Community Corner

ACROSS Lexington: In Abrams Trails Trust

Professional and trails networks intertwine in the newly established Rick Abrams ACROSS Lexington Trust Fund.


There are networks, and then there are networks.

For Lexington resident Rick Abrams, his professional and trails networks have intertwined in the best possible way.

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As his career in educational technology wound to an end, Abrams, who co-chairs Lexington’s Greenways Corridor Committee, was busy with a new project: Laying the foundation for ACROSS Lexington, a network of well-marked routes linking trails, schools and conservation land around town.

Recently, in recognition of his 30-year career, Abrams’ professional colleagues established the Rick Abrams ACROSS Lexington Trust Fund as a way to honor his past and support his future endeavors.

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“It’s an honor and a surprise,” Abrams said Monday, Feb. 25, when trust was accepted by the Board of Selectmen. “The company CEO and my friends knew how impassioned I was about this project.”

The ". It’s a major initiative of the Greenways Corridor Committee, with the goal being to create 40 miles of clearly marked walking/running/biking routes connecting the town’s open space, schools recreation areas and trails. The pilot route opened last fall.

Check out the video posted above to hear more on ACROSS Lexington from Abrams and Greenways Corridor Committee co-chair Keith Ohmart.

Almost $10,000 has been raised through the trust. Abrams said he hopes these monies and future funds raised can be used to incorporate technology into ACROSS Lexington.

In an email to Patch, Abrams outlined some of the projects the trust could support, including an “alternative transportation” kiosk in the town center that collects a map of ACROSS Lexington routes, the Minuteman Bikeway, historical buildings and public transportation all in one place. Another idea is creating oral histories about lands in Lexington and making them available on smartphones using QR codes.

“We imagine families taking walks and being able to hear the history of the property they are on – whether a farm, cart path, historical monument,” Abrams wrote. “We are loaded with great stories all around Lexington.”

To donate to the Rick Abrams ACROSS Lexington Trust, checks may be made out to Town of Lexington with note identifying that it’s for the Rick Abrams ACROSS Lexington Fund. Checks can be delivered to the Board of Selectmen’s Office.


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