Peninsula

AKRON

Dalton Canal Fulton

Apple Creek Massillon Glenmont Millersburg Mount Vernon Killbuck Danville Galena Centerburg Westerville South London Charleston COLUMBUS Georgesville Xenia Cedarville Corwin Spring Valley

Loveland Morrow Milford to Erie

Spring 2017 Newsletter #55 OTETF Support For Closing the Gap in Madison County

The corridor. The Commissioners applied for a Clean Board recently donated Ohio grant to help reimburse part of the remaining $7,800 towards the costs. FMCPT paid the property survey, appraisal, construction of approxi- and closing costs. mately 1,600 feet of trail surface on the east side Volunteers have cleared the corridor of brush and of London. Friends of trees, and with the help of the County Engineer’s Madison County Parks & crew, the brush has been chipped. They also hauled Board earmarked away the firewood and the corridor is ready for a $20,000 for the project bulldozer to clear the tree stumps and prepare the and individual donors trail foundation. have donated another FMCPT continues to contact businesses and individ- $1,300 so far. The total ual in Madison County to give them an opportunity cost for this section from to be a part of this Maple Street to Walnut effort. If you would Street will be about like to help fill this gap $78,000. Supporting the in the Ohio to Erie Trail, completion of the trail is you can do so online a major goal of the OTETF Board. at www.fmcpt.com, The Madison County Commissioners purchased or send a check to: the land to start filling in the OTET gap in London. FMCPT, P.O. Box 308, The previous land owner, Kelley Manns, generous- London, Ohio 43140. ly donated about 20% of the property for the trail

www.ohiotoerietrail.org facebook.com/OhiotoErie Spring/Summer 2017 Newsletter #55

Galena Progress Supported by OTETF Becoming a Friend of the Trail The group in the photo Galena and Delaware A new program, Friends of below met on a blus- County, the Ohio to Erie the Trail, is being offered tery day last November Trail, and Delaware County to those supporters who to commemmorate the Friends of the Trail, in their want to be rewarded opening of the newest submission for a ODNR and recognized for their sections of trail in the grant. support. When you Village of Galena. Already, Trail visitors will find become a friend of the the Village is ready to several miles of newly trail through our website make even more progress finished trail in this area. (look under Donate), as plans for 1,775 addi- Galena offers the perfect you’ll be offered exclusive tional linear feet of pave- day trip from Columbus discounts throughout the large OTET sticker for free. ment is being planned for with its restaurants and year. Currently, Friends The Friends program has in a project partnership scenic Hoover of the Trail can pre-or- several different giving between the Village of Reservoir! der the new 2017 Trail levels, ranging from $25 to Guide for a $5 discount $1,000. For more informa- and receive a small and tion, go to our website.

New OTET Trail Guides Available The all new OTET Tour Guides are available at www.OhiotoErieTrail.com #OH2ERIE for $15. The new guides This string of characters contain updated maps of OTETF Board from 2002 is the official Ohio to Erie the OTET/Ohio Route 1 tag used for social media and are filled with help- Writer Needed for the OTETF posts. Keep your eyes ful information about peeled for a campaign lodging, food, parking, History Book announced on Facebook restrooms and much The OTETF Board is develop a chronological that will reward the best more. Become a Friend of seeking an individual historical story about photo posted tagged OTET and save $5 on your interested in writing a the 26 year-old organi- with #OH2ERIE. The order! short book on the history zation and our success winner will win an official of the Ohio to Erie Trail in creating the longest

uring Guide Map Legend To Ohio to Erie1 OTET Trail (OTET) Other Bike OTET jersey, valued at Trail 3 Fund, created in 1991 by recreational trail in the Ohio to Erie Approx. Mileage Trail on Road

Bridge Street or Road

Horses Permitted Interstate Highwa

y River or Creek City , County National ,P State or $100! ark Urban Ed Honton of Columbus, state from Cincinnati to Service Symbol Area

s

BIKE SHOP

occupied TOILETS

PARKING

The Ohio to Erie Trail travels along lands formerly h WATER Ohio. The work will Cleveland. We imagine ng throug GROCERY ST TRAILHEAD (Includes all by railroads and canals from the Ohio River in Cincinnati, on ORE encircled services

