Community Corner
Special Ceremony Celebrates Opening of Naugatuck Greenway
A ceremony officially marking the opening on Dec. 20 will also include a special dedication for Union City's own "Irish" Pat Mallane.
After many years in the planning and construction process, the Naugatuck Department of Public Works will host a brief ceremony Friday to formally open the first phase of the Naugatuck Greenway.
The ceremony will take place Friday, Dec. 20, at 2:30 p.m., on the Pulaski footbridge spanning the Naugatuck River by the Polish-American Club, 199 Bridge St., Naugatuck.
During the ceremony, a section of the Greenway will be named in honor of Union City's own 'Irish' Pat Mallane, who was one of the greatest boxers in the New England area during his career.
The following text will be inscribed on a plaque that will be placed along the Greenway:
"This section of the Naugatuck Greenway is dedicated to Union City’s own Pat Mallane (1932 – 2007); a dedicated son, husband and father, and one of the Valley’s greatest boxers. “Irish” Pat Mallane was the Connecticut and New England Lightweight champion and fought the lightweight champion of the world, Patty DeMarco, to a draw in front of a packed crowd at Madison Square Garden. A lifelong resident of Union City, Pat Mallane is remembered by all as a man loyal to his family, friends and community."
About the Naugatuck Greenway
The Naugatuck River greenway website lists plans for Naugatuck's greenway, which could connect to a path in Beacon Falls one day, as follows:
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"The Naugatuck River Greenway will take various forms including portions set adjacent to existing roadways, soft-surface pathways adjacent to the river (in the short term), 'railwith-trail' portions adjacent to Metro-North, and a multi-use path running through Borough parks adjacent to the river. The 3.3-mile route (which includes all three phases of the project) will incorporate the already planned greenway trail through Linden Park to the Maple Street Bridge and provide connections to many destinations and attractions such as the Green, the railroad station, the Historical Society Museum and a number of open spaces including Linden Park, Breen Field, the Naugatuck State Forest and a future recreation area on the former Uniroyal site. Trail-side amenities will include small parking lots, picnic areas, boat launches, rest stops, water fountains, public art, seating, interpretive signage and kiosks."
Public Works Director Jim Stewart told the Board of Mayor and Burgesses on Tuesday when the board unanimously approved a supplemental agreement for the project that gives the borough more federal funds to make t
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The project's price tag is $2.17 million. The borough's share of the project is $434,948. Some state grant money from the Local Capital Improvement Program will also be used to offset Naugatuck's share, and a majority—about $1.73 million—will come from the federal government, Stewart said.
More background on the project can be found in this article:
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