Staples Girls LAX Routs Trumbull 14-2 In State Tourney 2nd Round
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The 8th ranked Staples Wreckers Girls lacrosse team faced the #9 Trumbull Eagles in the CIAC State Tournament second round yesterday and the close rankings did not predict the end result. The Wreckers dominated from buzzer to buzzer with a unstoppable offensive attack and a stifling defense. Four Wreckers found the back of the Eagle's net twice with two more scoring hat tricks.
Noelle Tybur, #2 was fierce controlling 5 draws and scoring on 2 of 5 attempts, followed by #10 Chloe Smith with 4 draws and hitting on 3 of 5 shots on goal. #12 Daisy Hackett seemed to be everywhere, finding the net on 2 of 3 attempts.
A loose ball drew a crowd from both teams in an attempt to regain control.
Staples Head Coach Nicole Gerosa spoke to WestportLocal about the game and the CIAC tournament where they next face #1 ranked Darien on their home turf. Coach Gerosa said, "We haven’t played a game in almost two weeks since FCIAC quarterfinals and the focus has been to bring the intensity and focus into the second round of states. The team executed what we have been practicing and we are excited to be moving on to face Darien in the quarterfinals round. Darien is one of the top teams in the country and it’s exciting to face such a talented team especially when we had some great moments during our regular season game. We want to focus on what we did well during that game and what we need to bring into this next game."
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Coach Gerosa continued, “In tonight’s game we had a really balanced attack and it showed how each player can be a threat and contribute. Junior Chloe Smith scored 3 goals and 2 assists which included her 89th and 90th career assists which broke the Staples Girls Lacrosse career all-time assist record set by Colleen Bannon (Class of 2017)”
Daisy Hackett (above, right) seemed to be everywhere, finding the net on 2 of 3 attempts.
Rounding out the rest of the scoring Maeve Best 3 goals, Noelle Tybur 2 goals 2 assists, Addie Talbott 2 goals 1 assist, Millie DiGiovanni 2 goals, Sadie Lowe 1 assist. Goalie Audrey Wood, (below, left) made 3 saves.,
It's Spring And Love Is In The Air!
Apparently, the Saugatuck seawall at Jesup Green is place to mingle if you are a single pigeon.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.
Perhaps it is the season, the romantic ambience of the Saugatuck River or just kismet, but whatever the reason these two pigeons clearly fell in love last week on the seawall near Jesup Green.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.
After a little flirting and then canoodling for some time these two birds realized that this was the real thing and decided to step up to the next level.
While telling a male pigeon (cock) from a female pigeon (hen) is notoriously difficult just by looking at them, that was not an issue at this encounter. While both share identical plumage, males are generally larger and more muscular, with thicker necks and rounder heads. Females are usually slightly smaller, sleeker, and have flatter heads.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.
On a more serious note, never, ever feed bread to birds:
Probably well-meaning people regularly feed pigeons and ducks on the path alongside the river from the Post Rd. to Levitt Pavilion. First of all, while there is no public ordinance in town prohibiting the feeding of wild birds, the practice is strongly discouraged by the CT DEEP. What's more people feed birds bread which is about the worst thing one can do. Bread is very bad for birds. It acts like "junk food", offering empty calories and filling their small stomachs without providing the essential proteins, fats, and vitamins they need to survive.
Why Bread Is Dangerous For Birds:
Malnutrition: Because bread makes them feel full, birds stop foraging for natural, nutrient-rich foods. Over time, this leads to severe dietary deficiencies and health issues like metabolic bone disease.
Physical Deformities: A high-carbohydrate diet, especially for growing waterfowl like ducks and geese, causes a permanent wing deformity called "angel wing," which leaves them unable to fly or migrate.
Toxic Mold: Leftover bread in parks or on the ground quickly grows mold, which causes dangerous lung infections (Aspergillosis) in birds.
If you want to feed backyard birds or waterfowl, experts recommend skipping bread entirely. Instead, offer nutritious alternatives like birdseed, cracked corn, oats, or small pieces of leafy greens.
Ever See A Million Dollar Pigeon?
Actually, a $1.9 million pigeon to be exact. Here she is: New Kim Pigeon from Belgium
We recently were astounded to learn that there is a multi-million dollar industry for racing pigeons. In November 2020, a two-year-old Belgian racing pigeon named "New Kim" set the world record after being sold at auction for $1.9 million. The record-breaking transaction made global headlines and highlighted the booming, high-stakes world of elite pigeon racing. A fierce bidding war broke out on the online auction site PIPA, known as the Sotheby's of the pigeon world. It was largely driven by two wealthy, anonymous Chinese buyers operating under the usernames "Hitman" and "Super Duper"
This industry is based in large part in Belgium, The sport of pigeon racing took root in Belgium in 1818 with the modern racing system involving five distance categories, ranging from short sprints up to 750 km. Belgium based Pigeon Paradise, (PIPA) is the world's leading racing pigeon auction house, handling roughly $46 million in sales annually.
