Elm City Beat

On March 14, the Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Parade Committee will stage the 54th annual celebration of its Irish‑American heritage. The centerpiece of this celebration is the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade that commences at 1:00 pm DST at Sherman Avenue and Chapel Street.

James J. McGovern, a North Haven resident and long time member of the parade committee, will lead the parade as its Grand Marshal,. McGovern said: “"Serving as Grand Marshal of the 2010 Greater New Haven St. Patrick's Day Parade is an incredible honor for me. I am very proud to be a part of this event that is enjoyed by so many people; the parade is a great celebration not only for Irish Americans but for our entire community. It will be a very special day for me when I lead this parade with my family along side me."

Once again parade organizers expect over 300,000 spectators, making it the largest single-day spectator event in the state. As the 6th oldest parade in the nation, its fame was recognized by the Library of Congress in 1999. This keepsake of New Haven’s Irish community became a national keepsake when the Library of Congress selected the Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade as an outstanding example of American folk life.

The Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade is sponsored by The Associated Irish Societies consisting of the Knights of St. Patrick, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the West Haven Irish American Club, and the New Haven Football and Hurling Club.

The parade is delight for children of all ages and a special treat this year will be an appearance by Philadelphia’s second oldest string band known as the Aqua String Band. Colorful costumes and engaging strutting are the signature features of this entertaining musical group. Check out youtube.com for a video clip of their 2010 appearance in this year’s annual Mummers New Year’s Day parade.

Returning for their fifth appearance in the parade is the very popular Star Wars Costume Club known as the 501st CT Garrison. A number of new floats will appear for the first time in this year’s parade and at least three of the floats will carry musical bands. In addition to the official Parade Queen, Lindsey Stamp, and her honor attendant, Kristina Conroy, there will be several other pageant titleholders, highlighted by the appearance of Miss Connecticut, 2009 Sharalynn Kuziak.

Parade Coordinator, Eileen Sullivan Donadio, reports “Over 3600 parade participants from 150 musical and marching units are expected to march with the wind at their back and the sun smiling warmly on their faces.” Parade Chairman, Walter Nester, promises a well-organized event and said “This year’s parade will be a great family event for old and young alike.”

Spectators can watch the parade along the parade route from Chapel to Church Streets ending at Grove and Orange Streets. Free automobile parking is allowed in all Yale University parking lots around the Yale campus except for the restricted lots with red signs which are gate controlled. For more information, such as parade maps, city information, and parade orders, visit the parade website at www.stpatricksdayparade.org

By Andy Ross

Eighth Ward Alderman Michael Smart knows Wooster Square. He attended Conte School on Wooster Street and Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven. After high school, he attended the University of Bridgeport, where he studied business, marketing and political science. After launching a successful career in real estate investing, Smart and his wife Elaine purchased a home on Lyons Street. And, when Smart noticed that his beloved hometown and neighborhood was starting to fall victim to crime and neglect, Smart decided to fight.

Little did Smart know that his next steps would lead him on a path from concerned citizen to full-fledged politician, in just a few short years.

As Smart remembers it, in 1998, there was no formal group or organization pushing for change in the Wooster Square area -- it was simply a group of concerned citizens banding together to reclaim their neighborhood. Crime went down and residents all pitched in to clean up their neighborhood. “We began to see green spaces pop up along Bradley Street, trees being planted on Williams and Lyons Streets, and house after house starting to shape
up, as stakeholders began to improve their properties.”

In 1998, as crime-fighting became more organized, Smart joined the New Haven Good Government Group, an organization that works closely with New Haven Public Works; Police Services; and Parks and Recreation. The Good Government Group partners with local leaders to bring resident issues to their attention and to hold elected officials and city workers accountable to the tax payers. “This is where I really began to gain a sense of how city government worked,” says Smart. “Looking back, I would have to say it is when I knew I would become a part of the solution to the problems facing New Haven.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

Fight or Flight

Even before Smart was elected an Alderman, one of Smart’s earliest community efforts was when he joined the fight to have a sound barrier erected along Farnam Court public housing complex to reduce noise pollution from I-95. The process taught him a lot about the complexity of state and local government – and the red tape that often accompanies change.

“Everyone had to have their say. State Senators, State Representatives, the Mayor, the Alderman, the state Department of Transportation – you name the group or politician, and we had to interact with them,” Smart says. “It took several years, but after I became Alderman we were successful. ”

Change, it seems, was possible. The success of the Farnam Court sound barrier was proof. And Smart was just getting started.

Smart Takes the Fight to the Center Ring: the Political Arena

“I had a mental list of reasons I wanted to get involved politically,” recalls Smart, who says he wanted a higher quality of life for all New Haven citizens. “I wanted to create sustainable social and economic programs, ensure the best education system possible for our children, maintain citizen safety, and improve city roads and parks.”

Smart launched a campaign to be Alderman of the 8th Ward in2003. However, Smart did not get the initial Democratic endorsement, so he waged a successful primary fight. That effort paid off: on January 1, 2004, Smart took his position as Alderman for the 8th Ward. He has been re-elected three times since then.

