April 3, 2018, by Markeshia Ricks- "New Haven State Rep. Pat Dillon said she received some criticism from colleagues when she introduced a bill that would reinforce cities’ authority to regulate the brightness of digital billboards. Weren’t there more important things for her to draft legislation about? Then a new sign at Whalley Avenue and Emerson Street was powered on. "Now, they understand and are telling me how horrible it is,” she said Monday after a meeting of the state General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee.
Tuesday | April 3, 2018
April 2, 2018, by Thomas Breen- "City planners voted unanimously to approve the creation of a new zoning district for Westville Village that they hope will serve as a model for how to use zoning regulations to encourage dense, diverse, mixed-use economic development throughout the city. During the most recent regular monthly meeting of the City Plan Commission on the second floor of City Hall, the commissioners gave the thumbs up to a proposed zoning ordinance text amendment seeking to establish a new Village Center Mixed Use (BA-2) zone.
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Thursday | February 8, 2018
February 7, 2018, by Thomas Breen- "Parks Director Becky Bombero asked the dozen skaters, skateboarders and bikers assembled before her what day of the week they would be available to come to help pull weeds as their sweat equity contribution to a new skate park. “Almost everyone has Sundays off,” BMX rider Justin Kearney said, “since a lot of us in retail have to work on Saturdays.” “OK, what time on Sunday?” Bombero asked. “Probably not too early,” the group responded in unison. Thus was the latest round of negotiations between local skaters and the city parks department as the c
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February 6, 2018, by Mary O'Leary- "Alex Churilov installs what are commonly referred to as billboards for a living, but he decided it made more sense, for a steadier income, to own one himself to display ads. His choice of a space at 1057 Whalley Ave. for an electronic "poster" at the corner of Emerson Street, however, has upset some officials who want to rally others to object to the installation and eventually change the zoning rules.
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February 8, 2018, by Mary O'Leary- "Westville residents had suggestions for how to incorporate art into a proposed apartment complex that could also use some tweaking on its facade, but overall a dense development that would fill an empty lot in the center of the village was very welcomed. The plan also brings back the popular Delaney's Restaurant and Tap Room to the first floor as the commercial tenant at the 22-apartment building proposed for Whalley Avenue, Central Avenue and Fountain Street. It is the same site where a fire on Aug.
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Monday | February 5, 2018
February 5, 2018, by Markeshia Ricks- "The first glimpse of Chapel Haven’s expansion of its Westville home was a little hard to see during a Friday afternoon ribbon-cutting. There were so many people crammed into Chapel Haven’s new welcome center that the many supporters and well-wishers gathered could hardly get a look at the new fireplace, or check out much of the art created by the community members who lived there. But the tight quarters didn’t dampen anyone’s spirit as hot cocoa and cookies flowed. Because everyone was there to celebrate a milestone.
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Friday | January 26, 2018
January 25, the New Haven Independent, by Markeshia Ricks- "The burned-down Delaney’s Restaurant & Tap Room is making a comeback to Westville Village along with new apartments on top, if a newly submitted zoning application gets approved. The zoning application has been submitted by the new owner of a now vacant lot at 882 Whalley Ave., where flames consumed the popular restaurant nearly four years ago. The lot has been vacant since that fire.
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Friday | January 19, 2018
“I have a last name which is Ukrainian. I am an American citizen. I was born in Poland. I was raised in Belarus. I went to college in Moscow. And I left Russia for Springfield, Massachusetts.” Such was Sergei Gerasimenko’s life as a “rolling rock.” Now a New Havener, he’s a rock of a different kind, working on West Rock Avenue in the shadow of West Rock itself, expertly fashioning custom features made of wood (not rock). It was a trip to the theater, of all things, that started his long roll to New Haven.
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January 19, 2018, by Markeshia Ricks- "The old Whalley Avenue CVS will get a new parking lot and cosmetic improvements — and still, despite some neighborhood opposition, become a Family Dollar in the end. City Plan commissioners unanimously approved the site plan for the conversion of the existing 9,857 square-foot former CVS at 1168 Whalley Ave. into a Family Dollar during its regular meeting Wednesday night after one last public hearing.
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Monday | December 18, 2017
December 15, 2017, by Lucy Gellman- Um Shaham (the mother of Shaham) was polishing a car in the driveway when the years of tragedy began. First, flames sprang from a second-story room where her infant daughter slept, just missing the girl but leaving her and her son with second and third degree burns. Then the fire devoured everything else in their path, taking the car in a burst of orange and red. Then the war came to her front door. Just months after the fire, her husband was shot dead from a stray bullet, his taxi returned to her soaked in his blood.
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