This letter to the editor first appeared in the Daily Freeman on February 17, 2025.
Here’s a consideration, speaking of the controversy over the rail trail that neither side has addressed that I’m aware of.
We read a lot about the number of tourists that the trail or rail can attract. But what about the people who live here? Tourists are welcome, but we need to value at least as much the quality of life of — let me put it this way — the people who actually own the corridor.
Giving the people of Kingston, especially youths with bicycles, ready, free access to the beauty of the reservoir makes such a healthy alternative to swiping and scrolling. The distance from Kingston to the reservoir isn’t too long, but as an unbroken bicycle trail, it would make possible a real adventure for groups of friends.
Let’s think about numbers of tourists, but also about numbers of hours of fun for ourselves and our neighbors.
— Susan Auchincloss, Woodstock
