When I moved to Jefferson County in 1973 there was a railroad running from Lamont to the Georgia line. I could hear the train and was taken in by the romance of the whistle. The train also ran from Drifton to Monticello Milling. Both of these rail lines were discontinued in the '70s. Thru citizen effort, 1.5 miles of the railbed going thru town has been converted to a walking/ biking trail. This is the only dedicated bike path in the county. Every other place to bicycle in the county requires sharing the road with cars and risking injury or the annoyance of the drivers.
When I first heard of the concept of Rails-to-trails, I thought it would be great if the trail in Monticello could extend to Drifton to join up with a trail running through the woods of our beautiful county. Florida Power bought the land and was not interested in sharing it for this purpose. Years passed and the company changed hands. Now Duke Energy owns the land. Some community members have long sought a way to share the beauty of our county through a non-motorized path.
Duke Energy finally said yes to sharing their land with the residents of Jefferson County. This could have been an opportunity for people to get together and build a showcase trail that all could use. We could pool our resources and make this happen. What a wonderful gift. Instead, we are focusing on our fear of each other and change. I have biked on trails in other communities where the belief in the goodness of each other has allowed cooperation. I prefer to believe that we respect each other enough to work together rather than pitting one group against another. It saddens me to see an ad in the Monticello News emphasizing everything that could be made into a problem rather than a solution. I know that we as a community could make this happen. I also know that the whole trail can be stopped because of fear. To see this gift of land for all turned down fills me with sorrow.
Wayne Frey