Rotary unveils Lackawaxen River signs

Honesdale. Members of the Rotary Club have placed two large signs on the bank of the Lackawaxen River teaching about the history of the river and the wildlife. The club received matching funds from The Rotary Foundation.

| 08 Jul 2020 | 01:18

Two large interpretive signs now adorn the bank of the Lackawaxen River in Honesdale, one on Park Street, near the YMCA, and one behind the Park Street Complex, teaching about the history of the river and the wildlife along its banks.

A smaller sign is installed on the bridge and a mural-like banner revealing a large heron in flight stares out from a retaining wall on the river below. The Honesdale Rotary funded the signage for the Wayne Pike Trails & Waterways Alliance, but the project was truly a “collaborative effort,” said Stephen Moulton, Honesdale Rotary. Honesdale Borough, Wayne County officials, the Northern Pocono Chamber, the Greater Honesdale Partnership, the Wayne County Historical Society, the Wayne Conservation District, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Canaltown all played a part in the design and installation of the signs—plus two steel benches on Park Street.

Members of the Wayne Pike Trails & Waterways Alliance, which is seeking to develop a recreational trail from Honesdale to Hawley (and eventually to Lackawaxen) hope the signage will encourage more people to enjoy the outdoors. The group is currently working with the county and land-owner Wayne Memorial Hospital to develop a recreational spot at Industrial Point, the former home of Honesdale EMS.

Wayne County Commissioner Jocelyn Cramer was on hand for the official unveiling Tuesday, July 7.

“This project has legs,” Cramer said. “This means more will happen, this changes what people want in their downtown community.”

The Rotary secured matching funds for the project from the Rotary Foundation, meaning, said Moulton, “we were able to double our own investment, and we can continue to help with projects like this.” Photo