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By Josh LaBella

Voice Reporter

In her inaugural address, Mayor Nancy Rossi said she was looking forward to working with the slate of elected officials sworn in alongside her. The mayor, now sworn in for a second two-year term, campaigned on “staying the course” and getting the city back on the financial straight and narrow.

The event, which saw the mayor, 13 City Council members, five Board of Education members, the City Clerk, Treasurer, and Tax Collector take their oaths of office, was held in the auditorium of the new wing of West Haven High School. The keynote speakers were Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal.

Bysiewicz described the group of elected officials being sworn in as diverse and said “our diverse team can’t wait to work with your diverse team.” Speaking of Mayor Rossi, she said Rossi was a committed to making this city even better.

“One thing I know from having the honor of being the secretary of the state for twelve years is that West Haven politics a rough and tumble kind of thing and it’s not for the faint of heart,” said Bysiewicz. “Nancy has embraced that vibrant city and that public spirit endeavor in a very gracious way. She is a person of grace. She is a person of humanity and compassion.”

Sen. Blumenthal said local politics was the brick and mortar of the country’s democracy, calling it “where the rubber meets the road.” Speaking of the mayor’s responsibility to the city, he said “the buck stops here.”

Mayor Rossi started off her address by thanking her family, friends and supporters. She said she started her time as mayor two years ago looking to instill a culture of financial responsibility.

“Although I did not anticipate being called to Hartford on my second day in office and being told the city was being placed under the oversight of the Municipal Accountability Review Board, called also the MARB, I am proud to report that we have made great progress with two balanced budgets and a grand list growth of $30 million,” said Rossi. “All of which went to a bond rating upgrade from Moody’s (Corporation).”

Rossi said the road had not been easy, adding many unpopular decisions had to be made. She said the city was in the process of recovery and is positioned well for future success.

“We have strategically and successfully moved stalled economic projects forward,” said Rossi. “New businesses have opened and existing businesses have expanded. The next two years, we will need to focus on completing these economic development projects and continuing our aggressive marketing campaign for new investors and businesses.”

Rossi said her administration had proven their financial responsibility and serious positions on growing the local economy and grand list to the business community. She also spoke to continuing a good relationship with the board of education to ensure a “first class education” for West Haven students.

The mayor also said her administration will continue to improve and repair the infrastructure of the city.

“I look forward to working with our newly elected officials and the city council to continue this important work,” said Rossi. “Thank you, again, for your trust and continued support and congratulations to all of our elected officials. I am looking forward to working with you all as we continue on the path of success and complete the work we were likely to do.”

By Michael P. Walsh

Special to the Voice

The West Haven Veterans Council will hold an observance of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the William A. Soderman Memorial on the Veterans Walk of Honor in Bradley Point Park.

All veterans are invited to participate in the annual ceremony, which will commemorate the 78th anniversary of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

The solemn service will include a presentation of the colors by the West Haven Police Color Guard and a flag-raising by the West Haven Fire Department Honor Guard, which comprises members of the City of West Haven Fire Department Allingtown, the West Haven Fire Department and the West Shore Fire Department.

It will feature remarks from Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, Veterans Council President Dave Ricci and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9422 Cmdr. Freddy Jackson.

Lou Esposito, Rossi’s executive assistant, will serve as the master of ceremonies.

Representing the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Jerry Lehr, son of the late William C. Lehr, a Pearl Harbor Navy veteran, will read the names of the 18 Connecticut servicemen who died Dec. 7, 1941, at the U.S. naval base on Oahu, Hawaii. A member of the West Haven Fire Department will toll the department’s chrome bell each instant a name is called.

Lehr, whose father served aboard the destroyer USS Monaghan, will be accompanied by Florence Stoeber, wife of the late Jack Stoeber, a Navy vet of Pearl Harbor and Iwo Jima who was a regular at West Haven’s Pearl Harbor rites for many years.