GAS STAT ) through Columbus ending at Lake Erie in Cleveland. Bikers ION REST and hikers are able to enjoy this trail while passi AURANT HOTEL quiet woods, lush fields, charming small towns and exciting / MOTEL CAMPGROUND FULL SERVICE d B (Includes all urban centers. Everyone who enjoys nature, bird watchers, B encircled services BED & BREAKF . ) horseback riders, cross-country skiers and runners, will have AST the opportunity to explore the natural beauty of the trail as ICE CREAM SHOP require interviewing that the project will take PICNIC it weaves its way across Ohio. The trail holds excitement an AREA EMERGENCY HIST ORIC SITE adventure to anyone willing to leave the automobile behind CARE BIKE SELF SE RVICE The Ohio to Erie safety or fitness of any of the high Trail Fund does not make any warranty or representation as to th herein for bicycle travel or other recreational use. Routes and desc al Ohioprovided as suggestions. South Centr tions as appropriate. ways, roads, streets, paths or byways depicte Southern Ohio ti Travelers should use caution and exercise safety pr us to Xenia Wear a helmet when traveling by bicycle. past and present Board about a year. Experience Columb e Xenia to Cincinna riptions are merelyd ecau SCR - SC4 members, searching the in publishing is preferred.

Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park

281

DARBY CREEK DR S MAIN ST L O N D O N FS MAPLE ALKIRE RD e files of the organization, Contact Lisa Daris, OTET  Camp Chase 1 / OTET 103 Trail/OTET P Camp Chas E Trail/OTET 1ST ST  ST GH 1  W HI 1 D R

6 5

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L I TH

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Y A G E O R G E S V I L L E

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D I W CENTER ST M reviewing minutes as well Coordinator at ohiotoeri- as photos and maps to [email protected] 2017 OTET Trail Guides Spring/Summer 2017 Newsletter #55

Thank you to our Friends of the Trail!

Individual Sustaining Family Janis Comstock-Jones Gaybrielle Gordon James Dunham Joyce Dupont Family Chuck Kutchera Jeff Fenter Jody Dzuranin Family Kim Powers Andrea Jensen Phil Grimm Michael Wallace Andy Johnson Rick Groth Family Jeff Kloss The Dwight Kline Family Kenneth Kramer William & Doris Knuth Family Elijah Lamp Kathleen Lannan Family Beth Morrow Scott Moffitt Family Lesley Page Lee Tracy Family Tristan Stewart Doug Shope Elaine Stien Rick Weber Stephen Weiss David Westman Richard Wilson Spring/Summer 2017 Newsletter #55

118 Graceland Blvd. #146 Non-Profit Columbus, Ohio 43214 Organization U.S. Postage www.ohiotoerietrail.org PAID Coumbus OH Permit 5466

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

Cincinnati Honors Honton Through New Sign Visitors to Cincinnati’s regional trails that are Smale Park on the connected, and shows Board of Directors Executive Coordinator Riverfront will soon enjoy a map of all the cities Tom Moffitt, PhD, Butler County, Lisa Daris President this historical and villages Advisory Board sign, designed the OTET Bill Daehler, Franklin County, Vice President William Baker, Holmes County by Bob touches as it Elizabeth Watts, Franklin County, Melodee Kornacker, Franklin OHIO TO ERIE TRAIL County Niedenthal S m a l e R i v e r f r o n t P a r k crosses Ohio. Treasurer

The Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET) is a 300 Greg Lashutka, Franklin County

90

mile network of 22 regional trails

CLEVELAND stretching from Cincinnati, starting

90 Mary Plumley, Franklin County, here along the Ohio River, to down-

Peninsula town Cleveland at Lake Erie. The Ohio

AKRON 76 River Trail and the OTET overlap from

71 Dalton Canal Fulton this point east to the Lunken Airport Apple Creek Massillon Trail. From Lunken, the OTET overlaps of Oxford, 77 OTET donors Tom Offut, Lake County Glenmont Millersburg with the Little Miami Scenic Trail for Mount Vernon Killbuck Danville 50 miles. Sunbury/ Galena Centerburg

