SOUTHWICK – On June 3 at 10 a.m. a memorial stone dedication event will take place at the access point of the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail on Rising Corner Road to honor Pat Fletcher. Fletcher, who passed away in May of 2016, was a long-time leader of New England Trail and instrumental in creating the trail near Rising Corner Rd in Southwick.
The memorial stone unveiling ceremony could not have been achieved without the help of the Southwick DPW and the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club), who installed the memorial stone.
“He was so special and influential on this trail and that location was so special to him,” said Heather Clish, the Director of Conservation and Recreation Policy for the Appalachian Mountain Club. “He was the face of this trail system.”
The memorial stone will be located near the floating boardwalk, which was officially unveiled in December of 2016. (WNG File Photo)
Dennis Clark, who is the Coordinator for the Conservation Commission and is helping Clish organize this event, also touched on the special mark that Fletcher left.
“If it wasn’t for Pat, I don’t think any of this would have ever happened,” said Clark. “It was pretty much a life-long dream for him to get this trail completed.”
According to Clish, the memorial stone was funded by AMC. With the National Parks Service and the Pioneer Valley Hiking Club also set to be in attendance, the unveiling of the memorial stone will be followed by a hike led by the Pioneer Valley Hiking Club.
The memorial stone is located right near the floating boardwalk, which the Westfield News first reported on in December of 2016.
The entire event is open to the public and both Clish and Clark encourage people in the community to attend.
If anyone needs directions to the Rising Corner Road trail, you can find the location by going onto the New England Trail website.
