As if a paved walkway, benches and nighttime lighting weren’t enough to make the new Old Mill Trail a feature in Lebanon, newly-installed trees now promise a brilliant display.
Volunteers for the nonprofit Build Lebanon Trails planted 50 trees on March 23 along the mile-long path that runs beside the Santiam River between Gill’s Landing and Riverview Park.
The newly planted trees include crimson king maple, autumn blaze red maple, red sunset red maple, Bradford flowering pear and green spire lindens, which will display green, purple, yellow, red and white colors throughout the year when established.
Jan Burton has been walking the berm long before the concrete, benches and lights were installed.
She said she seldom saw anybody there before the path was built. She was sometimes even concerned about the solitude due to the many homeless camps situated along the property.
But now those camps are gone and Burton sees people on the trail every day.
“It makes me happy to see how many people are using this trail,” she said.