Steelers, Morand Honored

Monday was an evening of plaques and certificates at City Hall, as the Board of Aldermen honored 98 people.

The honorees included two football teams and a former alderman who now works for Yale.

Two age divisions of the New Haven Steelers, a Pop Warner football team, were saluted for their athletic success.

Michael Morand, once an alderman, was honored for ten years as a liaison between the city and Yale. His plaque of appreciation from the Board of Aldermen comes as he switches positions at Yale. He will now be director of state communications.

Morand’s public recognition came immediately after that of the New Haven Steelers, and just before the start of the regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen, at City Hall on Monday night.

After calling up the coaches and players of the New Haven Steelers, Newhallville Aldermen Charles Blango acknowledged that New Haven has seen a recent outburst of street violence. ​“We are judged by the best of us, not the least of us,” he said.

He announced that the Steelers midgets had won the state championship, and the junior peewee had won the Eastern Regional Division. The Steelers are ranked fifth out of groups in 50 states, he said.

“We believe in you,” Blango said. ​“Whatever you do don’t allow nobody to make you quit.”

The 97 players and coaches received official aldermanic certificates.

Next, Morand received an official plaque and a custom sweatshirt with his name on it.

Morand took the opportunity to note that Yale’s contribution to New Haven has grown over the years. For instance, in 1993 the university made a voluntary payment of $1.2 million to the city, Morand said. This fiscal year, it was $7.8 million. That’s an increase of 581 percent in a period in which city spending has increased 65 percent, Morand said.

Meanwhile, the annual aldermanic stipend of $2,000 has not gone up since he was an alderman, Morand said. ​“These guys are not the problem,” he said, to a round of applause from the aldermen.

Beyond numbers, it’s the people and the culture of New Haven that make the city great, Morand said.

“I really think that we are blessed,” he said. ​“Our town is better and we’ve all made it so.”