SPRING EVENTS & NEWS FROM THE RAIL TRAIL
It’s spring! The trail is complete, the snow has melted, the floods have receded, and the trail is open.
- May 10 (Saturday): Volunteer Work Day on the Trail. Meet at 9am at the Gardiner trailhead near Hannaford. Bring work gloves and energy. New volunteers are welcome. For more information, email Stephen at nlsproperties@yahoo.com
- May 15 (Thursday): Volunteer Work Day on the Trail. Meet at 3pm in Hallowell at the south end of town near the great wall. Bring work gloves and energy. New volunteers are welcome. For more information, email Stephen at nlsproperties@yahoo.com
- May 10 (Saturday): The Friends of the Rail Trail welcome a special excursion charter train service to the trail on this day, from Brunswick to Augusta and back with a stop in Hallowell on the return trip. The chartered trip is sold out, but join non-profit rail promoters DownEast Rail at their annual meeting in Hallowell at City Hall at 1:30 pm for a discussion on goals to increase or restore rail service in Central Maine. At the meeting as a guest speaker will be Patricia Quinn who runs the Amtrak Downeaster from Portland to Boston five round trips daily www.amtrakdowneaster.com . The Friends of the Kennebec River Rail Trail are strong supporters of train service along the Kennebec River corridor. We urge trail users to be safe – walking on the tracks is illegal and deadly. Watch the train from a safe distance, and be especially careful when crossing. Cross only at approved locations, and discourage spectators from getting to close to the train. For more information on the May 10th meeting and trip: DownEast Rail; 207-495-3498; email: jtsutton@prexar.com
- May 12-26 (all week): Commute Another Way Week! Try “commuting another way” just one day or all five days. Try one commuter mode of travel or a different one each day. Join in and carpool, vanpool, bike, walk or ride transit to work during this week and maybe beyond! You’ll save money on your commute and help reduce traffic congestion and pollution. And have a chance to win some great prizes, too! Recruit your co-workers, friends and neighbors to join in, too. Sign up today at www.commuteanotherwayweek.org online
- May 17 (Saturday): The Gardiner Rotary Club is sponsoring its first “City to City Walk” along the Rail Trail, a walk from Hallowell to Gardinerl. The walk will raise money for scholarships for students at Gardiner Area High School and Hall-Dale High School. Participants will meet in Gardiner at 9:30 am at Hannaford and transport walkers to Hallowell where they will start the four mile walk back along the river. Suggested minimum pledge/donation– $20. If you have questions or need a pledge form, please contact Pat Hart at Gardiner Rotary pathart34@hotmail.com or Dale Staples at the Gardiner Boys and Girls Club, 582-8458 ext 215.
- June 7th (Saturday): Friends of the Kennebec River Rail Trail present the second annual TRAIL-A- THON. Beginning 8:30am, Saturday, June 7, 2008. Beginning and ending at the Gardiner Trail Head (Hannaford parking lot). Join us to celebrate National Trails Day. Registration: $10 minimum, tax deductible. Pay for yourself, or ask friends to sponsor you. Go to www.krrt.org for a pledge form for sponsors. FREE registration for CHILDREN (under 12). Register by May 23rd and get a free T-shirt. Late registrations and day-of-event registrations are welcome. Discounts on coffee, breakfast, or brunch on June 7th with Trail-a-Thon registration. You’ll receive more than a dozen coupons with discounts at local restaurants. Gardiner House of Pizza, Dave’s Diner, Dennis’ Pizza, Canton Village, The Depot, and more! What to Bring? Bicycles, baby strollers, walking shoes, the dog, pooper scoopers, brunch money. The Trail-A-Thon is generously sponsored by a growing list of individuals and businesses: Peachey Builders; G&E Roofing; Auclair Cycle & Ski; Mike Seitzinger & Maria Cusick: EJ Prescott: Gagne & Son; Todd & Mimi Mattson; Planning Decisions; Lipman Katz & McKee and more sponsors coming soon. A special thanks to Gardiner Savings Bank of Maine for its primary sponsorship of this event. MORE INFO AND PLEDGE FORMS: www.krrt.org ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL: railtrailnews@krrt.org
June 7, 8:30 am: Bicycles depart Gardiner (Augusta loop or Hallowell loop)
June 7, 8:45 am: Runners depart Gardiner (Three options for loops or trips)
June 7, 9:00 am: Walkers depart Gardiner (Three options for loops or trips)
June 7, 9:15 am: Parade of Dogs departs Gardiner. Bring your well-behaved best friend on a leash.
- June 13th and 14th (Friday and Saturday): The third annual Spring Running festival celebrates the return of migrating fish to the Kennebec River and our connections to this historic waterway. The event will feature a tent full of educational exhibits and activities, quality hand-crafted products from local artisans, great food and entertainment. Old Fort Western, the oldest wooden fort in the United States and a National Historic Register site, is open all day. Admission to the event and Old Fort Western is free during The Spring Running, and trolley service between Mill Park and Old Fort Western is continuous, and also free of charge. Come float the Kennebec on the 14th during the Fort to Fort Expedition, learn how to tie a fly or cast a fly rod, learn about the lives of settlers in Colonial times, see traditional wooden canoes being built and repaired or browse through the artisans’ booths! The Spring Running makes a great day for the whole family, young and old, and you’ll find yourself closer to the natural gem that is the Kennebec River. Program details are updated regularly at the event website: www.springrunning.com.
