May-June Newsletter
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The Official Publication of the Montour Trail Council MONTOUR TRAIL-LETTER Volume 18 Issue 3 May/June 2007 Cycling to the Function at the For your consideration Junction compiled by Stan Sattinger Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can The Function at the change the world. Indeed, it is the only Junction is only a few days away. thing that ever has. Details regarding the event can be found on the enclosed flyer or you can head to http://www.montourtrail.org/[email protected] Margaret Mead for more details. The purpose of this article is to announce several organized bicycle rides that will culminate at the Function, and several walks that will take place prior to the festivities. One ride begins at Mile 0 near Coraopolis at 10:15 a.m., arriving at the Junction at 12:30 p.m. You can join the ride at the beginning or pick up the ride as it passes by. Contact Dennis Pfeiffer at Inside this issue: 412-762-4857 or [email protected] 2007 Burgh Run 1 Another ride hosted by Dave Wright, [email protected], will start at Walkers Mill Function at the on the Panhandle Trail at 11:00 a.m. arriving at Primrose around 12:30 p.m. Junction The Prez Sez 2 A third ride hosted by Ned Williams, 724-225-9856 or [email protected] ,will begin at 1st Day of Trout Season Joffre, on the newly completed section of the Panhandle and head east to the Function. Contact Ned for Friends Meeting Notices 3 more details. (continues on page 5) Trail Dust Meet the Tour the 4 The Burgh Wrap-Up by John Hooton Montour Director and Ikea Race Registrar It was another beautiful race day in Cecil Park, Camping on the Trail an upbeat crowd, fun music, ample comfort food and Doggie-Doo Bags drink. How’s that for a recipe for a Trail fund-raiser? Twilight Trail Walk 5 Montour History 6 The men’s winner was Josh Simpson, 23, from Morgantown, W.Va. with a time of 31:55. Josh finished New Members 7 second last year. In second place was Pat McGuire, 24, Trail History from nearby Presto, Pa at 33:02, and Dave Mealy, 23, Trail Map 8 from Wooster, Ohio took 3rd at 33:31. Runners prepare for the start For the ladies, Mindy Sawtelle, 34, from Indiana, Pa. was the winner with a time of 37:55, Leslie Kramer, 29, from Slippery Rock, Pa was 2nd at 40:48 and Courtney McKay of Pittsburgh, Pa. placed 3rd at 42:34 Prizes for the men and women were $300 for first, $200 for second and $100 for third place. Congratulations to all. MTC Web Address Visit the Montour Trail Other notables: the oldest finishers were Jane Donnelly, 67, from Pittsburgh at 1:09:52 web-site at: and Charles Weme, 72, from Crescent, Pa.,with a time of 1:29:02. The youngest finishers were www.montourtrail.org Katey Woistman, 13, from Pittsburgh at 1:01:01 and Jacob Hoch, 8, from Bulger, Pa. at 1:24:56. It is excellent to see such a wide age range of participants. Thanks again. (continues on page 5) PAGE 2 May/June 2007 MONTOUR TRAIL-LETTER Volume 18 Issue 3 The Prez Sez I hope all of you have had more than one chance to enjoy the trail now that good weather is upon us. We’ve started our yearly trail construction and maintenance activities, and we have already held one of our main fundraising events of the year, the Burgh’s Pizza and Wings 10K Race and 2-Mile Fun Walk. I want to express our thanks once again to the Daily brothers, Frank, Tom, and Dan for MONTOUR TRAIL COUNCIL their continued support in hosting, and putting on their 7th annual race. BOARD OF DIRECTORS See the article elsewhere in this newsletter describing this fun event. Mark Imgrund President We have the Function at the Junction coming up soon to Bill Orr Vice President celebrate the connection between the Montour and Panhandle Trails. Judy Thompson Treasurer Stan Sattinger, our event director for this celebration, tells us that Phyllis McChesney Secretary he and his committee have been working hard to plan an event that should be fun for the whole family. There’s a flyer elsewhere in this John Hooton 2005-2007 issue describing what’s in store. Frank Ludwin 2005-2007 Bill Orr 2005-2007 If you’ve been reading the local papers, perhaps you’ve seen Mark Imgrund 2005-2007 the strides our sister trail organizations have been making towards Dennis Pfeiffer 2005-2007 Charlie Beaumariage 2006-2008 completing the last nine miles of the Great Allegheny Passage from Gil McGurl 2006-2008 McKeesport to Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh, hopefully in th Karen Robbins 2006-2008 time for Pittsburgh’s 250 anniversary late 