Akron

Fredericksburg Massillon

Mt Vernon Killbuck Sunbury Danville

COLUMBUS Xenia London Loveland The to Erie

Summer 2014 Newsletter #50

Ohio to Erie Trail Fund Names Julie Van Winkle Executive Coordinator

Julie Van Winkle was named Ex- parks, and recreation will be a ecutive Coordinator for The Ohio true asset. to Erie Trail Fund by the board of Julie is looking forward to her directors. Julie is currently the new leadership role and working Director of the Great Ohio Bicycle with trail friends and supporters Adventure (GOBA) and has served from across the state. She will be as the director for the past six- replacing Executive Director, Jerry Julie Van Winkle teen years. Rampelt, who departs in Decem- The Ohio to Erie Trail Fund ber 2014. ensure that there is a smooth and board president Tom Moffitt said, Jerry reports that though he seamless transition. “We are thrilled to have Julie with will miss working with all the great Tom Moffitt added, “The her skills and experience to serve advocates and supporters of the strength of the OTETF is rooted in as the Executive Coordinator. Ohio To Erie Trail he is confident its stability of leadership over the She will keep the OTETF moving that this is a good time to make past twenty-three years. We are forward.” the change. confident that Julie will continue Van Winkle will work as the Jerry has served the OTETF in the tradition of working toward spokesperson and manage the since June 2004 and replaced the completing The Ohio to Erie Trail.” affairs of the OTETF at the direc- founder Ed Honton. Ed started the tion of the Board of Directors. Her OTETF in 1991 when a cross state Photo of new trail construction familiarity and experience with trail was just a dream. in Mount Vernon to connect The non-profits and public relations Jerry will work with Julie Kokosing Gap and The Heart of particularly in the area of , during the remainder of 2014 to Ohio Trails. See next page. www.ohiotoerietrail.org facebook.com/OhiotoErie Cincinnati Trail Progress Summer 2014 — Newsletter #50 Ohio to Erie Trail on GOBA Great Parks of Hamilton County purchased trail Right Jerry Rampelt spent the week of June of Way to extend The Ohio to Erie Trail southwest for 14-21 on the Great Ohio Bicycle Adven- three miles from its current end point just south of ture being an ambassador for The Ohio to Erie Trail. Avoca Park to Beechmont Ave. Mount Vernon Trail Depot He did a great job as over 400 of the new printed A contract for design of a 210 foot bridge across maps of The Ohio to Erie Trail were distributed. Nears Completion the near Lunken Airport was Jerry spoke to 70 people on June 15 in Orrville awarded in the amount of $1,000,000. Construction The Kokosing Gap and Heart of Ohio Trails in Knox elt p about The Ohio to Erie Trail in anticipation of the

am will cost an additional $5,000,000, and those funds County are soon to be linked. The current route to next day’s ride on the Holmes County Trail. have not been secured link the two trails is on busy streets in Mount Ver- Later in the week in Knox County riders were Negotiations are moving forward ever so slowly non, and the one-and-one-half mile trail will add on the and Heart of Ohio Trail. A but positively towards building the Trail for four miles safety to the route. The trail is under construction Photo Jerry R total of 32 miles of the over 300 mile GOBA were on from Lunken Airport to downtown Cincinnati. and is scheduled for completion by mid-August. Mount Vernon Depot links The Kokosing Gap Trail The Ohio to Erie Trail. The City of Cincinnati gave $200,000 toward A train depot was restored on the route and will and The Heart of Ohio Trail in Central Ohio. For the past 26 years GOBA has crossed Ohio building the southernmost section of the Trail near serve as a park facility for Mount Vernon City and on different routes with 2,000 to 3,000 riders par- downtown Cincinnati. Knox County Parks. New Orleans to ticipating. Boston Rider USA Track and Field (USATF) Wayne County Rail Land Litigation Julian Cleary heard his Certifies Ohio to Erie Trail Mileage Rails to Trails of Wayne County (RTTWC) and the City grandfather talk about Walt Neubauer of the USATF is measuring and certi- of Orrville were sued by dairy farmer John and Lois elt

