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August 17, 2006

Shelton native takes a walk on the rival side

By Mike Wood
As a lifelong resident of Shelton, and a product of its public school system, I was raised to view neighboring Derby as a rival — not in a negative way, mind you, but in the "make yourself better by meeting their challenge/whatever they can do, we can do better" sort of way that benefits both competitors.

The problem is, I could never accept Derby in that role. The dictionary defines a rival as "one who pursues the same object as another" but I've always felt that rivals should also be equals. They should be two closely ranked competitors who are both capable of winning. So by my definition, David and Goliath were not rivals, but Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie are. And to me, Shelton and Derby simply were not rivals. My town was a large, multi-faceted city offering everything from rolling farmland to million-dollar mansions to world famous Wiffle Balls. Derby had & the Superior Court and Hubble Shoes. There was just no comparison (or competition.)

Except on the football field, where many will argue that a rivalry does exist, since every Thanksgiving for the past 100 the Derby and Shelton squads have squared off to play for pride, play-off positioning and perhaps most important, to settle once and for all (or for at least that year) which town was the "best." During my high school years (all five of them), Shelton football dominated, so I never felt a real sense of that rivalry. We were the bigger school from the bigger city with the larger population to draw from, meaning more money and talent to put into our football program, while Derby, by its own admission, was "The Smallest City in Connecticut" — a title it was (and still is) proud to bear. Derbyites can also be proud of the progress they've made in revitalizing their downtown area, but civic pride had me doubting that they'd ever equal what Shelton has accomplished. Whatever we did, we did it bigger and better than them & or so I thought.

A recent visit to Derby's Greenway proved that the rivalry isn't dead, and, in fact, in this regard Derby has far surpassed Shelton. The Greenway makes Shelton's crown jewel, The Riverwalk, look like a cubic zirconia. Stretching nearly two miles, the Greenway is five times longer than the Riverwalk, and much more interesting. Walkers, bikers and skaters can follow the smooth, paved path as it wanders through meadows and marshes while winding along rivers, dipping under bridges and rising over roads. The path is wide enough to accommodate a wide variety of users. Joggers have plenty of room to pass strollers (both the slow walker and baby pushing variety) and bikers can easily navigate around traffic. But no matter how you travel, you're going to want to take your time, for there is plenty to see along the way.

A wide assortment of wildflowers dot the landscape and wildlife is plentiful. We saw a mother duck swimming with her babies, a young deer, and a large trout (caught and released by two fishermen) during our hour-long walk. Even the rusty railroad trellises and assorted industrial relics and remains that we passed, while not all that beautiful, were still interesting to look at. The path starts (or ends) at either the BJ's parking lot on Division Street or at the foot of Derby/Shelton Bridge on First Street. A round trip is roughly 3.5 miles, with clear markings that measure each 1/10th so you can monitor your progress and decide if you're up to going all the way.

And if you're up to it, after your walk you can pop in to the new Archie Moore's, Derby's belated answer to Shelton's popular Downtown Danny O's, yet another sign that the rivalry is reborn. Like the Red Sox, who finally turned the tables on the Yankees, Derby seems poised to steal the limelight from Shelton. But this is a good thing, for it will make both cities strive to improve.

And speaking of improvements, future plans call for the two cities to lengthen and link their respective trails over the next few years. Let's hope by then Shelton will have spruced up its side to match what Derby has done, but until that day comes, I will be taking a walk on the rival side. How often do you Get Out? If you've got an idea or story you'd like to share, contact us at getout@ctpost.com. Check out the Get Out blogs at http://forum.connpost.com

Posted by getout on August 17, 2006 11:43 AM