Eastern Trail
News

November 2004 EASTERN TRAIL NEWS

In this ETA news summary :
- Scarborough Marsh ET NOW OPEN
- CMP Donates ET Easement in OOB
- End-to-End East Coast Greenway Ride Complete
- New Office for ETA thanks to City of Saco Recreation Department 
- Kennebunk Savings Bank donates funds for ETA's Trail Guide
- ETA Holiday Gift Memberships
- ETA Winter Outings
- Help Needed at the Polls State Trail Bond? 
- ET Calendar Events
- Help Create the ET, Join ETA 

Scarborough Marsh ET NOW OPEN!!
Sunday, with great celebration the first 200+ users of the now-complete Scarborough Marsh Section of the Eastern Trail enjoyed crossing the marsh in style. The first time since rail travel ended in 1944. Join them. Check it out. It's awesome. 

We congratulate the Eastern Trail Management District on completing its first construction project. An incredible number of individuals and organizations helped the ETMD making this possible. Far too many to name, but we must recognize the Town of Scarborough, its visionary elected officials, its dedicated staff, and its wonderful residents who all gave critical support, more than anyone would dared to ask. 

CMP Donates ET Easement in OOB
In a short ceremony at OOB Town Hall, John Carroll of CMP presented ET easements to Council Chair Shawn O'Neill for the town, to Councilor Jim Long for the ET Management District and to John Andrews for the ETA. (ETMD will build the ET, but CMP also authorized the other two organizations.) ETA and the Town of Old Orchard Beach each presented awards of appreciation to State Representative David Lemoine and to CMP for completing the complex negotiations leading to this ET milestone.

End-to-End East Coast Greenway Ride Complete
ETA Trustee Mac Sexton & ETA Volunteer Dave Wood completed their End-to-End East Coast Greenway ride on November 3. In 53 days Mac and Dave biked the entire ECG from Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida.  Maggie Warren, ETA's Newsletter Editor, has already created a PowerPoint a slide show. Maggie shared it in NJ at the ECGA annual meeting this weekend. ETA hopes Maggie will share it with you sometime
this winter. Maggie may become Maine's most in demand speaker.

New Office for ETA thanks to City of Saco Recreation Department 
We will miss sharing space with Diane Doyle, who was recently featured in Maine Biz as one of Maine's most innovative leaders. Diane came famous for her developments that include great trails with bountiful open space. Diane's growing company is also moving to new office space. ETA mailing address and phone number will stay the same

Kennebunk Savings Bank donates funds for ETA's Trail Guide
Kennebunk Savings Bank donated funds to support publishing the ETA's Trail Guide in a more compact format. No more computer-printout trail guides. Kennebunk Savings Bank's generous grant together with a previous grant from Narragansett Number One Foundation will allow ETA to offer the new guide for sale in the spring of 2005. Thanks much to KSB and NNOF. 

Trails for Healthy Maine Bond 
Several Maine inter-municipal, shared-use trail organizations, like the ETA, will seek help from Governor Baldacci and the Legislature to support Trails for a Healthy Maine Bond. We hope Maine will be able to to vote for a trail construction bond in November 2005. This is motivated by the need to finish these trails in our lifetime. Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM) Trustees unanimously voted to support the proposed bond. BCM is now providing THM staff support and meeting space in Augusta. On November 2, ETA volunteers collected 1,000 endorsement signatures, many from elected officials including Congressman Allen. More details coming soon. 

ETA Memberships Available for Holiday Gifts
Your friends will receive a decorated holiday letter ETA with the news of your gift. The perfect for the person who has everything. Call 284-9260, or send e-mail to ETA@EasternTrail.Org for more information.

You're not yet an ETA member? Buy yourself a gift membership.  We'll all benefit. Maine will be an even greater place to live and visit. ETA needs YOU.

ETA Winter Outings

First Friday in December Portland City Lights Walk
Meet between Flatbread and Casco Bay Ferry Terminal to LEAVE at 6:00 PM on Friday December 3. Enjoy city lights. Briefly visit Portland Museum of Art for holiday music and free access to exhibits. Depending upon wind and snow, walk Back Cove and Eastern Prom Trails before returning to the Old Port for holiday cheer. No limit. Just show and go but we LEAVE to start walking at 6:00 PM sharp. 

Hunting Lodge X-Country Ski Weekend 5 Feb
Hunting lodge in Lexington Plantation, 2.5 hours north from Portland. Ski snowmobile trails, enjoy great home cooked meals, heated lodge with hot showers, warm beds, large living room by woodstove. Pace slow, daily ski 10+ miles, ETA Members: $150 for weekend includes all meals. Non-members $170. Contact John Andrews, JAndrews@GWI.Net for more information, or to register. 

Acadia NP B&B X-Country Ski Weekend 20 Feb Presidents Weekend 
Potluck dinner Saturday. Pizza by fire Sunday. Slow paced. Ski up Cadillac autoroad for sunset. Ski down under a nearly full moon. ETA Members $60 for 3-day weekend includes three nights and three breakfasts. Hot showers, fireplaced living room. (Non-members $75 for weekend.) Contact John Andrews, JAndrews@GWI.Net for more information, or to register.

A one-day Rhode Island bike ride is in the works. Bruce Wakefield dreams of biking the Providence, RI area East Coast Greenway. We hear there is no better section along the entire corridor. FMI and to help Bruce pick the date, send e-mail to: "Bruce Wakefield "
<bwakefie@maine.rr.com>. 

Never, never, never give up.
- Winston Churchill.

Never, never, never grow up.
- Dr. Seuss 

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

Call us (207.284.9260) or e-mail the ETA office