Thomas Breen photo
Fire officials receive certificates of recognition from the founders of the gun violence memorial.
The founders of a city memorial for victims of gun violence awarded the fire chief and three westside fire stations with certificates of appreciation for the work they’ve done to plant trees, clear brush, and water flowers at the prospective Valley Street park site.
That informal ceremony took place Tuesday afternoon in the third-floor conference room of the New Haven Fire Department’s headquarters at 952 Grand Ave.
Marlene Miller-Pratt, the founder of the New Haven Botanical Garden of Healing Dedicated to Victims of Gun Violence, joined Mayor Toni Harp and three fellow mothers who have lost family members to gun homicides: Winifred Phillips Cue, Celeste Robinson Fulcher, and Pamela Jaynez.
Marlene Pratt and Pamela Jaynez.
They presented the certificates of appreciation to Fire Chief John Alston, Squad 2 Captain Miguel Rosado, and three other representatives from the Ellsworth Avenue, Fountain Street, and Goffe Street fire stations.
“We came down here really to just thank you,” Miller-Pratt said. “The community service started with your department: The city’s bravest.”
For the past several months, going back to before the memorial held its official groundbreaking in May, Miller-Pratt said, the mothers behind the project have spent every Saturday out at 105 Valley St. tending to the city park land slated to house the new memorial. With the help of Urban Resources Initiative (URI), Svigals + Partners, the city, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in state bonding from former state Gov. Dannel Malloy, the memorial will include wind chimes to mask the sound of traffic, a “magnitude path” with bricks engraved with the names and dates of city victims of gun violence, “memory tiles” engraved with images or memories of those lost, and a central statue commemorating those killed.
Fire Chief John Alston and Pratt.
“The purpose of the garden is so that each mother can feel peace instead of going to a cemetery,” Miller-Pratt said. “We’re hoping that it will bring awareness to the city so, when someone walks through the garden, they’ll say, ‘There’s something we have to do, and something we have to do to give back.’”
She presented a special certification of appreciation to Rosado, who she said has been particularly tireless in his support for the project, helping dig holes for flowers, planting trees, and clearing brush.
Captain Miguel Rosado and Pratt.
“The fire service is part of the community,” Rosado said. And giving back to charitable causes like preparing the grounds for the memorial is simply what a good neighbor does.
“I don’t know anything that can heal your pain,” Alston said to the mayor and the mothers as he accepted the certificate on behalf of the department. “There are no words for that. Just recognize that you have a community, and a mayor, and a fire department that do care about lives, and we also care for those who grieve when lives are lost.”
Mayor Toni Harp (right).
Miller-Pratt said that the memorial group has just gone out to bid for a construction contractor for the project. That contractor should be selected in September, she said, after which the work of actually building out the new memorial should begin.
Read a full transcript of Chief Alston’s certification of appreciation below.
Battalion Chief Teo Baldwin and Alston.
PROCLAMATION Of The City Of New Haven
New Haven Salutes
Chief John Alston
New Haven Fire Department
Advocate For The New Haven Garden Of Healing For Victims Of Gun Violance
WHEREAS, Chief John Alston has been instrumental in advocating and assisting with the New Haven Garden of Healing for Victims of Gun Violence; and
WHEREAS, Fighting fires is one of the most hazardous jobs requiring physical strength, stamina, extensive training, and genuine concerns for the welfare of the citizens of New Haven; and
WHEREAS, in addition to his daily services to our city, Chief Alston exhibited unselfish acts of kindness and concerns for the safety and well-being of New Haven residents by joining forces with mothers who have lost children to gun violence, whether it was planting trees, watering the grounds, or helping with any other tasks needed in the ‘Botanical Garden of Healing’; and
WHEREAS, Chief John Alston has been a proactive partner in bringing gun violence awareness to the city of New Haven. Chief Alston’s talent, hard work, enthusiasm, commitment, professionalism and dedication has earned him the admiration and respect of colleagues, community members and friends.
Now THEREFORE, the City of New Haven by its Mayor, Toni N Harp acknowledges and applauds Chief John Alston for his spirit of volunteerism, commitment to this community, heartfelt dedication (through act and deed), and devotion to our city.
Dated at New Haven, Connecticut this 20 Day of August 2019
