The Official Publication of the Montour Trail Council MONTOUR TRAIL-LETTER Volume 19 Issue 4 July/August 2008 Major Events Take Place As The Newsletter Goes To Press For Your Consideration Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language. Henry James Inside this issue: The deck for the Chartiers Creek Bridge was poured on Fri- The National Tunnel finally gets it long awaited pathway of day, July 11 lying in place as it cures. Photo by Troy Bogdan asphalt. See Trail Dust for further details. Photo by Dennis Headlines 1 Sims Tour the Montour The Prez Sez 2 Montour Junction Property Given to Allegheny County We are happy to report that on Tuesday, July 8, the 78 acre Montour Junction property was do- Friends Meeting Notices 3 Trail Dust nated to Allegheny County. The County plans for this site, include numerous sports fields and a Montour Trail connection through the property to eventually connect to Coraopolis. Congratulations to the Mon- Ikea 1/2 Marathon 4 A Tail-Wagging Success tour Trail’s Director of Development, Dave Wright. Dave has been involved with this property in one way or another for almost nineteen years. Dave was on vacation as our deadline approached, so a more detailed Of Bats and Bugs 5 Party on the Trail article will appear in the next newsletter. Montour History- The 6 Mineral that Made the Bids to go out for the sub-structure of the Piney Fork Bridge in South Park Montour Township as you read this. Details in the next newsletter. New Members 7 Help Wanted Tour the Montour 8 Application Tour the Montour – Sixth Annual! by Sam Hvifelt, Ride director Can you believe it?? The Tour the Montour turns 6 this year!! The Sixth Annual Tour the Montour will be taking place on Saturday, September 20, 2008. Mark your calendars, save the date, and prepare to MTC Web Addresses participate in the best autumn trail ride around – The Tour the Montour! Visit the Montour Trail web-site at: The ride will be starting at Mile “0” near Coraopolis. Trail mile “0” is located at Route 51 and www.montourtrail.org Montour Road, just off of I-79 and the Coraopolis Bridge that connects to Neville Island. Parking areas will be made around Mile “0” for the event. Look for our parking volunteers on the morning of ride day to to converse guide you into the parking area. http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Montour-Trail/ Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. with staggered start times for each ride distance. The long distance (44 mile) ride leaves at 8:15 a.m., the middle distance rides (12 and 24 miles) leave at 8:30 a.m., and the Family Ride (6 miles) leaves at 9:00 a.m. Pre-register before Sept 12, 2008 and you are guaranteed one of our world famous, limited edition Tour the Montour Ride T-shirts!! T-shirts will be available on ride day as long as supplies last, but only pre-registered riders are guaranteed a t-shirt. (continues on page 4) PAGE 2 July/August 2008 MONTOUR TRAIL-LETTER Volume 19 Issue 4 The Prez Sez Delays and Progress (more of the latter) This issue of the Trail-Letter contains the 2007 Montour Trail Council’s annual report. So, with that backdrop, and the first half of 2008 behind us, I thought I’d update Council members with what’s been going MONTOUR TRAIL COUNCIL on and what’s yet to happen in the remaining months of the year. BOARD OF DIRECTORS We have made progress on the West Peters Township bridges and tunnel project, but several unexpected developments (e.g. - extra Mark Imgrund President steel repairs) have pushed that project’s completion back to September, Gil McGurl Vice President Bill Orr Treasurer with a start of the companion volunteer trail construction project pushed Phyllis McChesney Secretary into July as a result. We also had a stream bank wall collapse at the site of the stair base for the Route 980/50 temporary crossing. This required Charlie Beaumariage 2006-2008 an unanticipated gabion wall construction before we can continue with Gil McGurl 2006-2008 that project’s completion. We still expect these projects to be largely Karen Robbins 2006-2008 complete by the end of the year. We are going out for bid on the Piney Phyllis McChesney 2006-2008 Fork Bridge project in July, and should be opening bids in early August, Judy Thompson 2006-2008 which we anticipate will allow that project’s scope to be completed by David Oyler 2007-2009 December 31. Stan Sattinger 2007-2009 Kevin Smith 2007-2009 We’ve had several items of good news in the way of future trail Bill Capp 2007-2009 Peter Kohnke 2007-2009 construction, starting with a $10,000 grant from the Washington County Sue Headley 2008-2010 Tourism Promotion Agency for paving the National Tunnel (already Mark Imgrund 2008-2010 spent!), as well as notification of two successful grant applications Bill Orr 2008-2010 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Dennis Sims 2008-2010 Development. The latter DCED grants are $15,000 for crossing Ned Williams 2008-2010 improvements at the Park Manor Drive intersection and $25,000 for funding the Piney Fork projects. THE MONTOUR TRAIL-LETTER is published bi-monthly January through December. All Rounding out the good news were two announcements clearing correspondence should be addressed to: the way for a pair of important future projects. First, the Allegheny MONTOUR TRAIL-LETTER County Airport Authority approved the connection of the Montour Trail Suite 3 to the Pittsburgh International Airport. Secondly, and more recently, the 304 Hickman Street impending donation of the Montour Junction property (between mile Bridgeville, PA 15017 0 and Coraopolis) to Allegheny County, clearing the largest hurdle in Or E-mail to: the way of extending our trail into Coraopolis. More steps have to be [email protected] taken before trail can actually be built in both of these cases, including Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection approval and All other trail correspondence should be addressed: possibly additional cleanup for the trail to Coraopolis, but the future is MONTOUR TRAIL COUNCIL certainly looking brighter. Suite #3 304 Hickman Street With several steps forward, and a couple half steps back, we’re Bridgeville, PA 15017 still making good progress toward our primary goal of a completed Montour Trail main line. MONTOUR TRAIL COUNCIL PHONE NUMBER: 412-257-3011 Passing on your left, NEWSLETTER EDITORIAL TEAM Mark Dennis Sims, managing editor Troy Bogdan Tim Killmeyer 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 55 mile recreational trail for non-motorized activity regardless of physical ability or financial wherewithal. Volume 19 Issue 4 MONTOUR TRAIL-LETTER July/August 2008 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 Cecil Friends: Meeting second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Friends of the Trail meeting, every fourth Wednesday of the 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 412-496-4308 6692, [email protected] for more information, or email [email protected] 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, Robinson, North Fayette, and Findlay is encouraged 2621. to attend. Call 412-859-3020 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].