The view of Dover, from Needham (Joe Difazio for WBUR)

After some heated debate, Dover decided to take the first steps to build its portion of the Bay Colony Rail Trail, giving its Board of Selectmen the authority to seek a 99-year lease from the MBTA, as reported by the Globe and WBUR. This, after a concession not to connect to neighboring towns Needham and Medfield.

The original plan was to extend the trail across the bridge into Dover. But Ban learned from conversations with people in town that too many of them did not want people coming into Dover from Needham and beyond.

Needham’s brand new trail now dead-ends at the Charles, as shown in the WBUR piece (above).

The rail trail — a wide path made of crushed stone — comes all the way through Needham until you get to the Charles River. Just as you get to the river, there’s a fence, and past the fence, you can see the track’s rails.

Sound familiar? What both reporters missed was the view from Newton at the northern end of the Bay Colony line.

The view of Needham from Newton’s sunset deck (upperfallsgreenway.org)