A springtime clean up the MRG between High Street and APD offered more than beer cans and cellophane wrappers today – lots of new life!
Greater Celandine
Violets
Wild Strawberry
Garlic Mustard
White Violets
Ground Ivy (AKA Gill-over-the-ground or Creeping Charlie)
Dandelions
Posted in Uncategorized
Thanks to all volunteers who helped pull spikes on this beautiful Spring morning . . . and thanks to Simbex for fostering community service. Spikes are being pulled in preparation for continued removal of tracks and rails. We hope the spikes will reappear someday as a major art installation in Lebanon!
Allen Peterson’s sculpture Phoenix: Atlanta’s Railroad Rebirth, which is made from scrap railroad spikes, shoulders, and other objects.
“Spike” – Bear welded from 575 rusty, used, bent railroad spikes
“Iron Horse”- what steam engines were once called
Posted in Other Good News, Uncategorized
Thursday, April 7th from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at City Hall Council Chambers, we will have a presentation on the construction plans and budget for the MRG. We hope you can join us.
Posted in Next Steps, Uncategorized
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
Posted in Uncategorized
Lebanon Recreation Dept.Director/MRG Co-chair, Paul Coats, is a man of many talents; with spikes from the rail trail and scrap wood from home renovation, he created gifts for all those on the MRG Campaign Committee. He clearly has a plan for how he will use the MRG once construction is complete! (It makes a great scarf rack.) Thank you Paul!
MRG Campaign Committee, from left to right around the table: Alan Schnur, Richard Wallace, Lorraine Kelly, Frank Gould, Russell Hirschler, Paul Coats, Melanie Moore. (Missing: Pat McGovern taking photo.)
Congratulations to the MRG Campaign Committee and to all who have contributed so generously to this exciting project. With sufficient funds in hand, we can proceed with the next phase of construction, from High Street in downtown Lebanon through to Glen Road in West Lebanon. There will be a public meeting on April 7th, 5:15 at City Hall when the City of Lebanon will present construction plans.
The fate of the tunnel, which would connect the Northern Rail Trail to the MRG, will be determined through the downtown revisioning process. (Note that only one alternative saves the tunnel.) You can stay tuned to that process and see 3 proposed alternatives at http://planning.lebnh.net/home/master-plan/implementation/chapter-3/revisioning-downtown-lebanon
If you have not yet contributed to the Mascoma River Greenway – there’s still time. https://mascomagreenway.com/donate-now/ We are almost at our goal!
Posted in Next Steps, Other Good News, Uncategorized
One of the many joys of Upper Valley life is the spirit of volunteerism. The MRG has benefited greatly from that willingness to lend a hand. The work has often been hard, hot, and dirty . . . and yet done with enthusiasm and camaraderie.
Some employers, such as King Arthur Flour, Simbex, RSG, and Hypertherm, offered paid time for this community service.
The Vital Communities Leadership Team put in a long, hot day of dirty work . . . and look at those smiles!
The Upper Valley Trails Alliance High School Trails Corps was a great group of teens who worked a number of summer days removing tons of ties.
Lebanon Girl Scouts have sold cookies to raise funds for the MRG.
Volunteers have hosted house parties so that friends and neighbors could learn more about the MRG
And many, many individuals have shown up for work days.
Thanks to all you wonderful volunteers for your efforts on behalf of the MRG!
Posted in Uncategorized
Racing to get the job done before snow flies, a small, hardy crew completed the rail on the upriver side of the downtown bridge; all but the approach to the bridge is done and the rent-a-fence can be dismantled and returned.
If someone has a power hand auger that could dig four post holes, 4 feet deep, we would love for them to step forward so the approach to the bridge can be completed! (Contact paul.coats@lebcity.com)
New Railing
Scenic Overlook
Posted in Mascoma River Greenway Updates
Thanks to a generous additional gift from the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation, the Mascoma River Greenway has reached 95% of the Capital Campaign goal!
The end is within sight . . . can you help put us over the top?!
The Mascoma River Greenway 