The weather was bright and sunny, a spectacular May day, as we gathered at the Tabor Shoreline Greenway Trail to dedicate, give thanks, and walk the new trails.
Jack Wood, his wife, Jean, and many of his family and friends were in attendance to dedicate a bench and a serviceberry tree commemorating the volunteer work of his deceased son, Joshua Wood, and David Howley, another enthusiastic young volunteer. The bench, built by Public Works crew member Ed Fay, is at the intersection of the Shoreline Greenway Trail and the Wood trail, which is also named after Jack for his efforts in bringing about the building of the trail and the new additional parking lot at Tabor.
The second part of the ceremony was the expression of our deepest thanks to and admiration of Branford Public Works for their tireless efforts in constantly improving this area. They have turned the Shoreline Greenway Trail into a linear park, planting native trees and placing benches along the way. . Most recently, they have built three new trails: the aforementioned Wood Trail, the trail connecting the Shoreline Greenway Trial to Ecology Park, and the Tabor Loop trail which encircles the property, leading walkers form the Shoreline Greenway Trail along the Branford labyrinth and Chet’s Pond around to the Branford Trail, and finally connecting with the Ecology Park Trail back to the Shoreline Greenway Trail, approximately 1.25 miles. Thanks to Branford Public Works head Gary Zielinkski and his crew for all of their hard work and the beauty they have created.
The ceremony was followed by a walk on the Loop Trail and up to Ecology Park, where walkers enjoyed the 360-degree view of the surrounding area, including Long Island Sound and, the Town Center, and Short Beach. Along the way, we admired Branford’s solar array, from which Alex Paluzzi, Director of Parks and Recreation, informed us the town receives thousands of dollars of electricity credit each month.
Thanks to Branford team members Tracey Brooks, Suzanne Smith, and Chris Willems and SGT Chair Dan Buckley for their help and to all who attended. We had a great day!