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Keep June 2-3 free to attend the annual Dairy Festival in Enosburg Falls. "Milk, the Mooving Drink" will be this year’s theme. Come watch the parade on Saturday and look for the Choiniere’s family bicycle! The Choiniere’s, who own a dairy farm in Highgate and are avid family cyclists, joined the parade to promote the Rail Trail and its connection to Franklin County agriculture. After the parade, be sure to stop at the Council’s booth in Lincoln Park for updates on Rail Trail activities and events and your free Trail Guide.
Vermont Maple Festival
The crowds were out and enjoying the many activities of the annual Maple Festival in St. Albans on April 27-29. Among the things to see and do was the Council’s booth on Kingman Street. The booth included display of photos and a map of Rail Trail projects. Volunteers distributed free trail guides. Many thanks to our volunteers who staffed the booth for two days, and to the Northwest Solid Waste District for allowing us to use their space.
Calling All Gardeners, Social Butterflies!
Did you know that people who are socially involved are two to five times less likely to suffer from heart disease? (Club Industry, October 1995) We hope you’ll socialize with us at the Council’s upcoming gardening session on Saturday, June 23 at the St. Albans parking area garden. We’ll be planting flowers for trail users to enjoy throughout the year. To volunteer, call Cynthia at (802) 933-8851.
Celebrate Trails!
The Council will be celebrating its second annual National Trails Day on Sunday, July 29 in Enosburg Falls. You can enjoy a chicken barbecue lunch catered by Wetherbee’s arid a walk on the trail with nature guide Chas Salmon. National Trails Day is a nationally celebrated day of locally planned and organized events to raise awareness of America’s trails. Last year, hungry lunchers helped the Council raise over $1 ,000 to support trail activities.
The Vermont Dept. of Forest, Parks & Recreation has awarded the Council a Recreation Trails Fund grant to purchase and install picnic tables, benches and bicycle racks along the Rail Trail. The Council needs your help to identify spots where you’d like a bench to be placed. Please call Cynthia will your suggestions.
The Northwest Regional Planning Commission has been invited to make a presentation on the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail at a State of New Hampshire Bike-Walk conference on May 24. Executive Director Catherine Dimitruk will present the MVRT as a past model for development of State-owned trails. New Hampshire has preserved many of its abandoned railroad corridors as trails, but they remain undeveloped.
We’d like to know where you’ve spotted fabulous wild flowers along the Trail so that we can share the information with other Trail users! We know of one spot just south of the Abbey because artists line the trail in June creating beautiful landscapes. If you know of other great locations, call Cynthia (802) 933-885.1, or leave her a note in one of the sign-in boxes along the Trail.
The Northwest Regional Planning Commission is pleased to announce the publication of the Franklin County Bicycling and Walking Guide. The Guide includes maps and describes bicycling, hiking, and walking opportunities in Franklin County, including the Lake Champlain Bikeways network; the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail; National Wildlife Refuge, state park and municipal trails; the Long Trail; and downtown walking tours. The Guide also describes on-road bicycling routes using themes such as "International Affairs," "Pedal Power Panorama," and "Great Grassy Meadows." The project was funded through a grant from the Vermont Recreation Trails Fund. Call the Commission at 524-5958 to request your copy.
An updated Rail Trail Guide will be released this summer! Last year, the Northwest Regional Planning Commission was awarded a Vermont Recreation Trails Fund grant to update the Rail Trail Guide. The guide shows the locations of businesses and services along the trail, like restaurants, air pumps, and restrooms. Businesses were contacted last fall to update what services they offer to trail users. Northern Cartographic from South Burlington will design and print the updated Guide. If you don’t already have a Guide, there are still copies of the existing guide on hand! Pick up your copy at one of the sign-in boxes along the Trail, or call Cynthia at (802) 933-8851.
The Council was awarded a second Transportation Enhancement Grant for construction of the planned parking areas at Greens Corner, East Berkshire, and Richford. The Council applied for the grant after realizing that construction costs would be more than originally estimated. Planning is nearly complete, and construction could begin this fall. We hope to have it completed in spring 2002.
