Fairfield Caregiver, Happy With Ramp, Hopes for Boardwalk

Mary Helen Veronesi, a Fairfield resident whose husband is confined to a wheelchair, said today that she's thrilled with the ramp that town Department of Public Works' crews built this spring on the eastern side of Penfield Pavilion.

The ramp enables Veronesi and her husband, Buzz Veronesi, to go onto the deck of Penfield Pavilion year-round, and the Fairfield couple loves the beach.

"We were like two kids in our 60s grinning at this beautiful beach vista, happy as clams. It's absolutely fantastic," Veronesi said. "We certainly have enjoyed it and will enjoy it in the fall and even in the winter. There's such a calming at the beach; there's such a calming with the water."

Penfield Pavilion had a ramp before the DPW built one on the eastern side of the pavilion. But that ramp led to the pavilion's front door, which is locked in the evening and off season, meaning Buzz Veronesi couldn't go onto the pavilion's deck like everyone else when the pavilion was closed.

As thrilled as she is with the new ramp, which leads directly onto the pavilion's deck, Mary Helen said she hopes it's only the beginning of town officials' efforts to provide better access to the beach for disabled residents.

Mary Helen said she hopes the town of Fairfield, like the town of Stratford and city of Milford, installs a boardwalk along one of its five beaches so residents in wheelchairs and walkers and young mothers pushing baby strollers can ride or walk along the beach.

"There's still no walk at the beach. There's no way, if you're in a wheelchair or a walker or have a baby carriage, that you can walk the beach," she said. "We need a place to walk the beach, not just sit on the deck. Now we can get up on Penfield deck, which is fantastic, but if you enjoy walking the beach and you're in a wheelchair, you can't. People in wheelchairs need to be able to stroll the beach."

"Fairfield has five beaches and not one of them has a walk," she said.

Mary Helen said the walk wouldn't have to be elaborate and could just consist of a wide asphalt or concrete strip that runs parallel to the beach. She said Sasco Beach would probably be the best beach for such a walk because it's flat and the walk could run parallel to the beach next to the parking lot.

Stratford's walk on Short Beach is made of cement and was built through a grant, Veronesi said.

Town recreation officials said Thursday that 152 disabled Fairfield residents have received beach stickers so far this year. Stickers for disabled residents, like stickers for residents who are at least 65 years old, are free.

Mary Helen Veronesi said Gerald Lombardo, director of the town's Parks and Recreation Department, was receptive to the idea of a walk and told her that the new ramp wasn't the only improvement that would be done to give disabled residents better access to the beach. But Lombardo added that things take time in Fairfield, she said.

First Selectman Ken Flatto said Wednesday that a walk consisting of stones was set up on Penfield Beach to enable residents in wheelchairs to go within about 20 feet of the water. But that walk, which actually consists of heavy plastic pads joined together, hadn't been installed as of today. The plastic pads were stacked on the eastern side of Penfield's Deck and should be installed in about a week, other town officials said.

Mary Helen Veronesi wasn't concerned that the plastic walk hadn't been installed, saying her husband would only be able to sit in one spot at the end of the walk. She said it would be nicer to have a walk that ran along one of the town's beaches.

"We're thrilled with the ramp, and now we're hoping things will continue to be done to help the wheelchair residents of Fairfield...We don't want to complain as much as we want to encourage them to do more," Mary Helen said. "Unless you have someone in your family or you have a close friend in a wheelchair, you don't know."