Boardwalk honors Norwalk River Valley Trail pioneer

A group of well wishers joins Pat Sesto, at right, at a celebration honoring her on July 30. The boardwalk on which they stand has been named for her.

Rendell-Baker recalled how just three years ago she, Sesto, and other early trail advocates brought potential donors to the woods where it was still rough and swampy.

“But here we are today,” she said, adding how the trail has expanded to spots in Norwalk, and with segments planned for Redding and Ridgefield as it makes its way north to Danbury.

To mark Sesto’s contributions to the trail, a boardwalk was dedicated to her last week with a plaque that reads: “The Patricia Sesto Boardwalk — In recognition of Patricia Sesto’s dedicated leadership in the creation and construction of the Norwalk River Valley Trail.”

Norwalk River Valley Trail president Charlie Taney points to the plaque dedicating the Patricia Sesto Boardwalk. Sesto, right, has spearheaded the trail’s progress for more than a decade.

After a hearty champagne toast to celebrate the event, Sesto thanked those assembled who she said all played a part in the trail’s success.

“Everyone has a piece to make this happen … and it’s just been my pleasure and honor to go from the lot back in 1994 … to actually making it a trail. I don’t know why it worked now instead of two decades before when people tried to get it going and it didn’t, there’s just a place and time when pieces come together and we’re fortunate that all the likes of you brought something to the table that made it happen and I was just in a very fortunate place to assist in bringing it together.”

“It is really my honor to be part of this and this is way beyond my thoughts of what I would expect.”

At which point Steve Petit said, “Your perseverance has been extraordinary,” to which another supporter added, “you’re a testament to the difference one person can make.”

A plaque notes the Patricia Sesto Boardwalk along the Norwalk River Valley Trail.

Sesto, who lives in Ridgefield and was director of environmental affairs for 23 years in Wilton before leaving in 2015, is a founding member of the Friends of the NRVT.

She began working on the trail in 2008. As chairman and president of the five-town committee, she led the development of the routing study that serves as the foundation of the subsequent efforts to build the trail. A major milestone occurred with the opening of a “demonstration” trail — a half-mile path in Wilton running from Gaylord Road to Raymond Lane — on April 26, 2014.

Since 2012, Sesto has directed the construction of 2.5 miles of trail in Wilton, designation of five miles of trail in Norwalk, one mile in Redding, 1.5 miles in Ridgefield and helped raise over a $2.5 million in private donations and grants.

Wilton residents Steve and Betsy Petit, Norwalk River Valley Trail supporters, join Pat Sesto of Ridgefield on the boardwalk named for her at a celebration on July 30.

When Sesto left Wilton five years ago, she said, “This is not Pat Sesto’s trail. This is Wilton’s trail, it’s a trail for five towns. I just had the pleasure of heading it up.”

In March, Sesto stepped down as president, handing the reins to Charlie Taney, of Redding, who for three years had served as executive director. That position is now held by Beth Merrill, of Norwalk.

There were flowers, face masks and Champagne at the dedication of the Patricia Sesto Boardwalk on the Norwalk River Valley Trail on July 30.

Petit, who has been a longtime supporter of the trail, said “it is such a Wilton icon. There is hardly anybody who doesn’t know about it.”

“I wish people would realize how much their gifts count to perpetuating the trail,” he said. “Any size is important — and we need more people like Pat.”

Friends of the NRVT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, dedicated to the creation of a 30-mile, multi-use, soft-surface trail running from Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, through Wilton, Ridgefield and Redding, ending at Rogers Park in Danbury. More information is available at nrvt-trail.com.