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Notre Dame High School of West Haven is hosting the Fourth Annual Hunger Relief for Haiti service project. This event, in partnership with Harvest Pack, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that addresses food insecurity, is scheduled for today from 3-7 p.m. in Collins Auditorium at Notre Dame High School.

Since 2016, Notre Dame’s Harvest Pack event has impacted the lives of children and families in Haiti. This year, the Notre Dame community is striving to reach its 2019 goal of packing 100,000 meals for the poorest country in the western hemisphere. This makes Thursday’s event the largest meal-packing project in the region.

“We’ve set another ambitious goal for ourselves this year, shooting for 100,000 meals. We were delighted when last year’s event produced almost 84,000 meals — with enthusiasm building, our fundraising efforts this year have broadened and deepened, which will propel us to our fourth successive higher total,” said James S. Zoldy Jr., President of Halsey Associates (New Haven).

Notre Dame is grateful for the generous financial support of Halsey Associates, Washington Trust Co., the West Haven and New Haven Rotary Clubs, and Notre Dame students who together raised a total of $13,000 to cover the cost of food, packaging, and transportation.

“This event wouldn’t be possible without the volunteers associated with the Connecticut chapter of Harvest Pack under the dedicated and steadfast leadership of Dick Dill. Once the meals are prepared and boxed, Dick and his crew arrange the logistics to transport the meals to St. Therese School and Orphanage in Carrefour, Haiti,” said Zoldy.

When the goal of 100,000 meals is achieved, the volunteers of Notre Dame’s Harvest Pack events will have packed over a quarter of a million meals for St. Therese School and Orphanage. Sign up at https://forms.gle/D6YkzCiEXoT6D4o68 or email Mrs. Kathy Wielk, Vice President for Community Relations and Leadership Giving, at kwielk@notredamehs.com to volunteer.

“Harvest Pack has become a signature event and rally point for our community,” said Robert F. Curis, President of Notre Dame High School. “It is a wonderful way for the Notre Dame community, friends and neighbors to roll up our collective sleeves and set our minds and hearts into action to serve others in need.”

By Michael P. Walsh

Special to the Voice

To help crews expedite snow removal, Public Works Commissioner Tom McCarthy is reminding residents and businesses to observe parking regulations during and after storms.

Per the “Severe Weather” parking ordinance under Chapter 188 of the West Haven Code, police will tag and tow vehicles violating the ordinance at the owner’s expense. Violators will receive a $100 fine.

Once snow begins to fall, a parking ban is in effect on the even-numbered side of most roads, unless one is posted with a “No Parking” sign on the odd side.

The ban is in effect for 36 hours after a storm. Residents are urged to park in driveways or designated private lots.

However, during an official snow emergency declared by Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, a parking ban will run from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. on both sides of Campbell and Savin avenues, Morgan Lane, Elm Street, Meloy Road, Second Avenue from Elm to Beach streets, and Main Street from Savin to Washington avenues.

McCarthy is also reminding residents and businesses to shovel their sidewalks within 24 hours after a storm or face a $25 fine “for each day that the violation persists.”

According to the “Removal of Snow and Ice” ordinance under Chapter 195 of the West Haven Code, people are given 24 hours to remove snow from sidewalks on and bordering their properties. Violators are subject to the $25-per-day fine, which is enforced by the Police Department, the ordinance states.

To report a complaint, call the department’s nonemergency line at 203-937-3900. Complaints are kept confidential.

McCarthy also pointed out that plowing or blowing snow into city streets is prohibited and violators are subject to a $60 fine for each offense, per the ordinance.

Also, residents and businesses with mailboxes damaged by snow thrown from a plow are the responsibility of the property owner. The city will only repair mailboxes damaged by the striking of a plow blade if there is visible evidence, such as paint or tire tracks.

Snow removal around mailboxes is the property owner’s responsibility.

Residents are also urged to help firefighters keep hydrants clear of snow.

For more information, call the Department of Public Works at (203) 937-3585 or visit the department’s page at www.cityofwesthaven.com.

The First and Wesley United Methodist Church parish is sponsoring two holiday evetns the weekend of Dec. 7-8. A Living Nativity (an outdoor re-creation of the Christmas story), is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 7, from 2-4. This is a Christmas gift to the community. Experience the story of Christ’s birth by seeing the manger scene with costumed characters. During the event, parishioners will distribute free gifts (hats/mittens) to children, provide hot chocolate, and host a children’s craft area.

