To the Editor:

Thank you, Friends of the Old Stage Road Bridge.

HAMPTON / HAMPTON FALLS -- On Dec. 26, the Hampton Falls Board of Selectmen, town administrator, donors, volunteer workers, friends and neighbors of the Old Stage Road Bridge gathered in the snow to mark the official re-opening of the 1825 bridge as a covered pedestrian walkway. The restoration of this historic landmark was truly a community wide effort, with so many people to thank that it would be impossible to list them all here. Instead, the Old Stage Road Bridge Committee is planning a spring celebration at the bridge when the weather is more predictable and will produce a program that acknowledges every individual whose generosity helped make this project a reality.

For now, let me thank members of the Old Stage Road Bridge Committee who have worked tirelessly on this project for years: Steve Volpone, Nathan Page, Dick Robinson, Wayne Barker, Jack Fermery, Paul Fitzgerald, Fran and Larry Rice, David French, Mark Thompson, Mike Henry, Peter Robart, Larry Smith, and Steve Bryant. The project was funded entirely with private contributions and volunteer services and labor, including major donations of native Hampton Falls pine from Wakeda Campground and Sawmill, hemlock posts and handrails from Selectwood of Portsmouth, hemlock beams from the University of New Hampshire, and red cedar siding from Coastal Forest Products of Bedford.

Special thanks to Paul Rabenius and his crew at Northway Builders of Seabrook whose construction expertise and volunteer labor, both in the company's shop and on-site, greatly accelerated our time frame and ensured the quality of the finished product. Hampton Concrete, MMS Northeast of Hampton Falls (roof), Sunbelt Rentals of North Hampton, and Spruce Creek TV of Kittery, Maine are among the many businesses whose support has been critical to our success. We are grateful to the Seacoast Youth Association volunteers who did the pre-construction site clearing and cleanup.

Thank you all for turning our dream into a reality for everyone to enjoy.

Signed: Judy Wilson, Chairwoman, Old Stage Road Bridge Committee