ILLINOIS TRAILS CONSERVANCY
JANUARY 2008 TRAIL NEWS HAPPY NEW YEAR
NEWS FROM ITC MEMBERS IS HELPFUL, FUN & INFORMATIVE.
ITC received Trailblazer ($100.00) annual renewals from Ron & Judy Ziemba in Chillocothe, Dan Kelly in Lincoln and Ray Hoven in Gurnee. Fox Valley Bike & Ski Club sent $250.00. THANK YOU ALL.
Mary Anne & Ron Ayers from Flora shared their change of address due to their move into town. They have a new home address as well as e-mail address. HAS YOUR ADDRESS CHANGED??
Ed Bartunek from CAMBr in Stickney has indicated that he would be willing to help out with sharing information about building off road trails at a seminar if we need him. VOLUNTEERS ARE WONDERFUL!
An ITC Member who wishes to remain Anonymous has asked how he could make arrangements to plan his Estate so that certain funds will be used for trail maintenance & improvements. Every community needs assistance with maintenance & improvements for trails. ITC would be glad to hold funds for designated trails.
Elliott & Laura Dudnick from Evanston have gotten lost off of the ITC address list. If they are still in Illinois please contact ITC to let Bev know what the new address is. PLEASE HELP KEEP ADDRESSES UP TO DATE
Ed Hoffman from Springfield & Dr. Vidoni from Urbana e-mailed Bev wishing her a Great Holiday Season.
Deborah Jan Fagan, Chief Planner & County Trail System Co-ordinator in DuPage County would be happy to host a seminar for the suburban Chicago area. Bev will work on setting something up for 2008. Call Deborah at 630-407-6883 or contact her at dfagan@dupageco.org for info on DuPage Trails.
Sylvia Kellogg from Hinsdale shared Minutes from the November BRATS meeting in Wheaton.
David Maki from Elmhurst saved Bev a lot of work and boredom when he helped her by towing her ton-of-bricks suitcase from the Renaissance Hotel to the Metra Train Station, on to the train and also provided her with a fun story about his two epic cross-country bike rides back in 1975. ITC MEMBERS ARE A BLESSING.
Howard Machlan from LaSalle shared information about his bad year. HOPEFULLY 2008 WILL BE BETTER
Neal Ney from Evanston & Randy Ocken from Polo sent changes in e-mail addresses. THANK YOU.
Bonnie Pink from McHenry had a safe trip to Florida for Christmas & has returned safely also.
Tom Polansky from Bonestroo in Libertyville also sent Bev his address & e-mail changes.
Mike Rucker from Peoria sent Bev a copy of his new book "Terry & the Martians". TALENTED ITC MEM.
Greg Valent from Chicago keeps Bev informed about trails. "CMAP has approved a $600,000 grant for engineering and construction on the Fox River Trail in downtown Aurora. The first bike path was built in Brooklyn New York in 1894, a 5.5 mile stretch along the Ocean Parkway that still stands today."
ITC BOARD MEMBERS ARE BUSY WORKING FOR YOU
George Burrier from Peoria & his better half Sandi came in to Chicago to help Bev out with the exhibit at the Mid-America Trails and Greenways Conference. They continue to fight the battle for the Kellar Branch Trail in Peoria with the Friends of the Rock Island Trail. IT IS IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TRAIL
Bob Hargis from Charleston shared information from the CCDC trail group in Urbana regarding the trail to Kickapoo State Park. He also forwarded an article from the Daily Union in Shelbyville about Expansion Plans for the Dacey Trail Phase 2 Project. TREC in Effingham is promoting memberships and talking to landowners along possible trail routes. They also shared that they would be pleased to host a seminar on Trail Building. Bob agrees with Bev that local Seminars would be a good way to share information with agencies working on particular trails and connections. IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TRAIL.
Ray Hoven from Gurnee is working on an updated informational brochure regarding Illinois Trails.
John Wilson from Lan-Oak Park District would like to find funding for an Education & Advocacy Project that would include a Bike Cargo Trailer stocked with 25 bicycles available to private bicycling groups, parks and recreation agencies to promote bicycling in the greater Chicagoland area. ITC could help with some funds. Project cost could be $15,000.00.
ITC ACTIONS IN DECEMBER INCLUDE:
December 1 – Created, copied & distributed December TRAIL NEWS to 232 ITC Members.
December 4 - Called Openlands in Chicago to check on Mid-America Greenways & Trails Conference.
December 5 - Wrote a letter to Margie Martinson at Recreational Equipment Inc.in Oakbrook Terrace sharing information about the Bike Cargo Trailer Project for Lan Oak Park District.
December 6 - Received a Draft Copy of the IDOT Region 3 Official Bicycle Trails Map from Jodi Heitkamp at the NIU Department of Geography, Cartography Lab. Lots of trails were not included. Bev shared this information with Jodi and contacted George Bellovics and Dick Westfall at IDNR regarding this.
