On the Greenway

A few years ago I bought an old Raleigh bicycle at a yard sale, put on new tires and seat, oiled the gears and gave it a spin. It did everything I needed a bike to do, but with one thing and another, it’s mainly gone unused, crammed in the shed between the lawnmower and wheelbarrow.

Last Thursday I decided it’s time to take it out. Perfect day, 80s, dry. Why not see what’s happening on the Tri-Community Greenway.

I entered the Greenway at Central Street, right next to the Animal Hospital. With wood railings on both sides, it curves behind Central School, crosses Pomeworth and Pleasant, then Gould to its starting place at Rec Park. Then I turned around and went the other way.

They’re still working on the Greenway, a long-awaited linear park that winds from Stoneham to Woburn and then Winchester. But already it’s open for strollers and joggers. It gives you the sense of moving in another world, a world of backyards and leafy things, apart from the rush of cars and trucks. Time slows down.

The big issue is crossing Main Street. From Central the path goes through the parking lot by Stoneham Pizza and the Daily Scoop, but there’s no crossing yet at the busiest street in town. You either have to ride up or down to the next traffic light, or wait for an opening in traffic. Be careful.

Once across Main, the Greenway cuts diagonally across William and West Streets, then as the noise of the town subsides a nice long green stretch to Montvale. Watch out crossing Montvale as well.

The nice thing about the ride towards Woburn is that it’s downhill, a long slope to Maple, then across and through the tunnel under I-93 to Woburn. Remember you’ll be peddling uphill on the way back, I tell myself.

As I explore the stretch into Woburn, I stop and walk my bike around workman putting in stone work, benches or planting trees. To the right I can see Polcaris. I cross Washington Street then turn left at Central. The Greenway shares the street here, but it’s a straight stretch between the cemeteries, so there’s not much traffic. When I get to the Winchester end of the street, I stop and take a water break. Enough for today. Next time I’ll go further, and one day all the way to Horn Pond. But now I’m thinking of the rising grade back to Stoneham.

In order to become a town—this was way back in 1725 when Stoneham broke away from Charleston—a condition for incorporation was the people had to build a church. Then a school. My personal requirements for a town, however, include four more things: a library, a pool, a bookstore, and an ice cream shop.

Thankfully, we have all these. But now, I find I’ve grown a bit more fussy. In order to be a real town, we must have a Greenway.

Now that we have a Greenway, I find no better way to celebrate than to end my ride at the Daily Scoop.

Note: Ben Jacques is the author of In Graves Unmarked: Slavery & Abolition in Stoneham, Mass., available at The Book Oasis, 311 Main Street.