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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 7^th 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

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!

Look at those satisfied smiles!  The High School Trail Corps removed 22,100 pounds of ties from the MRG today. Thanks to all for your enthusiasm and your muscle power  . . .   and on such a hot day!

More than 90% of our fundraising goal reached!

Dan & Whit’s in Norwich is helping 4 local non-profits raise funds, and Mascoma River Greenway is one of the selected groups. They are selling marbles for $2.00, $5.00 and $25 (ping pong balls on this one) to be deposited in a jar for each group.

Right now, Mascoma River Greenway has approximately $35 in the jar – can you help fill that jar?
Consider donating your milk bottle deposit money when returning your empties. Let’s fill that Mascoma River Greenway jar with beautiful marbles . . . and ping pong balls!

Mascoma River Greenway is the top vote-getter in the Dan & Whit’s election with a total of $5,000 donated on behalf of the MRG!

Posting the news on the Lebanon Discussion List, MRG Campaign Steering Committee member Lorraine Kelly writes: “Sincere thanks to Dan Fraser ​at Dan & Whit’s General Store in Norwich ​for organizing the only election I know where all contenders were winners. And on behalf of the Mascoma River Greenway Campaign Committee, thanks to all who cast votes at Dan & Whit’s for the MRG, enabling us to “win” this election. We are looking forward to sharing the podium at a celebration on the Vermont side of the river with Windsor County Partners and the Hartford-Norwich Holiday Basket Helpers .

March was a banner month for the Greenway campaign: in addition to the good news coming from Dan & Whit’s, we reached our goal of $50,000 needed to receive a $200,000 challenge grant from the Jane Kitchel McLaughlin Foundation. Thank you, Mrs. McLaughlin, and thanks to our generous supporters from ​all over the Upper Valley. We have now surpassed 80% of the funds needed to make this 4-mile ​extension of the Northern Rail Trail a reality.”

The Goal of the Mascoma River Greenway Campaign is to raise $2,255,700 dollars to create a 4 mile multi-use pathway connecting the terminus of the Northern Rail Trail in Lebanon to West Lebanon . We need $333,222 to complete the fundraising campaign . . . we’re hoping by the end of this year.

Volunteer labor donated has been outstanding, with at least 155 hard-working people offering sweat equity. There have also been a number of friends of the MRG who have opened their homes for informative house party presentations by our co-chairs Paul Coats and Frank Gould. Legal services have been donated as well. Thanks to all of you who have contributed time and money to help achieve the dream of the MRG!

What are the next steps? Projects for 2015 include:

* Installing fencing on the I-89 Bridge – Spring 2015

* Final railing on the downtown Lebanon bridge/platform over the Mascoma River –   Summer 2015

* Railings built on Slayton Hill Road overpass – Summer 2015

* APD parking lot connector path – Fall 2015 (grant pending)

* Continuing to remove old railroad ties – ongoing

* Approval of Abandonment and Discontinuation of the remainder of the   corridor –  Summer 2015

* Engineering and Design (bridges, accesses to trail, drainage, wetland areas and permitting, grading and surfacing, connection to Glen Road, paving program, bid documents, etc.)  – Winter 2015

If you would like to help close out the campaign, you can “vote” at Dan Whit’s or send us a check. The Upper Valley Trails Alliance is the fiscal agent for the Mascoma River Greenway Coalition. To make a tax-deductible donation send checks, made out to UVTA with Mascoma River Greenway in the memo line to:

Upper Valley Trails Alliance
PO Box 1215
Norwich, VT 05055

or make an online donation via our secure website, click here.