The next day, the 2nd annual Praise & Worship Concert “Light of Hope, is scheduled for 4 p.m.  

The concert is free and includes a wide variety of sacred music. *Your generous freewill offering will be used for the many ministries of the church. There’ll also be 17 handmade light-up snowman couples (approx. 7”x6”x6” each) available to purchase to benefit the church.

By Josh LaBella

Voice Reporter

For the eighth year in a row, the First Congregational Church of West Haven is hosting its Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner, and they are looking for help.

The meal, open to all, will run from noon to 1:30 on Thanksgiving Day. A course of turkey, green beans, dressing, carrots, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, rolls, and dessert will be served at 464 Campbell Ave.

According to the dinner coordinator, Bill Ewry, last year’s dinner served 271 meals. He said it was due to the generosity of the community.

“This was possible with the help of many people,” said Ewry. “The Savin Rock Roasting Co. supplied the turkey. The University of New Haven supplied the mash potatoes and many helping hands. Many helping hands, with the help of monetary donations, prepared the dishes for the delicious meal.”

Ewry said the Church is once again looking for assistance. He said it could come in the form of donating a seasonal pie, preparing or serving the meal, or helping with cleanup. Pies will be collected on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of Thanksgiving week.

Anybody interested in contributing can contact Bill Ewry by calling him at (203) 933-6291 or by emailing bill.fccwh@sbcglobal.net.

While this is the eighth such dinner under the current auspices, the Community Thanksgiving Dinner began almost three decades ago with several congregations getting together to serve the city’s disadvantaged and those without a place to go.

The dinner was under the direction of the Rev. Arthur Yost, who was pastor of First and Wesley Methodist Church on Center Street. The Outreach program eventually branched out into other endeavors and got to the point a new organization, the one now currently operating the dinner, took over.

West Haven was among the Connecticut municipalities recognized at the New Britain Museum of American Art on Oct. 30 for achieving certification as a Sustainable CT community.

The city met high standards in a broad range of sustainability accomplishments to qualify for the prestigious Bronze certification, said Lynn Stoddard, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University, which administers the Sustainable CT program.

Sustainable CT, a statewide initiative that inspires and supports communities in becoming more efficient, resilient and inclusive, announced its 2019 certified communities last week.

“This is really exciting news for the city,” Mayor Nancy R. Rossi said. “I would like to thank the volunteers and city employees who invested their time and hard work as part of the West Haven Sustainability Team. They were key to the success of this effort and on achieving the Bronze certification.”

In its application for Sustainable CT certification, West Haven amassed 390 points in 23 of 56 possible action categories, far exceeding the required 200 points for Bronze certification. Additionally, the city was nominated as a CT Success Story for the in-depth and thorough work done on assessing and addressing climate vulnerability.

“West Haven’s achievement of Bronze certification in only the second year of the Sustainable CT initiative is a credit to the diligence and forward-thinking of many city employees and commission members during financially challenging times,” said Robin Parsons, who leads the West Haven Sustainability Team. “This certification not only grants recognition to those efforts, it provides a foundation for West Haven to become a leader in municipal sustainability in the years to come.”

Certification lasts for three years, with Connecticut’s first cohort of municipalities certified in 2018. Collectively, 47 municipalities — more than 27% of the state’s communities — have earned Sustainable CT certification. Certified communities span every county and include some of Connecticut’s largest cities and smallest towns.

“Congratulations to our 2019 certified Sustainable CT communities,” Stoddard said. “We are inspired by your leadership and eager to share your accomplishments in building efficient, thriving and resilient communities.”

The Sustainable CT program empowers municipalities to create high collective impact for current and future residents and is managed under the leadership of Eastern’s Institute for Sustainable Energy in Willimantic.

Sustainable CT is philanthropically funded, with strong support from its three founding funders: the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, the Common Sense Fund and the Smart Seed Fund.

On Dec. 3, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities will recognize West Haven and the 22 other communities with Bronze certification, as well as the nine communities with Silver certification, at the Sustainable CT 2019 Certified Towns Award Ceremony. The event will take place during CCM’s Annual Convention at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard.

The city is accepting applications 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 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

The Fall Poetry Extravaganza presented by West Haven’s poet laureate, Tony Fusco, will take place from 1-5 p.m. Nov. 2-3 at the Yale West Campus, 100 West Campus Drive, Orange.