71 Westerville Secretary Conceived in 1991 by Franklin County South London COLUMBUS 70 Charleston 70 Georgesville engineer and Ohio's first Ohio Depart- Xenia Cedarville ment of Transportation's Bicycle Coor- Spring Valley dinator, Ed Honton, the OTET traverses Corwin 77

71 75 Morrow 14 counties using land which was for Charlie Ruma, Franklin County

CINCINNATI Loveland the most part formerly occupied by

Milford railroads and canals. Along the way,

Ohio. The the OTET passes through rural areas, supported the Wayne Roberts, Madison County

farmlands, nature preserves and local

parks. At the metropolitan perimeters,

meadows and woods give way to

1 urban centers. Everyone has an oppor-

Ohio1 to Erie Trail tunity to explore the natural beauty of Jim Schneider, Greene County Ohio as the OTET weaves its way across Regional Trails of the OHIO TO ERIE TRAIL * Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway -- Cleveland * Alum Creek Trail -- Westerville to Columbus the state. The OTET has been designat- * Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath -- Cleveland to Massillon * Interstate 670 Bikeway -- Columbus ed as Bicycle Route 1 in Ohio. * Sippo Valley Trail -- Massillon to Dalton * Columbus Downtown Connector -- Columbus Tom Alexander, Holmes County * Holmes County Trail -- Fredericksburg to Killbuck * Lower Scioto Greenway -- Columbus * Holmes County Trail -- Glenmont to Brinkhaven * Hilltop Connector -- Columbus * Mohican Valley Trail -- Brinkhaven to Danville * -- Columbus to Wilson Rd * -- Danville to Mount Vernon * Roberts Pass -- Wilson Rd in Madison Co. to London sign will be * Heart of Ohio Trail -- Mount Vernon to Centerburg * Prairie Grass Trail -- London to Xenia construction * Galena Brick Trail -- Galena * Little Miami Scenic Trail -- Xenia to Lunken Airport * Hoover Scenic Trail -- Galena * Lunken Airport Trail -- Lunken Airport * Genoa Trail -- Galena to Westerville * -- Lunken Airport to Cincinnati * Westerville Bike & Walk Route --Westerville James Flaherty, Delaware County Oliver Seikel, Cuyahoga County Ted Short, Wayne County located next Southern end of the OHIO TO ERIE TRAIL and installation Mike Groeber, Clark/Greene Sam Speck, Franklin County to the famous of the $3,000 Counties Ellen Tripp, Franklin County Sean McGurr, Summit County Roebling sign project Stephanie Vesper-Gephardt, Don Noble, Wayne County Hamilton County Suspension that includes Jerry Rampelt, Franklin County Brad Westall, Franklin County Bridge on a way-finding Bruce Bailey, Franklin County Mehring Way which is at sign next to it. Another Chris Haydocy, Franklin County Dan Ritchey, Muskingum County the southern terminus of way-finding sign will soon Bob Taft, Greene County the OTET. The sign tells be supplied by the OTETF Jack Williams, Ross County the story of Ed Honton, and installed by the Village Jay Telzrow, Cuyahoga County Ken Schneider, Cuyahoga County founder, gives the 22 of Apple Creek. Spring/Summer 2017 Newsletter #55 Annual OTET Ride Sept. 9–15 Now Open for Registration will need for the day. Weather in September in Ohio is typically dry with temps ranging from morning lows of 45-55 to afternoons of 70-80… perfect for bike travel. Starting in downtown Cincinnati at Smale Park on the Ohio River, partic- ipants will depart for Xenia (67 miles) and stay at the Ramada Inn. Day 2 finds the group going to Columbus (60) for a night The seven-day, six-night After the ride, the cost to bikers to either take in the center of town at 2017 Ohio to Erie produce the ride per indi- a more leisurely ride, the Red Roof Inn. Day Trail bicycle ride from vidual is then subtracted explore other trails or three we cross through Cincinnati to Cleveland from the amount spend time at sites along Columbus to the Alum is open for reservations donated. Every rider then the way. Trail surfaces Creek Trail and end up on our web site at www. gets a letter stating how are fine for road bikes, 50 miles later in Mt. OhioToErieTrail.org. Only much of their ride dona- hybrids and mountain Vernon at the Grand 40 lucky riders will be tion was without services bikes. The OTET ride is Hotel just three blocks joining us on this great or goods. Riders in 2016 considered a beginner from the OTET. On adventure! actually ended up donat- to intermediate level day 4 we head for ing about half Daily mileage ranges of their ride from 40 to 67 with nightly cost to the stays in Xenia, Columbus, OTEF and were Mt. Vernon, Millersburg, sent acknowl- Massillon and Akron. edgements for The entire 320 miles is tax purposes. fully supported with a luggage/bike vehicle, By September, several older mechanic and OTET staff- sections of ers. There is a cost range the OTET will depending on when you be paved register. Individuals will and the route be responsible for making will utilize their own motel/hotel the beauti- registrations at lodging ful former facilities where OTET has adventure. While 90% of Amish Country to historic train route in the section reserved rooms at special the trail is essentially flat, Millersburg (48) and the spanning from the Bridge rates and paying for their there are some hills along Comfort Inn. Day 5 we travel of Dreams to Glenmont the way but none that on to Massillon (40) and own food. in Holmes County. Some are too long to just enjoy stay at the Hampton Inn. A unique aspect of the days, the distance trav- walking. Participants only OTET Ride is that indi- eld will be shorter than Day 6 is a short day but need to carry what they viduals DONATE to ride. others, allowing for very exciting! We leave Spring/Summer 2017 Newsletter #55

