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Macomb Orchard Trail News Volume # 2 Issue #4 Winter 2001-2002 Table of Contents:
by: Lee Sorensen Last summer I titled my column Wow and When. The wow was the County Board's decision to sponsor the purchase of the trail. The when, was when can we start using it. I didn't realize then how slow the next steps would be, but I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel. By next spring we should be able to legally use at least some of the trail. The Trust for Public Lands, current owner of the trail pending buy-back, has approved use of the trail during the transition period. We still need to have a Trail Management Council in place, insurance, and stop signs, etc. at road crossings before that can happen, however. Decks and guardrails on bridges will also be required, but we can use volunteer labor (that's us) plus donations of materials and in-kind services to make the trail usable. On the assumption that these things will be in place, member Martha Nitz has agreed to coordinate an on-trail event to coincide with our April meeting. We discussed a number of possibilities at our last meeting including a hayride, refreshments, local politician reception, frog count, etc. If you have any suggestions or would like to help with the planning, call Martha at (586) 677-3506 and stay tuned. The last newsletter mentioned a fund-raising program. That is still on the horizon, but the exact form it will take and our part in it remain uncertain. Thank you all for your support of the trail. The progress made during the past year wouldn't have happened without you. Best wishes for a joyous holiday season and a happy New Year.
General Membership Meeting- Tuesday January 8 2002 Elections of three board members Our next general membership meeting will be held on Tuesday January 8th at Camp Rotary, 20505 29 Mile Road (east of Wolcott) starting at 7:00 p.m. Featured at this month's meeting will be the election of new board members and a status report on the Interlocal Agreement/Trail Management Council. We will be providing cider, doughnuts and coffee, too. Executive Board meetings on Tuesday February 12th and March 12th, same time, same place, are also open to the public.
January elections If you are a member, an election ballot is included with this newsletter. Three directors must be elected to fill the expiring terms of Dennis Tipsword, John Tarantino and Lee Sorensen. All three incumbents have been re-nominated, but write-in votes are allowed. Please mark your ballots and mail them back to our Secretary, Christine Hamilton, before the January meeting or bring your completed ballots to the meeting for counting.
Memberships Must Be Renewed Now No mailing to non-members after January 8, 2002 Unless you joined since October 1, 2001, you membership expires on January 8, 2002. After January 8, we will mail newsletters and other notices only to paid-up members. Because our mailing list has grown to enormous proportions in the past year and a half, we would like you to verify your continued interest in the trail by becoming a member. To remain active in the organization and to continue receiving information, please complete the membership application elsewhere in this newsletter and return it with your check for $10 (or $20 for a family of two or more) to the address shown on the application.
Michigan Mountain Bike Association Annual meeting February 3 2002 We have been invited to set our information booth at the MMBA (Michigan Mountain Biking Association) annual meeting on Sunday February 3rd. Location is Springfield Oaks Park in Davidson, MI. If you can help us staff the booth, which will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., please call Lee Sorensen at (586) 781-3756. The MMBA may be primarily interested in single-track trails, but the MOT is of interest to them as a way to get to Bloomer Park or Stony Creek without riding on the roads.
Jon Moore, Assistant City Manager for Richmond, attended our December meeting and reported on the status of the Interlocal Agreement and issues relating to the trail as follows: • The County's application for a $1.6 million grant from MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation) to purchase and develop the portion of the trail from Dequindre in Shelby Township to 29 Mile Road in Washington Township appears headed for success. All reports emanating from Lansing indicate that the application meets all requirements, which earlier applications to MDOT and MNRTF (Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund) did not. • The County also applied to the Greenways Initiative for $800,000 grant to serve as a local match for the MDOT grant. • MDOT has included funding to route the trail under M-53 north of 32 Mile Road in its plans to widen the road to four lanes and create an interchange. • MDOT has granted $100,000 to the Michigan Rails-to-Trails office to assist in purchasing and developing the Macomb Orchard Trail. They are working together to determine how best to use the money. • Community representatives working on the Interlocal Agreement expect participating communities to commit $25,000 each as the price of entry. They are working on a procedure that will allow those unable to contribute the full amount immediately to join at a later date. • The agreement caps the annual maintenance charges for each community, which includes insurance and policing at $5000. • The initial contributions and annual maintenance amounts will be shared among all member communities. • Each individual community will develop its own section of the trail. • The next meeting of these representatives is January 8th, the same day as our Friends meeting. The representatives hope to have an agreement ready for approval by the end of January.
The weather was poor but a group of hearty workers staffed our booth at the Applefest on October 13 & 14. Thanks for representing us so well to: John King, Gale Barr, Dennis and Pamela Hayden, Dick Beringer, John Tarantino, Nancy Plotzke, Bruce Carlson, Art Crawford, Dave and Lee Rumohr and Rich Platz.
The Michigan office of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) has been a major supporter of the Macomb Orchard Trail since day one. If you aren’t yet a member of RTC, you should consider joining now. The annual fee for membership in the national organization is as low as $18, and you can also contribute to the Michigan office when you join. Check them on the web at www.railtrails.org for more information or call 1 (800) 888-7747 extension 11 to join.
Friends Telephone Exchange Has Changed, Congressman Bonior’s Book, Congratulations- Christine Hamilton Ameritech notified us that the exchange for our Voicemail line changed from 586 to 586, effective December 13, 2001. This should come as no surprise to Macomb County residents. What is surprising is that there is no transition period as there is with home numbers. The number is now (586) 997-7271.
Congratulations - Christine Hamilton Our enthusiastic Secretary, Christine Hamilton, received her Bachelor's Degree in Education on Thursday December 13, 2001. Congratulations on this fine achievement! It’s no small accomplishment to manage school, marriage and part-time work at the family business (Hamilton Bicycles in Richmond), let alone volunteer time for the Friends. But since our first organizational meeting, the trail has always had a special place in her heart. Well done, Christine, and best wishes for the future.
We still have copies of Walking to Mackinac, Congressman David Bonior's tale of the backpacking trip he and his wife, Judy, made from their home in Mt. Clemens to the Straits of Mackinac. The books are $18.95 each, with partial proceeds from the sale going to help the Macomb Orchard Trail.
As always we have official MOT T-shirts and sweat shirts available. Pick some up at the next meeting or call our Voicemail number (586) 997-7271 to place an order.
Chairman: Lee Sorensen Vice-Chairman: Dennis Tipsword Secretary: Christine Hamilton Treasurer: Chuck Mabley Director: Rich Platz Director: John Tarantino Director: Dave Rumohr
Newsletter Editor: Ted Gondert |
Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail Inc. P. O. Box 385 Richmond, Michigan 48062-0385 www.orchardtrail.org |
