Wonderful Autumn Walk At Willowbrook
There are many places in Westport to enjoy the splendor of fall foliage. We recently visited one such place, Willowbrook Cemetery at 395 Main Street, just south of the Merritt Parkway.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Willowbrook’s beauty is apparent any time of the year, perhaps most notably in the spring when “Daffodil Mile” as it is known is in bloom with what seems to be an nearly endless stream of the vibrant yellow colored spring favorites which run parallel to Willowbrook’s stream and Main Street every April.
As it turn out, Autumn also provides a glimpse into Mother Nature’s beauty when the green leaves of summer transform into the rainbow hues of Autumn. There are numerous species of deciduous trees including various maples, oaks, and hickories which add to the spectacle of color at Willowbrook.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
There is also one very unusual species which is rare to see in CT and which has a very interesting history. This tree is visually striking and dominates the view looking east from the top of the hill on the property.
It is a Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), a decisduous evergreen tree native to Central and western China. According to UConn’s Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE), this species is a “very nice Chinese tree once thought to be extinct and only known from the fossil record.” (photos below). Pamm Cooper of the UConn Home & Garden Education Center told WestportLocal, “We have the state Champion (Dawn Redwood) tree here in Manchester, CT. It is rapid growing with a pyramidal form of upturned branches.”
A champion tree is the largest known tree of its species in a specific geographic area, such as a country, state, or county. These trees are identified and recognized based on standardized measurements of their height, trunk circumference, and crown spread. Organizations like American Forests and Forestry England maintain national and regional registers to document and honor these "super-sized superstars" of the plant world.
Westport had a National Champion Bayberry tree, from Jan 2020 to Nov 2021 which was also was a national co-champion from Sep 2016 to Jan 2020 and was located at Sherwood Island, but unfortunately has died.
According to the NC State University North Carolina Plant Toolbox, the Dawn Redwood, or metasequoia-glyptostroboides (met-uh-see-KWOY-uh glip-toh-stroh-BOY-deez) was discovered during a plant expedition into remote China in the 1940s” Also, “This is a large, fast-growing, deciduous, pyramidal evergreen tree that grows up to 100' tall with attractive, feathery foliage that is easy to transplant. It has spreading branches that droop with age. Pin branchlets are paired, and drop as a unit.
How it found its way to Willowbrook, no one seems to know.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Willowbrook provides a superb spot to commune with the natural world. On this visit we heard a pounding sound against a tree limb and as we suspected, it was a Pileated Woodpecker, always a sight to behold.
The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent, as described in All About Birds.org It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Look (and listen) for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants, leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood. The nest holes these birds make offer crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
This blue jay also added to our experience by adding its call from a perch atop a post-bloom hydrangea bush framed by a background of gold.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Staples Boys Soccer Triumphs Over Darien In CIAC Match
Above, bottom right: Greyson Downes leads the celebration after his goal putting Staples on the board and in the lead.
It was a beautiful fall afternoon on Monday at Wakeman Field, as the Staples Wreckers earned a hard-fought 2–1 win over Darien. The game was anything but easy, with Darien sitting deep, defending in numbers, and looking to threaten through set pieces.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
ABOVE: In a match where inches can make the difference, Darien’s keeper is barely beaten by Downes’ shot fired on goal.
Staples started brightly, controlling possession and showing patience in the buildup despite Darien’s compact low block. The breakthrough came midway through the first half when Greyson Downes finished calmly after a clever assist from Lucas Alarcon, giving the Wreckers a well-deserved 1–0 lead.
Wreckers Soccer fans line the fence, closely watching the intense action on the pitch as the Wreckers fought the Blue Wave in the CIAC match..
Gabe Duque was brought down in the box in the 2nd half earning a penalty that he confidently converted himself to make it 2–0 Staples.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Darien battled back in the second half and pulled one back from a set piece, setting up a tense final stretch. Their goalkeeper produced several big saves to keep them in the game, but Staples showed maturity and discipline to see out the result and secure all three points.
