The Heritage Trail continues to grow

We’re curious how the conversation started. Every year the Leadership Macon class chooses a project to aid the community. Those projects have ranged from building a Habitat House in Lynmore Estates to renovating Cherry Street Alley downtown, building a playground and community garden at Ingram-Pye Elementary School to starting a surgery program at the Macon Volunteer Clinic. One class came up with the idea and then implemented downtown donation stations to assist programs that work with the homeless.

So how did it go? Did one of the members of the class of 2016 blurt out, “Let’s build a bridge? We’re almost sure it didn’t go exactly like that, but it could have, and our area has been having a number of “Eureka” moments as of late and we hope they continue.

We’re sure the idea didn’t start with a bridge, rather, something much more grounded such as completing a two-mile stretch of the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail from Amerson River Park to Riverside Cemetery. Still, that’s not a run-of-the-mill idea, and they probably didn’t know until they explored the idea more fully that in their way there was an 80-foot-wide gully and, oh yes, trees, lots of trees.

Fortunately, the class isn’t in this alone, a number of partners have come together including Amerson River Park, Macon-Bibb County Parks and Beautification, the Macon Water Authority, NewTown Macon, Riverside Cemetery & Conservancy and the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail. And the partnerships don’t stop there. The class will need two things: Money and labor. They are literally going to be putting their backs into this project and as far as money, anyone can make a donation that’s tax deductible. NewTown Macon will manage the funds and people can also give online at www.newtownmacon.com/poweringnewtown/donate-to-newtown-macon/ and select the “Leadership Macon 2016” under the “Select a fund” drop down menu.

However the conversation started, we’re glad that it did. Amerson River Park and the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail are part of a 13-mile system that was envisioned in the 1990s when the Ocmulgee River was untouchable. It was the river that ran through us — almost unnoticed until a little storm named Alberto made it heave from its banks in 1994. Now, instead of driving over it, we can run, walk amd/or bike along the river’s east side and soon, as early as November, we’ll see more of the river from the west bank, too.

The class members say they chose this project because they wanted something that would leave a lasting legacy. One of the original proponents of the trail, Ben Porter, would say, “They nailed it.”

This story was originally published June 16, 2016 at 5:00 PM with the headline "The Heritage Trail continues to grow."