“Listening, Studying, and Participating”

As Alderman, Smart is involved in a variety of community organizations, including the Wooster Square Block Watch, The Downtown Wooster Square Management Team, Historic Wooster Square Association, Friends of Lenzi Park, the St. Andrew’s Society, St. Mary Magdalen Society and the 8th Ward Democratic Committee. It’s quite a workload, but Smart wouldn’t have it any other way.

“There are so many great groups and organizations throughout my ward,” he says. “I do my
best to be aware of them and to be available to help at any time.” Between Smart’s twice-
monthly aldermanic meetings and service on aldermanic committees (Smart Chairs the Tax
Abatement Committee and serves on the City Services and Environmental Policy
Committee), he still finds time to listen and participate in dozens of community groups.
Most notably, Smart heads the very successful Bradley Street Green Space project which is
now going into its sixth year of revitalizing the area through planting of trees and flowers in
open spaces.

Smart regularly tackles projects ranging from new sidewalks to drug and alcohol prevention to working with homeless shelters in an effort to increase capacity during the harsh winter months. Smart also works to address his constituents’ educational issues: after residents raised concerns that the Conte Magnet School was not admitting enough ward resident students, Smart worked with school officials to set aside slots for neighborhood children.

It’s a heavy workload, but to Smart, it’s just one more way to stay connected to the community he loves and the people who live there.

After all, for Smart, community is where his focus started… and where he intends to keep it. “I decided to enter politics because I love this ward and I love New Haven,” Smart says. “I grew up here. I live here. I could not sit quietly while so many of the neighborhoods I grew up in were becoming embattled.”

Today, Smart helps residents fight a different kind of battle – one less physical, but no less harrowing. Smart’s work as head of the Tax Abatement Committee gives him an opportunity to listen to residents’ financial challenges. “This is, in one way, one of my favorite tasks because I get to help people with real problems,” Smart says. “On the other hand, my heart goes out to anyone having financial difficulties as the economy worsens.”

Those “real problems” can be frustrating, says Smart, who notes that the most difficult part of his position is working with city finances. “It’s frustrating because there are a lot of good programs that we have enjoyed and come to depend on in New Haven,” he says. “When funding cannot be restored, it hurts to take those programs away. However, facts are facts and when we are facing reduced state funding -- we have to make sound business decisions regarding the city’s finances. A constant but stimulating part of this job is helping to find long term solutions to New Haven’s social and economic challenges, while representing the residents of my ward in particular.”

All in all, Smart puts in about 30 to 40 hours a week as Alderman and, unlike his job as a real estate investor, Smart’s political career requires him to be available virtually 24/7. “They call me, text me, email me, and even stop by my home if they require my attention. And I take every one of them seriously: if something bothers them enough to contact me, I will do whatever it takes to help. Someone was needed to represent the entire ward. You do this by listening, studying and participating. That’s why they elected me.”

Alderman Smart is currently entering his seventh year in office. He lives in Wooster Square with his wife and two daughters, Mariah and Aliah. For more information or to contact Alderman Smart, he can be reached at One Lyon St., 2nd floor, New Haven, CT 06511-4925,
Phone (203) 624-4177 or by email at Ward8@newhavenct.net.

In conjunction with Long Wharf Theatre’s production of Sylvia, a comic tale of a man, his wife and the lovable dog that comes between them, the theatre is hosting a ‘Find-A-Friend For Life’ event with the Robin I. Kroogman New Haven Animal Shelter.

The event will take place Saturday, March 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. It’s a great opportunity to meet adoptable dogs of all sizes and breeds and talk with Animal Shelter staff and volunteers to explore the logistics of the pet adoption process. “Long Wharf Theatre is always looking for interesting, fun ways to engage and give a little something back to the community. We thought that having an event here allowing people to meet all kinds of great dogs would be just that kind of opportunity,” said Steve Scarpa, Long Wharf Theatre director of marketing and communications.

These types of events, held throughout New Haven County over the course of the year, have proven to be an effective way to introduce dogs to possible owners. “We have a very aggressive outreach program. People are pleased to have the opportunity to rescue a dog and find themselves with a companion for life,” said Anna Schildroth, chair of the city’s Humane Commission. “We will be showing a mixture of small, medium and large dogs, and all will be adoptable in terms of temperament.”

The need to find loving homes for these dogs is a very real one, she said. Each day dogs are dropped off at the shelter for a variety of reasons – people abandon the animals or, oftentimes, they move and cannot afford to care for the dogs any longer, for example. “We get everything,” she said.

The Robin I. Kroogman New Haven Animal Shelter is one of the largest animal municipal shelters in the state of Connecticut, with over 60 dog runs, attracting over 3,200 visitors annually. The Animal Shelter takes in about 2,000 dogs and cats each year. Through its partnership with the Humane Commission, Friends of the New Haven Animal Shelter, and the North Shore Animal League, the Animal Shelter has sponsored several adoption events throughout the year, leading to an adoption/reclaim rate of 75 percent, or roughly 1,500 dogs and cats.