to stop and visit all Ohio and our participants evening, September 15 along the Canal Path will ride from one end to after a stop in Columbus including our trail the other visiting canal just off I-71. partner bike shop, displays and museum There is room for only 19 Ernies just north centers and shops. Truly, participants left at this of Massillon, then the only way to see time on a first-come, first- on to Canal Fulton Cuyahoga National Park. serve basis for this fund- which is right on We arrive in Cleveland raising event. The cost the canal way. We and follow the signs for is $600 by June 1 plus end our day about about 6 miles to Lake Erie transportation fee back to 35 miles later in at Edgewater Park where Columbus or Cincinnati of Akron and we stay we gather to change $60. After June 1, if there on the north side at clothes and eat a late is space, the cost is $650. the beautiful Akron lunch at the yacht club Cancellation fees are Marriott Courtyard next to the park. donations of $100 until just a football field Bikes and luggage are July 1. After July 1 the from the Trail head! transported back to refund is a $150 donation We are within Columbus or Cleveland from the donation made. walking distance of using our support truck To join us in the adven- downtown Akron. and those who wish to be ture, go to the web site Massillon via the Ohio Day 7 is also so transported back to either at www.OhiotoErieTrail. & Erie Canal Path and special. After breakfast city ride in our support org. For more information wind our way north to we start the trek down- vehicles or passenger Akron through some of hill on the tow path and vans we rent in Cleveland. contact Tom at the most beautiful land into the Cuyahoga Valley We arrive home in [email protected]. in the state. This is a very National Park. This is the Cincinnati between 8 See you on the Ohio leisure day and allows us ONLY National Park in and 9 p.m. on that Friday Adventure!

A special thanks to the Westerville Bike Club and Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Carter of Harrisburg, PA for their generous donations during the past few months. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Carter’s dona- tion was in memory of Ed Honton, the founder of OTET, and in honor of his wife, Melodee Kornacker and Ellen Tripp. Both women have served on the board of OTET through the years and supported the organization. Additionally, OTET received many generous donations in honor of David Pulliam, an avid trail rider and supporter who passed away in February. Our sincere condolences go out to his friends and family. Your donations are important to the progress of the trail. Each and every penny counts and is typically put towards matching funds for grants that our trail partners secure.