from ten yards out and then Aldo Barragan made a beautiful lead pass to Derick Meza, who was denied by the Falcons’ keeper with 16:33 left in the half to keep the game scoreless. Xavier took advantage of an opportunity with 6:55 left in the half, when a bullet of a shot deflected off Nash Noble’s hands and trickled into the net just inside the far post giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead. Xavier tacked on an insurance goal in the second half for a 2-0 final. Noble made eight saves between the pipes.
The boys finished their regular season schedule with road games at Lyman Hall on Monday and at Shelton on Wednesday.
The girls soccer team started the week facing the Hand Tigers in Madison on Tuesday. The Blue Devils were unable to get the offense on track in the contest and were defeated 5-0.
On Wednesday night, the Westies hosted the Lyman Hall Trojans and picked up a 3-0 victory to help them qualify for the CIAC playoffs. After a scoreless first half, the Blue Devils got on the board in the 50th minute on a goal by Keegan Riccio. Riccio then scored her second goal of the game in the 59th minute to make it 2-0 and Kelsey Gilmore got an insurance goal in the 62nd minute for the 3-0 final. Riccio, Gilmore and Cori Severino all had assists in the win while Mackenzie Gardner stopped three Trojan shots to post her fifth shutout of the season.
The girls finished the week with a trip to East Haven to face the Yellow Jackets on Friday afternoon. The Easties scored 16:40 into the game to take a 1-0 lead and held that lead going into halftime. The second half was all Westies though and they were able to get the equalizer from Keegan Riccio for a 1-1 final. Mackenzie Gardner made seven saves in goal for the Blue Devils.
The Westies finished up their regular season when they hosted the Foran Lions on Tuesday and will prepare for the CIAC playoffs. Pairings for the tournament will be announced on Friday, Nov. 2.
The volleyball team came into last week needing two wins to qualify for postseason play. After a promising start, the Westies dropped their match against the Lauralton Hall Crusaders, 25-22, 22-25, 18-25, 18-15. Nancy Tapia had 17 digs and five kills, Irene Ronan had 10 kills and five aces, Jennifer Ortiz had eight assists and six digs while Noelle Noble had nine digs and four kills to lead the Blue Devils. Also contributing in the loss were Giliana Santaniellio with 15 assists, seven digs and four kills, Bria Stanley with six kills, four blocks and three digs and Celina Condon with eight digs.
The Westies got a step closer to the playoffs with a dominating 3-0 sweep (25-10, 25-3, 25-11) over the Platt Tech Panthers. After taking the first game, senior Veronica Lynn entered the game to a rousing ovation, for her first appearance of the season after an ACL injury last softball season. Lynn proceeded to serve the Blue Devils to an early 12-1 lead, picking up nine aces along the way. Jennifer Ortiz had nine assists and four kills, Nancy Tapia had eight aces, five kills and three digs, Irene Ronan had six aces and six kills while Noelle Noble had five aces to lead West Haven to victory.
On Thursday evening, the Westies hosted the Shelton Gaels on their Senior Night, hoping to clinch a spot in the playoffs. That would have to wait after the Gaels swept the Blue Devils, 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-19). The Westies were led by Nancy Tapia (eight kills, seven digs), Noelle Noble (five kills, five digs, four aces, two assists), Jennifer Ortiz (eight assists, two digs), Giliana Santaniello (eight assists, two kills), and Irene Ronan (four aces, three kills).
This week, the girls wrap up their regular season schedule. They finished with three road matches at Career on Monday, Platt Tech on Tuesday and at Hamden on Wednesday.
The girls swim team defeated the Guilford Indians, 96-74, on Thursday afternoon. Freshman Kaelyn Falanga led the Blue Devils with victories in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle, while Madison Hobart took the 100 backstroke and Anya Celmer won the 100 breaststroke. The Westies also got victories from the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay teams.
The girls wrapped up their season with a home meet against East Haven/Wilbur Cross on Tuesday and a road meet at Foran on Wednesday.
Around town
Harvest Fair
The annual Harvest Fairat the First & Wesley United Methodist Church, 89 Center St., is set for Saturday, Nov. 3, in the church hall from 8-3. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Featuring: crafts, baked goods, books, used jewelry, and a huge tag sale.
‘Back to Oldies’
“Back to the Oldies” makes a return to Cielo,85 Chase Lane on Saturday Nov 10 from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Charles Rosenay of Liverpool Productions is set to spin the discs while Carla Gemma Caccavale performs tickets are $20 per person and include Door Prizes,coffee and dessert. The raffle benefits MDA. For tickets call (203) 795-5473 or (203) 468-2528.
WH Garden Club
The West Haven Garden Club will hold its meeting on Thursday, Nov. 8 at the St. Louis Church meeting room, Bull Hill Road at 11:30 a.m. A luncheon will then follow and the program will be speaker Gary Zinsmeyer discussing and making Holiday Florals. Newcomers are welcome to join us. For further information call (203) 937-1674.