In addition, throughout the run of Sylvia, playing on the Mainstage from February 17 through March 14, Long Wharf Theatre will be accepting donations on behalf of the shelter of dog food, dog treats, leashes and bleach. The donations can be dropped off in the Mainstage lobby from 10 am to 6 pm or on the nights of performances.

For more information about the event, the upcoming production of Sylvia or to buy tickets, visit www.longwharf.org or call 203-787-4282. For more information about the Animal Shelter’s mission and procedures, visit www.cityofnewhaven.com/AnimalShelter/index.asp or call 203-946-8110. To learn more about the shelter’s volunteer organization, visit www.findafriendforlife.org

Do you have opinions about your neighborhood’s convenience, safety or appearance, skills you can contribute, or suggestions for improving the community? Do you want to help your neighborhood become an even better place to live and work?

We’re excited to announce the first-ever New Haven Neighborhood Quality of Life Survey!

This citywide survey is part of a grassroots effort to encourage more residents to participate in their local neighborhood associations and Community Management Teams. Many of these groups have agreed to formally participate in this inaugural year. They have agreed to distribute this email (and paper copies, available upon request) in order to give everyone an opportunity to share their perspective. Developed with the help of successful national examples, the survey represents many months of work and feedback from these associations and other local residents.

DataHaven, a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)3 organization that compiles and shares high-quality public information, will ensure accuracy of reporting and maintain the anonymity of all information collected.

Immediately following the collection of surveys, DataHaven will make neighborhood-level results available at its website (http://www.ctdatahaven.org). Results will also be shared at informal Neighborhood Workshops, to be organized by CMTs, neighborhood groups and at a citywide level. The results may be used by anyone to help their neighborhood develop action plans to address quality of life concerns.

Please help our neighborhoods by distributing this email to your mailing lists and inviting your neighbors to participate at the link below. Any resident, employee, student or visitor to your neighborhood may take the survey.

The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. We need you to help make this survey and this city the best it can be!

Survey Link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/neighborhoodsurveynewhaven

Happy Monday New Haven
photo credit: Andy Ross

On Friday, February 5th, the Chapel and Broadway Merchant Associations will host Flights of Fancy; an exclusive shopping and wine tasting event highlighting Downtown New Haven’s award winning shops and boutiques.

Attendees register at The Study Hotel at Yale, 1157 Chapel Street from 5 pm to 6 pm where they will receive complimentary hors d’oevures, a Flights of Fancy wine glass and a map of participating stores.

From 6 pm to 8 pm participants can sample fine wines and receive 25% off their favorite item in over 15 participating stores in the Broadway and Chapel shopping districts.

Attendees return to The Study Hotel at Yale at 8 pm for coffee, dessert, and a grand prize drawing for a complimentary stay for two at The Study Hotel. Additional prizes include dinner at 116 Crown, tickets to the Shubert Theater, a spa package from Jo-Bella Salon and Spa, and a luxurious leather date book from Hull’s Art Supply & Framing.

Registration for the Flights of Fancy event is $5 and includes the exclusive Flights of Fancy wine glass, a map and list of stores where participants can enjoy a free tasting of selected fine wines, entry into the prize drawing, hors d’oevures, coffee and dessert.

Free parking is available at the York Street Garage, 150 York Street for all Flights of Fancy participants. The event is limited to the first 300 registrants and reservations are encouraged.

Reservations for Flights of Fancy can be made by contacting info@downtownnewhaven.com.

Rena Leddy, Executive Director of the Town Green Special Services District expressed excitement over the event. “The holidays were hugely successful in Downtown and we want to build on that momentum to keep New Haven at the front of people’s minds as a shopping destination. Flights of Fancy provides a unique shopping experience and a fun way to spend a Friday night in February.”

Flights of Fancy is sponsored by the Chapel and Broadway Merchants Associations, The Wine Thief, The Study Hotel at Yale and organized by the Town Green Special Services District and Yale University Properties.

The Town Green Special Services District is a business improvement district (BID)funded by a sur tax on property in Downtown New Haven to fund programs such as public space improvements, cleaning and maintenance Ambassadors, INFO New Haven visitor centers, communications, advocacy, and the www.infonewhaven.com website.

The City of New Haven and the New Haven Public Schools will be collecting items to send to children affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Students in New Haven Public Schools will be packing backpacks with essential items to be delivered to children in Haiti.

Items to fill these bags are needed. Please reference the list below to make a donation. If you choose to donate an item, please drop it off in the Office of Public Information, located on the second floor of 165 Church Street before Tuesday, January 26th.

The Haitain government has expressed a need for the following items:

Toiletries (shampoo, soap, toothpaste)
Hand sanitizer
First aid kits
Socks
Raisins/granola bars/light, non-perishable foods
Mosquito repellent

Since these items are going to young people in Haiti, donations of notebooks and school supplies to include in their backpacks will also be accepted.