Whale's Tail Fountain Activated At Close Of Hope Week Parade

Three children pushed mock buttons in front of the Whale’s Tail fountain on Parade Plaza on Saturday, as the city electrician activated the sculpture to send streams of water from the sculpture’s fins.

The event drew a crowd of onlookers, who had been watching or participating in the Hope Week Parade, to the plaza’s steps. The students chosen to push the button were Adeliz Cordero, a fifth grader at ; Malik Faulkner, a fourth grader at ; Lashya Lapoint, a first-grader at ; and Tian Richardson, a pre-school student at who was absent.

Mayor Martin Olsen said the plaza opened a year ago, and the held a raffle to see who would turn on the fountain. Bruce Hyde, who had been closely associated with the Parade project, won the raffle but said he wanted to have some students in the city do the honors.

“This is New London at its best,” Olsen said of the gathering.

The event was preceded by the Hope Week Parade, which took dozens of organizations and schools on a march down Broad Street and State Street. The honorary grand marshal of the procession was Sgt. Edwin Rivera, a New London native and Waterford resident who died of wounds sustained in Afghanistan last year. Rivera’s family and friends marched near the head of the parade, followed by several military groups. Yesenia Rivera, Edward’s widow, said he would be honored with the recognition the parade gave him.

“I’m very grateful that they’re doing that for him,” she said.

Rivera’s friends, Denise Williams and Betzaida Rosario, said they were glad to see the community coming out for the event. “To see everybody together for this is tremendous,” said Rosario.

Hope Week continues today with the Chowda Fest at the Custom House, which runs until 2:30 p.m., and a plant sale at the FRESH New London garden behind the Senior Center, which will go until 3 p.m. On Sunday, a noon memorial service at will honor the Merchant Marine. On the same day, a candlelight service in memory and support of veterans runs from 7:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. at Parade Plaza, with luminaries on sale for $1 apiece starting at 7 p.m.