Walking the line

To the Editor:

I attended a wonderful prayer retreat at the Final Option that was based on learning to talk with God. They are considering holding prayer retreats monthly, so if you missed this one, there will be another opportunity! After it was over, I walked the railroad track back to my home.

As I started the walk, I couldn't help but notice what poor condition the railroad track was in. If this is the condition of an existing track, how would a new one be taken care of?

Then as I walked it over Mill Street, I wondered: how will it pass over State 57? How will people view driving on 57 through Plymouth? Stop at States 23 and 57. Stop at Wal-Mart and 57. Stop at County C and State 57. Stop at railroad. Stop at County PP and State 57.

As I crossed over the river, I thought of the lovely views you get only from being in a railroad, and the thought occurred to me: why can't the same railroad take all traffic – people and material – just like the highways? Why is the state considering a new high speed for people and yet use an old existing low speed for material?

After I passed the depot, I thought of all the buildings that are on the current line. Couldn't an industry move here if they needed rail transport? Do they have to be on State 57? I also saw all the railroad cars sitting there and wondered how long they have been there.

Next, I looked for where the railroad would turn to go down Valley Road. l wondered why the railroad had to go that way to Sheboygan Falls. Couldn't it continue past Borden and loop around Plymouth, maybe going over State 57 at a different spot that could be ramped? Is the state considering new lines for the new high-speed railroad? Is cutting off ways into Plymouth from State 23, adding more stops around Plymouth on State 57, and running a railroad through its center good for Plymouth? Should one of the qualifications for the new city administrator be a degree in effective transportation management?

I missed where the railroad turned to go down Valley Road. Maybe the spot was too overgrown. As I corrected myself and went down Valley Road, I noticed how nice the lawns were coming in on the houses that border the railroad tracks. Contrast that with how unkempt the railroad tracks are.

What kind of neighbor have the railroad tracks been? Who else could abandon their property for 20 years, and never take care of it? What kind of neighbor would they be in the future?

As I passed Lions Park and watched “spring training” for the baseball leagues, I wondered: what target would a passing railroad be for a baseball?
Nancy Seibert
Plymouth