Stoeber, whose ashes were scattered in Pearl Harbor after he died Jan. 16, 2016, at age 97, was a .50-caliber machine-gunner aboard the destroyer tender USS Whitney in the Pacific theater of World War II.

Florence Stoeber’s 6-year-old grandson, Matthew McCann, will lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

The tribute will also include opening and closing prayers by West Haven Vietnam Veterans chaplain Elliott Hastings, a wreath-laying and a rendition of the national anthem by West Haven High School junior Nora E. Mullins, as well as taps played by retired West Shore fire Lt. Kevin McKeon.

By Josh LaBella

Voice Reporter

While Republicans did pick up the tenth district council seat in this past election, they did not complete the Hail Mary it would have taken to win the mayoralty and many of the down ballot positions.

In light of the continuation of this decades-old trend of losses, the question must be asked: what will it take for Republicans to start winning big in Connecticut’s youngest city?

Republican Town Committee Chairman Patricia Libero said the party is “starting to lay the foundation” for its future. She said the party has been working on registering more voters as well as recently starting the process of rewriting the bylaws of the committee.

She also said they have been trying to bring young people into the fold. This comes in the form of the RTC starting to work with the West Haven High School chapter of Turning Point USA, a conservative non-profit nationally famous for some controversial demonstrations and speakers it has had on college campuses.

Libero said Turning Point students from the high school helped with RTC campaign work this election as the University of New Haven College Republicans.

“We’re trying to bring more and more young people into the party,” said Libero. “We did have a few young people running this time. It was really great.”

According to Libero, young people “infuse a great energy” into the party. She said because of the “mass exodus” of young people from the city and state, it is important to show young people they can make a difference.

The chairman also said the fact that there was a Republican mayoral primary was exciting, adding it has not happened in her life. She said it gave the RTC energy heading into the general election.

She said candidates Michele Gregorio and Steven Mullins both had a lot of enthusiasm for the city. Libero added that Gregorio got a “considerable” number of votes given the four-to-one advantage democrats have vis-à-vis registered voters.

“I think that she did really well,” said Libero. “I hope she continues on and choses to run again in two years.”

According to Gregorio, that is not likely.

Gregorio said the main issue the party needs to work on is unity. She stated that the Mullins faction of the RTC did not come back into the fold after the primary and said she had little support from the party leadership.

“Steve never came back on board,” said Gregorio. “People say they are going to do a lot of things [after the primary] – but that never happened. I was the one getting blamed for the lack of party unity when, in fact, Steve was basically staying away from the party, running his own tomb.”

Gregorio said the people who “spoke the loudest” about unity after the RTC caucus were the people that “worked the hardest” against her. She said many of the republicans not in her camp are compromised by their relationship with the city government and “didn’t lift a finger” to help her or other republican candidates in the general.

“The future of the Republican Party?” said Gregorio. “Those people need to walk away from the town committee. Because they are so compromised that it clouds their judgement when it comes to opportunities to get people nominated. It doesn’t matter if it was me or not.”

The former mayoral candidate said the party cannot rebuild until there is a “whole new gamut” of people on the RTC. She said “nothing” will change until that happens.

“I told my team, unless I raised a boatload of money, had a professional campaign manager and had a group of people in the party working towards the same goal with a full ticket… I don’t see [herself running again],” said Gregorio.

Mullins, who also said that party unity is a key issue that Republicans need to resolve, unequivocally denied Gregorio’s claims. He said he campaigned for her and other candidates in Allingtown. He also said that Libero is doing “a magnificent job” and should continue to be the person leading the party as it moves forward.

He pointed to the party winning the tenth district City Council seat as a major accomplishment. Mullins said their focus should continue to be beating democrats in elections and unifying the party. He said it was up to the chairman to find out what that unification looks like.

