Allan Appel Photo
Karina Cardona’s dad is a Fernandez volunteer.
There’s already “Women for Fernandez.” “Latinos for Fernandez” formed on Thursday. Sunday marked the emergence of another group: Would you believe Face Painters — and Paintees — for Fernandez?
The new, if evanescent, group, was officially approved by the candidate on a sunny Sunday afternoon as Henry Fernandez, one of seven Democrat mayoral candidates, threw a party with hot dogs, burgers, and plenty of salsa rhythms for current and would-be supporters.
The candidate called out “One City,” his campaign signature, and 150 fingers raised into the air.
The event, along with popcorn, a Disney bounce house, the barbecue, and some rousing bomba dancing, drew over a two-hour-period an estimated 150 to 200 people to a closed-off section of Blatchley Avenue in front of the candidate’s headquarters in Fair Haven.
“This is a celebration for having a candidate all Latinos can get behind,” said campaign manager Jim Doumas.
Fernandez estimated his troops, including the recently formed Latinos for Fernandez, have knocked on approximately 12,000 doors since the campaign began, much of them in the last 40 days.
Unidad Latina en Accion’s John Lugo (left) usually marshals protest marchers, not hot dogs. “This is part of the movement, feeding the people,” he said.
He emphasized that his campaign is citywide. Fernandez said that before the dance party on Blatchley, he attended a coffee in Morris Cove and went to churches in Dixwell and in the Hill. After the rally, he said, he planned to hit another meet-and-greet in Westville.
Although the campaign is talking to voters all over the city, he said, Fair Haven “is my neighborhood. We’re certainly trying to get every vote in Fair Haven.”
The candidate cut a rug as it were in the driveway in front of supporters. Click on the play arrow to see Fernandez and his wife Kica Matos dance to Cheo Feliciano‘s “Anacona.”
There was serious business intermixed when Jessica Nielsen (pictured), the mother of two kids with ADHD, approached Fernandez and asked how he could help parents like her who feel there’s not enough support in the school system, with her children being disciplined and suspended far more than she would like.
“I understand this problem well. You have an advocate [in me] on this issue. We need to deal with this without suspensions,” he told her in a patient explanation over the loud rhythms of the salsa and the bomba.
He recounted for her his experience as a founder of LEAP, during which he at times had to involve lawyers in order to get the school system to provide the tailored program kids with disabilities need.
“If he was in the school talking to me, I’d have confidence in him,” she said.
Chelisa Santana, a dancer with Folkloirco Hispano, did a bomba, a dance marking rites of passage. “Like our next mayor,” said Rafael Ramos.
Regarding economic development, Fernandez said commercial corridors throughout the city need development. Close to home, “there are problem parts of Fair Haven to be cleaned up,” he said.
He cited the commercial plaza at East Pearl and Grand as well as the long-underutilized large empty lot across from C‑Town at the corner of Ferry and Grand.
He referenced a recently released study on the future of the Mill River district, with a proviso: He’d like to see “more mixed use” rather than a laser focus on light industry. “More mixed use [including residence] taking advantage of the waterfront, but also recognizing the factories that employ many people,” he said. (The report calls for creating “live-work” spaces and passive waterfront spaces for parks and handling climate change-fueled high tides.)
Meanwhile, the bounce house was busy, as was the face-painting table.
Campaign manager Doumas said that next month another group of supporters will debut: Youth for Fernandez.
No word on whether Sunday’s face painted little ones would be included.