Daily: April 29, 2012

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: (207) 284-9260
eta@EasternTrail.org

March 15, 2012 (Biddeford, ME) – The Eastern Trail announced today that wet spring weather has led to excessive damage to trail surfaces and, therefore, the temporary closure of all off-road sections of the Eastern Trail. The Eastern Trail is posting notices of the trail closure at trail entrances and kiosks. Off-road areas will be closed until trail and weather conditions improve.

“The unusual winter this year has created freeze-thaw conditions that has seriously destabilized the Trail surface and made it particularly susceptible to damage from bicycles, horses, and even foot traffic” says Tad Redway, President of the Eastern Trail Management District. “If the Trail is given a rest for several weeks, then it will recover without the need for costly repairs and prolonged shutdowns during the peak of the spring season”.

The Eastern Trail Management District apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. Any questions about this matter may be directed to the Eastern Trail office at 207-284-9260 or eta@easterntrail.org.

When completed, the Eastern Trail will connect the Piscataqua River in Kittery with Bug Light on Casco Bay in South Portland with a mostly off-road greenway. The Eastern Trail follows the route of the historic Eastern Railroad, the first rail line connecting Boston and the Portland area. It extends through 12 communities in York and Cumberland counties. The Eastern Trail is the Southern Maine portion of the 2,900 mile East Coast Greenway, which stretches from Key West, Florida to Calais, Maine.

The Eastern Trail Alliance welcomes opportunities to tell groups about its dream. To schedule a no-cost Eastern Trail slide show, send an e-mail to eta@easterntrail.org or call the ETA’s office at 284-9260. For more information about the Eastern Trail check www.easterntrail.org

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Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: (207) 284-9260
eta@EasternTrail.org

April 25, 2012 (Wells, Maine) – The Eastern Trail Alliance, an organization committed to the creation of a trail spanning from Kittery to South Portland, will hold its Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 17, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Old Marsh Country Club in Wells, Maine.

The meeting will feature Eric Weis, trail coordinator for the East Coast Greenway Alliance, a post he has held since 1998. In this capacity, Weis oversees the organization’s trail program, directly staffing the New England and South Atlantic regions. He also manages the organization’s wayfinding program (maps, cue sheets, GPS, etc.) and helps shape the route and route policy. Weis is also the founder and director of the New England Bike-Walk Summit and creator/director of the New England Builders Ball, an annual celebration of small regional hand-built bicycle companies.

The Annual Meeting of the ETA is an opportunity for members of the community to meet our speaker and the officers and trustees of the ETA and the Eastern Trail Management District, and to learn more about the mission of the ETA while enjoying snacks and beverages at America’s greenest railroad station. Following the meeting, all attendees are invited to join us for a no-host optional dinner at a nearby restaurant.

When completed, the Eastern Trail will connect the Piscataqua River in Kittery with Bug Light on Casco Bay in South Portland with a mostly off-road greenway. The Eastern Trail follows the route of the historic Eastern Railroad, the first rail line connecting Boston and the Portland area. It extends through 12 communities in York and Cumberland counties. The Eastern Trail is the Southern Maine portion of the 2,900 mile East Coast Greenway, which stretches from Key West, Florida to Calais, Maine

The Alliance welcomes opportunities to tell groups about its dream. To schedule a no-cost Eastern Trail slide show, send an e-mail to eta@easterntrail.org or call the ETA’s office at 284-9260. For more information about the Eastern Trail check www.easterntrail.org.

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Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: (207) 284-9260
eta@easterntrail.org

April 25, 2012 (Saco, ME) – The Eastern Trail Alliance will hold an official Opening Ceremony at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 16 for its newest section of trail, which stretches from Thornton Academy in Saco to Milliken Mills Road in Old Orchard Beach and includes a bridge that spans Route 1 in Saco just north of Ross Road. The ceremony will take place at the trailhead on the Thornton Academy campus in Saco.

The Saco-OOB section, completed in January 2012, has already greatly increased public interest in, and use of, the entire Eastern Trail, thanks to its high visibility from two areas of the busy Route 1, Saco corridor and I-195. The new section’s 4.4 miles provides another crucial link in the development of this 65-mile greenway in southern Maine.

“Fourteen years ago a small group of area residents said, ‘Let’s make this old rail line into a trail,’ and we are now reaping the benefits,” said Eastern Trail Alliance President Bob Hamblen. “A big ‘thank you’ is due the voters of Saco, who approved a $500,000 bond in 2008 that made this possible.”

The opening ceremony’s invited guests include representatives from Saco and Old Orchard Beach; Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner David Bernhardt; Unitil, the New Hampshire gas company that owns most of the historic rail corridor; Maine Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins; Congresswoman Chellie Pingree; section design firm Deluca-Hoffman Associates; and section building contractor Shaw Brothers Construction.

When completed, the Eastern Trail will connect the Piscataqua River in Kittery with Bug Light on Casco Bay in South Portland with a mostly off-road greenway. The Eastern Trail follows the route of the historic Eastern Railroad, the first rail line connecting Boston and the Portland area. It extends through 12 communities in York and Cumberland counties. The Eastern Trail is the Southern Maine portion of the 2,900 mile East Coast Greenway, which stretches from Key West, Florida to Calais, Maine.

The Eastern Trail Alliance welcomes opportunities to tell groups about its dream. To schedule a no-cost Eastern Trail slide show, send an e-mail to eta@easterntrail.org or call the ETA’s office at 284-9260. For more information about the Eastern Trail check www.easterntrail.org.

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