Regarding support for Gregorio’s campaign, Libero said through her experience working on previous campaigns with the former mayoral candidate she knew Gregorio to be a “strong, independent woman” who knows how she wants things done. Libero said she followed Gregorio’s lead and helped her when asked but deferred to her judgment.

“If her perception is that I did not help her, I’m sorry for that,” said Libero, who added she could not speak to the alleged lack of support from the Mullins camp. “I know how she is. She likes to control it. She likes to run. She’s large and in charge.”

Libero said there is always work to be done in terms of party unity. She said unity has been an issue since the 14th senatorial primary in which people “took sides.”

“We’ve been trying to unify and work together as time goes on,” said Libero. “I think we need to remain focused on raising money and getting good people elected. Because it’s local, sometimes feelings get hurt. We need to get passed that. I think we all want unity, but sometimes its difficult to get unity.”

By Michael P. Walsh

Special to the Voice

The annual lighting of the Christmas tree on the Green will herald an evening of merriment Saturday.

The six-hour holiday festival will begin at 2 p.m. with Christmas music, food trucks, face painting, train rides and wreath decorating, as well as craft and artisan vendors.

The event is presented by the city, the First Congregational Church of West Haven and West Haven United, an organization aimed at bringing the city’s volunteer groups together.

Lou Esposito, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi’s executive assistant, will serve as the master of ceremonies.

The festivities, featuring a cast of costumed Christmas characters, will continue at 3 p.m. with the opening of Santa’s village and eight craft stations on the Green, where children can decorate wooden ornaments, write letters to Santa, and make cards for U.S. troops overseas and those at the Veterans Affairs Hospital on Campbell Avenue.

At 3:15 p.m., West Haven High School junior Nora E. Mullins will sing the national anthem, followed by a half-hour play by the West Haven High Drama Club at 3:30 p.m.

The ceremony will continue at 4 p.m. with performances by the West Haven High dance team, holiday carols sung by the St. Lawrence School chorus and performances by the Top Hat Dance Academy.

Along with hayrides, kids can ride on a vintage firetruck from the West Shore Fire Department.

The activities are free, but people are asked to bring nonperishable items for the West Haven Emergency Assistance Task Force, which provides food for residents in need.

For a $5 fee, youngsters can also take a ride on the Roaming Railroad, a trackless train sponsored by the West Haven PTA Council.

Shortly after 5 p.m., the West Haven High and Seahawks cheerleading teams will perform, followed by Yuletide classics sung by the Bailey Middle School chorus and a singalong led by Victorian carolers from a portable stage on the Main Street side of the Green.

At 6 p.m., Rossi will greet revelers and announce the designers of her Christmas cards and the winners of West Haven United’s ornament-making and merchant window-decorating contests.

The cheerleading teams will then escort Santa and Mrs. Claus to the stage, where they will join Rossi and her special guests to set the tree aglow.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive in a 1935 Mack pump firetruck from the West Haven Fire Department.

The city’s official Christmas tree is encircled by five smaller evergreen trees adorned with fluorescent-colored lights.

Before returning to the North Pole, Santa and Mrs. Claus will meet visitors and pose for snapshots in their workshop until 8 p.m. Organizers will offer the photos with Santa as a free digital download online.

Starting Wednesday, people can view and download their photos on the city’s Flickr page at https://goo.gl/EkLxZz. The internet address is case sensitive.

Just steps from Santa’s workshop, boys and girls can drop off their wish lists at St. Nick’s official U.S. Postal Service mailbox.

Huge electric snowflakes will decorate The John C. Ireland Bandstand, and Victorian streetlamps bedecked with angels blowing on trumpets will illuminate the walkways.

The decorated Green will also include an inflatable snow globe that children can go in and have their pictures taken.

Volunteers from the West Haven Chamber of Commerce will hand out free hot chocolate, and vendors will sell food and novelties.

The vendors will include the First Congregational Church and the food trucks of Franco’s Fried Dough-Licious, Hungry Bear, Ruethai’s Kitchen and Ted’s Steam Machine.

