Trail updates, back-in parking pilot project, & more

Air Line Trail progress

Funding to complete the 1800-foot gap in the Air Line Trail between Portland and East Hampton was provided by the recent federal spending bill. In anticipation of the funding, work to remove the utility poles from the gap has begun. Read about it here.

Winter Cleanup Events
Can you help with a mid-winter cleanup event? We will be ready for action on a Saturday (2-4 p.m.) when the forecast is for a temperature above 30 degrees with no snow and dry ground. Our first location may be the Daddario & Kieft Road neighborhood off Long Lane, in partnership with the Middletown Housing Authority. To join our list of potentially available volunteers and be notified when the conditions are right, sign up here. It will be fun to be outdoors together.

Help us fight plastic pollution
The Connecticut legislature is in session, and the Jonah Center is focused on bills to reduce solid waste and plastic pollution. Click here to learn how you can help.

Back-in parking pilot project
Middletown's Public Works Department is working with the community in preparation for an experiment to make Main Street safer for motorists and bicyclists. Read about it here. Back-in parking may be challenging at first, but if we give it a try and can make it work (as other cities have), the benefits could be considerable.

Newfield trail delayed
Progress on route determination and design of the northern 1-mile section of the Newfield Corridor Trail between Tuttle Road and Mile Lane has been delayed over the past year due to several issues. First was an archaeological survey to look for the remains of a Wangunk settlement. The second involves a proposed land swap between the city and a local developer who wishes to build 2 apartment buildings off Kaplan Drive, just east of Lawrence School. For more information click here. (The planned 3-mile Newfield Corridor Trail is shown here in blue.)

Please support the Jonah Center
To our faithful donors who already gave to our Annual Appeal, thank you so much! If you value our work and haven’t yet given for 2023, you may donate by credit card here, or you may send a check to: The Jonah Center, Box 854, Middletown CT 06457. Your financial support is important and much appreciated.