Testimonials

The Northern Rail Trail has already had significant usage in the Andover, NH demonstration section.  We are hearing how much it is appreciated, such as kind words from:

Katherine Darling, Andover, NH resident

I live in Andover up on Shaw Hill Road. The other day I had the pleasure of riding my bike, with my dog trotting alongside, down Switch road and then all the way into town without ever touching tire to main road!!! On the way, I met and chatted with two new Andover residents and one whom I already knew, saw turtles, ducks and early foliage on horseshoe pond, and felt myself spontaneously smiling. Now that's the way things should be.

So I just wanted to express my extreme appreciation for all your hard work and effort. ~Katherine Darling

Joan Chandler, arthritis sufferer who appreciates the low-impact, smooth surface of the trail

Trail use for painless exercise~The portion of the Rail Trail that goes through Andover is a newly-discovered, and likely to be a frequently-visited, destination for me. I recently walked a couple of miles there with a friend, and found the scenery and quiet most enjoyable. However, its real benefit was more evident when I arrived home and realized that my knee didn't hurt, my back was free of pain, and my ankles were not sore. The surface of the Trail is low-impact, allowing aerobic exercise without affecting my arthritis and a torn ligament. I drove the 20 miles back to the Trail the next day and walked to Potter Place in a downpour, figuring the river, the peace, and the pain-free prospects were worth the high price of gas. I will continue to visit and explore the Rail Trail alone and with friends.

Mike Silverstein, Physical Education teacher at Andover, NH Elementary & Middle School in a letter to support the FNRT

Dear Mr. Gegas:

I am writing this letter to confirm our support for the work of the Friends of the Northern Rail trail in Merrimack Country.

First of all, thank you for funding the project last year that began to convert the rail bed into a four-season multi-use trail. We have already used the trail for an entire school fitness walk/run. We plan to do at least a couple more of these whole school fitness activities this year. This trail is ideal for this purpose because we never have to cross any roads and it is connected with our school property. When the activity involves around 250 kids, those things are very important!

Our school needs a trail like this for all the activities we like to do. We have recently purchased snow shoes and we will surely utilize this trail with them. Last year we started the Andover Track Team which competes with other schools, but we have no track for our workouts. This spring we plan on utilizing this trail for our team workouts. Extending the trail will give our endurance athletes a better opportunity for long training runs with out the worry of dealing with traffic. This trail has already become an extremely valuable asset to AEMS students and staff. Extending the trail will make it even more valuable. We plan on adding mountain biking to our list of activities, but currently the trail is a little short for our needs, extending it will provide an excellent distance for a good biking workout.

We hope you consider their second application favorably so they can extend the trail in 2006.

Sincerely, Mike Silverstein, Andover Elementary Physical Education Teacher