Gripe Vine Readers:
I have not written this column for a short time and I’m going to run a number of catch-up items in this week’s edition. Would you please take this opportunity to update me if the gripes you had previously submitted have not been resolved? I will do my best to back check and to send reminders to the city’s Council men and women if my questions have not been answered, your follow up inquiries would be very helpful.
Dear Eleanore Turkington:
I am writing about the Third Avenue Park and the basketball hoops that were taken down. Then about six weeks later dated in August, boards were put over them so no one could play. It was then vandalized, and the boards were ripped down and they have been playing ever since.
There is a huge sign out there stating the park is closed due to Covid19. There is sometimes 15 to 30 people out there and nobody is wearing a mask and they are sweating all over each other. They throw trash all over and there is loud music, and they are yelling. I have made several calls to the mayor’s office and Park Recreation. I feel like I am talking to a wall. They keep saying, the hoops will come down and nothing happens. Sometimes it goes on all day and 9:30 at night. They are also there at 3:00 a.m. in the morning. A lot of people in this area are working from home. There are cars that in a lot of cases, have out of state plates.
This is a small park and should not have that many people in there. It is not fair to the people in this area that live in this area.
Frustrated Resident
Dear Frustrated Resident:
I have asked Council Woman Elizabeth Johnston, Councilman Mitchell Gallignano and Councilman William Conlon to respond to your complaints. If there has been a solution to your gripe, please let me know and I will inform my readers of your satisfaction or dissatisfaction in this column.
Dear Eleanore Turkington:
I have been asking for help from the mayor’s office to the traffic division as well as speaking with Council Woman Colleen O’Connor and Officer D’Amato to make a change in the detour to Second Avenue as there is too much traffic to be safe for our neighborhood. There have been many cars hit with their car mirrors being knocked off, a car and two accidents on Second Avenue recently. How much more is it going to take to get someone to address this problem. Someone to die. Please do something!
A recent Saturday night, right in front of my house another accident! That’s three in a couple of months. What does it take to get a couple of stop signs up to fix this before someone gets killed? It’s bad enough we have to deal with the noise, the extra trash and we can’t get out of our driveways. We pay enough taxes to have you put stop signs up to keep this mess you made under control.
CH58 Upset
Dear Eleanore Turkington:
I live on Second Avenue. During a parking ban you can’t park on either side of the street. In mu 18 years of living here, I have only seen it enforced three times. You just have to live with it.
The parking ban rules are just one of those laws that West Haven doesn’t enforce.
RLAcceptance
Dear CH58 and RL:
Second Avenue has been criticized safety wise often in Gripe Vine. The Councilwoman and Councilmen in this area have been asked to look at this dangerous situation and to respond to Gripe Vine. If you have had an improvement lately, Gripe Vine readers would like to know. If you are reading this column today and you are a Council representative and have made inquiries and safety recommendations re: Second Avenue, let my readers know re; gripevine4wh@aol.com
Dear Eleanore Turkington:
I have complained in the past about trucks on Voss Road. Awhile ago, an 18-wheeler was making its way toward Sawmill Road. I happened to be outside taking pictures and captured a photo depicting this problem. Sometimes the rumbling will shake the house. This one didn’t. It’s just aggravating that they cut through our little neighborhood to save a small amount of time going around to Sawmill at the Railroad Station.
CPAggravated
Dear CPAggravated:
I had asked Councilwoman Chrystal Fanelli to investigate the Voss Road and travel conditions.
Councilwoman Fanelli replied, “I will see what can be done about this.” Will you let me know if activities have changed on Voss Road?
Dear Gripe Vine Readers:
There is water pouring onto the sidewalk and onto the grass at the corner of Swampscott and Nonquit Street. The sidewalk needs a cutout and drains so it will not pool onto the sidewalk and turn into ice in the cold weather. Children cannot walk on this sidewalk in cold weather because it becomes a sheet of ice and they must walk to the street that crosses over.
I asked Councilwoman Robbin Watt Hamilton who represents this area for assistance, and she replied, “The sidewalk inspector went out and thinks he may have identified the issue. However, he stated it would be beneficial to speak to the resident to be sure he understands the whole problem. Please contact the reader so that we can perhaps resolve the issue.”
I was unable to contact the reader and have heard no additional information since their initial complaint. If there are readers living in this area and are aware of this problem please let me know if this dangerous area has been repaired. It’s with hope that the city sidewalk inspector followed through once again and repaired this site before the oncoming freezing weather arrives.
My thanks and appreciation to both Councilwoman Hamilton and the sidewalk inspector.
Coming up…Beach Street speeding issues…Stop Sign ignores at Dix and Nonquit…white substance in West River explained..speed bumps requested on Beach Street….very old bird house spotted on the Green….unlit lights on Captain Thomas Blvd..commercial vehicles parked in residential neighborhoods…hanging wires on Maltby Street …uncovered trash cans….motorcycle noise on Ocean Avenue..Stop Signs ignored at Third and Main Streets..a special thanks for restoration of art work at the old grocery store at Washington Street and Elm..Veteran’s Walk gripe…cracked sidewalk at Painter Drive…remove dead trees on the Green..waiting 8 years for sidewalk repair…Plainfield avenue finished? Dead tree on Simos Lane…dead tree on Central Avenue and much more.
Send your gripes, comments and issues to gripevine4wh@aol.com or write to Gripe Vine 840 Boston Post Road, West Haven 06516. You can also submit through our online form.
Goodbye 2020 and Welcome to 2021! Happy New Year!