Also, volunteers from West Haven United will sell hot apple cider, coffee and hot chocolate.

After the lighting, live seasonal music from The Rock House School of Music and Off the Hook, “Connecticut’s premier party band,” will fill the air.

If it rains, the lighting will go on at 5 p.m. Monday.

By Michael P. Walsh

Special to the Voice

Democratic Mayor Nancy R. Rossi will serve as West Haven’s chief elected official for another two years when she and the rest of the city’s elected officials are administered the oath of office at noon Sunday.

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz will swear in Rossi for a second term during a ceremony at West Haven High School, 1 McDonough Plaza.

The public is invited to the inauguration, which is being held in the school auditorium.

City Planning and Zoning Commissioner Christopher M. Suggs will serve as the master of ceremonies, and Bysiewicz will serve as the keynote speaker.

Rossi defeated City Clerk Deborah Collins and former Mayor Edward M. O’Brien in the Sept. 10 Democratic primary and Republican challenger Michele P. Gregorio in the Nov. 5 general election.

Rossi, 61, is the 12th and first female mayor of West Haven since it was incorporated as a city by the General Assembly in 1961.

Retired Probate Judge E. Michael Heffernan will swear in incumbent Democratic Treasurer Michael P. Last, and Superior Court Judge Trial Referee Edward J. Dolan will administer the oath of office to incumbent Democratic Tax Collector Dorothy Chambrelli. Bysiewicz will swear in elected Democratic City Clerk Patricia C. Horvath.

Heffernan will also swear in the five incumbents and eight newcomers on the City Council.

Returning council members are Bridgette J. Hoskie, D-1; Mitchell L. Gallignano, D-4; Robbin Watt Hamilton, D-5; Peter V. Massaro, D-6; and Ronald M. Quagliani, D-at large.

New to the council are William X. Conlon, D-2; Elizabeth Johnston, D-3; Treneé McGee, D-7; Chrystal Fanelli, D-8; Robert Bruneau, D-9; Barry Lee Cohen, R-10; Gary Donovan, D-at large; and Colleen O’Connor, R-at large.

Probate Judge Mark J. DeGennaro will swear in members of the Board of Education, including incumbent Republicans Robert J. Guthrie and Patricia B. Libero and elected Democrats Anne Heffernan, Andrea Talamelli and Caryll “Cebi” Waterfield.

DeGennaro will also swear in incumbent Republican Ralph P. Biondi and elected Democrats Joseph W. Harvey III and Mark P. Palmieri to the Board of Assessment Appeals.

The West Haven Charter mandates that all elected officials take the oath of office on the first Sunday in December.

The inauguration will commence with a procession led by the West Haven Police Color Guard and a mayoral honor guard composed of fire and police chiefs from the city and the University of New Haven.

The ceremony will feature Rossi’s inaugural address and include musical selections performed by the West Haven High School Band under the direction of Cassandra K. Marcella.

Vietnam veteran William “Bill” Benson, grand marshal of the city’s 2019 Memorial Day parade, will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Jaclyn Chiarelli will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and West Haven High junior Nora E. Mullins will sing “America the Beautiful.”

The event will also include a special cheer routine performed by West Haven Seahawks cheerleaders.

The public is invited to a reception that will follow in the school cafeteria.

Rossi, a certified public accountant most recently at Whitten, Horton + Gibney LLP in Orange, is no stranger to public service in West Haven.

She is a former five-term councilwoman who was elected to represent the 7th District on the City Council in 2005. She served as chairwoman of the Finance Committee from 2007 to 2015.

Rossi lives in the 7th District with her husband of 38 years, Arthur Rossi. They have two sons, Angelo and Stephen, and two grandchildren, Arthur, 9, and Julianna, 4 months.

By Josh LaBella

Voice Reporter

A parent of West Haven High School students is suing the Board of Education for $15,000 excluding damages and costs for what they say is “discrimination” and “retaliation.”

