Possessing a sense of pride in one’s own community is not necessarily a necessity, but one would expect it, otherwise why move here?
The Albany County Rail Trail has pump primed the collective pride in our community since it opened less than two years ago. It has given residents a new perspective on our towns. One that hasn’t been seen since the Delaware & Hudson stopped its commuter service in the 1920s. Not to mention, a healthier alternative for us to get from Point A to Point B.
Now, the Town of Bethlehem has upped the ante by devising a new initiative that encourages residents to get out, while also doing Town Hall a favor.
With “Shoot Bethlehem,” residents will go out with their cameras and capture Bethlehem’s natural scenic beauty, and then send those pictures to the town’s Department of Planning that will maintain a photo survey.
Sounds like the Town is employing the work of its residents to do its work. Well, it is. Think of how cost effective that is. But, not only that, it allows residents to have a say into what open spaces and natural resources are important to them.
Over the years, we’ve covered stories on the growing construction projects around town. Whether they be apartment complexes squeezed into available spaces along Delaware Avenue, or mixed-use industrial complexes that will take place of long vacant lots of land. No sooner than those stories appear in our paper, do we hear from our readers on their concerns about the ever shrinking open space of our town. The memories of farms that once stood along Elsmere Avenue and Wemple Road come to mind, and are now gone.
The question that often arises is, what can we do? Ingeniously, here is your answer.
Between now and July 28, images and their locations will be used to inform mapping of important open spaces in town. Photos may be displayed at town meetings and used on the town’s Facebook page. A series of draft open space values maps will be presented later on.
Encouraging residents to interact with the town in such a way seems seamless and cost effective, in many ways. Read our article on Page 7 for more details. And, we encourage readers to get out there, be healthy, and take pictures along the way to help the town preserve our open spaces.