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It was a gritty and composed performance from the Wreckers, who found a way to break down a tough opponent and manage the game late on.
TOURNAMENT UPDATE: Staples defeated Ridgefield, 2-0 at home on Thursday, November 6th.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Staples Girls Soccer Shutouts: Danbury 2-0, Newtown 4-0
Staples Girls Soccer continues it’s successes in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Tournament with shut-out victories over Danbury and Newtown, advancing their quest for another state tournament championship.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Staples take the pitch after halftime of the Danbury game.
On Friday, October 31 the Wreckers avenged a scoreless tie in Danbury with a decisive victory at home. Head Coach Barry Beattie spoke with WestportLocal, saying, “It was a strong performance from the girls as they dominated possession and controlled most of the game. They were able to create a lot of clear chances to score.”
He continued, “Willa (Junior Willa Shamie, center back) took her goal well from a corner by Alexa (midfielder, sophomore Alexa Fan Aken) which she lost her mark and headed home.”
Beattie told us, “The second half saw us create more chances but Alexa made the difference by scoring a great goal from the edge of the box.”
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
On Tuesday, November 4th, the girls once again dominated with a 4-0 shout-out of the #5 ranked Newtown Nighthawks on their home pitch in the second round of the tournament. It was another stellar Wrecker performance, with Coach Beattie telling us, “We started well and created many good chances. The goals we scored were all great quick moving play. Alexa Van Aken scored twice assists were Maddy Johnson and Riely Gullans.”
Players celebrate another decisive victory over Danbury.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Coach Beattie added, “Toni Rizzi scored late in the first half off a great Neave Mulvey cross. The second half we were able to make a lot of changes and give good game time to others. Sami Selig scored the last one off an assist with Maddy Grey.”
The #12 ranked Stales girls will next face the #4 Amity Regional HS Spartans in Woodbridge on Saturday at 1:00 PM
The MOMbies Invasion Of Westport’s Vineyard Vines!
The MOMbies take over Vineyard Vines!
Photos by J.C. Martin, Story by Joy Martini For WestportLocalPress. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
It seemed like an ordinary Saturday. Until…One of Westport’s favorite stores, Main Street’s Vineyard Vines, was invaded by the ghoulish MOMbies. There appears to be no casualties and if reports are correct, store employees and customers all left with their brains fully intact. (And smiles on their faces.)
The MOMbies. Who are they? What are they?
Ten years ago, Fairfield’s Terry Davis had an idea. Wouldn’t it be a hoot to gather a bunch of friends and do a flash mob dance to Thriller during trick-or-treating in their beach area neighborhood? It was just an idea to shake up Halloween and show the kids that moms can be fun. You could say the idea took hold. Following their break-out performance, the terrifying troupe which now numbers over 50 Fairfield moms, partnered with the Cancer Couch Foundation, which funds metastatic breast cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering. In their decade of dance, fully costumed as zombies and professional choreographed, the MOMbies have become a seasonal – and national, sensation!! Best of all with an anonymous matching donor, to date the MOMbies have raised nearly $750,000.
Each year, in addition to their dance performances, the MOMbies zombie up and hit the road to visit their corporate supporters. And that brings us to last Saturday and the march of the half-dead down Westport’s main drag. “We absolutely love visiting our special supporters and are so grateful for Vineyard Vines’ longtime generosity. This is where preppy meets petrifying!” noted Terry Davis, MOMbies founder and creative director.
Photos by J.C. Martin, Story by Joy Martini For WestportLocalPress. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Join In The Fun On This Sunday!
Their main performance will be this Sunday, October 26th at Elicit Brewery in Fairfield with shows at 4pm, 5pm, 6pm. The free and family friendly show also will include a dance party, raffle prizes, a zombification station and other tricks and treats.
For more information, or to donate, visit mombies.org. You can also follow the ghouls:
@mombiesorg on Instagram, and @MOMbies on YouTube and Facebook.
To see them in action, check out YouTube: MOMbies in a Minute:
