ANGELO LYNN

Cheers to Middlebury’s Department of Public Works for surprising the community with colorful crosswalks painted throughout the night, plus colorful concrete sidewalks on the downtown section of Washington Street. The work not only spruces up the downtown for the summer season but highlights the crosswalks for pedestrians.

That’s being smart and having a sense of fun!

Speaking of fun, the Moosalamoo Association and Addison County Bike Club, along with the US Forest Service and Vermont Mountain Bike Club are celebrating the opening of a new 3.5 mile trail this Sunday, June 8, that connects the Moosalamoo Campground with Silver Lake.

Called the Silver Moose Trail it links the bike trails around Moosalamoo Campground, up Moosalamoo Ridge and over to the Oak Ridge Trail, with the trails around Silver Lake (Chandler Ridge and Leicester Hollow) as well as others around Blueberry Hill Inn.

Three group rides of all abilities (hard, moderate and easy) will be led by local riders starting at 8:30, 10 and 11 a.m., as well as two group runs. A ceremonial ribbon-cutting and remarks are set for 12:30, followed by a BBQ starting at 1 p.m. Food and drinks are free, but the groups ask folks to RSVP so they can gauge an appropriate amount of food. A pump track for kids and a mile-long flow track are on site to help younger and beginner riders develop their skills. Smokey the Bear will be there too. For more information about the event, go to: https://tinyurl.com/4kkxsxfc

If you haven’t been to the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area for a while to enjoy the 70-plus miles of trails, and the excellent mountain bike riding that’s been developed there over the past decade-plus, now’s a great time to go and enjoy what is a spectacular recreational area right in our backyards.

Finally, spend a few extra minutes this week reading through our 72-page Summer Guide that features hundreds of activities to pursue in Addison County — showing we not just the land of milk and honey, but also of fun, recreation, arts and culture. Enjoy.

Angelo Lynn