Tag: Hamden

ICE Raids Dixwell Avenue Car Wash

ICE and Homeland Security Have Kidnapped Immigrants in the Greater New Haven Area

In the past month, employees at a car wash in Hamden have been taken by ICE, and a man on the New Haven Green was grabbed by Homeland Security. Below are excerpts from articles about these cases

 

by Mona Mahadevan and Thomas Breen Oct. 15, 2025, New Haven Independent

Hamden’s mayor, town council president, and two dozen immigrant rights activists and fellow politicians gathered on Dixwell Avenue Wednesday afternoon [Oct. 15] to denounce an ICE raid that took place at a nearby car wash Wednesday morning.

Still looking for answers as to what exactly happened, the elected officials said that federal agents seized a total of eight people.

An eyewitness to the raid, meanwhile, said she saw at least 10 agents show up — some wearing masks and tactical gear — and described a man being slammed to the ground and a woman being hauled away into an unmarked van.

Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett said at Wednesday’s press conference at the Keefe Community Center that the raid happened at the Optimo Car Wash, located at 1126 Dixwell Ave., at approximately 10:20 a.m.

She said that, as part of this raid, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained a mother and father while their kids were in school.

“The acts from the administration and ICE are deplorable, they are disgusting, they are not what we represent in Hamden,” Garrett said. “People are living in fear because of an inhumane presidency.”

[See entire article at bit.ly/4qxO2hG]

News from the Hamden Public Library Seed Library 

The third garlic giveaway is in the works. If interested, email us at hplseedlibrary@gmail.com. Distribution will be in early November.

A seed saving workshop featuring native plants is being considered for sometime in the fall.

Winter sowing workshops at the following branch libraries:

Brundage, 91 Circular Ave., Wednesday, Dec. 3, 6-7:45 p.m.

Whitneyville, 125 Carleton St., Thursday, Dec. 4, 6-7:45 p.m.

Miller, 2901 Dixwell Ave., Saturday, Dec. 6, 2-4 p.m.

Registration will begin in November for these sessions.

Questions? Email the Hamden Public Library Seed Library at hplseedlibrary@gmail.com.

Visioning Continues for Six Lakes

July 31 Update from the Six Lakes Coalition

…. People from all over Hamden and Greater New Haven gathered… for three public visioning sessions… to dream a future for Six Lakes. The idea was… to share a vision for the 102-acre forested wetlands tucked away in southern Hamden ….

Justin Farmer, a member of the Six Lakes Park Coalition steering committee, attended all three public sessions and a fourth for the residents of Whitney Center… Altogether about 100 people attended… All had a chance to view a stunning six-minute video of the property created by the Mill River Watershed Association and to share their desires for a future park through conversations ….

“There is a consensus that people want to see green space and accessible trails,” says Justin, adding that opinions were mixed on development. “Even people who might not live to see the completion of the project were very strong in wanting the space to be preserved….”

Not everyone was in agreement about what a future park might look like. Some people wanted access for bicycles, while others wanted just pedestrians using the trails. Some wanted picnic tables and playground equipment, while others wanted a less developed space for wildlife and quiet contemplation. Few people have actually been on the property, which has been fenced off by its owner, Olin Corporation, for decades. “Without having seen it, it’s hard to imagine what it could be like,” Justin adds….

About 175 people have filled out surveys on what they’d like to see in a park at Six Lakes… steering committee members will be focusing for the next month on getting a lot more people to fill them out by going door-to-door and by promoting the survey at public events and online… The Coalition will issue a final Vision Report based on its findings from the visioning sessions and surveys sometime this fall. That report will help inform future decisions by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and Olin as testing and, eventually, cleanup of the property moves forward.

Check out the Six Lakes video at: vimeo.com/956769518/8314bc38d2.

For more information and to fill out the survey, email sixlakespark@gmail.com.

Rally in Hamden for Ceasefire Resolution

by Paula Panzarella, rally participant

photo: Paula Panzarella

On Feb. 20, from 6-7 p.m., over a hundred people were in front of Hamden Town Hall, rallying in favor of a draft resolution for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza fighting. “Permanent Ceasefire Now,” “Another Jew for a Free Palestine,” “Stop the Killing,” and “Let Gaza Live” were some of the banners held by the crowd.

Shortly after 7 p.m., many people attended the meeting to give testimony about the need for local municipalities to take a stand against the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. The hearing lasted well past midnight, with more than four hours of public commentary. The Town Council did not vote that night and may take up the resolution at a following Town Council meeting.

Hamden Celebrates PRIDE Month June 2, 10

by Town of Hamden and the Hamden PRIDE Committee

The Town of Hamden and the Hamden PRIDE Committee are excited to announce free events in celebration of PRIDE Month throughout the month of June.

The Town of Hamden in partnership with the Hamden PRIDE Committee is celebrating PRIDE in June with the Flag Raising Ceremony and Community Conversations: Forum and Dinner at Memorial Town Hall on Friday, June 2 at 5 p.m., and the Pride in the Park Festival at Town Center Park on Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

On Friday, June 2 at 5 p.m., all are invited to attend a PRIDE Month Flag Raising Ceremony in front of Memorial Town Hall, 2372 Whitney Ave., with parking onsite at 2900 Dixwell Ave. Following the flag-raising ceremony, the Town of Hamden and the Hamden PRIDE Committee invites you to stay for Community Conversations: Forum and Dinner also held at Memorial Town Hall. This event is free and will feature educational presentations and a diverse panel discussion over food. Stop and Shop of Hamden will be sponsoring this event by providing the dinner.

On Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Town of Hamden and the Hamden PRIDE Committee invite you to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community at the main event, Hamden’s Pride in the Park Festival at Hamden’s Town Center Park, 2761 Dixwell Ave. To park at Town Center Park, please enter through the Hamden Middle School, 2623 Dixwell Ave. Parking can also be found at the Miller Cultural Complex, 2901 Dixwell Ave. The Pride in the Park Festival will be hosted by the talented Drag Performers, Summer Orlando and Barbra Joan Streetsand. Festivities at this free, family-friendly celebration will include kid-friendly performances, various food trucks, a DJ, live musicians, over 35 vendors, and fun kids’ activities.

The Town of Hamden and the Hamden PRIDE Committee invite all to gather to celebrate and embrace the LGBTQIA+ members of our diverse community.

For more information, contact Deputy Chief of Staff, Alexa M. Panayotakis, at (203) 287-7100 or email apanayotakis@hamden.com.