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Friend volunteer, trail neighbor - Raymond Towle shared smiles and stories with trail users in Enosburg Falls. He also provided decorative fence post caps in Enosburg Falls and St. Albans. Mr. Towle passed away unexpectedly this fall. We will miss him. An avid front porch sitter, Mr. Towle said he bought a new bicycle after the trail was built because the cyclists passing his house were always smiling; he wanted to smile too.
The Northwest Vermont Rail Trail Council held its annual meeting on Wednesday, February 16, 2000, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the Abbey Restaurant in Sheldon. Council Chair Raymond Larose highlighted 1999 achievements and activities. The membership elected the following people as members at large: Kathleen Brunelle, William Brunelle, Guy Choiniere, Scott Christiansen, Chet Parsons, David Stanley, Evelyn Stanley, and Phyilis Tiffany. The Council elected the following people as officers: Chair Raymond Larose, Vice-Chair - William Brunelle, Secretary/Treasurer - Kathleen Brunelle. The meeting was followed by a presentation from the Romp family on their cross country bicycling adventure (see next column for article).
On Saturday, October 9, 150 people participated in the second annual walk-a-then to raise money for the Linda Wood Mason Breast Cancer Fund. The walk-a-then, which was held on the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail, raised over $12,000 to benefit Franklin and Grand Isle County residents with breast cancer. Celeste Kane-Stebbins organized the event.
The Romp Family of Shoreham, Vermont, are bicycle enthusiasts to the core. On April 1, 1999, they left their home on a unique four-seater bicycle outfitted for self-supported touring. Their goal: Homer, Alaska, the westernmost point on the North American road system. On October 1, 1999, they dipped their front tire in the waters off the Pacific, ending the tour that changed their lives and captured the imagination of thousands.
The whole Romp family shared what they had I learned from 4,500 miles of family teamwork at the Rail Trail Council's annual meeting in February. Their visually stunning bike, their unique home-schooling philosophy, and the sheer audacity of the expedition attracted a record audience. The Romps answered questions about their journey, offered some words about living a full life, and shared slides of their adventures. To learn more about their travels, visit their family web-site at www.rompfamily.com.
The Trail is open to snowmobiling from Dec. 15 - April 15. When the snowfall is light, riders are cautioned to wait for a major snowfall to prevent damage to the trail surface. To snowmobile in Vermont, riders must purchase a trail pass for their legally registered snowmobile through a local club. Vermont recognizes all valid state and provincial snowmobile registrations. The trail pass system (adopted in 1998), called a TMA or Trail Maintenance Assessment, includes membership in VAST and a local club. For more information, contact the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) at (802) 229-0005.
The MVRT was spotlighted on November 1, 1999 on the Champlain 2000 report sponsored by NewsChannel 5 and the Lake Champlain Basin Program. Champlain 2000 is a series about our environment and quality of life, people and projects that protect them, and actions and issues that may threaten them. The program airs every Monday at 6 p.m. You can read the text of Tom Hallock's Rails to Trails story on WPTZ's web site at http://www.wptz.com/c2k.html.
Walking is the best form of exercise and doesn't cost you any money! Inspired by the "Fit for Millennium Campaign," the Center for Health and Wellness at the Northwestern Medical Center sponsored "Walk You Way to Better Health" on August 18, 1999. Twenty-three people participated as staff from Duke's Fitness Center presented the basics of beginning a walking program. Duke's staff discussed heart rates, proper clothing, and injury prevention before leading the participants on a Rail Trail walk.
Each additional mile walked or run by a sedentary person would give him/her an extra 21 minutes of life. --RAND Corporation. 1993
Thanks to a generous grant from the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the member municipalities of the Northwest Regional Planning Commission, a part-time Rail Trail Coordinator has been hired. Cynthia Scott, of Enosburg Falls, was hired in September to build the "Friend of the Trail" and Trail Ambassador programs, organize trail workdays and special events, and assist the Council with meetings. She can be reached at (802) 933-8851.
The Trail received national attention this summer at the annual Rails-to-Trails Conservancy conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bonnie Waninger, of the Northwest Regional Planning Commission, and Amy Bell, of the Vermont Agency of Transportation, were invited to make a presentation on Long Term Maintenance Strategies based on their experience with the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail and other Vermont trails. The presentation's goal was to help trail sponsors avoid costly design changes during construction and to assist them in finding low cost, long-term maintenance solutions. More than 60 people from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe attended the presentation.
The Town of Richford and the Northwest Vermont Rail Trail Council were each awarded funding through the Vermont Agency of Transportation Bicycle and Pedestrian Program for projects that make connections along the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail.
The Richford project, to extend the Trail one mile from its current end at Troy Street to the downtown area, received $170,000. The Sheldon Junction Bridge Replacement project was awarded $674,000. The Sheldon project will replace a missing bridge segment, rehabilitate the existing bridge segments, and connect the temporary Trail ends in Sheldon Junction. Both projects are expected to take two years to complete. Contact Laura Ovitt, Town of Richford, at (802) 848-7711 and Raymond Larose, Rail Trail Council, at (802) '933-4182 for more information. Congratulations to both groups!
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater announced 50 Millennium Legacy Trails representing 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Lake Champlain Bikeways received a national award on behalf of the State of Vermont; the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail is part of the Bikeways network. Bikeways is a public/private initiative that creates and promotes an international network of bicycle routes on roads around Lake Champlain in New York, Vermont, and Quebec. Because of the award, the National Endowment for the Arts will contribute approximately $10,000 to Bikeways to support community-centered art projects. For more information on Bikeways, contact Maja Smith at (518) 597-4464 or visit the Bikeways web site at www.lakeplacid.com/bikeways.
