Dear Friends of the Mascoma River Greenway,
You have done it!! Your contributions to the Greenway have reached within 98% of the GOAL. The slapshot is headed to net! Only $37,500 to go. Help score one for Lebanon and the Upper Valley with a tip-in before the ice melts.
Physical labor continues through this spring, summer and fall to remove the rest of the rails and ties, secure the bridges, improve the trail surface, and celebrate accomplishments. Some of the labor will continue to be volunteer, much will be contracted. We’ll keep in touch so you can come out to help when needed.
Now the important message— You may have heard of the Revisioning Plan for downtown Lebanon, brought about by the degraded condition of the former railroad tunnel which runs under the mall area. There is currently a survey being taken by the city to get citizen opinions on three possible downtown renovations.
The city and the MRG need your support. Please take the survey to help improve our community. Only one of the projected plans includes the tunnel; it would keep bikes and pedestrians on the trail and off the streets. The other plans would close the tunnel and create alternative routes on and across streets. There are attractive options, such as a pedestrian bridge across the Mascoma River, pictured in some plans but not others. When you fill out the survey, you can include thoughts on individual pieces of the plans which could be melded together.
The MRG is being created to connect Lebanon and West Lebanon, by bicycle, on foot, with baby strollers, in wheelchairs, on roller-skates and skateboards. Take the survey, and help communicate that the MRG needs to be a safe path through the downtown area.
Finally, please mark your calendars, Thursday, April 7th from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at City Hall Council Chambers, we will have a presentation on the final construction plans and budget for the MRG construction. I hope you can join us.
Thank you for your continued support and participation.
Frank Gould, Mascoma River Greenway Co-Chair
The Mascoma River Greenway 