Thank you, all for a great day at the Branford Festival on June 18th. We worked hard, but it was worth it. Hundreds of people came to our booth.
Special thanks to Chris Willems, we couldn’t have done ti without him. He came by with his truck at 7:00 and packed up the canopy, tables, and materials. helped set things up on the Branford Green, and stayed for several hours, made sure that our canopy was securely weighted down in the face of the strong winds, ran out to Staples to make copies of Branford maps that were very welcomed by our visitors, and then came back at 3:00 to help Leo Cristofar and me take down, pack up, and bring everything back. Above and beyond the call of duty.
The Tabor door is a real draw! Children loved playing the “find the animals” game. Unfortunately, the wind blew it over, so we now have a headless duck and a footless man, but those can be mended before the next outing — perhaps at the 20th anniversary celebration on September 25th. Thanks to Bill Ludwig’s labyrinth, people almost immediately recognize that it’s a map of Tabor.
I wish I had taken photos of the crowds. Chris and Jo Zaehringer win the prize for singing up the most potential volunteers. The number of people who came by just to tell us that they love using the trail was heartwarming. Perhaps the highest point for me was when a man in a wheelchair asked Leo if any of our trails were wheelchair accessible, and when Leo assured him that Tabor was, he broke into a big smile and said, “You’ve made my day!” He and his wife talked excitedly about going to Tabor the next day. That makes all of our efforts worthwhile.
And thanks to Chris, Jo Zaehringer, Sue Smith, Tracey Brookes, and Leo, we were able to get several native plants for the pollinator garden from the Branford Conservation/Environmental Commission.
All in all, a most successful day, and one that reminded us of the value of what we are doing. The Shoreline Greenway Trail brings pleasure and health to thousands of people each year. What a great gift!
Judy Miller, Branford Town Chair