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Macomb Orchard Trail News Volume # 4/Issue # 2 Summer 2003 Published By: Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail State of the Trail A time we have been waiting for: construction of the trail between Dequindre Road in Shelby Township and 29 Mile Road in Washington Township is likely to start this fall. It appears likely that this section will be paved, rather than finished with crushed limestone as originally planned. Apparently the cost is not much different and long-term care is likely to be less. Purchase of the trail will be completed in 2004 using federal grants administered by the Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants administered by the DNR, Southeast Michigan Greenways Initiative grants, and local matching funds. Purchase and development of the remainder of the trail requires additional grants and local matching funds in excess of $1 million. Most of the local matching funds are still needed. The County’s new grant coordinator is identifying large-contribution donors, but you can help, too. Contribution to the Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail in excess of membership dues will go toward trail development. In addition, volunteer work that you do on the trail counts as an in-kind contribution toward the amount of local matching funds required to collect additional grants.
You're gonna love it when it's done! Macomb Orchard Trail Commission The Macomb Orchard Trail Commission Master Plan for development of the trail is nearing completion. Plans are to pave the trail. On Friday June 20, 2003 Trail Commission members and engineers from Hubbell, Roth and Clark engineering firm, walked the trail from Dequindre Road to 29 Mile Road. They noted intersections where the trail crosses roads and how to best align the trail to cross the roads. Some intersections they want to realign are 25 Mile Road and Shelby Road where the trail crosses at an angle. Plans are to have it cross at the intersections with the traffic lights. Another troublesome intersection is where the trail crosses Campground Road at a 33-degree angle. There the plan is to have the trail cross Campground Road at right angles if they can get some right of way from the golf course. Hubbell, Roth and Clark hope to have draft of construction plans complete by July 3rd to be sent to the Macomb Orchard Trail Commission for review. The Commission will have special meeting Tuesday July 15 to review the plans. The commission’s regular meeting date will be July 22. Future meetings are scheduled for August 26th and September 23rd. These meetings are open to the public, and there is time set aside for public comment. All commission meetings are at Camp Rotary, the same place as our meetings. They start at 10:00 a.m. New president for Friends of MOT needed next year The Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail will need a new president soon. Lee Sorensen will be leaving Michigan next year. Lee has served as president of the Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail for the past few years and has helped promote the trail. We will miss him and wish him luck in his future endeavors. Now is the time to start finding someone else to try and "fill his shoes" for next year to keep the Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail moving forward. We have come so far with the trail first section construction plans ready now. If you or someone you know would like to serve as board member of the Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail, now is the time to start planning. The next election of board members of Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail is in January 2004. Strong leadership provided by the continuing board members will need the support of at least one new member. Additional new faces on the board will give those who have served so diligently a breather. The board elects its own officers. Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail clean up days The Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail had successful clean up days on April 26, May 17, and June 21. Volunteers helped remove much debris and cut back small trees and brush between Dequindre Road to 24 Mile Road in April; from 24 Mile Road to the 25 Mile and Shelby Road intersection in May. On June 21 they cleaned up the trail from 25 Mile Road to Mound Road and cut back a lot of brush and thorny trees along trail. Also removed a large pile of scrap roof shingles that had been dumped next to trail a couple years ago. The next Macomb Orchard Trail clean up day will be Saturday September 20th. Time and location will be announced later, or call Lee Sorensen at 586-781-3756 for details. Thank you to volunteers for trail clean up The Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail thank the dozens of volunteers who came out in April, May and June to clean up the trail from Dequindre Road to Mound Road. They removed much debris and trash along the trail and cut back a lot of brush to widen the trail and make it useable. We showed how volunteer labor can do much of the work on the trail and save a lot of money that would have been needed to clear that section if paid help had been needed. The use of chain saws, trucks, and even the wood chipper to chop up the branches and brush that was removed along the trail was donated. A special thank you to Anthony Casasanta, Macomb County Parks and Recreation director, who provided trash bags, trash picker tools and arranged to haul away all of the trash that we collected at each our cleanup days. Special thanks also to John Tarantino, who made the arrangements and the
Pizza shops that donated pizza to the workers for lunch break. National Trail Day Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail joined with trail groups and other organizations from Macomb and Oakland Counties to present National Trail Day on June 7. The event was created by Rails to Trails Conservancy to promote interest in such trails. Locally it was heavily supported by State Senator Mike Bishop of Rochester Hills. A tent and food were donated along with lots of volunteer time. The focus of activities, including a bike ride by the Slow Spokes Bicycle Club, was the tent set up in Rochester alongside the Paint Creek Trail, but events were also held elsewhere along the trail and in Auburn Hills and Rochester. Start planning now for National Trails Day activity on the Macomb Orchard Trail next June. Friends membership meeting dates Meeting dates on 4th Tuesday of month at Camp Rotary Activities Building Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail meet at the Camp Rotary Activities Building, 20505 29 Mile Road, (East of Wolcott Road) at 7:00 PM. on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Dates this quarter are: July 22, August 26, and September 23, 2003. If you haven’t paid your dues for this year, please click here to print a membership form. Then just fill it out and send it in with your dues. Don’t miss out on what’s happening at this most exciting time yet for the trail. Note that we reduced our dues to $10 per household for this year – no limit on the number of persons. We hope to see more people at meetings now that work on the trail is progressing. Need volunteers to help with the trail cleanup, etc. and getting out information.
Board members Chuck Mabley and Rich Platz cut up a tree that had fallen across the trail Coming Events Romeo Peach Festival, Richmond Good Old Days and Armada Apple Fest To continue building community support, which remains weak in Romeo, Bruce Township, Armada Township and Richmond Township, we will again take our booth the Romeo Peach Festival, Richmond Good Old Days and Armada Applefest. Volunteers are needed to staff the booth on Saturday, Sunday and Monday of Labor Day weekend in Romeo, Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday of the following weekend in Richmond, and Saturday and Sunday of a weekend in October that is yet to be determined. This assistance will help us finish the work we set out to do four years ago. Don’t wait to be asked. Plan to attend one of our upcoming meetings to volunteer, or call Lee Sorensen 586-781-3756.
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
Some of the debris removed from the trail on June 21st by Mound Rd.
Volunteers taking a lunch break after cleaning up the trail north of 25 Mile Road to Mound Road. Pizza supplied by Jet’s Pizza. |
Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail Inc. P. O. Box 385 Richmond, Michigan 48062-0385 www.orchardtrail.org |
