A thank-you from author
It is time now to offer a humble Thank You to all those who made the book, “City of West Haven-Village to Town” the great success that it has been. To date, hundreds and hundreds of copies have been sold, and the proceeds have been used to fund the celebration of West Haven’s Centennial Year as an entity. It has been gratifying to hear people say, again and again, “I never knew that about West Haven!”
After 19=8 years of writing the Historian’s Corner columns, I had wanted to assemble them into a book that would find its way into homes and classrooms so that it would teach Westies about their town and its past. But I knew that I had neither the skills nor the finances to get the job done and I didn’t know where to turn.
Right at about that time I was approached by Beth Sabo and Mike Walsh at City Hall, with a proposal: Could they incorporate my stories into a book(!)? I was thrilled, and the work commenced. During the summer, the presses rolled, and the books began to move out the door. Hopefully, someday these books will find their way into the classrooms, so that our children can come to learn a little bit about the place that they call “home.”
Copies of “Village to Town” are still available at City Hall for $20 per copy. Postage for out-of-towners is $4. For your copy, go to the second floor, and look for the “giant” four-foot-tall copy of the book by the doorway where they are sold. Sales are being handled by Beth Sabo and Mike Walsh at (203) 937-3558.
Special Thanks go out to: Mayor Rossi, Beth Sabo, Mike Walsh, Colleen Bailie, Catherine Bushman, Angela Invernale, Peter Malia, James Holt, Valerie Forte Vitali, Fred Hoxsie, and GHP Media, The City of West Haven Centennial Celebration Committee.
Dan Shine
Museum query timely
Ed Note: The following was sent by Christine Sullivan Gallo, chairman of the West Haven Economic Development Commission, to Cobina concerning the Savin Rock Museum:
Dear Cobina,
Regarding the Savin Rock Museum upon which you were ruminating in the Feb, 17 edition…
NEBCO said at the open council meeting that they would be happy to take items from the current museum (not sure how many) and display them in a long hall leading into the brewery. This would keep at least some of the items on view. There would be a room off to the side of this where teachers could work with students, so the “museum” would still be open for educational purposes. Also, Savin Rock memorabilia could be sold in their gift shop which they would donate (to the city I presume). Council reaction, which was laser-focused on the economic and environmental impacts of a brewery, and not so much what would happen to what is now there, was limited to one council member voicing appreciation for their conservation of museum items. Before this meeting it was all over “West Haven: The Way It Is” and, I presume, other social media – folks wondering what was going to happen to the museum and voicing protest that it might disappear. I don’t do social media, so I don’t know if those concerns are still percolating, but if they are, it’s just locals wondering the way locals always do in the absence of information.
The plan shared at the council meeting did not satisfy me. I have no issue with NEBCO – they offered to do this to help us out. The city, though, should not see their solution as a viable one. First, there are items in the museum – Native American artifacts, Revolutionary War cannon – it’s not all amusement park memorabilia – that need to be in a real museum. How well any of the artifacts, old and newer, have been curated and maintained over the past decade is up for debate, but it’s time we treated this as a real museum. Second, related to this, is the fact that the museum never reached its real potential…half the time it wasn’t open – I don’t even want to tell you the Keystone Koppery that went on when I attempted to buy some souvenirs from them as my wedding reception was to be held in the Conference Center, and I wanted to keep it West Haven themed…and that was eight years ago. So, does it have a board? A committee? Who is in charge? Who owns the exhibits? Are some on loan? Third, as a former teacher and avid museum-goer, it’s obvious no real museum in the 21st century occupies a flat, straight hallway space, and that isn’t going to interest the kiddies either (at least the museum as was had different rooms, a small room where a movie was shown, twists and turns, sort of a neat floor plan). Fourth, also related, while the presence of artifacts in a much-visited public space would actually expose them to more viewers, it’s more on a Cracker Barrel level. Someone is heading up for a beer – are they really going to stop and pore over education signs attached to an artifact? And it will make it more difficult for, say, any families who want to bring the kiddies…dealing with hordes of brewery customers. And some families won’t take their kids into a brewery, no matter how family-friendly. No merry-go-round horse is worth it to some folks (of course, were a carousel to be put there, that might change the whole trajectory of the argument, but that’s your other question and I fear only Mr. Mercuriano has any information on that front).
So, you see, I have many reservations about the museum becoming brewery decor. As the chairman of our Economic Development Commission, I brought this up at a meeting and we passed a motion that I should write NEBCO with my concerns. I felt, however, that first I should check out exactly who “runs” the place now, and, if no one, would the Historical Society assist the town in the matter. Storing artifacts and/or running a museum isn’t exactly in the EDC’s wheelhouse, but losing what could be a motivator for bringing folks to town sure is, so I just wanted to get the name of an entity whose skill set is up to the task.
I have called said Society twice, leaving a very detailed, then a non-detailed but much more urgent, message each time. I hoped they could at least give me the name of whoever took over the place after the death of its long-time champion (Howard..??) If there is a board, they should be all over this
There is no response from the Historical Society.
I also heard what must be an urban legend – that many more artifacts are stored somewhere in town – but I can’t seem to find out if that’s true; the name given to me as the fellow with the stash does indeed have a museum-quality stash, but it’s related to the fire departments.
So, at this point, I am still putting off contacting NEBCO in the hopes that I can locate the person or people who can take on the conservation of the museum as an actual museum, even if it’s down the road and NEBCO is just kind enough to display some of the items while we (pipe dream alert) build a small, but very unique, actual museum somewhere. For all I know there is a board and they’re on it, but if that’s the case, they’re going about it in the local equivalent of Area 51…no one seems to know about it.
I know this doesn’t answer your question, it only probably deepens the mystery while adding new ones, but perhaps you could be helpful to us…if you get any information about who is actually in charge of the place, please let me know.
Christine Sullivan Gallo
Chairman, WHEDC