What's the Move?

I dragged my maps down to West End restaurant last Wednesday and had a fantastic meeting with a couple of dozen greenway/tree enthusiasts.

There was lots to be learned.  I met the woman (Pittsboro native) who wrote the grants and oversaw the construction of our existing greenway section.

I learned that our Board of Education was offered a small fortune in athletic facilities to simply delete the remainder of the woods at Northwood High School.  Superintendent said, “Hell yes,” our current School Board voted it down. Interesting.

Apparently, the cross-country course at Northwood High School is one of the few remaining wooded courses in North Carolina.  I know very little about cross-country running and the courses it requires.   But my gut tells me that saving that patch of woods is a good thing. 

Thank you, School Board.

I’m not sure what the next move is, but I would like to keep this “Greenway Conversation” alive. 

There was talk of forming a “Friends of the Greenway” organization.  There was talk of organizing education and outreach booths. 

And there was plenty of conversation about towns that had gotten greenways right. 

I think we have that choice in this moment.  We can be a town with greenway connectivity, or we can be a town without.  Our choice.

My refrain: “Cool towns have greenway connectivity.  Uncool towns don’t.”

Park design came up.  There seems to be a lot of interest in that.  Pickle ball/bathrooms/dogs/frisbee golf/playgrounds—all of that and more swirled about the room.

I think we should do this again.  West End’s Owner, Zed, was delighted by the turnout.  I learned that he was a “native plants” guy who used to work with Rachel of Rachel’s Native Plants.

I had sausage biscuits and gravy with a pair of over easy eggs on top.  Delicious.  I think I spilled some on my map.

Despite that, I think we need to push on with this conversation…