New Haven Independent

The Democrat

“My big deal is traffic calming,” said Erin Sturgis-Pascale, walking up Chatham Street Friday, her six-month-old baby, Brynia, strapped to her front. Four years ago, a man was killed in a high-speed car crash right outside her Front Street home.

Near her home on Chatham and Front Streets, yellow lawn signs advertise her theme: “Safe Streets.” Sturgis-Pascale is working with neighbors to raise money to hire an engineer to revamp the fatal intersection. She wants to see sidewalks “pinched” together, narrowing the road to slow down cars. Passing streets on a door-knocking expedition Friday, she pointed out the danger zones — wide intersections, blind turns.

“There are a lot of street issues.” She’d like to improve streetscapes to stop car-crash carnage, make the city more accessible to feet and bikes, and bring more watching eyes to reduce crime.

Often described as an environmentalist, Sturgis-Pascale (pictured) spent a few years doing research on organic farms, likes to garden, and was formerly a member of the Green Party. She changed her affiliation to Democrat in 2005, so she could vote for former Alderman Joe Jolly in a heated primary against Evelyn DeJesus-Vargas. (Jolly won.)

She knocked at the door of a house on Atwater Street Friday and made her traffic-calming pitch. The man at the door was an ex-felon, and couldn’t vote, but agreed the roads needed repair.

A second house bore a sign for her opponent. She knocked anyway. A young man answered the door and invited her upstairs. Kevin Collado (pictured) and his mother, Claudia, have been in Fair Haven for six short months. They came here from the Bronx.

Collado, who’s 19, is getting ready to vote for the first time. He and his mother listened to Sturgis-Pascale’s “safe streets” stump.

“So, your main thing is traffic?” said Collado.

“The second thing I’m interested in is youth programs,” responded the candidate, stressing the need to counter teen-generated crime.

The youth sat back in a chair as discussion continued. Sturgis-Pascale mentioned her five years as an involved ward resident: Block watch meetings, Quinnipiac River Community Group, and a Chatham Square neighborhood association to which the Collados belong.

After a while, Collado stood up. “One thing that is getting to me is that the other woman [Dejesus-Vargas, who paid an earlier visit to the home] is more concerned about Grand Avenue, how hot that is,” he said.

“Traffic is a big issue,” but nearby prostitution and drugs are worse, said the teen. “I can’t go to a barber shop” on Grand Avenue. The area is almost as bad as where he lived in the Bronx.

“I know what’s going on,” replied the candidate. She said she knew the drug houses and how illegal immigrants were getting beat up and robbed outside neighborhood banks. “The city’s trying to take care of that. There’s a new ID program.” she said, optimistic that the long-deflated City Hall initiative would work out in the end.

Collado said he would mull over the two candidates’ platforms.

The “Underdog”

Less than 24 hours later, DeJesus-Vargas (pictured at the top of this story) drove to the same stretch of Atwater Street in New Haven State Rep. Juan Candelaria’s brand new four-door car, accompanied by former Ward 13 Alderwoman Rose Santana and Ward 14 Co-chair Joan Forte, all wearing campaign T-shirts.

Santana led the charge at a tight clip, stopping only at houses whose occupants they had not contacted before.

They passed Collado’s house, but didn’t stop: “That woman said she’s going to vote for me,” said DeJesus-Vargas of Claudia Collado. The two met at a block watch meeting. The DeJesus-Vargas lawn sign was still stuck into the lawn.

The sun was out Saturday, at about 2 p.m., as door-knockers kicked off a final, hours-long push. At least three members of the aldermanic Black and Hispanic Caucus swooped in to support the effort.

Not many people were home at that hour, not even the ex-con with whom Sturgis-Pascale had spoken. The crew made a quick stop at Juan Candelaria’s cousin’s home, and moved down the street.

Walking between houses, DeJesus-Vargas jumped into passionate, anti-administration talk. A former social worker who says she has lived in the ward for five years, DeJesus-Vargas is running her second race as an underdog.

The first thing she mentioned was her lawn signs, which she claims have disappeared on Atwater Street. The second thing she mentioned was former Joe Jolly, who abandoned his seat mid-term when he left for law school, leaving constituents without representation for at least two months.

“It’s an injustice to the community that the seat went empty for so long,” said DeJesus-Vargas.

Ever since she caught wind of his departure in July, she’s been on the campaign trail, zeroing in on the former City Hall ally’s seat. Jolly was a “silver spoon to the mayor,” she charged.

The ward needs “someone who has the passion for the community, instead of appeasing the administration.” As alderwoman, she’d like to focus on: The Ferry Street bridge, crime, and the needs of the elderly.

A proposed youth curfew will be the biggest item on alders’ plates after the election. DeJesus-Vargas and her opponent both declined to take a stance while door-knocking with residents, but produced positions when pressed.

Dejesus-Vargas said “aye”: “I think a curfew is needed, but I don’t think parents should be penalized.” Instead of a fine, she suggested requiring the child to have counseling, or sending the child to a community center.

Sturgis-Pascale said “nay”: “I cannot see myself supporting the curfew.” The police department doesn’t have the manpower to enforce it, so the measure would not be enforced, she said. “How could I support something that’s just a gesture?”

If the department did find the manpower to enforce the law, Sturgis-Pascale said “maybe” she’d support a curfew, because “we have a crisis here in crime.”

The Divide

In a closely-watched ward committee meeting in September, Sturgis-Pascale won the Democratic Ward committee endorsement by a 25 to 11 vote. The race divided the local Democratic ward committee — one co-chair, Joan Forte, split for DeJesus-Vargas. The other co-chair, LCI’s Rafael Ramos, supported Sturgis-Pascale.

DeJesus-Vargas didn’t back down, and continued as a petitioning candidate. From there, the race has gotten more divisive, and uglier. One has called the cops on the other. Allegations about lawn sign theft fly.

DeJesus has the support of Alderman Jorge Perez, some members of the aldermanic Black and Hispanic Caucus, the SEIU and the Green Party. Sturgis-Pascale has the Democratic “machine” behind her, as well as mayoral appointee and neighbor Paul Nuñez.

Sturgis-Pascale said she never intended for the race to get so “political.” She wants to focus on issues in her ward. She said her opponent is also drawing racial lines, making the race into “you’re Latina, I’m white.”

DeJesus-Vargas said the discrepancy isn’t over race, but language — in a ward with many Spanish-speaking immigrants. “How can she serve a whole community when she doesn’t even speak the language?” (DeJesus-Vargas speaks Spanish; her opponent doesn’t).

Race is clearly a big factor in this diverse ward. DeJesus-Vargas mentioned several times a fear that Jolly would reappear to campaign on Election Day. “He wants to make sure the white vote goes to Erin, not me. That’s where I usually lose, the white vote.”

Count on more heated battles — and close supervision at the polls — on Election Day. Last time, DeJesus-Vargas supporters filed a complaint about shady voting practices, and got the city fined $1,000.