The biggest payouts in the sport come from international "One Loft Races" (OLRs), where birds from all competitors are raised together to test the bird's true genetics rather than the trainer's local loft location. The biggest prizes in pigeon racing are found in "One Loft Races" (OLRs), where prize pools range from $100,000 to over $2,000,000.
This CBS 60 Minutes story (link below) is eye-opening to say the least, and describes the "pigeon mafia" in Belgium, an international organized crime rings that target elite racing pigeons worth millions of dollars to sell them or their offspring on the global black market. These criminal networks have turned the traditional sport of pigeon racing into a high-stakes arena for theft and smuggling, primarily driven by skyrocketing demand from wealthy buyers in China. Their tactics are likened to "Mission Impossible", cutting holes in roofs or fences to infiltrate high-security lofts. Belgian breeders are fighting back, using laser sensors, motion detectors, and biometric tracking. Veterinarian Ruben Lanckriet maintains a genetic database of over 100,000 birds to verify parentage and identify stolen stock. Owners now plant microchips and use DNA profiling to verify bird identities.Loft security: Breeders install military-grade surveillance, motion sensors, and guard dogs.
Learn more by clicking the links below:
60 Minutes: Making $46 Million selling pigeons or millions racing them.
60 Minutes - The Pigeon Mafia: How high-priced pigeons became an organized crime target.
Kids Of All Ages Loved Westport-Weston Touch-A-Truck 2026
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
On Saturday, May 2nd Westport kids had an opportunity to not just look at all kinds of trucks, cranes, earth moving machines, police cars etc., but to climb onto or into them and give the levers, steering wheels, horns & sirens a workout.
The 19th annual family event, is a fundraiser for Westport-Weston Cooperative Nursery School, located at 10 Lyons Plain Road in Westport and has been in operation since 1955. Guests enjoyed beautiful weather and Touch-A-Truck was busy from morning into the early afternoon with kids with parents and eager kids getting up close and personal with all kinds of trucks, cranes, earth moving machines, police cars etc. Vehicles were provided by 15 organizations and another 15 both sponsored and brought vehicles. The event continues to enjoy broad community support and this year they had 8 new exhibitor trucks.
Lead sponsor again this year was Westport's INTERSTATE Premier Building Products which has a 2 story Design Center with the finest in luxury home building products at 800 Post Rd. East and their store and their full service lumber yard just nearby at 760 Post Rd. East. Westport's Touch-A-Truck continues to enjoy excellent attendance, with 340 family tickets purchased this year and raising nearly $29,000 in ticket sales and sponsorships.
Five companies reached the sponsorship level this year for which they bring tents to the event. which has a 2 story Design Center with the finest in luxury home products at 800 Post Rd. East and their store and their full service lumber yard just nearby at 760 Post Rd. East.
The Co-Chairs of the event told Westport Local Press, "Interstate Premier Building Products has been a wonderful title sponsor two years in a row and a great supporter of our event! This is an annual event organized and run completely by parent volunteers to directly benefit the children's programs at WWCNS.”
In addition to a standard patrol car, Westport PD also brought their “Bearcat” (above, right) which is used by the regional emergency response team.
One very popular spot was the “color it” car from SoNo Collision in Norwalk which gave kids an opportunity to engage their artistic talents to the max.
The team of Pete & Chris had a big crowd for their entire show with their great entertainment, magic and comedy.
The WWCNS tent (above) offered the kids a chance to get their faces painted and to express their inner arts & crafts skills.
Face painters this year were comprised of both parent volunteers and the great kids of SLOGS, the Staples Service League Of Girls, who support and give back to the community along with SLOBS, the Staples Service League Of Boys.
A food trucks from Alina’s Bakery and Skip’s Ice Cream made sure there were plenty of treats.
Midway through the event Westport Fire Department Engine 4 came to relieve the crew on Engine 2
As always, parents and children enjoyed one of the show highlights, the Roaming Railroad train which took its passengers for a very cool and exciting ride around the site.
One of Westport’s dedicated contributors to events of all kinds, the Gault companies gave out souvenirs to the kids.
Lead sponsor Interstate Premier Building Materials gave out very coo, very colorful l tie-dyed t-shirts to all the kids who visited their tent.
The Weather Deals Disappointment To Westport, Cancelling The Parade We Love
Rain forced the cancellation of the Westport Memorial Day Parade on Monday according to a town announcement on Sunday.
Other area towns have also cancelled as rain is as close to a certainty as it usually gets.
The Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at Town Hall at 10:00 AM.
A scene from the 2025 Ceremony at Veterans Green
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress