Laura Glesby Photo
Cotton candy and inflatable castles came to a Fitch Street parking lot on Saturday afternoon at a block party outside Mayor Toni Harp’s campaign office co-hosted by a longstanding motorcycle club.
The Harp campaign hosted the event outside its headquarters at 50 Fitch St. Dozens of supporters and their families trickled in and out throughout the afternoon.
Harp spoke briefly to the group about the progress her administration has made in providing affordable housing, community safety, and a 21st-century education.
“Thank you for lending me your spirit, your blood, sweat, and tears,” she told supporters. “Together, we will continue down the road of progress for New Haven.”
Throughout the afternoon, kids filed in and out of a pair of bouncy castles.
Aiden Harper munched on cotton candy with mom Danielle McDonald.
Local motorcycle club The Flaming Knights co-sponsored the event. The Flaming Knights have been around since 1968; they run outreach initiatives often geared towards youth, such as school supplies drives.
The club’s president, James “Shaft” Haley, said that since Harp became mayor, New Haven has seen “more kids in school, and crime going down.” He praised her for being “true to her word and helping out the youth.”
Malcolm Welfare, a teacher at King Robinson School, and Ricquel Pratt, a teacher and counselor at the school, praised Harp’s initiatives like YouthStat, which identifies and helps students most at risk for getting shot or arrested, and the soon-to-be-rebuilt Q House community center.
“I think what’s going on with the Board of Education is unfortunate, but you can’t blame one person,” Welfare said, referencing continual controversy there. “A lot of things going on go way beyond this mayor’s tenure and the superintendent’s tenure.”
“I think she needs more time as mayor,” said Tawana Galberth.
Lorraine Spann echoed that sentiment. “I think mayors should be there four years, like the president,” she said.
After Harp gave her speech, Galberth and Spann started dancing with the mayor …
… and soon, a crowd joined.