BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
Northern Valley Greenway advocates are hoping to put the “green” in greenway.
Officials and citizens advocating for a Northern Valley Greenway get a chance to put their money where their mouth is by contributing to a $50,000 fundraising challenge among the six communities that the proposed eight-mile-long greenway passes through.
The fall fundraising competition began online by pitting the six towns traversed by the greenway—Tenafly, Cresskill, Demarest, Closter, Norwood and Northvale—against each other in a “friendly competition,” said a recent newsletter.
“It’s supposed to be a cool way to donate,” said Christine Evron, Tenafly Chamber of Commerce president and a greenway effort volunteer.
She said the fundraising effort is being promoted in each town via social media and local volunteer efforts.
According to its online fundraising tote board as of Dec. 5, a total of $11,646 of a $50,000 fundraising goal had been raised and the group’s representatives were urging Northern Valley residents to visit their fundraising site “to learn how to donate, join your town team, and share with your family and friends. Every dollar counts and all donations are fully tax deductible,” reads the group’s message.
The competition started in late November, said Northern Valley Greenway team leader Andrew Mikesh.
Closter leads all towns
The fundraising leaderboard showed donation totals from residents of towns, with Closter in front with $7,067, followed by Cresskill with $1,820, Tenafly with $1,614, Norwood with $420, Northvale with $370, and Demarest with $230 contributed.
The group offers prizes for individual fundraisers at levels from $50 (a car magnet), up to someone raising $7,500-plus, who wins “a coffee a day for a year” at LaTabatiere, Closter.
Other prizes include caps, shirts, personal styling sessions, fitness options, and dinner for two at exclusive restaurants for attaining certain fundraising goals.
And what will the $50,000 ultimately be used for?
“To build the park, the land must be purchased from CSX Transportation. While most of the acquisition and construction funds will come from federal, state and foundation sources, our goal is to jumpstart the process with private funds for initial negotiations, environmental assessment, conceptualization, engineering and more,” said the group’s website.
Greenway summer kickoff
In August, the Northern Valley Greenway initiative was celebrated at Demarest’s historic train station by dozens of supporters, including mayors, local government and business officials, and greenway advocates hoping to turn the unused railroad corridor into an eight-mile greenway spanning six northern Bergen County towns.
In late September, the first stakeholder workshop to initiate planning efforts and begin public outreach to envision the future greenway was held in a Tenafly hotel.
A planning consultant, Michael Dannemiller, told attendees in September that more input would be sought from the public over coming months leading to “concept-level sketches” that can be presented for further feedback, with likely greenway options by Jan. 1 and greenway planning to conclude by Spring 2019.
The project planning phase is being funded by the state Department of Transportation, said Mikesh previously.
Wide government support
Mikesh said the initiative is a cooperative service project of Rotary Clubs of Tenafly, Northern Valley and Cresskill/Demarest, and an inter-local effort supported by mayors and councils of six boroughs bisected by the proposed greenway.
The initial effort to consider a greenway on eight miles of unused CSX rail line came from Haworth teenager Alexander Philliou.
Philliou started a Change.org petition after hearing news of a teenager who died riding his bicycle to school when he was hit by a truck. Philliou saw potential in the unused rail corridor as a safe pedestrian pathway for bicyclists, walkers and hikers.
Mikesh noted another public forum will be held around late January 2019 to provide “a collage of design ideas” for the public to consider and offer feedback. He said a venue and date were not yet final.