Chili cook-off
The First Lutheran Church, 52 George St., is sponsoring its annual Chili Cook-off on Saturday, Oct. 27 from 2- 5 p.m. A Chili Tasting Kit costs $5 and you can taste and judge different entries. Those looking to place a chili recipe in the contest should call Kyla, (203) 859-2088. The entry fee is $10.
Annual breakfast
The West Haven Irish-American Club is hosting its annual fundraiser for the scholarship fund at Applebee’s, Orange. The pancake breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 10, from 8-9:45 a.m. Tickets are $5 for a full breakfast, including juice and coffee. Call Charlie at (203) 934-9740 for information.
Senior Center trip
The West Haven Senior Center is offering the following trip: Foxwoods Casino Tuesday, Nov. 27, to see “Legends Concert”: Tickets cost is $25 per person for casino only or casino and Legends show, $52. Bus leaves Savin Rock Conference Center at 8:15 a.m. “Legends” features Elvis, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, George Michael and The Blues Brothers, a 90 minute fantastic show! Trip includes a bonus for everyone on the bus, a free buffet meal or $10 Food Voucher and $10 slot play. Payment due by Nov. 2.
Flyers with details for this trip are available at the office West Haven Senior Center 201 Noble St. or call (203) 937-3507 for more information.
At a glance
Halloween Haunt Oct. 25
The Department of Parks and Recreation is holding its annual Flashlight Halloween Haunt Oct. 25 at the Painter Park tennis courts, 190 Kelsey Ave. The rain date is Oct. 29.
The free event, for city residents, includes a candy corn guess and a contest for best costume. Trick-or-treaters must bring a flashlight and a candy bag to search for ghoulish goodies.
Prizes are awarded for best costume in each age group.
The hunt schedule is 6:05 p.m., ages 3 and younger; 6:25 p.m., ages 4-5; 6:45 p.m., ages 6-7; and 6:55 p.m., ages 8-10.
Participants should register 10 minutes before their hunt time and must show proof of residence. Only one adult may assist a child in the hunt for ages 3 and under; all other age groups hunt unassisted.
Trick-or-treaters are asked to bring nonperishable items for the West Haven Emergency Assistance Task Force, which provides food for residents
Class, seminar at Senior Center
The Allingtown/West Haven Senior Center will offer a painting class for residents 55 and older from 12:30-2 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Johnson Community Center, 201 Noble St.
The fun, step-by-step class, instructed by Marrissa Russo of Make Your Own Masterpiece, will teach participants to create their own masterpieces.
Art supplies are provided, including canvas, paint and brushes.
The Fee is $25.
Medicare assistance offered
A representative from Banker’s Life will discuss Medicare and the open enrollment process from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Senior Center, 201 Noble St.
The representative will also talk about how Medicare works and the difference between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans.
Elderly Services Director Sharon R. Mancini said it is important for people on Medicare to understand their options.
Open enrollment begins Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 1.
Banker’s Life is an insurance broker that can write policies for various companies; however, it is not allowed to write them at the senior center. Anyone who wants to use their services can make private arrangements with the broker.
Energy assistance offered in West Haven
The city will begin accepting applications Oct. 15 for the federally financed Connecticut Energy Assistance Program in the Department of Human Resources on the second floor of City Hall, 355 Main St.
Appointments for all heating sources can be made, starting Oct. 1, by calling 203-937-3572.
Applications will be processed by appointment Mondays through Thursdays. No walk-ins will be accepted.
Applicants who have difficulty speaking English are asked to bring a translator.
Eligibility for assistance is based on the income and assets of an applicant’s household. To qualify, applicants must provide pay stubs, including monthly Social Security benefits and pension checks, for the last four weeks for all household members 18 and older.
Applicants must also provide documentation of assets — recent bank account statements for all accounts for all household members — along with a current utility bill, Social Security numbers and birthdates for all household members.
Historian’s corner
West Haven’s Earliest Days
Part IV
See part 1 here.
See part 2 here.
See part 3 here.
See part 5 here.
See part 6 here.
We acknowledge the efforts of Lorraine Wood Rockefeller, who originally set these words down in about 1960.
Early New Englanders were aware of the need for roads, but not much was done to acquire them. Efforts taken at early town meetings to compel men to work on the roads did not suffice to keep them in good condition. The military roads were perhaps the first real roads, the next in importance were the turnpikes for the old stagecoaches. The earliest of these were without springs and passengers sat on hard benches.
The need for adequate transportation was first realized following the Revolutionary War when roads were built by private companies incorporated under acts passed by the State Legislatures, called “turnpikes.” Gates were erected at ten mile intervals and they made it costly to travel. Those exempt were the person on his way to church, the person on military duty and the farmer on this way to and from the fields.
If the toll collector was not present, the gates were left open and everybody was permitted to pass without paying. Many thrifty Yankees preferred long detours to paying extortionate toll charges. When popular protest forced abandonment of the toll charges, many of the roads were purchased by the towns and incorporated into a general highway system.
Road building became important from 1690 to 1720. Pent Road, now First Avenue, was in use in 1687. Savin Avenue was also a part of Pent Road and was in use in 1698. Platt Avenue, once known as Cove River Road was a so-called highway in 1699. Saw Mill Road, Meloy Road, Benham Hill Road, and Jones Hill Road still follow closely the routes of farm roads laid out in the period 1680 to 1720.
