by Lee Sorensen

Spring has arrived in Michigan and the Macomb Orchard Trail is closer to being a useable trail for recreation and non motorized transportation in northern Macomb County. The Macomb Orchard Trail is the abandoned railroad right-of-way that’s about 23 miles long, extending from Richmond, MI to Dequindre Road, just south of 24 Mile Road/Parkdale Road in Shelby Township. En route it passes through Armada, Romeo, and Washington Township. It then crosses Dequindre and becomes the Clinton River Trail and connects to Rochester and beyond. It also connects to Bloomer park and to the existing Paint Creek Trail, with a few side streets through Rochester.

Trail clean up April 26, May 17, June 21

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP CLEAN UP THE MACOMB ORCHARD TRAIL

Saturday April 26 2003 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM is the first scheduled cleaning. The job will be clearing brush back with trimmers and chain saws needed and picking up trash along the right of way. There is tree across trail between Dequindre Rd and 24 Mile Road. This will prepare the way for surveying and construction. The first section will be northeast of Dequindre Road towards 24 Mile Road. Parking will be at the Onyx ice-skating rink on Dequindre Road at Parkdale in Rochester. Park in the southeast corner, next to the trail.

Bring your work clothes, gloves, pruners, etc. A wagon or garden cart would help to put debris in. If someone can bring a tractor with trailer or pickup truck to haul debris out to main road, call Lee Sorensen 586-781-3756. With enough volunteers a few hours work should be able to get a mile or so to 24 Mile Road cleared. More trail cleaning days are planned for May 17 and June 21. These will be starting from the corner of 25 Mile and Shelby Roads. Park in shopping center parking lot on the southeast corner. May 17 clean up will go south from 25 Mile Road and June 21 will go north from 25 Mile. Note: trail angles northeast and southwest. Lunch with pizza and pop will be provided for workers. Donated by in April: Hungry Howies, 54734 Shelby Rd 248-656-3300. May: Dominoes 54810 Mound Road near 25 Mile Rd 586-781-0010. June: Jet’s Pizza 55125 Shelby Road 248-656-2920.

The Macomb Orchard Trail Master Plan for the trail is nearing completion. The plan is comprehensive, including direction on how to manage all road crossings, and also guidelines for bridges, landscaping and amenities to give the trail a unified appearance throughout. Parking areas are being identified along with scenic outlooks at some of the trestles, etc. The plan includes a bridle path next to trail for horses in Richmond and Armada Townships between the city of Richmond and Powell Road.

The plan will recommended designs for shelters, benches and rest rooms. Community groups wishing to support the trail will be able to donate funds to purchase these amenities that will be acknowledged with appropriate plaques. The plan also will include recommendations for landscaping with a list of naturally occurring plants that horticultural groups may want to provide. Fruit-bearing plants will be prominent on the list in keeping with "orchard country" character of the trail.

An engineering company will be hired to prepare construction drawings and specifications by the time you read this. Next will come bids for construction, and then the actual work. Expect work to start this summer on the first six miles from Dequindre to 29 Mile Road. The current plan is to cover the trail with crushed limestone for 12 foot wide path on the whole trail. If individual communities want pavement they will pay for it themselves.

Commission Activity

The Macomb Orchard Trail Commission meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month, same day and location as the Friends of the MOT do, at 10:00 AM. The next

commission meeting is Tuesday April 29 10:00 AM. If you have time to get there you can find out what is happening with the trail officially. The trail commission has a new web page under development: http://www.macomborchardtrail.com Bookmark it on your browser, along with ours to keep up with the latest developments.

Friends membership meeting dates

The meetings of the Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail is at 20505 29 Mile Road at 7:00 PM. on the fourth Tuesday of the month. (east of Wolcott Rd.) Dates this quarter are: April 22, May 27, June 24, 2003. If you haven’t paid your dues for this year, please clip the membership form on the last page of this newsletter 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.

The board members; Chuck Mabley, Rich Platz and Dave Rumohr where elected again. They decided to serve on the Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail board another term. We need to get more volunteers to serve on the board for next election.

We are planning an informational booth at the Washington, MI "Super Weekend" events on Friday, Saturday Sunday May 30, 31, June 1st . There is an arts and crafts fair on the grounds at the old Washington Elementary school, which now houses the Washington Historical Society, a pancake breakfast at the Washington Twp fire department, and chicken barbecue at Washington Lions club. All event locations are on Van Dyke between 26 and 27 Mile Roads. Please call Lee Sorensen at (586) 781-3756 if you can work in the booth for an hour or two during the weekend. NOTE: Might just have information booth on Sunday.

Chairman: Lee Sorensen
phone: 586-781-3756
E-mail: swimbikerun@jamdata.net

Vice-Chairman: Dennis Tipsword
phone: 586-749-9153
E-mail: tipsword@wwnet.net

Secretary: Christine Hamilton
phone: 586-727-4347
E-mail: chbirie@massnet1.net

Treasurer: Chuck Mabley
phone: 586-727-9874
E-mail: charlesmab@comcast.net

Director: Rich Platz
Phone: 586-727-4246
E-mail: rbplatz@klondyke.net

Director: John Tarantino
Phone: 586-677-0482
E-mail: redtandom@yahoo.com

Director: Dave Rumohr
Phone: 586-468-8781
E-mail: lrumohr@bignet.net

Newsletter Editor: Ted Gondert
356 Third Street, 
Romeo, MI 48065-4804
586-752-7043 vcrepair@yahoo.com

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
Huron Clinton Metropolitan Authority
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

Thanks again to HCMA for providing the Camp Rotary Activities Building for our meetings at no cost. This has been our meeting place since the beginning and we are very grateful. HCMA is very supportive of trail development and has a seat on the Macomb Orchard Trail Commission as well as other trail organizations in the region. They also provided the very popular horse-drawn wagon for our Trail Preview.

Trail as it looks now between Dequindre Road and 24 Mile Road

Trail section needs brush cut back.   Tree across trail between Dequindre Road and 24 Mile Road

Trash and debris at the corner of 25 Mile Road and Shelby Rd where trail crosses.

Trash and debris on the trail needs to be removed. We hope to have this section all cleaned up in a few months. Between Dequindre Road to 24 Mile Rd, there is just one tree down and some brush needs to be trimmed back, The section near 25 Mile Rd. and Shelby Road has debris and trash along the trail.

Join Us! Click here for a membership form.