his perimeter bicycle p fying the distance points along The Ohio to Erie Trail Douglass of Catalpadale Dairy LTD for the former ride of the United States am so that long distance runners know the exact length railroad property. RTTWC purchased the former Nor- in the 1970s, and he of sections of the Trail. He uses a calibrated bicycle folk and Southern rail corridor several years ago with dreamed someday of to conduct the measuring. the intent of building a leg of The Ohio to Erie Trail. doing a similar trip. That Photo Jerry R Neubauer hopes to complete measuring by the Several adjacent land owners sued in 2012 and opportunity occurred New trail construction first week of July and finish documenting and map- claimed they owned the trail right of way. RTTWC when his computer pro- in Mount Vernon will ping the trail in the summer. He will provide copies prevailed in common pleas court, but the landown- gramming project ended add will add safety and of his maps to The Ohio to Erie Trail Fund for review ers appealed the case to the court of appeals. in New Orleans, and he convenience to the Ohio and corrections. Douglass was not in the original lawsuit and decided to pedal home appears to be pursuing his own case. Caralpadale Alan Putnam of the Stark County Bicycle Club re- To Erie Trail. USATF is providing a valuable service in accu- to Boston. Dairy LTD is the largest dairy farm in Ohio. Litigation ceives a set of the new printed maps of The Ohio To rately measuring The Ohio to Erie Trail. His goal was to the Strawberry ride, and such as this has been common when trail groups Erie Trail from Executive Director Jerry Rampelt at experience total freedom the Madison County vol- want to build a trail through some communities. the Ohio Bicycle Summit and see everything from unteers gave him a map Bicycle Summit at Ohio Capitol a local perspective. of The Ohio to Erie Trail After he completed and contact information The Ohio to Erie Trail Fund was in the rotunda of the the Natchez Trace for Jerry Rampelt. Maps of The Ohio to Erie Trail Ohio State House for the statewide Bicycle Summit Parkway and while The twenty-five on May 13, 2014. Bicycle organizations from across overnighting in a hostel year old Julian and Jerry the region were represented and spoke with legisla- in Nashville some riders Rampelt road together Trail Map Distribution The maps are printed on four sheets of paper that tors about bicycling in Ohio. The event provides an told him about The Ohio through Columbus on are 8 1/4 X 25 1/2 and folded to make six panels. opportunity to speak with legislators regardless of to Erie Trail. With some June 9, 2014 as he The demand of the new Ohio to Erie Trail printed All four sheets are in a custom envelope making political party about the importance of bicycling and research Julian found headed north on The maps has been overwhelming, and 15,300 maps a neat and easy to use navigation kit. The maps bicycling safety. the route in Cincinnati. Ohio to Erie Trail. were distributed in the past six months. A second have been designed to provide straightforward, Chuck Smith from the Ohio Bicycle Federation He passed through Julian’s ride can be printing of 10,000 maps was done in March as user-friendly information with mileage and a written organizes the event each year, and attendance con- London in Madison followed on his blog at requests quickly depleted the original printing of descriptions. Maps can be ordered for the cost of tinues to grow. County in the midst of www.portalsoup.com 10,000 maps. shipping and handling ($3.25) at ohiotoerietrail.org. 118 Graceland Blvd. #146 Columbus, Ohio 43214 www.ohiotoerietrail.org

A network of trails from Cincinnati to Cleveland, using lands formerly occupied by railroads and canals.

Address Changes: E-mail changes to: [email protected] Telephone Number changes to: 614-918-3636

Donate and Ohio to Erie Trail Bicycle Jerseys Receive Biking The Ohio to Erie Trail mi- gender and send with Ohio’s Rail-Trails crofiber bicycling jersey the $80 payment to the is available for $80. Let address above. Takes Donate $100 to The fellow riders know you 4-6 weeks for delivery Ohio to Erie Trail Fund are supporting the trail. via US mail. and receive an auto- To order specify size and graphed copy of Shawn Richardson’s newly Ohio to Erie Trail Fund released update to his book titled Biking Ohio’s Board of Directors Executive Director Rail-Trails. Tom Moffitt, PhD, Butler County, Jerry Rampelt President Shawn began writing the OTETF has been Bill Daehler, Franklin County, Executive Coordinator Julie Van Winkle about Ohio’s trails nearly supportive of him and Vice President Elizabeth Watts, Franklin County, Advisory Board 20 years ago and pub- he wanted to give some- Treasurer Melodee Kornacker, Franklin lished the first guide in thing back. Wayne Roberts, Madison County, County Secretary Greg Lashutka, Franklin County 1996. The guide is now Shawn has self- William Baker, Holmes County Tom Offut, Lake County in its eighth edition. published his books and James Flaherty, Delaware County Charlie Ruma, Franklin County Don Mills, Hamilton County Ted Short, Wayne County Shawn has donated he uses the Ohio based Don Noble, Wayne County Ellen Tripp, Franklin County the books to help with Wooster Book Company Dan Rice, Summit County Stephanie Vesper-Gephardt, Dan Ritchey, Muskingum County Hamilton County fundraising for The Ohio for printing and distribut- Jim Schneider, Greene County Oliver Seikel, Cuyahoga County to Erie Trail. He said that ing. Sam Speck, Franklin County Brad Westall, Franklin County