Sonia Ahmed photos
Outside the Family Dollar on Whalley, where '"Mister Black" was selling essential oils Monday afternoon.
Mr. Black took a break from selling banana and lavender essential oils on the sidewalk outside Family Dollar to offer a plaintive municipal election year assessment: “The people are crying out.”
The man, who asked to be identified in this article only as “Mr. Black,” was one of several the Independent spoke with Monday afternoon while walking on Whalley Avenue from the road’s downtown starting point at Howe Street two blocks west over to Sperry.
The goal of this walk: To catch up with New Haveners on one of the city’s main commercial corridors and ask them their thoughts on Whalley itself, on the city as a whole, and on this year’s race for mayor.
Mr. Black was selling $5 oils while stationed outside of 81 Whalley Ave. He spoke passionately about how much crime he witnesses in the area. He cited drug use as a major concern, stating that he sees people of all ages using heroin in the streets.
“Everyone’s getting drunk and high every day,” Mr. Black said. He added that liquor stores being on every corner is not helping.
He said that he is also concerned about the future of the kids in the city, and said that too many don’t have basic necessities at home, like bedsheets and electricity.
Mr. Black concluded that he would like to see city government host a public meeting in a large gathering space like the Floyd Little Fieldhouse on Sherman Parkway, so that New Haveners can express their concerns directly to the mayor. He also said he wishes there were mayoral candidates who were born and raised in the city, and not just those who grew up elsewhere.
Derrick Autry was waiting for the bus nearby on Whalley when he expressed a desire for a safer city. He said that more police, ambulances, and cameras could lead to more security and less crime in the area. He also stated that there is a need for more homeless shelters and jobs as well.
“I’m struggling for real,” Autry said, before boarding the bus with three trash bags filled with bottles and cans he planned on cashing in through the state’s bottle deposit.
Keyshalie Torres was strolling down the street when she echoed similar sentiments to Autry.
“The system is fucked up,” she declared, stating that she wanted police to undergo more thorough training and better background checks regarding mental health.
She also expressed a concern for the state of New Haven’s roads, remarking that the amount of speed bumps in the city are “a waste of gas” while also voicing her displeasure with illegal street races in Long Wharf and other areas.
Torres concluded with a plea to city government, or anyone else who may be listening: “And fix the god damn potholes!”
XclusiveCops, a shoe store on Whalley that Keyshalie Torres stopped by before talking with the Independent.
The bus stop on Whalley Ave. that Autry was waiting at.