Among the original settlers were George Lamberton (son of the original settlers of New Haven), Thomas Painter, Edward Thomas, Thomas (or Jesse Stevens), the Gregson, Fowler, Benham, Ward, Clarke, Brown and Thompson families. Subsequently principal farmers in the town also included James Reynolds, Newton Stephens, Eli Kimberly, Ezra Candee, Nehemiah Kimberly, Albert Candee, Isaac Hine, Joseph Prindle, Capt. Ichabod Smith, Capt. Anson Clinton, Capt. Albert Thomas and Henry Thomas, Elliott and Jacob Ward.
To be continued.
Rohna sinking was start of missile warfare
By Joseph Weber
Special to the Voice
In the Oct. 1 edition of West Haven Voice, the story of the sinking of the HMT Rohna was related. Held secret for decades during and following World War II, the Indian ship, leased by the British, was hit by a radio-controlled, rocket-propelled weapon in the Mediterranean Sea on Nov. 26, 1943. More than 1,000 American soldiers, crewmen, and Navy personnel were lost in the strike and aftermath.
The losses included West Haven friends and schoolmates PFC Pasquale Logiodice, PFC John T. Cox, and PFC Pacifico Migliore. The GIs were finishing a brief stay at Oran, Algeria, and boarded the rusty Rohna to head to the India-Bermuda-China war zone to build air fields.
At the Ward-Heitmann House Museum, decades-old New Haven Register clipping with the briefest of war-time information were uncovered. Friends John Dolan and wife Sue made a computer search and returned with astonishing news of the terrific tragedy, and news of an existing Rohna survivors association that links members and has yearly reunions. Thus, began regular conversations between the Dolans and Janice Pumelia (Brooklyn) and Catherine Ladnier, author (Greenwich, CT) both survivors’ relatives.
All the participants were happy to have met each other for the sake of spreading the story of the GIs and the families.
Dolan and this writer continued forming a loose association we call The Rohna Remembrance Committee of West Haven. Our members are mostly West Haven graduates from Main Street.
At first in our attempts to spread the message, we didn’t find much interest. It was, after all, an old story, but we did point out that it was the 75th anniversary.
Talking to a nephew, Joe Weber, a retired state trooper, about our cause, he told us to go to University of New Haven and see Joe Sudol, a Forensics Department staffer. Joe is another retired state trooper. Our course was to change dramatically. Joe and Joe make a point of listening, watching, absorbing, and they smile, usually. What a find. Also, Joe Sudol’s father-in-law, Joe Morrissey of the “Clan Morrissey”, served on a minesweeper *in WWII. Joe quickly gave us valuable UNH tips and told us he would check genealogy listings of the families (which he did). He wanted us to keep in touch and he added, “See the chief!”
Before seeking the chief, we touched base with Director of Operations Julia Carbonella. When we told her our story that the parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters of Pasquale, John T., and Pacifico would never in 50 years, be able to talk to a survivor, she was visibly moved.
The “chief,” Vice-President for Public Safety Ron Quagliani, our former West Haven Chief of Police, was next in the quest. In our meeting, he listened ,while immediately going to work, giving us names of people, he would contact providing addresses, offering to help finance some memorial of the West Haven Veterans and Learning Center (Military Museum). He alerted the Vet’s Center of our project. We also learned of the UNH ROTC Program. We left the Chargers’ buildings feeling thankful for their support.
It was shortly after our UNH visit that John made a call to Mark Consorte, Social Studies Dept. chairman at West Haven High School. This was followed by a meeting with Consorte and staff to discuss plans for a students’ performance at the Veterans’ Center on Dec. 2, coinciding with a week-long exhibit of memorabilia there.
A very special guest on the occasion will be Michael Walsh, an author, who compiled two great books of survivors’ stories of the Rohna sinking.
We would like to note here that the members of the Rohna Remembrance Committee are Grace Youngs Hall, Judy Cascio Pfister, Patrice Farquharson, Sue Dolan, Barbara Quarz Melotto, Gloria Quarz Weber, Joan Vitolo, Dave Warner, and Bud Giaquinto. The co-chairmen are John Dolan and Weber. Resource Advisors are Beth Sabo and Dave Ricci. In a future report we will discuss the Vets’ Center personnel.
We would ask that any readers who might have memorabilia or who would share written memories of West Haven, or specifically WHHS, please send them to Ward Heitmann House Museum, Inc. PO Box 573 West Haven 06516.
In the next installment we will tell of the amazing rescue of 900 troops – 600 by the USS Pioneer, a minesweeper and 200 by a tugboat, the Mindful. A seaman left his gun position to spend hours saving hundreds at grave risk to himself.
The installment will also have details of the new missile the enemy launched and the stunned reaction of the witnesses. The vehicle had wings, a rear rocket engine, and it glided; worst of all it changed directions in flight and was heading directly toward the Rohna. Missile warfare had commenced.