Veterans Walk ceremony suggestions
I recently attended the wonderful Veterans Walk of Honor Dedication Ceremony (Saturday, May 25) at Bradley Point. As wonderful as the ceremony was, and as proud as I was to attend it on that beautiful spring afternoon, I must confess that I was disappointed in one respect: As well-planned and dignified as the ceremony was, at no point were the names of those being honored that day read to the people assembled there.
Not only that, those being honored weren’t even listed in the program that was distributed to all in attendance. Ironically, there was a insert included in the program, a lovely, fitting poem by Major Michael Davis O’Donnell about remembering those we loved and lost. The poem only took up one side of the insert, so there was plenty of room on the other side to have listed the approximately 30 name of those we were gathered to honor that day.
Furthermore, during the ceremony itself, it was difficult not to notice that while the excellent master of ceremonies made a point of acknowledging the presence of just about every politician and dignitary in attendance that day, at no point were the names of those 30 people being honored that day mentioned. I have to say I was shocked by this and disappointed for those people who had made a special effort to be there.
Many of those in attendance were elderly and disabled, or had travelled a great distance to attend this ceremony (for example, the widow, daughter, and grand-daughters of my best friend, one of the honorees, had travelled all the way from Texas, for the sole purpose of attending this ceremony), to then sit there and neither read nor hear the name of their beloved invoked seems a shame to me–an unfortunate oversight that marred an otherwise beautiful and much-appreciated ceremony.
I would sincerely like to thank Beth Sabo, Louis Esposito, Dave Ricci, Mayor Rossi and all those people responsible for Saturday’s Ceremony and for creating and maintaining West Haven’s wonderful Walk of Honor. However, I would also like to suggest that for future ceremonies, not only should the Program include a list of those being honored, but that list of names she be read–every single name–just before the playing of “taps.”
I respectfully offer this suggestion in the spirit of gratitude. and appreciation for all that you have done in the past and continue to do for West Haven, its proud veterans, and its grateful citizens.
Gary Carlson
City needs to do project ‘right’
An article from the New Haven Register, December 2014, touts that West Haven is receiving over $2 million for Beach Street in grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program. Four and a half years later, we have seen little progress on the restoration.
My sources say that $600,000 was paid on design. The rest, $1.4 million dollars (part of which is in bond form), the West Haven tax payers are paying a debt of service on. We are paying interest on this money! This money is being held until Beach Street is raised- that’s phase one. Phase 2 and 3 requires $5.5 million dollars, $4 million from the state, the rest will be bonded. Beach Street is a ripe area for economic development! It used to flourish with Chick’s restaurant and Captain’s Galley, generating a great deal of business for the city. We are a city under the scrutiny of MARB. The West Haven citizens are burdened by the taxes and here is an area that could potentially bring in great revenue (https://www.ctinsider.com/news/nhregister/article/Lawmaker-implores-West-Haven-mayor-to-make-Beach-13963603.php). Our elected officials are to blame.
According to this article, “the current administration has put completion of the project last on its top three priority list” while “putting money for renovations at Savin Rock Conference Center first and funding for an arts center downtown as a second priority.”
Not only does the delay in this restoration prevent development of businesses in the area, it also leaves many residents and their homes at risk the next time a large storm comes our way. I would like to see the plans and the phases and what is being planned for this area and the reason it has taken since 2014 to move this project along! West Haven needs to do this right!
Pat Libero