RailTrail News
Published four times a year by
the Friends of the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail
P.O. Box 505, Midland, MI 48640-0505
Editor: Warren Kruger
October, 2003 Vol. 11 No. 4
| Judy Phillips - President Midland,989k-835-7897 rhphill@concentric.net |
Warren Kruger - Vice President Sanford,989-687-7716 wsk34@aol.com |
Barb Malan - Treasurer Midland, 989-835-4935 bmalan@chartermi.net |
| Sandy Clark Secretary Midland 989-633-9286 proframer@aol.com |
Jim Malek - Membership Midland, 989-631-0651 jrmalek@hotmail.com |
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| Kathy Ranck Coleman, 989-465-1576 ranckr@mindnet.org |
Jim Hansen Midland, 989-839-0994 jp_hansen@mac.com |
Dick Jellum Midland, 989-631-3768 spartyz9@aol.com |
2003 TRAIL RIDE BIGGEST AND BEST YET!
As usual there are a number of people who deserve a special thanks for helping make this year’s ride such a success:
Sandy Clark |
Barbara Malan |
| Dorothy Elliott | Joe Malan |
| Ed Elliott | Jim Malek |
| Alma Fitzgibbon | Sharon Michels |
| Bill Fitzgibbon | Julie Mills |
| Linda Guilian | Mike McDonald |
| Joyce Halstead | Joyce Navarre |
| Jim Hansen | Lee Nelson |
| Dick Jellum | Judy Phillips (Chairperson) |
| Nola Kennedy | Bonnie Ranck |
| Bob Kennedy | Kathy Ranck |
| Warren Kruger | Delores Timperley |
| Sharon Mair | Bill Wells |
Midland Amateur Radio Club Members |
|
|---|---|
| Mary Branson | Denny Caney |
| Chris Rose | Mr. & Mrs. Raleigh Wert | John Wolters |
We also want to thank those businesses who each year give us support by providing food and drink for the rest stops along the trail route:
If you have a 2004 calendar handy you can mark down the date for next year’s trail ride: Sunday, August 8. Hope to see you then
NEW AND RENEWAL MEMBERSHIPS
Welcome to our new Friends of the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail members and thanks to those renewing their memberships. We hope you’ll all play an active role in maintaining and promoting the rail-trail and its activities. If you know of others who enjoy the trail but are not members, encourage them to join Friends and share in supporting the trail. (See membership application on the back page.)
| Huber Family | Lois Ann Reed | |
| Wayne Beyersdorf | Sue Janicki | Skip Renker |
| Maria & John Blackson | Paula Jonas | David Roberts |
| Jerry Bruce | Robert Kelch | Sherry & Jeff Rogers |
| Bull Family | Jennifer & Tim Klinger | Barbara & John Rothhaar |
| Joann Bunce | Sue Ann Kopmeyer | Diane & Bill Saltarelli |
| Karen & Richard Burow | Paul Kuehl | Jeff Saunders |
| Curtis Family | Joseph Leigeb | R. Jeannine Schafer |
| Janet & Nicholas Darby | Robert Madsen | Shanholtz Family |
| Michael Devon | Jim Malek | Solem Family |
| Camille Dodick | Sharon Mair | Susie Staloch |
| Jane & Andrew Dunlop | Marilyn Marry | Jeff Stehle |
| Tobin Dust | Ann Martin | Michael Sugnet |
| Rita Egan | Judy McCabe | Rosemarie & Bruce Thill |
| Shirley & Jack Failla | Jane & Lee Nelson | William D. Thompson |
| Brian Fleming | Dianne & Bill O’Brien | Lynn Vining |
| Kathy Gaffke | Judyth Peterson | James Wegner |
| Delores & Samuel Geddes | Marcia & Bill Pratt | Chuck Weikert |
| Jerry J. Habeldank | Jack Raducha | Pamela & William Wells |
| Yvonne Hoag | Johnnie Randels | Sarah & Drew Wiley-Colenbrander |
| Janice Hunt |
RAIL-TRAIL WINTER PLOWING
Again this year Midland County Parks and Recreation plans to extend plowing from Dublin Road all the way to Sanford and perhaps beyond. This, of course, is in addition to the city of Midland’s plowing of the rail-trail within the city limits. So again this year you don’t have to let the snow keep you from enjoying the trail’s recreational opportunities all winter long.
ACCOLADES FOR THE RAIL-TRAIL
One of the benefits of the annual Trail Ride is that it gives us a chance to hear all the good things people who use the trail regularly or are riding it for the first time have to say about it. Things such as “a top quality trail, one of the best maintained in the U.S.“, “excellent trail, hope it expands in the future”, “beautiful! one of the best I’ve seen and ridden”. But beyond that, we also get compliments from a number of unusual sources. Just this past summer, for example, Polly Letofsky who is in the process of walking around the world in a fundraising and awareness effort for breast cancer dropped us a note saying, “I’ve been walking around the world for 11,400 miles and your rail-trail is the best 30! The level paved trail, the clean restrooms, the benches, the lack of vehicle noise were an incredible treat. Thank you.” Similarly, Chris Weikert who was riding across the U.S. on his bike dropped us a note (and contribution) telling us how much he enjoyed the trail on his cross-country tour.
It’s great to know how much the trail is both enjoyed and appreciated. It’s your memberships and contributions that allow it to stay that way. Thanks.
PLANNED AVERILL ROLLWAY DEVELOPMENT
Prior to its meeting on September 17 the FOPMRT Board had an opportunity to hear Doug Koop, Executive Director of the Little Forks Conservancy, describe the Local History Interpretation Area planned for where the Averill Rollway now is located, 2 1/2 miles east of Sanford. Recently, the Midland Area Community Foundation transferred ownership of the Averill Property to the Conservancy. Included in Conservancy’s future plans are a series of nature trails , a new staging area for the rail-trail, parking facilities and an interpretive shelter with signs describing the area’s history. A detailed schematic drawing of the plan is on display at the Averill Rollway kiosk. Take a trip on the rail-trail to the rollway and see what great things the future holds.
ALONG THE TRAIL
If your journey along the rail-trail takes you to the Farmers’ Market area in Midland you probably have noticed the unusual decor of the Midland County Courthouse to the north. The building’s tutor-revival design is unique among Michigan’s courthouses. It was funded with help from Herbert H. Dow who required that some of his ideas be adopted in the structure’s design. One of those ideas was that native fieldstone be used instead of the proposed marble.
Mr. Dow also engaged a Detroit artist to paint murals inside and out representing Midland County history. Pictures are made of magnesite stucco that was derived from Midland brine colored with pigments mixed with ground glass. The courthouse is on the State Register of Historic sites as well as the National Register of Historic sites.
The Pere Marquette Rail-Trail is one of Michigan’s premiere linear parks. You can help maintain and enhance this superb facility by using the form below to make a donation to the Friends of the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail and/or become a FPMRT member. FPMRT is a non-profit organization pledged to maintain, improve and promote the Midland-to-Clare link in Michigan’s extensive rail-trail system. If you enjoy the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail now is the time to show your support. Thank you.
Name___________________________________________ Donation:
Enclosed is my $________
Address_________________________________________ to FPMRT
City____________________State______Zip___________ Membership gift:
Individual $10___
Please make checks payable to:Friends of the Pere Marquette Family $25___ of Michigan (FPMRT) and mail to: Business $50___
P.O. Box 505, Midland, MI 48640-0505