- June 30th (Monday): Board of Director’s meeting, Friends of the Kennebec River Rail Trail. 6:30 pm, YMCA, Augusta near Capitol Park. Join us especially if you are interested in volunteering on the trail or learning what it going on. Or email railtrailnews@krrt.org if you are interested in volunteering but can’t or would rather not join us at the meeting. We are especially looking for volunteers to lead our membership committee – mailings, simple data base work, simple updates to brochures only take a few hours a month – we want your help! Also, the June board meeting will be our fond farewell to two board members Jeff Miller and Lotte Schlegel who are moving away for big and exciting challenges.
- News from Farmingdale: We are now entering a strong new era with the unequivocal support of the rail trail from all four host communities. Thank you to Farmingdale voters for fully funding $7,250 for rail trail maintenance this year at town meeting. Thank you Farmingdale rail trail volunteers, members, and donors who showed up at town meeting and rallied in support. Call your selectmen and thank them for continuing to build a strong relationship between Farmingdale and the rail trail.
- News from Gardiner: With $500,000 in hand, Gardiner is planning an extension of the rail trail Cobbossee Stream, reaching the trail toward Gardiner High School and other destinations. At the same time, continued investments in the Gardiner Waterfront are drawing together the two existing trails north and south of downtown. Gardiner’s dazzling investments in active outdoor recreation are a testament to the leadership of city staff and councilors. Call them and thank them for their support. For more information, see the Cobbossee Corridor Master Plan at www.gardinermaine.com
- News from Hallowell: The newly rebuild Hallowell waterfront and bulkhead on the north end of town will get continued work this summer, as the new waterfront park becomes an exciting new trail head for the Rail Trail. Hallowell’s $700,000 investment in its waterfront continues trend in the region to connect waterfronts, the river, downtowns, the rail trail, farmers markets, and cultural venues. Hallowell’s newly adopted Open Space Plan also provides strong formal momentum for improved trail networks in Hallowell, and continuous improvement to the rail trail. http://www.hallowellconservation.org/osp.html Call your Hallowell councilors and thank them for investing in the river and trails. Ask them to deliver a comprehensive plan that continues the momentum of the Open Space plan for trail connections.
- News from Augusta: Augusta has always been the mother ship for the rail trail. City staff has led the way with the support of the Council. And now Augusta is pushing forward with even bigger visions. The newly adopted Augusta Comprehensive Plan declares a vision of significant increases in trails across the entire city connecting neighborhoods to the river. Recent land acquisitions and grant awards by the City are moving forward the vision of a trail connection from UMA to downtown. Investments at Capitol Park and the YMCA are bringing even more recreation facilities closer to the river and the trail for synergy. A new “Friends” group is forming to turn more visions into reality through private fundraising. Call your elected officials and thank them for their tireless work.
- Take It Outside! Interested in active outdoor recreation events for your kids? Interested in learning more about spring peepers? Interested in more about Alewives? Interested in getting your couch potato self outside more often? Governor Baldacci has launched www.take-it-outside.com We’ll be posting Rail Trail events there, but there’s so much more. Explore!
- Thank you Rail Trail donors. A heartfelt thank you to all those who donated through the Friends of the Kennebec River Rail Trail annual appeal winter 2007 & 2008! Thanks to you, we raised over five thousand dollars towards maintenance of the Trail. Among the donations, Riverside Disposal donated all revenues from the returnable bottles collected from their customers in the town of Farmingdale. Winter 2007/2008 Annual appeal donors included: Elton & Mary Allen; William & Karen Allen; Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield; Roberta de Araujo & Ron Kreisman; Dr. William Atlee; Peggy & Dick Ayotte; Patricia & Richard Bamforth; David Bronder of Kennebec Valley Animal Clinic; Tom Cieslinski & Suanne Singer; Dr. Barbara Crowley; Paul & Susan Daiute; Jeannette Davis; Nancy & Greg Durgin; Joe Edwards; Norm Elvin of G&E Roofing; Paul & Milly Emerson; Jennifer Ezzy; Jim & Sue Fairfield; Bruce Flaherty; Cliff Fletcher; Paul Fortier; Maria Fuentes & Jeff Romano; Phyllis Gardiner & Robert Johnston; Raymond & Jane Giglio; Rollande Giguere; Richard Hachey; Joan Hague; Jane & Harmon Harvey; Marty Henson & James Betts; Mark & Judy Johnston; Kevin & Judy Kane; Roger Katz; The Liberal Cup; Phil Lindley & Dawn Gallagher; Jeff Miller; John Moore; Neil & Margaret Newton; Peter & Muriel Oakes; Frank O’Hara & Jane O’Rourke: Tom Reeves: Don Robbins: Dr. Sydney Sewall; Michael Seitzinger: Bill & Rachel Shea; Sarah Shed & Joel Davis; Bernie & Mary Sofler; Alan Stearns & Austin Brown; Philip Tiemann; Andy & Susan Tolman; Thomas Wells; David Young.
Editor :: May.06.2008 :: Members and Donors, Uncategorized, Upcoming Events :: No Comments »
