Former Resident Chris German Continues to 'Live His Dream'

Led by the Connecticut Community Boating organization, more than three dozen volunteers came out to Long Beach West in Stratford on a sunny and breezy Saturday afternoon on March 12 to pick up beach and marsh trash.

And there was plenty of trash and debris to go around for all the volunteers to keep busy, who included Bunnell High School students, local residents, a father and young son from Milford and college students from both Fairfield University and the University of Bridgeport, among others.

The effort was led by Capt. Chris German, executive director and founder of Connecticut Community Boating headquartered in Bridgeport.

With a motto, “No Child Left Ashore,” Connecticut Community Boating will celebrate its 4th anniversary this coming Thursday, March 17 and is dedicated to “providing every kid with a chance to harness the wind and explore the seas.”

Part of the mission of the organization is to help clean and advocate for the protection and preservation of southern Connecticut’s shoreline and that includes regular efforts to clean area beaches, including in the town where he grew up.

German was born and bred in Stratford, but now spends considerable time living on his boat in Bridgeport as part of leading Connecticut Community Boating, a non-profit agency. Admitting that living on a boat “seemed a lot more romantic to think about” than reality has proved, at times, especially this past winter, German nevertheless is living his dream, and helping spread his passion to a new generation.

On Saturday, German road up and down the gravel road on Long Beach West picking up bags of trash left by volunteers. It would the last time he would ride the road, as it is set to be dismantled as early as this coming week, he said. 

German noted that “for the first time in 40 years the stars aligned” allowing volunteers to get in to Long Beach West. “We’re not allowed here in summer” due to nesting birds, he noted, and it’s best to get in and clean up the beaches before the grasses start to grow.

So with orders to “get in the brush and clear out” as much as they can, volunteers began their work, creating a pile of debris to be hauled away that steadily grew throughout the day.

German drove his pickup out to where the former cottages once stood, and noted that while the cottages and contents therein were cleared away, “much of the other stuff left has scattered to all four parts of the earth,” all non-source pollution that could be found up and down the Long Beach West strip. 

Pointing the extensive marsh land on the other side of the beach, he said, “the purpose of the march is to collect” all sorts of matter, including garbage, a natural filter. Of course, he added, garbage like plastics and heavy metals “don’t break down so have to pull it out.” 

German said it was initially thought that they would have to remove the garbage by boat, which would have been considerably more difficult given the hard chop on the waters of Long Island Sound on Saturday. 

Pointing to the dry brown grasses that were abundant on the western-most portion of Long Beach West, he noted, “the next thing you’re going to hear about is fires. There probably should be a controlled burn out here,” he said, but doubted that would happen.

So what drives this former Stratford resident to come back to his boyhood town and spend considerable time organizing volunteers to pick up garbage and debris they had nothing to do with creating? 

German thought a moment and said, “I think it was growing up in Stratford and not being allowed access to the water out here. 

“It took for me to go to Massachusetts to see what they have done with community boating for me to ask myself, ‘If Massachusetts can do it, why not Connecticut?” 

While he has seen some progress in the state of late at opening up access to waterways for both passive and active recreational uses, German nevertheless believes that much more can be done. 

Originally Connecticut Community Boating was to be headquartered at Long Beach, he noted, but squabbling among town officials doomed that effort. So the group ended up at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, and as part of the deal for being allowed there and gaining access to the water was for the group to help clean up the garbage there. 

In 2009 alone, the group “cleaned more than 5000 bags or trash from the former landfill and resurrected a 40-year-old pier and boat ramp, long abandoned to the elements.” 

But enough talking. There were bags of litter to be picked up and volunteers to lead, so German headed off again on what would be among the last rides ever on the gravel road at Long Beach West, satisfied that he and his small group of volunteers are doing their part to ensure that Long Beach West someday fulfills its potential to the residents of Stratford and the region.