After years of stasis on making land in the Westboro Rail Yard publicly available, state and city officials last week met to talk over a potential sale of 6.7 acres of state-owned land along the Connecticut that could, at some point, become a park and provide a link through West Leb to the Mascoma River Greenway and Northern Rail Trail. They reached a tentative agreement, reports Patrick Adrian in the Valley News: The city will buy the land for an undetermined price, the state will remove existing contaminants. There is a long list of official sign-offs to come.
It has been several years since I”ve been able to get out to the western end of the MRG . . . and I had forgotten the wild beauty . . . who would guess there would be such vistas between Mechanic Street and Mascoma/Old Pine Cemetery Road?!?
Riverbend – looking North
Riverbend – looking South
Fields of Goldenrod – as far as the eye can see
How did I get there with my bone-on-bone knees? By Trishaw, piloted by a delightfiul pilot, Amy Chan. Amy is on the Board of the Northern Rail Trail; the NRT. has been collaborating with Lebanon Recreation, Arts, and Parks to bring the international program Cycling Without Age to Lebanon.
Trishaw Pilot Amy Chan
It was a beautiful day and Amy and I met at the MRG tunnel and headed west to the end at Glen Road. I wish I had taken photos of all the people we met along the trail! Lots of walkers and bikers, a scooter or two, babies and toddlers in strollers, and two little ones on their pedal-free balance bikes. There was so much to see, including this trailside Black Swallowtail caterpillar on Queen Anne’s Lace.
“The black swallowtail caterpillar feeds on many different plants in the Apiaceae, or carrot family, including Queen Anne’s lace, celery, parsley, carrots, dill, and parsnip.”
For those of us with mobility or stamina issues, this Trishaw program is a wonderful gift and it will be available as soon as Trishaw pilots have been trained. You can learn about becoming a Trishaw pilot and upcoming trainings by contacting Sean.dittrich@gmail.com. To support this program in other ways, contact Amyjwchan@gmail.com.
Thanks to Amy, the NRT, and Lebanon Recreation, Arts, and Parks for bringing this great program to Lebanon! Stay tuned for next steps once we have trained pilots . . . 30 volunteers have already signed up!
Thanks to grants from the AARP Community Challenge program and the Granite State Wheelmen, Friends of the Northern Rail Trail (FNRT) and Lebanon Recreation, Arts, and Parks have collaborated to bring Cycling Without Age to Lebanon’s MRG and NRT Trails. This international program connects volunteer cyclists with seniors and others with mobility restrictions to enjoy a ride on the Trails. We’re building our team of “pilots” now!
If you would like to learn more about becoming a trishaw pilot and upcoming trainings, contact Sean.dittrich@gmail.com
To support this program in other ways, contact Amyjwchan@gmail.com.
For a 3 min video introduction to the program, check out
These Girl Scouts from Troop 10659 were putting the finishing touches on the planter cubes by the MRG Pocket Park near the tunnel. It has been wonderful to see the continuing community spirit that is developing and enlivening the MRG!
Are bicylists aware that there are specific laws in NH in regard to bicycling? Yesterday, I saw a bicyclist speed through the STOP sign on Taylor Street near the intersection of the MRG and the Northern Rail Trail . Did he not know he was required to stop at the STOP sign? He may have been young and unaware that, just as with drivers of cars, bicylists must stop at STOP signs and red lights. If I had been going any faster, there might have been a serious accident. The incident prompted me to look for NH laws regarding bicycling.
NH is known for the fact that it does not require motorcyclists to wear helmets . . . but there is a law requiring bicyclists younger than 16 to wear helmets when on a public way.
Riding against traffic is prohibitted.
When bicycling after dark you must use a white front headlight and a red rear light or rear reflector visible from 300 feet.
All bicyclists must wear at least one item of reflective apparel from 1/2 hour after sunset to one 1/2 hour before sunrise.
Every driver of a vehicle, when approaching a bicyclist, shall insure the safety and protection of the bicyclist and shall exercise due care by leaving a reasonable and prudent distance between the vehicle and the bicycle. The distance shall be presumed to be reasonable and prudent if it is at least 3 feet when the vehicle is traveling at 30 mph or less, with one additional foot of clearance required for every 10 mph above 30 mph. (RSA 265:143-a)
“Crossing over the Rainbow Bridge” takes on new meaning, thanks to Girl Scout Troop 10659 and other volunteers. Wow! We are thrilled to see their hard work and planning come together this past weekend. The bridge looks so festive! Special thanks to Sherwin Williams for donating the paint and materials to get the job done. There are plans to decorate the nearby planters with murals and their individual handprints. Thanks to all involved for brightening the way!
The City of Lebanon has completed paving from Spencer Street to Bank St Extension including a safety-forward pedestrian crossing beacon. This crosswalk connects the MRG /tunnel and new multiuse path to the Northern Rail Trail all the way to Boscawen, NH.
Thanks to the Friends of the Northern Rail Trail for this image!
Until this week, we have seen very few pollinators along the MRG Pollinator Corridor. It was a relief to finally spot many bees and a few monarchs and hummingbirds these last few days The red bee balm is a powerful draw! And the butterfly milkweed is finally attracting monarchs.
There have been very few bees and butterflies along the MRG Pollinator Corridor so far this year. We keep hoping that they have found some idyllic, pesticide-free meadow nearby and are congregating there , soon to show up for the Echinacea, Black-eyed Susans, Bee Balm, Black Cohosh, Calendula, Day Lilies, Obedient Plant, and all the other treats on offer right now at the garden west of the overpass by APD. The good news is the hummingbird that was enjoying the red bee balm today!
The Mascoma River Greenway 