Thanks From the Longevity Bench

To the Editor,

During this month of Thanksgiving, it is with heartfelt gratitude that we thank the many residents and friends of Manchester who have embraced the Longevity Bench Project over the past seven years, since its founding. There are now thirty accessible benches installed on level concrete pads along ten popular walking loops through residential neighborhoods - connecting to each other and creating a pathway to the heart of town. We are now a more walkable town for people of all ages and abilities. We appreciate those who have sent many wonderful cards and letters telling us how they have used the benches in many unique ways; as a milestone destination while recovering from surgery, as a meet up site for friends, as a sunny place to read to a grandchild, as a table to share lunch and time-out to pet the dog, as a place to take a nap after running to Gloucester and back, as a place to rest while taking a walk, and so many more.
Thanks go out to many people at Town Hall and beyond with whom we have worked closely and with whose support and collaboration we have made this all happen - together. Over 350 generous donors, our Town Administrator, the DPW and Parks and Recreation Departments, the Council on Aging, the Conservation Commission and Select Board members in each term since 2017 when our prototype was installed, the Bike and Pedestrian Committee and Friends of Trees, our bench maker and installers and webmaster sponsors, local businesses who shared their goods and assistance along the way, and the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce Health and Wellness Committee for encouragement and support.
We also extend a very big thank you to The Cricket, where many of our bench openings and bench walks have received the publicity they needed to introduce the many Longevity Benches, given to the town by so many generous donors. We are eternally blessed to live in this beautiful town, filled with so many beautiful people.
The 2025 Board of Directors
Lisa Bonneville, Gillian Kellogg, Jane Metrano, Louisa Mackintosh, Susan Harrington, Sonne Bialy and Linda Feuerbach