The summons, which was gathered through a Freedom of Information Act request, shows the lawsuit being pursued by Feinstein Educational Law Group of Mystic, CT. The plaintiff is Christine Barrington, who is suing on behalf of her two sons in West Haven high School.

The summons accuses the board of education of discriminating against the plaintiffs two sons, who both saw worsening allergy symptoms after extended periods of time in the high school, which is undergoing extensive renovations.

“Both minor plaintiffs attend West Haven High School, an old building containing numerous environmental allergens, which is in the process of being demolished and replaced,” attorney Andrew Feinstein said in the summons. “Since enrolling, both minor plaintiffs have complained of progressively worsening allergic reactive symptoms, including but not limited to pale/greyish skin, eye flashes, red/dry eyes, rapid heart rate, nausea, nasal congestion, sneezing, dry through/ hoarseness, light headedness, headache, fatigue/ exhaustion/ reduced stamina, after being inside WHHS. Such symptoms resolve over weekends and during school vacations.”

Doctor Andrew Carlson, the minor plaintiffs’ doctor, confirmed their “high allergic reactive sensitivities” after bloodwork skin tests were done. On Feb. 8 of this year, Barrington contacted WHHS Nursing Administrator Donna Kosiorowski to detail her concerns about the impact of the WHHS environment on her sons’ health. Kosiorowski offered to convene a meeting pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 USC 794.

According to the summons, a school board-based team found the plaintiffs ineligible for Section 504 disability accommodations. The summons said the team made no recommendations for any evaluation or refused any suggested by Barrington.

The summons alleges that after several subsequent meetings and contact with school officials the school refused Section 504 eligibility.

“The defendants engaged in the above discriminatory conduct with malice or with reckless indifference to the plaintiffs statutorily protected rights,” the summons said. “As a result of the defendant’s unlawful conduct, the plaintiffs have suffered and continue to suffer a loss of educational opportunity, pain and suffering, anxiety, humiliation, shame and other emotional distress.”

Regarding the second count in the summons, it claims BOE employees and other city officials allegedly retaliated against Barrington for being an advocate over her concerns with the WHHS renovations.

“A part of the plaintiffs’ mother’s advocacy has been her repeated request for comprehensive environmental assessment of the existing WHHS buildings, including but not limited to the presence of mold and excessive dust. This has led to repeated and on-going efforts by City and Board officials, their agents and/or designees to silence plaintiffs’ mother, including but not limited to the following individual and/or collective acts of gross misjudgment, bad faith, deliberate indifference, and purposeful retaliation,” Feinstein said in the summons.

The summons went on to list occasions in which officials of the city and BOE allegedly attempted to threaten and intimidate the plaintiffs’ mother. The parties named in the summons include High School Building Committee Chairman, and partial owner of the West Haven Voice, Ken Carney and the Board’s “Specially Designated Person” Richard Dunn.

There have been a number of air quality tests conducted at the school; all of which have validated officials claims that the school is safe to be in. A recent study by the American Federation of Teachers reiterated the findings of other studies conducted.

The air quality at West Haven High School has been a matter of concern in many quarters, and was the subject of an investigation by the American Federation of Teachers, the parent group of the WHFT, the teachers’ bargaining agent.

The investigating team, written by Amy Bahruth, of the Union Leadership Institute, an affiliated AFT organization, followed a tour on Oct. 1. City officials and Carney believed the report exonerated the city from what is believed to be unfounded accusations.

At the time, Carney was happy with the results, and believed it showed the efforts made to keep the staff and students safe.

“The completely exonerates us and puts all those accusations to bed,” he said after the report came out. “The union did the study after getting complaints, came in with the attitude something was wrong, and then sent in this report.”

Carney said union officials had the attitude it was a “sick building,” but the report was very positive when it came to describing the steps taken to make sure air quality, dust and other air-borne allergens were under control.