The program is open to the public with free parking.

Fusco, a lifelong resident who in April was appointed the honorary position of poet laureate by Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, will read from his newest book, “Don’t Make Me Laugh,” at 1 p.m. Nov. 3.

The program will feature 22 of the best poets in Connecticut reading their works over two days and 20-minute intervals. The reading is in conjunction with the Art Space Open Studios program that runs throughout October and ends at the Yale West Campus with a large art exhibit on four floors of the facility. More details about the Open Studios can be found at https://artspacenewhaven.org/cwos-home/about-cwos/.

The poets and their reading times on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 2, are:

1-1:20, Vivian Shipley; 1:20-1:40, Fredrick-Douglass Knowles II; 1:40-2, Gemma Mathewson; 2-2:20, Patricia Mottola; 2:20-2:40, Laurel Peterson; 2:40-3, Dr. Van Hartmann; 3-3:20, Mick Theebs; 3:20-3:40, Laura Altshul; 3:40-4, Victor Altshul; 4-4:20, Antoinette  Brim; and 4:20-4:40, Diane Lowman.

The poets and their reading times on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 3, are:

1-1:20, Tony Fusco; 1:20-1:40, Katie Eber; 1:40-2, Marita Gargiulo; 2-2:20, Peter Ulisse; 2:20-2:40, Gordy Whiteman; 2:40-3, Gwen Gunn; 3-3:20, Kevin Carey; 3:20-3:40, Victoria Nordlund; 3:40-4, Pit Pinegar; 4-4:20, Barbara Greenbaum; 4:20-4:40, Julie Choffel; and 4:40-5, Christine Beck.

By Josh LaBella

Voice Reporter

More than 50 kids have signed up to play during Friday’s open mic night at the West Haven Community House.

The event, which is held monthly, is hosted by Rock House School of Music and Teach Kids Music. But this time there is a special guest – Carmine Appice. Appice is a Teach Kids Music ambassador who is famous for his work with Rod Stewart, Vanilla Fudge, Jeff Beck and Ozzy Osbourne.

According a press release from Rock House owner John McCarthy, Teach Kids Music is a non-profit that partners with Rock House for open-mic nights to help children learn to play instruments. He said West Haven has a growing community of young musicians that gather each month to “jam and meet other musicians learning their craft.”

McCarthy said the school and Teach Kids Music have been partnering to host open mic nights for over four years. He said he and his staff donate their time each month to run the event.

“The kids have a great time; they practice all month to get ready to perform and it is great to see the smiles of accomplishment when they are done,” said McCarthy. “We are so proud to help these local children. We hope to build a music community that blossoms into a new music scene in the New Haven area, five years from now this can be the new Seattle with lots of new bands.”

McCarthy said the Community House offers a safe home for the monthly bash and many local restaurants donate snacks and food for the children.

“We have a great list of Music Ambassadors that also feel the passion for helping children learn music,” said McCarthy. “They come and inspire the children to do positive things in their lives. Just them taking the time to come and listen to them can change their lives in a positive way. We want to keep planting “Musical Seeds” that will continue to grow throughout a child’s life.”

West Haven has hired the appraisal company Vision Government Solutions Inc. of Hudson, Massachusetts, to perform the city’s state-mandated 2020 revaluation.

Data mailers are being sent to residential property owners to verify property information. It is essential that all data mailers are returned.

In the coming year, Vision data collectors will verify information on file with the city assessor’s office and visit properties recently sold, with open building permits or with known physical changes.

All data collectors will be wearing an ID badge, and their vehicles will be registered with the West Haven Police Department. Homeowners are encouraged to ask for identification before let- ting anyone into their homes. Those questioning the identity of a data collector can call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (203) 937-3900 or the assessor’s office at (203) 937-3515.

City residents who are delinquent on their taxes are urged to pay their overdue taxes as soon as possible.

The “boot” program resumed on Sept. 16, and those who are delinquent on their motor vehicle taxes risk their vehicles being immobilized with a wheel-locking boot.

A vehicle-mounted ID system that is part of the boot program uses an infrared license plate scanner to target tax scofflaws. Vehicles are released of the boot once their owners pay all delinquent taxes and the boot fee.

Taxpayers can check if they owe any back taxes and pay online by going to www.cityofwesthaven.com and clicking on Tax Collector under the Government heading. They can also pay in person in the tax office on the first floor of City Hall, 355 Main St.