December 7 - Attended a meeting in Loves Park where I met the team of Engineers who will be working on the Phase 1 project for the Willow Creek Trail Extension between Rock Cut Park & Caledonia
December 7 - Mailed a check to IDNR for 3 ITC ads in Outdoor Illinois Magazine.
December 7 - Received a letter from IDOT re a bridge improvement on US Route 6 over a tributary of the I & M. Canal in Marseilles. Bev had previously shared information regarding the bike path along the Canal.
December 10 - Took the Metra from Harvard to Chicago with the ITC Trail Map Exhibit for Mid-America Greenways & Trails Conference. Set up the display and manned the booth until George & Sandy Burrier arrived.
December 11 - Attended several plenary sessions at the Conference to share with other trail groups.
December 12 - Participated in a workshop led by Mark Fenton about how activists can be a greater part of building healthy and active communities. A walking tour of the Lakeshore Trail was included.
December 12 - Brought home a map of a Multi-State Trail from Ohio, through Indiana & Illinois to the Katy Trail in Missouri.
December 13 - Received e-mail from Tom Murtha at CMAP with information regarding the Northeastern Illinois Greenways & Trails Plan maps. The effective date of the map is July 2008. Bev forwarded info to John Kremer at McHenry County Conservation District. Bev asked Tom to send her a hard copy of the map.
December 14 - Received an Annual Fund Appeal from Illinois Environmental Council.
December 17 - Received e-mail from Rhonda Border-Boose at RTC Ohio office requesting mileage of completed rail-trails in Illinois. Bev forwarded the request to Dick Westfall at IDNR & Ray Hoven, ITC Board Member. Dick responded with "more than 600 miles" and Ray Hoven responded with 650 miles.
December 17 - Bev missed a Route 66 meeting in Pontiac due to van bearing/bushing sway bar repairs.
December 19 - Received e-mail regarding a workshop Getting Transporation & Land Use Decisions that Create Walkable Communities with Mobility Choices in Orlando on January 30 & 31. Bev signed up to attend.
December 21 - Took the CMAP Greenways & Trails map of McHenry County to John Kremer at MCCD Office
December 26 - Received a Road & Bike Map of Hennepin County from Jay Skalbeck who received a Gift Certificate from Side By Side Cycle when he rode the IDOT sponsored Great River Ride.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU IN 2008:
January 15, 2008 BRATS Meeting at the Wheaton Park District Community Center at 7:30 p.m.
January 19 & 20 - Eagle Days at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge - Check with Trailnet at www.trailnet.org
January 27 - St. Louis Bicycle Swap Meet @ Gateway Center One Gateway Dr. Collinsville - 10 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
February 9, - ILLINOIS OUTDOOR HALL OF FAME BANQUET Check web site www.ilcf.org for info.
March 29 - Boone County Conservation Dist. 1st Annual Green Ball @Bel-Mar Country Club. 815-547-7935 for more.
March 29 & 30, 2008 - CHICAGO BIKE SHOW at Donald E. Stephens Convenstion Center in Rosemont.
April 26 - EARTH DAY at Boone County Conservation District - 1:00-4:00 p.m.
June 15 - 21 - GITAP - Grand Illinois Trail and Parks Ride sponsored by LIB & IDNR. Ride begins & ends in Dixon.
August 16-23 - Lincoln Trail Bike Ride from Kentucky to Springfield, Illinois. Call Todd Volker at 815-431-1999.
September 26 - Scientific Symposium on the state of Illinois' natural resources
September 27 - Natural History Survey Expo - Visit http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/150/index.html for information.
November 15-18 - 2008 NATIONAL TRAILS SYMPOSIUM IN LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. Theme is Innovative Trails: Transforming the American Way of Life. See www.AmericanTrails.org/2008 for information.
ACCESS IDOT Transportation Enhancement Program on successive linked pages beginning at www.dot.il.gov/opp/WebRep2.html
INFORMATION & NEWSLETTERS AVAILABLE FROM ITC: Trailnet, The Confluence, Bike Traffic from Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, Land & Nature from Natural Land Institute, Illinois Trail Riders, The Illinois Trail of Tears, Illinois Enviro News, & American Trails Magazine. Connections is available at www.enhancements.org
***BEV WILL BE CHECKING WITH THE GREENWAYS & TRAILS COUNCIL RE PROVIDING EXPERTS..
WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO HOST A SEMINAR REGARDING TRAIL DEVELOPMENT, FUNDING & CONSTRUCTION IF IT WERE PROVIDED LOCALLY?
CONTACT ILLINOIS TRAILS CONSERVANCY at www.ILLTrails.com & do not hesitate to contact Bev about anything mentioned in TRAIL NEWS. E-Mail her at ITC bebomoore@aol.com for info. Postal address for Illinois Trails Conservancy is P.O. Box 10, Capron, IL. 61012. Bev will be in Florida from January 15 through March 20. Cell phone is 815-289-1024.