Wanna race in a dragon boat? Byram has boats, paddles and sponsorships available
Byram is looking for sponsors and paddlers for a fleet of dragon boats in a series of races on Cranberry Lake to celebrate the township's founding 225 years ago.
The races are scheduled for Sept. 23 with signups as teams or individuals open through Sept. 16. Seats are being sold at $75 per person to defray the costs of the boats' appearance. After rental costs are paid, profits will go to the Byram Historical Society, one of the sponsors of the races. Sponsorships are available on the historical society's website.
The other co-sponsor is the Cranberry Lake Community Club which notes that the profits will go directly to the Save Our Bridge fund drive as well as the society. A website for restoration efforts is at saveourbridge.net.
No experience is necessary to participate and equipment will be provided.
The footbridge is officially owned by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection but in the past was leased to the community club which has been raising funds for the past half-dozen years to restore the nearly 90-year-old bridge which reportedly is the longest suspension footbridge in the state.
As it stands today, the bridge was erected between September and December 1930, as a Depression-era Works Progress Administration project.
The bridge has not passed a state safety inspection since 2002. However, local residents continued to use it. The bridge can be seen from Route 206 at the northern end of the lake.
Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, which includes the state park system, said, "The bridge ultimately supports more use by the Cranberry Lake community than public use by visitors to the state park."
He went on to agree that costs of repairs are "extensive," but also noted the state park service "must prioritize capital investment projects that support greater public access than the pedestrian bridge."
He said the department will need to conduct "a public process on whether to enter a new lease" with the club and, "no final decision has been made by the DEP until there is future engagement with the Community Club."
The lake was created from a small pond by the Morris Canal and Banking Company in the mid-1830s as the company built the canal system which connected the Hudson and Delaware rivers. Located at the highest point along the canal route, the 200-acre Cranberry Lake, along with Lakes Musconetcong and Hopatcong, fed water to the canal's lock system.
This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Byram Township NJ has boat racing for 225th anniversary
