SEPTEMBER 2004 EASTERN TRAIL ALLIANCE NEWS

CMP Grants ET Easement - Central Maine Power signed an easement granting permission to continue building the ET west from Scarborough Marsh to Cascade Road in OOB. CMP owns one mile of the historic Eastern Railroad corridor in Old Orchard Beach. A year from now, when planned construction is complete, you will be able to enjoy a 6.5-mile section of Off-Road from Black Point Road in Scarborough to Rt. 1 in Saco. THANK YOU CMP!

As Oliver Wendell Homes once observed, “The great thing in this world is not so much where you stand, as in what direction you are moving.”

October 2 Saturday Marsh Clean Up - If you’d like to help clean up the sides of the about-to-be-opened Scarborough Marsh section of the ET, meet at Peterson Park off Old Blue Point Road. 8 AM on Oct 2. Bring brush-cutting hand tools, pruning saws, water, sunscreen, bug repellent, and gloves. Scarborough DPW will remove your piles of brush and trash. Ends at noon.

Directions: From Rt. 1 Dunstan Corner Scarborough follow Rt. 9 (Pine Point Road) for 1.5 miles to Old Blue Point Road on your right. (It’s the first right turn, ¼ mile beyond the ET.) A woodland spur trail connects the parking lot with the ET.

8-Lighthouse Ride a Wet Success - As Hurricane Ivan blew itself out over the Gulf of Maine, ¼ of those who registered began the 35-mile 8-Lighthouse Ride. The extremely hardy riders led by ETA Webmaster Larry Glantz completed the loop. Wait till next year! In 20 years, those who completed this 1st ride will have bragging rights as they describe the downpour during the 1st one. We owe Bob Bowker great appreciation for organizing this, the inaugural ride. We thank South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club for its ride-day support. Organized by Jeff Gabrielson, five Rotarians helped out including three past-presidents. Those who qualified for free ETA T-shirts will receive them in by mail.

Scarborough Marsh Opening Planned October 17th - Come to Scarborough Marsh on Sunday 17 October at 2 PM when the Management District will cut the ribbon for its first competed ET project. Walks and rides will follow. Cross the new bridge. The view from the top is a birders dream. Gas transmission has been restored, a critical schedule benchmark.

East Coast Greenway Riders do the ET - On Sunday Sept 19, the ECG end-to-end riders, led by ETA Trustee Mac Sexton, continued south along the ET. In 53 days they will bike from Calais, where they began, to Key West. Thanks to CPM Constructors, special ramps were provided allowing the riders to slip across the new Dunstan River bridge. No, you can’t repeat their crossing until construction is finished for the opening ceremony on Oct. 17th.

Help Needed at the Polls State Trail Bond? - ETA along with other Maine shared-used, inter-municipal trail organizations are seeking State bonding funds to accelerate trail construction. Leaders of the Eastern Trail, Mountain Division Trail, Sunrise/Downeast Trail, Kennebec River Rail Trail and the Kennebec-Messalonskee Trail have banded together to propose $7 million biennial bond embedded within Maine DOT’s bond. The Legislature, Governor Baldacci, and the voters need to support and approval the proposal for us to succeed.

Bicycle Coalition of Maine Trustees unanimously endorsed the goal. Before the end of September, we will be seeking support from Maine DOT and from Maine Better Transportation Association.

To demonstrate voter support, ETA volunteers will be seeking petition signatures at the polls on Tuesday November 2. If you’d like to help at your polling place, send e-mail to JAndrews@GWI.net. It’s a blast!

October 15 - Maine Trails Conference - The second State-wide Maine Trails Conference will be held at the Owls Head Transportation Museum, in Owls Head on Friday October 15, 2004. The conference is sponsored by the Maine Bureau of Parks & Land’s Maine Trails Advisory Committee in cooperation with organizations throughout the state. Educational sessions and workshops on current trail issues are planned. The first conference was fantastic. FMI: Contact "Bud Newell"

ETA Monthly Meetings, 7 PM. ETA meetings are now being held in the Saco Armory. Directions: Take Maine Turnpike Saco exit. Turn RIGHT immediately after the toll plaza. At the end of the ramp, turn LEFT at the light onto Industrial Park Road. At the next light turn LEFT onto Rt. 112 toward downtown Saco. In ¼ mile turn RIGHT onto Franklin St. (just beyond the playground.) In ¼ mile the Armory is on your LEFT. It’s the 2nd Army building, NOT the Army Reserve facility. Entrance on the right side.

Help Create the ET, Join ETA - Click here to complete the certified-secure membership application. Enjoy the newsletter and Alliance outings. Your membership can make a difference. If there are no ETA members, there will be no ET.

A highway takes your car to the country, a greenway your mind.
- Charles Little

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