June 5, 2011

HUNDREDS JOIN MARY WADE ON PARADE

by Allan Appel, New Haven Independent

Allan Appel Photo
Stephen and Paul Kobasa with Stephen (senior) & Anne Somsel.

Witty 93-year-old Stephen Kobasa said he has been a resident for precisely 2,622 years at the Mary Wade Home, the award-winning nursing and health care facility on Pine Street.

He was exaggerating a big: After all, Mary Wade Home was originally established for destitute Civil War widows barely yesterday, back in 1866.

Kobasa was caught up in the fun as he and his family enjoyed the third annual Chatham Square neighborhood parade, which drew hundreds of celebrants and viewers to Fair Haven on Friday.

MaryAnn Moran & Mary Wade with Chief Limon.

As 200-year old Mary Wade herself (aka as 83-year-old Mary Wade resident Marian Lemley) chatted with Police Chief Frank Limon, school marching bands drill teams, ambulances, United Illuminating’s model electric vehicle and other businesses and groups lined up at Chatham Square Park and prepared to promenade.

With balloons flying, horns honking, and jugglers juggling, they began their route that took them down Clinton, across Pine and in front of an appreciative Kobasa in his cool yellow aviator shades (he was a mechanic with the Army Air Corps in World War Two) and his fellow residents. Then the paraders turned south on Atwater to Grand and back up Clinton to party at Mary Wade.

One of the the parade’s two coordinators, Rosanne Mondrone (the other is Rufina Durazzo), said 31 groups in all strutted their stuff, wih a record-setting number of participants.(Click here for a report on last year’s parade.

Among the newest and the youngest participants were Ella May (right), Maia Kennedy and their 5- and 6-year old classmates from Mrs. O’Keefe’s kindergarten at nearby Strong School.

Rookies in parading, both kids said they were confident they wouldn’t drop their signs. They were eager to march.

Lee Cruz, MaryAnn Moran, Rafael Ramos, George Morrison, & Lynn Smith.

Start Community Bank Vice President Lynn Smith was on hand in a dual capacity. She’s the treasurer for the Chatham Square Neighborhood Association, whose home improvement and home ownership boosting programs have been a catalyst for the revival of the area. She also handed out Start Bank promotional dollar-sign-shaped seed packets. Plant the packet, add water, let the sun shine on it, and plants will grow. They would likely be green, but not in themselves money.

Smith reported that both the nearby Grand Avenue and the Whalley Avenue branches of the new community bank are “doing well.” In the six months they have been open, she said, 800 accounts have been established, adding up to $14 million in deposits, $13 million in retail and $1 million in corporate accounts.

Joseph Collette and his high-stepping Clinton Avenue School band played Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, and the promenaders took off.

They were joined by city officials such as Chief Administrative Officer Rob Smuts and Lt. Luiz Casanova, formerly the district manager for Fair Haven and now commanding the night shift of the police department. (They’re pictured with Chief Limon.)

Casanova said he likes his new job but “Fair Haven is close to my heart.”

Also waving to Mary Wade residents en route were State Rep. Roland Lemar and Fair Haven Heights Alderwoman Maureen O’Sullivan-Best.

Mary Wade Director of Development Libby Makela Johnson said that the parade was part of a national effort to highlight Mary Wade and similar non-profits to acknowledge the role that institutions dedicated to caring for older people play in their surrounding communities.

When Anne Somsel, an administrator with the Fair Haven Health Clinic, dashed over from her place in the FHHC parading unit to say hello, Stephen Kobasa said, “Are you bringing up the rear?”

Somsel made no verbal response, only hugged her father-in-law, and then returned to the parade.