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Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and the West Haven St. Patrick’s Day Committee have postponed the 29th annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration honoring Irishman of the Year Keith M. Sweeney to coincide with the future date of the postponed Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The March 17 ceremony was postponed in accordance with Gov. Ned Lamont’s protocol of discouraging large public gatherings of more than 100 people in response to COVID-19.

According to Lamont, large crowds or places where individuals are shoulder-to-shoulder are considered the most dangerous and should be avoided, especially for those 60 and older. The governor’s directive is one of the recently announced policies to discourage the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Rossi and committee Chairwoman Joanne Conlan said the popularity of West Haven’s “Irish Person of the Year” event, which traditionally attracts 100 to 250 people, coupled with the prominence of this year’s honoree, a decorated former police officer, left organizers with no choice but to postpone the celebration in the interest of public health.

“We look forward to coinciding our St. Patrick’s Day Celebration with the Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade this spring,” Rossi said.

David Carr is inviting city residents and businesses to invest in an environmental sustainability project that aims to install pollinator-friendly plants in public spaces, including parks and schoolyards, and residential backyards.

Carr, the project manager of the West Haven Pollinator Pathway project, is encouraging community support in the form of monetary donations, locations and volunteer time to make the project a reality. Details at https://www.pollinator-pathway.org/westhaven.

Anyone who gives will have a say in where the plants are installed, said Carr, who is seeking community-based organizations and local businesses to get involved.

Carr, meantime, is participating in a plant swap lunch from noon-3 p.m. March 21 at the Harugari German American Club, 66 Highland St. The plant swap is for those who want to split perennials and expand their gardens.

“Bring extra plants, and take home new ones,” said Carr, adding that he is also holding a fundraising meeting for the Pollinator Pathway project at 5:30 p.m. March 24 at Mike’s Apizza & Restaurant, 111 Campbell Ave.

The project is supported by a $5,000 Community Match Fund grant from Sustainable CT. To learn more and make a donation, go to https://ioby.org/project/pollinator-pathway-west-haven-ct-5000-matching-grant.

“Communities that are health-focused and recreation-focused, bikeable and walkable with a commitment to open space and quality parks will have a brighter future, especially being so close to Metro-North Railroad, Yale and the beach,” said Carr, a commissioner of the city Inland Wetlands Watercourse Agency since 1999.

The Community Match Fund, managed by the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University, is helping to bring projects to life statewide by providing fast, accessible funding as well as fundraising coaching and support to residents and organizations with ideas to make their communities more sustainable, said Abe Hilding-Salorio, Sustainable CT’s community outreach manager.

Anyone in West Haven is eligible to participate and receive funding, Hilding-Salorio said. Schools, nonprofits, community groups and individual residents can propose projects and access the matching funds. Details at https://sustainablect.org/.

“Through Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund, we put residents at the forefront of creating positive, impactful change,” Hilding-Salorio said. “Match Fund projects are community-led and community-funded, demonstrating the power of people working together to make change in their communities.”

Those with questions about the grant can call Hilding-Salorio at 860-465-0256.

West Haven, which was awarded Sustainable CT’s Bronze designation last fall for improving air quality in public spaces, is working to earn the prestigious Silver certification in 2020 by implementing multiple initiatives to reduce food waste and municipal waste and increase energy efficiency, Carr said.

Sustainable CT certification demonstrates accomplishments in nine impact categories, including inclusive and equitable communities, cleaner transportation, vibrant arts and culture, natural resource stewardship and affordable housing.

The Board of Assessment Appeals will hear appeals of real estate and personal property assessments on the 2019 grand list by appointment during March in the assessor’s office at City Hall.

The board will also hear appeals of motor vehicle assessments on the 2018 supplemental motor vehicle grand list that received a tax bill due Jan. 1.

Any property owner who wants to appeal an assessment must submit a written application to the board. The assessor’s office must receive the completed form to have it stamped in by 5 p.m. today.

Download an application at http://cityofwesthaven.com/DocumentCenter/View/2239/2019-Board-of-Assessment-Appeals-Application-PDF.

Applications are also available in the assessor’s office on the first floor of City Hall, 355 Main St., or by calling the office at (203) 937-3515.

By Michael P. Walsh

Special to the Voice

The city will hold the second in a series of public workshops focusing on the future of Allingtown.

The workshop is set for 6 p.m. today in the Notre Dame High School auditorium, 1 Notre Dame Way, but the potential for icy conditions could push the workshop to Feb. 13.

The workshop is sponsored by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Allingtown Steering Committee, an ad hoc committee formed by the commission to help develop a plan for the Allingtown neighborhood to achieve the goals of the city’s Plan of Conservation and Development.

The workshop will build on input received from 60 participants at the first workshop in April 2019.

Tonight, barring a postponement of the workshop due to inclement weather, the city will present a number of recommendations being considered for the Allingtown plan in response to the input at last year’s workshop. Anyone can participate in the workshop, whether they took part in the first one or not.

P&Z Chairwoman Kathleen Hendricks said the commission hopes to attract a wide range of participants for the workshop, including neighborhood residents, area businesses, University of New Haven students, community leaders, church groups and representatives of school organizations.

The commission also hopes that Allingtown’s young people will attend to provide fresh ideas for the plan, Hendricks said.

According to Assistant City Planner David W. Killeen, the workshop will include a presentation highlighting items of the POCD vision as well as general areas the committee plans to address, such as making Allingtown more pedestrian- and bike-friendly; promoting the redevelopment of underutilized and vacant commercial properties; improving community facilities, parks and open space; enhancing connections between UNH and the neighborhood; and improving housing and property maintenance.