2008. We’re all looking Phyllis McChesney 2006-2008 forward to the day when that trail is finally completed, as well as our Judy Thompson 2006-2008 own trail’s completion, connecting the Great Allegheny Passage to the David Oyler 2007-2009 Airport and the southwest and southern suburbs of Pittsburgh. Stan Sattinger 2007-2009 Kevin Smith 2007-2009 Mark Bill Capp 2007-2009 Peter Kohnke 2007-2009 THE MONTOUR TRAIL-LETTER Opening Day 2007 is published bi-monthly January through December. All correspondence should be addressed to: MONTOUR TRAIL-LETTER Suite 3 304 Hickman Street Bridgeville, PA 15017 Or E-mail to: [email protected] All other trail correspondence should be addressed: MONTOUR TRAIL COUNCIL P.O. Box 11866 Pittsburgh, PA 15228-0866 MONTOUR TRAIL COUNCIL PHONE NUMBER: 412-257-3011 The Montour Trail makes Montour Run easy to access for these fisher- NEWSLETTER EDITORIAL TEAM men on the first day of trout season, April 14. Montour Run was added Dennis Sims, managing editor to the approved trout waters in time for opening day of 2003 by the Troy Bogdan Tim Killmeyer Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. John Hooton Dennis Pfeiffer Mark Imgrund The Montour Trail Council is an all volunteer organization founded in 1989 to convert the abandoned Montour Railroad right of way and the abandoned Peters Creek Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad into a fifty-five mile recreational trail for non-motorized activity regardless of physical ability or financial wherewithal. Volume 18 Issue 3 MONTOUR TRAIL-LETTER May/June 2007 PAGE 3 Friends’ Meetings and Work Parties MTC Board Meeting, Trail segment is encouraged to come. For Clifton Road every third Monday of the month - 6:00 p.m. at 304 Bridge Committee meetings, contact Peter Kohnke at 412- Hickman St., Suite 3, Bridgeville, PA. Turn right off of 854-1835 for more information. the Bridgeville exit of I-79. Turn left at the next light, go Work and cleanup party, every second and fourth Saturday straight at next light and make left turn onto Hickman St. of the month - 8:30 a.m. Call Bob O’Connell at 412-833- just after the Post Office. Call Mark at 724-941-6351 for 6259 for location and information. more information or to get on the agenda. South Hills Friends of the Trail Cecil Friends: Meeting first Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Friends of the Trail meeting, every fourth Wednesday of the Jefferson Hills Borough Building. Work and cleanup month at 7:00 p.m. From May-August, meetings are held at parties scheduled and advertised as needed. For more the Kurnick Access area along the trail off Cecil Henderson information, contact David Oyler at 412-831-9288, Road; other months meet at the MTC Offices. Work and [email protected], or Paul McKeown at 412-835- cleanup parties are scheduled as needed. Call 412-257-2553 6692, [email protected] for more information. Fort Cherry Friends: Airport Area Friends Friends of the Trail Meeting, second Wednesday of the Friends of the Trail meeting, the Wednesday before the month at McDonald Borough Bldg., Council chambers at second Saturday of the month at 7:00 p.m., at the Forest 7:00 p.m. Work and cleanup parties, scheduled as needed. Grove Fire Department. Anyone from the communities of For more information, contact Ray Johnston at 724-356- Moon and Robinson is encouraged to attend. Call 412-859- 2621. 3020 for more information. Peters Township Friends: Work and cleanup party, every second Saturday of the Friends of the Trail Meeting, first non-holiday Monday month - 9:00 a.m. Call 412-262-3748 for more information of the month at Peters Township Parks and Recreation and location. Center at 7:00 p.m. For more information on work and Bethel Park Friends: cleanup parties, please contact Jim Robbins at 724-941- Friends of the Trail meeting, every first Tuesday of the 6132, or for monthly meetings, Mark Imgrund at 724- month at 7:30 p.m. in the Bethel Park Municipal Building 941-6351 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Council Chambers. Anyone interested in the Bethel Park Trail Dust From the Editor’s Desk During the summer of 1989, I received membership information from an organization called the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Peters Township had the Arrowhead Trail, having purchased their portion of the former Montour Railroad and converting it into a trail, which, I had been using regularly. I thought, would it not be great if the same could happen to the remainder of the right-of-way?. So, I sent my money in and became a member.