Along the Trail - Summer 2009
JOIN OUR NEXT FIRST SATURDAY WALK: SEPTEMBER 5, 10am AT HAMMONASSET BEACH STATE PARK IN MADISON – Return to the Park to view what we have accomplished to date, and hear how we plan to use the magnificent grant from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and other donors. Trailmeister Perry Rianhard will lead the hike, approximately 2.5 miles and relatively flat.
Directions: Exit 62, south through Route 1 light into Park. Before the tollbooths, turn left onto road at break in the fence. Park & meet at State Park maintenance building lot.
Madison is researching environmentally friendly surfaces for our parking lot to be near our Hammonasset State Park trailhead. A volunteer engineer has volunteered to design it to be as environmentally benign as possible with special storm water run-off management so it won’t pollute the marsh, environmentally appropriate landscaping to make it as attractive and unobtrusive as possible, etc. We will then submit the plan to DEP and ask for approval to proceed as well as submitting to funding sources.
The new fence bordering the campers’ parking lot has been installed and will be landscaped. Along our path beside the Boston Post Road, CT Dept. of Transportation (DOT) has filled their breached culvert with rocks to alleviate the risk of a hiker stumbling in. And, we are finishing designs required for our bridge/boardwalk supports to send with our wetlands application in order to get approval to build it.
GUILFORD TOWN GREEN ON JULY FOURTH – The weather was beautiful for eighteen folks from all four of our towns who showed up on the holiday for our First Saturday walk from the Green to the Town Marina, co-sponsored with the Guilford Parks & Recreation Department. An older woman on a 3-wheeled bike joined in briefly!
BOY SCOUTS BUILD THE TRAIL IN EAST HAVEN On a hot day in July, Brandon Piche from Boy Scout Troop 401, and about 40 other Scouts cleared the last 700-foot section of trail, completing the route through the Farm River State Park to the parking lot on Short Beach Road – a thrilling accomplishment for a Scout working toward his Eagle Scout Badge.
With youthful energy, they dug dirt and hand-shoveled and hauled 13 tons of stone in wheelbarrows, to lay the foundation layer of the trail! Helping them in this arduous task were fellow scouts, friends and family, and Troop 401 scoutmaster Ned Taylor, East Haven Town Team leaders Mike Gambardella and Barbara Brow. They are greatly supported by Park Ranger Lori Linquist. _(photo by Frank Slack)_To date five Eagle Scouts in Ned Taylor’s troop have assisted with building 4,000 feet of the entire 7,700 feet of contiguous trail that starts at DC Moore School. We publicly applaud Eagle Scouts Justin Richardson, Michael Gambardella, David Gambardella, Alex Burr, and Eagle candidate Brandon Piche for their willingness to make a difference, their perseverance, endurance, and good will towards the Shoreline Greenway Trail.
AUGUST 1 “FIRST SATURDAY” WALK was along this new East Haven trail through the Farm River State Park, led by Mike Gambardella, proud father of two of the Eagle Scouts. Visiting from D.C. was East Haven’s previous Town Team chair, Kimber Walker, who was ecstatic to see all the progress. _(photo by Frank Slack)_
WINE TASTINGS THIS FALL ~ Check your emails for your invitation to a special wine tasting fundraiser for Shoreline Greenway Trail in your town this fall. Each of our four towns will host a public event – a fun way to meet other enthusiasts and help support Shoreline Greenway Trail.
WHO ARE OUR VOLUNTEERS? Joe Marshall, a founder of SGT, Board member and retired NY public relations guru, occasionally writes a column, ”On the Trail” for the Source. Here are excerpts from his May column, lauding the diversity of our volunteers:
“ . . . . When the economy tanks and the country’s in trouble, don’t think about the big buck bankers or oligopoly car builders . . . think about the many volunteers, people of all ages and backgrounds, building the Shoreline Greenway Trail. Among the most notable are the diggers and builders, who plant, rake, dig, clean, construct little bridges, build stone walls, put in signs identifying trees and preserve the landscape while building the Trail with muscles, sweat and dedication.
Diggers and builders in Madison include, among others, a retired engineer, a former paper company executive and an electrical engineer . . . In Branford, a retired home builder, a lady college professor, a retired teacher and dedicated Eagle Boy Scouts from Troop 428 . . . East Haven diggers and builders include a retired nurse, a financial consultant, a number of volunteers from the East Haven Land Trust, others of all ages, friends and family of Boy Scout Troop 401 . . . and Guilford diggers and builders include a chemist, an education consultant, a jewelry designer and an archivist . . . .”
No matter what you do at work or home, you have something to offer Shoreline Greenway Trail in addition to your very welcome membership and donations. Each Town Team needs more volunteers to help with a wide range of tasks, from working on the trail as part of a Green Team, to helping organize a wine tasting fundraiser, to postering, or helping with writing thank you letters, to publicity and developing the website and links, or more complex relationship-building roles – from simple tasks to leadership involvement. All dependent on your time, interest and experience.
Please contact your SGT Town Team chair or email us at info@shoreinegreenwaytrail.org and let us know if you would like to help. Our wonderful team of all volunteers is steadily creating this amazing 25-mile long trail for the CT shoreline.
Posted: Aug 29, 10:52 AM
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