Old Bethpage Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge to Receive a Cleaning
Last week Charles Muller commented on VanderbiltCupRaces.com that "the bridge in Bethpage Restoration is now being used as a garbage dump for the private farm located there. They are knocking down the rails with their equipment".
I immediately contacted Bruce Adams of the Model A Club who have made preservation of this bridge part of their mission. Bruce sent off an email to Jim McKenna, Site Director for the Old Bethpage Village Restoration:
Hi Jim,
I just received this alarming news from Howard Kroplick.I hope there is some mistake. That sort of irreverence to an historical item is unforgivable.
Can the Model A Club, perhaps with assistance from the Boy Scouts, do something to clean that area up? I know it looked disgraceful last summer, and it needs care if this LIMP treasure is to be preserved.
I am pleased to report Mr. McKenna's response:
Bruce, someone did dump some debris off of the bridge. I believe it may have been the Organic Restoration Farm. I have spoken to one of the partners about the travesty and implications of their actions. I have asked them to assist in the removal of the debris.
There is still of course a refrigerator and car down there left some 35 or more years ago. Sadly the previous Directors at OBVR looked upon that area and the area behind it as an agricultural dump, something I have been trying to correct in the mindset of county parks people (not from our site) for almost 15 years. Bottom-line is that we will have this cleaned up.
Congrats to Charles, Bruce and Jim for helping to preserve one of only two remaining intact Motor Parkway bridges in Nassau County!
Links to related posts on VanderbiltCup Races
Index: Motor Parkway Preservation
Comments
Nice to hear that the effort was made to preserve the bridge. It is ironic to me that a group dedicated to a somewhat contrived historical preservation failed to see the value in preserving this genuine but more recent historical artifact. Kudos too to the Model A Club leadership for being ready to jump right in. Finally i’m curious to what kind of car’s “remains” are still under the bridge lo these last 35 years???
Agree and thanks!
I agree with Ken the Long Island motor sports community seems to be dumped on all the time and it seem to be okay by those that preserve land. They all seem to forget that Long Island has a rich history in motorsports or is it they don’t want to be reminded. Thanks for saving this small piece.