The Lackawanna Heritage River Authority (LHRA) is planning on spending the next year utilizing grant money to make the walking trails along its river more safe, accessible and informative.
The grant, provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, totals about $75,000 and will be used primarily to update the signage and wayfinding guides along the Lackawanna River Heritage Trails that it manages. Connecting sections of the trails together, such as the ones in Blakely and Peckville, is also a major goal.
“We’re going to open more and more sections of trail, including in Scranton, Dickson City, and Olyphant, and we need to try and connect them”, said Owen Worozbyt, director of operations for the LHRA. “Because there are portions in between gaps of the trail where (trail walkers) might say ‘Where do I go next’. So we’re going to put signage along the roadways so that people can find their way.”
Not only will the maps and guides along and between the trails be updated, but so will the informative signs that help the average trail walker learn more about the rich history of the Scranton-Carbondale area. Worozbyt says special priority will be given to the signs around the church district in Olyphant, in order to properly showcase the history of both its opened and closed churches, and Carbondale, as its signs have needed an update for quite some time.
The promise of updated signage comes not long after a LHRA community meeting on May 23, during which plans were unveiled for a new borough park along the river trails in Mayfield. As reported by the Times-Tribune, the park promises both new recreational facilities as well as the previously mentioned improvements to the trails.
“It’s going to be built on the corner of Plank Road and Chestnut Street,” Worozbyt said. “It’s going to open up another half-mile section of trailhead. … but we are also adding a new river access site, which will be ADA accessible. People will also be able to get their boats out of the river (there).”
Many community members, especially those who live near the river, are thrilled to see the improvements being made. The LHRA staff aren’t the only ones beautifying the trails up and down the Lackawanna River, however. Some are asking for permission from the authority to work on certain aspects of the trails themselves. Two such people are the mother-daughter duo of Gay Clifford and Sherri Maybock.
One day the Peckville residents noticed a fence on Main Street that showed signs of having been worked on decades ago; however, that project was never completed, and it had fallen back into disrepair. After seeking and being granted permission by Worozbyt, the two have begun a weekly ritual of painting the fence to completion for two hours every Tuesday. The community noticed. Both Maybock and Clifford say getting honked at while painting or being thanked more formally by regular walkers of the trails is not uncommon. They’ve also received thanks from those who live on the opposite side of the street facing the river.
“Being that so many people utilize the trail, and it’s visible right here on Main Street, it was a shame that something was started and never finished,” said Maybock. “So we just decided to offer our services and time. It helps us bond as well; we like projects.”
Worozbyt is hoping the improvements funded by the grant take no more than a year — until Winter 2024 — to fully complete. As for Maybock and Clifford, they say they only have four more Tuesdays to go before they complete their work on the fence. Both groups hope the trail and sign improvements not only encourage more people to return to using them while they walk, but also encourage more people to start walking them in general.
“We’re very happy to see the increased usage of the trails over the past couple of years. … and the fact that we continue to get volunteers coming out to help us maintain the different sections of trail is also very exciting,” said Worozbyt.
“Get out and volunteer; be part of life,” Clifford said. “Get out and enjoy life, and give back to your community.”