Trail benches available for dedication

by James Hunter

There are benches along the six miles of completed Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails where those who walk the trail to take a break and take a seat. The benches can be dedicated to anyone, in honor or in memoriam. Now there will be more benches that will be available for dedication,

National Heritage Corridor trail at Lehigh Gorge State Park at Rockport near Weatherly, said benches there are in need of repair.

“We are getting six new benches to put in, and six more we are building on spec,” Yannuzzi said, meaning six are available for dedication. “People can purchase the benches.” who buy them. Atty. Frank Skokoski, a Partnership board member, noted if the benches are not repaired, their ownership reverts back to the Partnership. because of problems getting a right-of-way to get to the historic village of Eckley. Yannuzzi said the trail would be a half-mile away from Eckley, and would shorten the ultimate distance of the trail from 16 miles to 12 miles.

Joe Yannuzzi,

chairman of the Greater Hazleton Area Civic Partnership, which is spearheading development of the trail that will eventually link up with the Delaware and Lehigh

The Partnership’s administrator, Cal Herring, noted, “Benches can be dedicated to people still alive.”

Yannuzzi said that maintenance for the benches is the responsibility of those

John Schwear Jr, the newest Partnership board member, said repairing the benches would make good projects for Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts recently planted 100 trees on the trail.

Yannuzzi said he would like to see one of those projects done to create a veterans memorial near the flagpole at the trailhead off East Broad Street in Hazleton.

An event will be held in the parking lot at the trailhead on Saturday, October 7. Yannuzzi said the event will be held to show off the completed portion of the trail to Hazle Brook. People will be ferried along the trail.

The Partnership is still pondering altering the route of the rest of the trail