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Volume # 3/ Issue #2
Summer 2002
Table of Contents:
Chairman's Column - by Lee Sorensen Are We There Yet? This proverbial question must be answered with an emphatic NO! It's great to realize that in June of 2001 the County agreed to sponsor the purchase of the trail, and that one year later the Trail Commission held it first meeting. But there is much work to be done and many opportunities to get involved. At the first commission meeting I indicated to the commissioners that we (the Friends) were ready to help in any way possible to get the trail open for public use. I was assured that there will be many opportunities. Give yourself a pat on the back for the work you have done to ensure that we got this far. When I see Lapeer County government still resisting progress on the Polly Ann Trail, I'm so grateful for your support as a primary factor in getting our government leaders to support the trail. However, we still will be better off politically if we can get the remaining communities along the trail to join the trail commission. Romeo, Bruce Township, Armada (both Village and Township), and Richmond township residents need to press their local governments to take steps to join. These communities need to have elected representatives attend the trail commission meetings and find out what they can do to become members as soon as possible. For most of them the issue is money. They think it's too much, but there are ways to work this out if they are willing to try. Where the Villages are concerned, the money issue is seen as double taxation. What the money really does is grant them direct representation when trail management and development decisions are made. The villages have more to gain than the townships, because their concentrated populations put more potential users close to the trail. So keep the pressure on these communities. Once they get on board, they can fully participate in reaping the benefits of the trail. We recommend a YES vote on Proposal 2 - Funds for the Future - on the state Primary ballot in August. Passage of the proposal will benefit trails and other outdoor recreational facilities in Michigan by changing operating procedures for the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF). MNRTF is a major source of funding for trail purchase and development. It is funded by revenue from oil and gas drilling in Michigan. The proposal has three beneficial features:
Volunteers needed Bill's Richmond Run-- August 3 We need a few workers for our booth at Bill's Run in Richmond on Saturday August 3rd in an effort to increase our connection to Richmond, where the township has yet to show support for the trail. We have a double interest in this race, because it is run in honor of Bill Hamilton, who was Grandfather to the husband of our Secretary, Christine Hamilton, and father of Dave Hamilton, the proprietor of Hamilton Bicycles in Richmond. The booth will be open from 6:30 a.m. until about noon. If you can help, even for just an hour or two, call Lee Sorensen at 586-781-3756. Romeo Peach Festival - August 31 - September 2 (Labor Day) We need a lot of workers to staff our booth at the Romeo Peach Festival over Labor Day weekend. Romeo and Bruce Township are two of the communities that have yet to join the trail commission so we need to continue building community support by talking to people, recruiting members, shirt sales, etc. If you can spare a few hours on Saturday, Sunday or Monday, please call event coordinator John Tarantino at 586-677-0482 to volunteer. Richmond Good Old Days - September 7 and 8 We also need a lot of workers to staff our booth at the Richmond Good Old Days. Richmond Township is one of the communities that have yet to join the trail commission so we need to continue building community support by talking to people, recruiting members, shirt sales, etc. If you can spare a few hours on Saturday or Sunday, please call come to our July or August meetings, or call our VoiceMail line 586-977-7271 to volunteer. Armada Applefest - October 12 and 13 - Applefest will be our only opportunity to build support for the trail in Armada this year. If you can give a few hours of your time during this weekend, plan to attend one of our monthly meetings to volunteer, or call our VoiceMail line 586-977-7271. Beginning with our trail preview event and continuing for the foreseeable future meetings will be held on the fourth Tuesday of each month instead of the second Tuesday. We will continue meeting at Camp Rotary, 20505 29 Mile Rd (E of Wolcott) starting at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise notified. Next meetings: July 23, 2002, August 27 2002, September 24 2002
• Representative from five governmental entities: Macomb County, Shelby Township, Washington Township, city of Richmond, Huron Clinton Metroparks Authority have signed the Interlocal agreement, initiating the Macomb Orchard Trail Commission. Their first meeting was June 18th at Shelby Township hall.
Chairman: Lee Sorensen phone: 586-781-3756
E-mail: swimbikerun@jamdata.net Armadillo Custom Printed Dry Goods. Discount priced T-shirts and sweat shirts O'Reilly Rancilio Nitz, et al: Incorporation and nonprofit filing Mail Boxes Etc.: prints this newsletter at discount Michigan Rails to Trails Conservancy Charter members: Bill Remer, Chuck Mabley Hamilton Bicycles: in Richmond, MI The Letitians Iconix, Inc.: logo designers Clinton River Riders bicycle club: donated money and volunteers. Mary Klammer We have accumulated a lot of equipment for use in our traveling booth, such as boxes of shirts, maps, tables and our Easy-Up tent. We would like to find a central location where we could store this equipment without paying rent. The storage area would have to be clean and dry, and should be accessible at any time. If you have such a location or know someone who does, please call our Voicemail number at (586)997-7271 to leave a message. Shirt Sales: As always we have official MOT Tshirts and sweat shirts available. Pick some up at the next meeting or call our Voicemail number (586)997-7271 to place an order Congressman's Bonior's Book: We still have copies of Walking to Mackinac, Congressman's David Bonior's tale of the backpacking trip he and his wife, Judy, made form their Mt. Clemens home to the straits of Mackinac. The books are $18.95 each, with proceeds from the sale to help the Macomb Orchard Trail. Pictures from The Macomb Orchard Trail Preview Macomb Orchard Trail Preview - Held April 23rd at Johnny Appleseed Cider Mill on 26 Mile near Mound
Here's some of the crew from the Friends of the Macomb Orchard trail, cleaning up the trail between West Road and 26 Mile Road on April 8, 2002 for Trail preview day.
Dennis Tipsword leveling the trail.
People enjoying a walk on the trail during the Macomb Orchard Trail Preview.
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Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail Inc. P. O. Box 385 Richmond, Michigan 48062-0385 www.orchardtrail.org |
The National Trail Day festival was a success
with a big tent set up near the Paint Creek Trail head in Rochester Municipal
Park. The Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail where there along with the Clinton
River Riders, Michigan Mountain Bike Association and others. The Macomb
SloSpokes bicycle club had ride up Paint Creek Trail to Lake Orion and back.
There where bicycle safety helmet donations and Blimpy Submarine sandwiches,
etc. Then we had the "Hands Across the County Line" ribbon cutting
ceremony that afternoon at the trail crossing Dequindre south of 24 Mile Road/Parkdale.
Dignitaries gathered to welcome the opening of the first section of the Clinton
River Trail in Oakland County and the start of the Macomb Orchard Trail in
Macomb County. West of Dequindre in Oakland County the "Clinton River
Trail" connects to Bloomer Park and Rochester, MI and to the Paint Creek
Trail. It goes past Rochester Road about half a mile before section where the
trestle over Clinton River has washed away. But there is a bypass on streets of
Rochester. Then the trail will head into Pontiac.
