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Pashinski to Senate: Move on bill to aid grandparents raising grandchildren

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Letter to the Editor: Zoe Lambert perseveres despite medical issues, serving as inspiration to fellow Spartan graduates

<p>In too many respects, Luzerne County&#8217;s portion of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor remains unfinished business.</p><p>Not enough residents of Greater Wilkes-Barre recognize what the corridor is, much less appreciate its potential. Consequently, the public push here to complete the corridor&#8217;s walking/biking trail, as well as to consistently provide events and educational programs capitalizing on the corridor&#8217;s rich story, generally lags the efforts in other places, especially Lehigh Valley communities such as Easton.</p><p>Two bicyclists from the Lehigh Valley pedaled the corridor&#8217;s existing trail segments from end to end in 24 hours this weekend &#8211; an endurance feat that was intended to draw attention to gaps in the trail where property rights have yet to be acquired or other obstacles persist. One gap, for instance, exists north of the Black Diamond trailhead in Wright Township.</p><p>&#8220;There are spots where you assume you reached the end of the trail,&#8221; biker Lincoln Steward, of Nazareth, told reporter Matt Mattei for <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/features/558236/nazareth-man-bikes-284-miles-stops-in-glen-summit-to-raise-dl-awareness" target="_blank">an article in the Times Leader</a>.</p><p>As envisioned, the trail eventually will allow bikers to move seamlessly from Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s River Commons, or perhaps the Seven Tubs Natural Area, to its high point in Mountain Top (at about 1,785 feet above sea level), then descend south to Bristol, near Philadelphia (at about 20 feet).</p><p>However, the D&amp;L Trail is a work in progress today &#8211; much like the corridor itself.</p><p>Congress designated the nearly 165-mile-long stretch between Wilkes-Barre and Bristol as a heritage corridor nearly 30 years ago. The territory consists of portions of Luzerne, Lehigh, Carbon, Bucks and Northampton counties, all of which share a common story from the heyday of anthracite coal.</p><p>The corridor overlaps the route by which coal moved from the Wyoming Valley&#8217;s mines to Philadelphia-area markets. Rail cars and canal boats hauled the once-coveted fuel, which helped to power the nation&#8217;s Industrial Revolution.</p><p>Organizers promoted the corridor as a way for governments and other groups to capitalize on that story, adding vigor to communities within the corridor&#8217;s borders by promoting land conservation, historic preservation and tourism.</p><p>The promise of the corridor remains as strong as ever. But we in its northern reaches need to ensure that the corridor is more widely understood and appreciated, and that its trail links the full territory &#8211; without interruption.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Learn more</strong></p><p>The Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor&#8217;s website offers a history of the corridor, a trail map and an extensive list of &#8220;things to do,&#8221; including train rides, &#8220;historic sites and tours,&#8221; wildlife viewing and art galleries. Visit <a href="http://delawareandlehigh.org/" target="_blank">delawareandlehigh.org</a>.</p></factboxMeta></div>

Our Opinion: Full potential of Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor yet to be realized in Luzerne County