LAKE PLEASANT — The Bridge of Names is likely on track to be repaired later in 2021, with fundraising for the project only a few thousand dollars shy of the expected cost of the construction work.
The Lake Pleasant Village Association, the residents’ group that manages the bridge, has been collecting donations in person and online through a GoFundMe page at bit.ly/2Yr6P2a.
And now, Red Fire North, a market in Montague Center, is also running a fundraising promotion to support reconstruction of the bridge through Feb. 7. For each pizza bought on Fridays and Saturdays, Red Fire North will donate $1 to the bridge project.
The Bridge of Names, which was built in 1974, was badly damaged in a storm in early October, when falling trees and branches destroyed parts of the western end of the bridge, leaving it unusable. The bridge takes its name from the long list of names that mark each fence post along its sides, representing people who contributed to support the construction of the bridge and who have donated over the years for its care and maintenance.
“There is no bridge at the latter fifth or sixth of it,” explained Matt Atwood, president of the Lake Pleasant Village Association.
At first there was some question as to whether the bridge might be owned by the town of Montague, and therefore might be covered by the town’s insurance policies.
However, town officials and the Lake Pleasant Village Association found that the town does not own it. The Selectboard and Town Administrator Steve Ellis observed that, even if there may be a desire among elected officials or Town Meeting voters to support reconstruction of the bridge, involvement from the town would create legal complications and would potentially cause the cost of the project to balloon.
Instead, the Lake Pleasant Village Association has collected donations since October and has discussed the project with construction companies, Atwood said.
The cost of the repair work is expected to be about $25,000, Atwood said. A construction company has not been contracted yet, but Atwood said it seems likely that the work can be done at some point in 2021.
Fundraising has reached about $20,000, almost entirely from private individuals who seem to have some personal connection to Lake Pleasant, Atwood said.
That may put reconstruction within reach, but the cost estimate does not include the small pavilion at the end of the bridge that was also destroyed in the storm, Atwood said. That part might be rebuilt later, he added.
Red Fire North’s fundraiser was not organized in coordination with the Lake Pleasant Village Association, Atwood said; the store decided on its own to make a donation to the Bridge of Names.
“I go over there to Lake Pleasant and I feel sorry for the bridge,” said Paul Voiland, owner of Red Fire North. “It’s going to be the community that has to rebuild it. That’s what motivated us — what can we do to help?”
Red Fire North is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, and can be reached at 413-367-3071.
Reach Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.