Six Flags makes donation to Riverwalk upkeep

Date: 7/5/2011

July 6, 2011

By Debbie Gardner

Assistant Editor

AGAWAM — Sunlight was glinting off the placid river, and the scenic green path that winds along its Agawam bank was dotted with walkers, joggers, bikers and rollerbladers taking advantage of a perfect summer morning.

Against this bucolic backdrop, Six Flags New England President Jason Freeman last Thursday presented Mayor Richard Cohen with a $2,500 donation toward the upkeep of the town’s Connecticut Riverwalk and Bikeway.

Freeman said in these tough economic times, the amusement park felt the need to be a “good neighbor” to its host town. The money for the donation, he added, comes from recycling soda cans from a Coca-Cola promotion that offers Six Flags New England visitors a ticket discount if they turned in an empty can at the window.

“We redeem the 5 cents [per can],” Freedman said, adding that since the monies are collected in conjunction with the park’s ongoing green initiatives, “we felt we should donate it to something green, and thought, ‘why not the bike path?’”

He said he contacted the town and found they were grateful for the help maintaining the popular exercise spot.

Agawam Director of Planning and Community Development Deborah Dachos said it takes between $6,000 and $8,000 a year to maintain the 1.7 mile path, the first leg of a planned 5-mile loop that will eventually connect School and Main streets and an additional stretch of River Road with the eight-year-old bike and walkway.

“We need to get in and cut back some of this brush. We haven’t gotten the opportunity yet this year [with the rain],” Dachos said, gesturing toward the river side of the bike path as she, Freeman and Cohen posed for a photo with an oversized check.

She added that the town had contracted with a local business, Stellato Landscaping, to maintain the path this season.

“His mom lives on River Road,” she said. “ He does the [maintenance work] and then stops by her house for a cup of coffee.”

Cohen said the Six Flags donation would be earmarked for myriad maintenance needs, such as paving, re-striping, purchasing dog waste bags for the path’s dispensers, and flower and plant upkeep.

“I drive by here at 11 o’clock at night and see people walking their dogs and riding bikes,” Cohen said. “It’s so utilized we want to keep it safe for those who use it.”

Dachos said the design work on the additional bike and walking paths has been completed, and the town is awaiting approval from the town’s Conservation Commission and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to begin the permitting process.

She said she expects the town to be able to begin applying for state and federal funds to complete the project in the 2014 or 2015 grant cycle.

Debbie Gardner can be reached by e-mail at debbieg@thereminder.com