The workshop will include opportunities for participants to collaborate in small group sessions and respond to initial recommendations being considered for the Allingtown plan. The information gathered will help the committee finalize the recommendations for inclusion in a draft plan before it is presented to the commission for its consideration, said Killeen, adding that a formal public hearing is expected later this year.

The concept for the Allingtown plan was first envisioned in the POCD, which was adopted by the commission in June 2017.

See the POCD at http://cityofwesthaven.com/DocumentCenter/View/827/Plan-of-Conservation-and-Development-Final-PDF.

For more information, call the Department of Planning and Development at (203) 937-3580.

The city will honor couples who have been married for at least 50 years during its 30th annual Valentine’s Day party from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Feb. 14 at West Haven Elks Lodge 1537, 265 Main St.

The couples will receive chocolates and roses from the mayor’s office.

The party will feature music by the Clam Diggers and include hors d’oeuvres and refreshments.

Mayor Nancy R. Rossi will recognize the oldest and youngest couples.

For reservations, call Elderly Services Director Sharon R. Mancini at (203) 937-3507 by Feb. 10.

The Southern Connecticut Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians hosted a celebration honoring the life of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr on Martin Luther King Day, Monday at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit.

The Rev. Bonita Grubbs, a Baptist pastor and Executive Director of Christian Community Action of New Haven was the  featured preacher and delivered a message of “Hope.” The Rev. Stephen Holton, Rector of Christ Church, New Haven served as principle celebrant. 

Hamden Hall Country Day School Music Director Matthew Harrison accompanied West Haven High School junior Nora Mullins in leading  the congregation in spiritual hymns.

“This was the seventh year that UBE and Church of the Holy Spirit have collaborated in hosting this annual celebration of Dr. King’s life,” said UBE Chapter President Steven R. Mullins. “It is a wonderful event that brings a cross section of people from different races, religions and backgrounds together. We look forward to keeping it in West Haven for years to come.”

Because of the continued good weather and leaf production, the city has extended the pickup schedule for leaf bags through Jan. 31, Public Works Commissioner Tom McCarthy announced.

The bags are picked up on residents’ weekly curbside collection days. Leaves must be in biodegradable paper bags and will not be accepted if they are in plastic bags, McCarthy said.

After Jan. 31, the pickup schedule for leaf bags will resume from April 1-June 1 and then from Oct. 1-Dec. 31.

The city will honor couples who have been married for at least 50 years during its 30th annual Valentine’s Day party from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Feb. 14 at West Haven Elks Lodge 1537, 265 Main St.

The couples will receive chocolates and roses from the mayor’s office.

The party will feature music by the Clam Diggers and include hors d’oeuvres and refreshments.

Mayor Nancy R. Rossi will recognize the oldest and youngest couples.

For reservations, call Elderly Services Director Sharon R. Mancini at (203) 937-3507 by Feb. 10.

The West Haven Pollinator Pathway project has received a $5,000 Community Match Fund grant from Sustainable CT, project coordinator David Carr announced.

The Pollinator Pathway project aligns with the objective of action 2.5 to “create a natural resource and wildlife inventory,” said Abe Hilding-Salorio, Sustainable CT’s community outreach manager, “and is eligible to receive matching funds for as long as they remain available.”

Using the money, Carr aims to establish pollinator-friendly habitats and food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinating insects and wildlife by installing native plants that will support pollinator in West Haven.

“The West Haven Pollinator Pathway will help our community increase the biomass of native plants,” Carr said. “The project will succeed when lots of neighbors get involved and get excited about improving our natural world.”

The project’s next steps, according to Carr, are:  working with the Department of Public Works, parks, libraries, homeowners and school employees to determine the final locations for the plantings; raising $5,000 between Feb. 1 and March 31; providing community education resources about the importance of pollinators; buying the highest quality and quantity of plants for the most comparable sources; planning “Last Frost Community Planting Days.”

Sustainable CT, managed by the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University, is a statewide initiative that inspires and supports communities in becoming more efficient, resilient and inclusive.

To join the Pollinator Pathway effort, interested residents can attend a planning meeting at 1 p.m. Friday at City Hall, 355 Main St. They can also attend the West Haven Sustainability Team’s “Green Drinks” event at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at Iishin Ramen Bar, 291 Captain Thomas Blvd.

For the latest news and information about the West Haven Pollinator Pathway, residents can subscribe to the project’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pollinatorpathway06516/. They can also call Carr for details at (203) 877-2704, ext. 400826.

Carr said residents can find information about making West Haven a welcoming place for friendly pollinators in the community at https://www.pollinator-pathway.org/westhaven and https://sustainablect.org/.

The city is seeking veterans, civic groups, fraternal organizations, service clubs and marching bands to participate in the annual Memorial Day parade, which steps off at 10:30 a.m. May 25.

The parade has no rain date.

Participants must register and list required special accommodations.

Transportation is provided for veterans who are unable to walk the 1.5-mile parade course, which follows Campbell Avenue from Captain Thomas Boulevard to Center Street. To make arrangements, call the mayor’s office at 203-937-3510.

The parade grand marshals are World War II veteran Frank Corso, who served in the Army Air Forces in 1942-45, and Korean War vet Salvatore Gullo, who served in the Navy in 1948-52.

Download a participation form at http://cityofwesthaven.com/DocumentCenter/View/2215/Memorial-Day-Parade-Reservation-Form-2020-PDF.

Forms are also available in the mayor’s office at City Hall, 355 Main St., where they are due April 10.

Forms can also be emailed to parade organizer Kristen Teshoney at kteshoney@westhaven-ct.gov or faxed to (203) 937-3705.