Tenacious Volunteers Deserve Credit for Hellertown Tract's Preservation [Letter]

To the editor:

The ceiling spiders in my apartment will prevail because of their tenacity. My brush is just no match. Hellertown's Tumminello Tract will win over trail-walkers after it connects to the Saucon Rail Trail.

Thanks to my colleagues' persistence during the "environmental wars" a few years ago, we defeated a business owner and saved open space that is being converted from barren to luxurious turf for flora and fauna. The rain gardens and 500 trees, plus a massive number of native plants and shrubs, will create natural beauty to be shared by humankind.

Long hours of volunteer workers and those involved in a county work release program are enabling this process. To be mentioned by name are several local environmentally-minded folks: Terry Boos, Ray Follador, Pete Eisenhart and Jim Wilson, the latter a watershed specialist and agricultural technician from the Northampton County Conservation District.

During the "open space wars" in Hellertown featuring many well-to-do big shots and "Sling-shot Weidner," the latter learned to "sling it" as well as the biggies on borough council and the rich guys who crave open space for business expansion. Sling Shot made enemies during this period, and has continued to do so well into 2013. The battle continues.

An occasional skirmish with the ceiling spiders and the spidermen is won, and that spells success.

Lee Weidner
Hellertown

Photo: Tumminello Park is a recreation area currently under development in the first block of Main Street, Hellertown (Patch file photo). Visitors will eventually be able to access the Saucon Rail Trail via the park.