Dear Eleanore Turkington:

I just need some clarification. Is it illegal to push the leaves into the street? I see this more and more around West Haven. Thank you for listening.

According to Beth Sabo, Public Works Direction, “Yes it is.”

Dear Eleanore Turkington:

That manhole at Main and Savin Avenue has not been fixed. I think you need to talk to Beth Sabo before it snows and if they can’t fix it that hole will get even bigger.

LA

Dear LA:

In a recent Gripe Vine I had mentioned that AT&T had indicated the city was responsible for repairing the area around the manhole cover. However, Beth Sabo made contact with A & T and discovered that AT & T was truly responsible for repairing this area. Sabo heard from Claudio Anania of AT&T. His comment: “Per our discussion, AT&T intends to repair the broken/damaged road pavement in the area in-and-around our existing manhole on Main Street near Savin Avenue as required to provide a suitable and safe surface for vehicular traffic. I will be issuing a work order for this repair this week (Anania’s response above was dated Nov. 11) and it should be scheduled for construction within the near future.”

Gripe Vine will be anticipating comments from nearby neighbors indicating the manhole cover area repair was completed.

Gripe Vine Readers:

I received a request to install speed bumps on Highland Street Hill especially at the top of the hill deterring vehicles from recklessly speeding up the hill and continuing on the street. Evidently this reader had lost pets at this site and wonders if there will be unfortunate accidents here if some improvements don’t take place, namely speed bumps. I contacted Officer Angelo Moscato and placed this reader’s request for a speed bump on his desk. Officer Moscato replied, “Our officers conduct numerous motor vehicle stops for various violations throughout the city. The West Haven Police Department would like to remind motorists that the police department will continue to strictly enforce all motor vehicle laws and we ask for their cooperation by obeying all traffic laws.”

Dear Eleanore Turkington:

Along Ocean Avenue near the Seacrest Retirement Home, and within the South Street Beach parking area, there is an overgrowth of weeds and tree saplings blocking the view of the ocean either while driving along Ocean Avenue or if parked within the beach parking lot. The ocean is the city’s most valuable asset and we should take every possible advantage to show case it. Any possibility on getting the city (or volunteers) to clear this over growth so that the ocean can clearly be seen?

VJ

Dear VJ:

From what I was able to determine the maintenance at this site belongs to the state. I will try to have them look this area over and make any improvements possible.

Gripe Vine Readers:

If you remember, a reader had written Gripe Vine complaining of youngsters setting up a basketball hoop on a public street. The letter writer felt that it was difficult driving on a street with youngsters playing basketball. He indicated some of them had headphones on and if an emergency arose while driving his car, the youngsters would not hear his horn. I tried to find out if there was a local ordinance prohibiting such a basketball hoop installation.

Officer Angelo Moscato of the Crime prevention Unit at the West Haven Police Department answered your question with, “Ct. State law Sec. 53-182,use of Highways by pedestrians has three situations: A pedestrian uses any street or highway negligently or recklessly; a pedestrian fails to obey the signal of any traffic officer, pedestrian control sign, signal, marking or device, or a pedestrian recklessly disregards his own safety or the safety of another person by the manor of their use of any street or highway is an infraction.”

I asked Officer Moscato to clarify these ordinances and he indicated that if any pedestrian activity including the placement of basketball hoops, nets, etc., obstructs traffic there may be a violation, but most pedestrians of all ages use the roads safely and stay out of the way of vehicle traffic.

Dear Eleanore Turkington:

You had asked if anyone had information on the headstones of old cemeteries in West Haven. One of my readers wrote, “Don’t know if they still have it, but the West Haven Main Library had a copy of headstone inscriptions from all West Haven cemeteries done by WPA people years ago. It used to be in a box in the history room in the basement of the library. A lot of the stones that were done back then can hardly be read now. Can you check it out?

Allan D. Gagnon

Dear Allan:

I’m on the trail of finding this box. I spoke to a representative at the library and she promised to take a look in the library’s basement. I’ll let my readers know if this box is found and what was in it, perhaps more information on these gravestones.

Gripe Vine Readers:

Since this issue of The Voice will be available Thanksgiving weekend, I would like to offer my best wishes to all of you during this holiday. Thank you for being loyal readers and loyal contributors to this column. Have a wonderful holiday!