It’s official–park and trails are complete and open!
With a little pomp and circumstance among all the fun of a Manchester Third Thursday night, the Village of Manchester officially dedicated the River Raisin Park in a brief ceremony that acknowledged the many contributions that organizations and individuals gave to making this long-time local dream a reality. As the last days of summer wound down, the season’s final Thursday night event was combined with a dedication and ribbon cutting event at the park and the adjacent shared use trail.
“As far back as the 1970s, people have talked about one of the biggest assets in our community – our river,” said Pat Vailliencourt in her speech at the ribbon cutting. “Committees have been formed, ideas discussed, and dreams made that ‘someday’ we would have a beautiful park.”
And this summer, more than 40 years later, with the help of many businesses, individuals, and organizations, that dream has finally come true. “Someday is now!”
Many thanks to contractors–SmithGroup JJR and Neal Billetdeaux, design engineer; McLennan Landscape; Stein Electric; Ed Stahley Construction; Stantec Consulting; Michigan Paving; LJ Construction; TR Transport; Robert Shaver Co.; and Dragline Works.
A huge debt of gratitude to the organizations who granted the funding for our “someday”–Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation; Michigan Department of Natural Resources; Hurst Foundation of Jackson; the DuRussel Family; Chelsea Area Wellness Foundation (5 Healthy Towns) and the Manchester Wellness Coalition; Consumers Energy; Manchester Chicken Broil; Manchester Kiwanis; and the Village of Manchester.
“Several years ago there was another dream,” Vailliencourt continued, “a vision that Manchester could have a shared use trail extending from one boundary of the village to the other. Ray Berg researched possibilities and laid out a plan. Ray just wouldn’t give up. And in our Manchester way, we found ways to meet the challenges and get it done.”
Vailliencourt encouraged attendees who haven’t yet taken a walk or bike ride along our trail, to make the effort to do so … and while doing it, to stop and enjoy the peace and beauty of the Manchester community that surrounds us.
“There will always be challenges,” she concluded. “Let these projects show us that we can work together to get things done.
“The Manchester Village Council hereby officially says thank you to all those that helped make our ‘someday’ dreams come true and dedicates The River Raisin Park to our residents.”
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