Taking shape The footprint of the new Washington School is starting to take shape as this drone photo shows the outline. Crews from Gilbane Construction began putting down the footings for the $41,745,000 project, which is set to open in May 2025. The two-story building will house 426 students K-4 and include a courtyard/playing field as well as gymnasium with a glass wall. Work included the trimming of dozens of telephone poles used as pilings to stabilize the former building. More than 25 individual contractors are involved in the project, which has already comprised 9280 manhours. 106 ..read more

By Michael P Waslh Special to the Voice It’s not too late to test your home for radon, the second-leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is a colorless, odorless and naturally occurring radioactive gas formed from the natural decay of uranium. It is found in rock, water and soil.  While radon in outdoor air poses a relatively low risk to human health, it can enter homes from the surrounding soil and become a health hazard inside buildings, Health Director Maureen B. Lillis said.  Lillis said testing for radon is recommended every two years.  The Health Department has received a lim ..read more

Dear Eleanore Turkington: Recently I spotted a huge billboard in our state that displayed a warning to motorists that there was a law in Connecticut that showed a penalty to drivers concerning driving and texting. I wasn’t aware that we couldn’t use a cell phone to communicate to business or to my family and friends. Just how many personal privileges can be taken away these days. Just what is the story on this convenient practice? Fed Up Dear Fed Up: Here is what I was able to find on driving and texting in the state of Connecticut: In Connecticut texting while driving is considered a primary ..read more

We have lots to talk about, honey bunch, but ain’t it something! We’re already in the month of May, and as I tell yew often, Granny used to say once we git past Memorial Day (she called it Decoration Day), the rest of the year just flies. Well, it’s been flying right along, so the run from Memorial Day to the end of the year will be on an SST, I guess. The big news in these parts was that April 15 was more than Tax Day. The day was bright and sunny, the temperatures were in the 70s, and the breezes were warm. Not a bad day to go to the beach! Well, that’s what a lotta young people thought, and ..read more

Students at West Haven High School post quotations from class presentations. By Michael O’Brien Special to the Voice Ed. Note: Some contextual material was added to this story by Voice staff. The West Haven Public School district is turning the unfortunate events from last week’s beach incident, into a teachable moment for our students. Throughout the week, Bailey Middle School and West Haven High School, with the collaboration of Superintendent Neil C. Cavallaro and the West Haven Police Department, have stressed the importance of good decision-making. ~~~ April 15 saw an influx of young peop ..read more

After a two-month medical leave of absence, Republican Councilman Steven J. Johnstone, who represents West Shore’s 10th District, has resumed his City Council duties. Johnstone, the council’s minority leader, expressed his “sincere gratitude” to Mayor Dorinda Borer and to council members Meli Garthwait, R-at large, and Brian Laucks, D-at large, who handled Johnstone’s 10th District matters during his medical leave. “I want to personally thank fellow council members Meli Garthwait and Brian Laucks for stepping in during my absence,” he said. Johnstone, who has been medically cleared, officially ..read more

By Rich Lowry Syndicated Columnist Columbia University is once again the center of the radical universe. More than 50 years after anti-Vietnam War demonstrators roiled the Columbia campus in 1968, anti-Israel agitators are disrupting the school’s operations, and inspiring similar actions at other universities around the country. In their open support for a terror group, today’s demonstrators are more virulent than their 1960s forebears, but they are still the ideological heirs of the New Left — grandchildren in the spirit of the first Morningside Heights revolutionaries. It’s Columbia 1968 — t ..read more

Blight, another problem In our last issue, these columns discussed the new initiative of Mayor Dorinda Borer in establishing a Blight Taskforce. The new initiative, including several city departments and personnel, is tasked with enforcing the city’s blight ordinances, and making property owners responsible for ensuring compliance. This includes a major component of registering absentee landlords, giving the city a person with whom direct communication of issues may be addressed. One of the second parts of the new initiative is a look at the types of businesses that come into the city, and the ..read more

Enough is Enough! I never thought I would have to start a letter with those words, however these words are on a large number of Americans minds and on the tips of their tongues due to the sorry state of our communities today! I have to ask our politicians an age-old question that was highlighted in the early to middle 1980’s , “When did it become permissible for citizens to pick and choose what laws and rules they want to follow and ignore?” That is not the way our legal system is supposed to work nor is it the American Way!  The perception amongst a large number of Americans is that crim ..read more

The two-year-old West Haven High School was awarded by the Connecticut Building Congress for its “team effort” in rebuilding the 1963 structure. The $130 million project came $2 million under budget, with several unplanned additions during construction. The Connecticut Building Congress recognizes outstanding building projects that exemplify project team excellence and represent the best practices in teamwork by project owners, architects, engineers, constructors and trades. Each year, CBC recognizes projects whose team members have met or surpassed goals and achieved higher project quality th ..read more