Nashawannuck Pond Boardwalk Easthampton MA – Closer or Further From Nature?
Today, I use my blog space discussing a different matter other than the usual video production related content.
Easthampton, MA just opened a major recreational project to the public on June 2, 2015. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Karen Cadieux will be on Saturday, June 13, 2015, and will coincide with Easthampton’s second annual Cultural Chaos street festival.
The Nashawannuck Pond Boardwalk Promenade comes with a new sidewalk running along Cottage Street, a semi-circular plaza at the corner of Cottage and Williston Avenue with stone steps that lead directly to the water. The fully accessible promenade extends from Cottage Street to the lower entrance of Brookside Cemetery.
Check out my video of the boardwalk which I filmed just yesterday, June 6, 2015. I am embedding the video link from Facebook so that you may see some of the local views and opinions about the new boardwalk. Feel free to comment as well.
A few concerned individuals have perceived the change as disruptive. While most folks embrace the new addition to Easthampton, some voices feel that the natural setting around the Nashawannuck Pond was replaced with an unsightly concrete and metal structure. There were a few rather passionate objections to the Nashawannuck Pond Boardwalk in Easthampton calling it a “destruction”. This blogger shares the general desire to preserve nature wherever possible because it helps sustain life not only locally but globally as well.
However, it would appear that the people who made this project happen did not intend to disrupt natural habitats. Instead, it appears the intent was to bring nature closer to us in a manner that’s safer and more accessible for everyone. The main plaza now has benches to enjoy the views, new trees were planted, there is lighting for evening walks, places for artwork, and access to the water for people with kayaks or canoes. There are a textured concrete sidewalk and a boardwalk with benches and railings which provide access to views of the water, Mount Tom, and fishing. I feel the boardwalk is tastefully designed and a significant improvement to what was there just a few months ago.
Enjoying the boardwalk is a privilege and together we can care for it and nurture it so that the initial burst of excitement extends to the long-term enjoyment of Easthampton’s newest recreational addition.
While we were out filming at the boardwalk yesterday, a gentleman approached us and shared with us that he has been living in Easthampton for over 40 years and he had never seen that many smiling people by the pond until the boardwalk opened. I think this may have been the goal when the new boardwalk was planned. Bringing people together, putting a smile on their faces, and enjoying one of the most stunning views in Western Massachusetts.