Lyric Hall owner John Cavaliere, who advocated on behalf of business owners for a more accessible Edgewood Park at night.
L.W. Beecher sixth graders Dimetri Moseley, Gabriol Rainey, Ethinn London, Jermaine Foster, Ezrinn London, and Camren Phillies: When it gets dark, we have to go home.
State Speaker of the House Matt Ritter made an election-year stop in Westville Monday afternoon to celebrate new funding for improved lighting in Edgewood Park — and to endorse incumbent State Rep. Pat Dillon as she faces two Democratic primary challengers.
Ritter and Dillon joined roughly two dozen community members, alders, and members of New Haven’s state legislation at that press conference at the Edgewood Park gazebo.
Legislating, Ritter said, isn’t always about the biggest bills. “It’s granular. It’s what impact you have in your community and your neighborhood,” the Hartford lawmaker said. “The small things can be just as impactful.”
Dillon, a 21-term incumbent, is currently running for reelection to continue representing the 92nd state House district for another two-year term. The district covers parts of Amity, Westville, Edgewood, Dwight, West River, and the Hill. As the Democratic Party’s endorsed nominee, Dillon is facing a primary challenge from former downtown alder Eli Sabin and former Hamden town council member Justin Farmer, both of whom have petitioned their ways onto the Aug. 11 ballot.
Dillon — who is also a deputy majority leader and the co-chair of the Health Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee — secured the allocation of $243,000 in state funding for improved lighting, electric wiring, and pathways in Edgewood Park. That funding was approved by the State Bond Commission as part of their May 29 agenda.
According to city Parks Department Executive Director Max Webster, the light fixtures are likely to be the same vintage-style lamp posts already surrounding Coogan Pavilion. They will likely be placed from the corner of West Rock and Whalley Avenues through the parking lots and toward Coogan. The state funds will allow the city to begin planning the installation, which is not likely to begin earlier than spring 2027.
Monday’s presser took place after Westville community members spoke at an April meeting of the city Commission on Parks, Programs, & Recreational Facilities about the need for improved lighting in Edgewood Park, particularly between the tennis courts and West Rock Avenue.
One of those community members, Lyric Hall owner John Cavaliere, had noted in April that the park provides free parking for customers visiting nearby businesses like his own, as well as Rawa and Manjares. When it gets dark, he said, people might feel less safe walking to their cars.
Press conference attendees included Alders Evette Hamilton (pictured), Adam Marchand, Tyisha Walker-Myers, and Richard Furlow, among state delegation members and neighbors.
On Monday, Cavaliere recalled how, 20 years ago, Dillon helped secure the crosswalk that connects his business to the park.
“Pat is building on that legacy,” he said. “These are not glamorous projects. They have an impact on everyday lives.”
Cavaliere added, “I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that every election brings new faces and new ideas, and we welcome that. But there’s a lot to be said for proven leadership, and I don’t have to imagine what Pat Dillon might do. I look at the record.”
Dillon said that community members had alerted her to the need for improved lighting in the park. The $243,000 secured for the project follows the state’s allocation of $800,000 in America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for capital projects in the park, also championed by Dillon and used to improve the Mid Bridge and the skate park.
“It’s hard to believe that there was a time that the idea of having a park available to working people was a shock,” she said. “The people who come here are a cross section of our city.”
According to Ritter, experience matters. “It’s knowing who to call and advocating and saying, ‘I got a small project that I need help with. How can we make it a reality?’” he said. “It’s an important process to know your way around Hartford and who you should call.”
Ritter, who represents Hartford’s 1st District in the state House, has endorsed Dillon, as well as the other incumbent members of New Haven’s state delegation, he said.
Ritter isn’t typically present at New Haven press conferences. When asked whether the 92nd District primary race had motivated his decision to drive down from Hartford, he said that it wasn’t unusual to celebrate bond projects. “Just because there’s a primary doesn’t mean we shouldn’t come down here and celebrate these things,” he said. “I kind of look at it that way.”
Meanwhile, a group of sixth graders from L.W. Beecher School played basketball on the nearby court on Monday. The students agreed that the park gets too dark at night. They said the court itself has two lamp posts that don’t work.
The group of boys, who are mostly in the same class at Beecher and play basketball at school during the winter season, walk a couple minutes to the park every weekday after school, they said. They play from around 3 p.m. to dark.
“When it gets dark, I have to go home,” said Ezrinn London.
If the park had better lighting, “people in general could stay here longer,” not just basketball players, said London. “We usually have to leave at 7:30.”
They would also like to see a closer water fountain — it’s hard to walk over to the gazebo when they’re really tired — and a single-rim rather than a double-rim basketball hoop, which would help their shots go in a little easier.
Webster, the city’s parks department director, said that while the basketball court might “possibly” get better lighting, “I don’t want to overpromise,” as the lighting system is older. “It’s an issue we’re trying to resolve.”
Twins Ethinn and Ezrinn London, 1 v 1.
Ethinn on defense while Dimetri attempts to score.
Discover more from InnerCity News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