To report downed trees, potholes, or other maintenance
needs along the trail:
Call the Vermont Agency of Transportation, District 8 office at (802) 524-5926.
Construction plans for the bridge project continue to progress. Permits have been received and right-of-way clearance is underway. Plans are expected to be put out to bid this summer. Construction could begin as early as this Fall, but is more likely to begin next spring. The bridge and trail connection should be completed in Fall 2002.
Richford has been working hard to extend the Rail Trail from its current end at Troy Street to the Canadian border. The project is being funded through three different grants — one to purchase the piece of railroad property between the end of the Rail Trail and Missisquoi Park; one to actually build the trail between the Rail Trail and Missisquoi Park; and one to study the issues and costs of extending the Trail from the Park to the Canadian border, including a bridge over the Missisquoi River. Construction on the Trail-to-Park segment could begin as early as this summer.
The City and Town of St. Albans, in partnership with the Northwest Regional Planning Commission, are investigating making a connection between the Rail Trail and downtown St. Albans. The connection is part of a circulation study for St. Albans. Some initial ideas include striping a bicycle lane on Main Street (US 7) or striping a bicycle lane on Main, Lower Weldon, and Federal Streets. For more information, contact City Councilman Terry O’Brien.
The Northwest Vermont Rail Trail Council, and the local stores, shops, and businesses along the trail would like you to stop by and say hello. To encourage your visit, we are offering a custom MVRT award patch to those to take the Rail Trail Challenge. The patch can be stiched to a backpack or a piece of clothing.
The Challenge is the brainchild of Council Vice Chair Mike Loner of St. Albans, who wanted to encourage people to travel the Rail Trail’s entire 26-mile length. Mike doesn’t mind whether you travel the trail in one day, one week, or even over several years, as long as you travel all 26.4 miles and visit at least three businesses in each of five communities (St. Albans, Sheldon, Enosburg, Berkshire, and Richford). The businesses will sign and date your MVRT "passport" to verify your visit. You can pick up your passport at sign-in boxes along the Trail, or call Mike Loner at (802) 524-5986.
Lake Champlain Bikeways, the Vermont Arts Council and the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing are seeking qualified arts to create a series of arts/design features along Lake Champlain Bikeways. Bikeways is a 1,100 mile network of bicycle routes around Lake Champlain in Vermont, New York and Quebec. The Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail is part of the Bikeways network. Funding is available to work with the selected artist(s) to develop and implement an art project(s) along the Bikeway. For more information, call Maja Smith, Lake Champlain Bikeways Coordinator, at 802-372-3213.
"One thing leading to another" is the route that brought Mike Loner from Trail user, to creator of the Rail Trail Challenge, to Council member and Vice-Chair. While using the Trail for running and walking his dog, Mike developed a sense of pride in the Trail. He started picking up trash along the Trail on Green Up Day. Later, he organized Scout Troops for Green Up clean ups. Three years ago, the seed of the Rail Trail Challenge began to grow. The Challenge concept grew as Mike put together a program to encourage other people to enjoy the Trail (see article on page 3). "Developing this program led me to want to be even more involved with the MVRT," Mike comments. Now, he is an elected member of the Northwest Vermont Rail Trail Council and serves as the Council’s Vice Chair. Many thanks to Mike for his initiative and energy in supporting the Trail and Franklin County communities through his diverse efforts!
The Council is a non-profit, volunteer organization composed of Trail users, Trail supporters, and representatives appointed by communities along the Trail. Many thanks to Council members for their time and interest in serving to make the MVRT an outstanding recreational resource for Franklin County! Council members for 2001 include:
Thank you to the fol]owing Friends of the Trail for renewing their membership for another year. Your continued support is greatly appreciated!
Welcome and thank you to new Friends. Your Friendship represents a valid investment in the future of our families, our businesses, and our communities.
Updated on May 19, 2001 by Kenyon F.
Karl <Webmaster@new-england-rail-trails.org>.
Unintentional errors are likely!
