Memorial Greenway to A.T. Proposed

Bern Ewert, writing an editorial in the Roanoke (VA) Times of 6 May 2007 under the headline "Build a Memorial Greenway" suggests building -- as a memorial to the shooting victims at Virginia Tech -- a memorial greenway:

"a memorial that could be used for research, improve the environment, be peaceful and a place for active recreation or peaceful contemplation enjoyed by one person, or as a part of a group or with family members. This would be a place and a project that would be as vibrant in 2050 or at the beginning of the 22nd century as it would be today. This is a project that would be used by new students, their friends, parents and alumni, year after year after year.

"My thought is that we should build a greenway from Virginia Tech to the Roanoke Valley and on to Smith Mountain Lake. This "Memorial Greenway" and bike path (no cars) would go from the campus to the Roanoke River headway, run parallel to the river, cross near the Appalachian Trail, down into the Roanoke Valley and under the Blue Ridge Parkway on its way to Hale's Ford."

He figures it would be more than 60 miles in length, and that his proposal might finally get the planning that's been going on "for years" to fruition.