The Northwest Vermont Rail Trail Council has eight Madrax Grand Stand bicycle racks for sale. The racks are available for $50 each on a first come, first served basis to businesses, municipalities, and other organizations in Franklin County. The Grand Stand holds six bicycles, three on each side. Thirty-two racks have already been distributed as part of a grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program. Thank you to Jim Smith of St. Albans for delivering the racks and to the businesses and towns that have participated. To purchase a rack, contact Cynthia Scott at (802) 933-8851.
The Northwest Vermont Public Transit Network would like to install a 4-bicycle rack on the public transit van. Also known as "The Purple Bus," the van picks up passengers between Richford and St. Albans along Route 105. With the new rack, cyclists of all ages will be able to enjoy Trail rides without having to drive. With your support, the Rail Trail Council has launched a special fundraising drive to assist the Network in raising $300 for the rack. You can contribute by using the clip-and-mail coupon on this page! All contributions will be recognized in Trail Tracks and special ads in the St. Albans Messenger and County Courier. Contributions of $50 or more are rewarded with a one-year Friend of the Trail membership.
Have you stopped by local businesses to ask for your free copy of the "Guide to the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail?" This all-season, mile-by-mile guide has the information you need to find services, learn about local history and stories, and plan your Trail ride. Copies are also available by calling the Northwest Regional Planning Commission at (802) 524-5958 or through the Lake Champlain Bikeways clearinghouse at http://www.lakeplacid.com/ bikeways.
Use my special gift to give cyclists a lift with the Purple Bus bicycle rack!
( ) Send me a Friend of the Trail membership with my Purple Bus contribution of$50 or more !
Enclosed is my Gift of $_______________________
Please make checks payable to "Northwest Vermont Rail Trail Council."
Name:________________________________________________
Address:______________________________________________
City:_________________________________________________
State: ____________Zip Code: ____________________________
Telephone:_____________________________________________
Clip the coupon and mail it with your Gift to:
Northwest Vermont Rail Trail CouncilYour contribution is tax deductible under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
In an effort to ensure that snowmobiling is a safe, enjoyable activity, VAST and the State of Vermont adopted the Reasonable and Prudent Operations Law, (S. 94) in May 1999. Among other changes, the Law establishes a new snowmobile safety education certification program that will be required for snowmobilers born after July 1, 1983 and establishes standards for the "Reasonable and Prudent" operation of snowmobiles on the Statewide Snowmobile Trails System (SSTS). The Law, and other safety information is summarized in a new brochure, Snowmobile Vermont Safely, available through VAST by calling (802) 229-0005.
Picnics, Parking, and Progress
Thanks to a grant from the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps and substantial assistance from the Vermont Agency of Transportation District 8 staff, the Council enhanced parking areas in St. Albans, Sheldon Junction, and North Sheldon this fall. In St. Albans, the old parking entrance was closed off and a new one created to improve safety. In Sheldon Junction, the parking area was better defined and an entry sign added to help avoid parking conflicts with a neighboring business. In North Sheldon, an existing parking area was resurfaced and a picnic area created. The Youth Corps crew also built sign-in boxes for the trail. Thank you to the VYCC crew and leaders and the District 8 staff for their hard work and funding contributions! You made it happen!
On a blustery October Friday, nine cold but cheerful volunteers weeded the upper planting bed at the St. Albans trailhead. Supported by Rail Trail Council members Raymond Larose and Bill Brunelle, they rallied through the weather to demonstrate the community spirit of Ben & Jerry's and its workers. Many thanks to Ron Undenvood, Kris Pierce, Rita Cheney, Berta Craig, Joel Root, Nick Hogle, and Ian Casperson for their fortitude and help!
Need a way to send us a message about the Trail? Trail information boxes are located in St. Albans, at Greens Corners, and in Enosburg Falls. The boxes are stocked with Trail Guides and a notebook so that you can send us your ideas and impressions. Your comments have helped convince grant organizations to fund trail projects. They also tell us where to focus improvement efforts. As more trail parking areas are developed, we'll be installing more comment boxes." Here's a sampling of comments:
Thank you to these members for renewing their Friends membership for the coming year:
Welcome and thank you to new Friends. Your Friendship represents a valued investment in the future of our families, our businesses, and our communities.
"The Trail is a valuable asset to our community for both recreation and exercise. I show my support for it by being a Friend.'' Johanna Crane-Godin has been a Friend of the Trail since the program began in 1998. An avid walker, she uses the Trail for both walking and bicycling. In 1999, she and her teammates won third place in the Linda Wood Mason Walk-a-Thon by raising $1,100.
Everyone's a winner when you become a Friend of the Trail, as Johanna has. Our Friends finance numerous trail-related programs, including parking areas, picnic tables, and special events. To become a Friend now, call (802) 933-8851 or use the coupon in this newsletter.
Friend of the Trail support is the fuel for the Council's successful efforts on the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail. We hope you'll become a Friend.
O I would like to join the other Friends of the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail.
Enclosed is my Gift of $ _______________________
Please make checks payable to "Northwest Vermont Rail Trail Council."
O I would like information about volunteering for the following activities:
___ Rail trail work days
___ Special events and activities
___ Education and community outreach
___ Trail Ambassador program
Name: ____________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________
City: _____________________________________________
State: ___________ Zip Code: _________________________
Telephone:_________________________________________
Epclose this coupon in an envelope and mail it to:
Northwest Vermont Rail Trail CouncilYour contribution is tax deductible under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Call the Vermont Agency of Transportation, District 8 office at (802) 524-5926
Copied from the printed newsletter on March 12, 2000 by Kenyon F. Karl <railtrails@crosswinds.net> using a scanner & OCR software. Unintentional errors are likely!
