Archived News

By Ron Chase | Published October 9, 2018

My favorite part of the Eastern Bike Trail has always been the sector that traverses Scarborough Marsh. The Sokokis Indians of the Abenaki nation who hunted and fished the wetland called it Owascoag, meaning “a place of much grass.” For years, I’ve ridden the trail enjoying the beauty and serenity of the marsh often observing kayakers and canoeists paddling a stream that meanders through the expansive bog near the Pine Point Road Trailhead. Each time, I’ve had a sense of envy wondering what I was missing.

The 3,100 acre estuary is the largest salt marsh in Maine and habitat for a variety of plants and wildlife. Owned and managed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, birds abound and numerous species can normally be encountered.

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The goal is a 3,000-mile bike and walking trail safe from vehicles, but only a third of it is off-road so far.

BY DICK WOODBURY – SPECIAL TO THE PRESS HERALD (Dick Woodbury, a resident of Yarmouth, served 10 years in the Maine Legislature and is on the board of the East Coast Greenway Alliance).  Posted August 21, 2018.

YARMOUTH — My biking adventure began in Calais, just this side of the St. Croix river from Canada. Calais is at the northern tip of the East Coast Greenway. From there, I biked the Greenway corridor through Machias, Ellsworth, Bangor, Waterville, Augusta, Lewiston, Brunswick, Portland, Saco, Biddeford, and Kittery; and on through New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and into Connecticut. My wife, Debbie, and son Sam joined me for much of this journey.

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There are trails to walk or bike on, marshes to paddle in, beaches to swim off or relax on and plenty of spectacular natural beauty to see.

[Ed. note: The Eastern Trail gets some nice plugs throughout this article]

This summer marks the 45th anniversary of the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center on Pine Point Road in Scarborough – an incredible resource that puts Maine’s largest salt marsh right at visitors’ fingertips.

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ARUNDEL — After a dog attack left a man seriously injured on the Eastern Trail, the town has reached an agreement with an abutting property owner who owned the dog, prohibiting him from having any dogs on the trail.

A June 4 order in Biddeford District Court follows a history of incidents involving dogs owned by resident William Hallczuk, said Town Manager Keith Trefethen. The dog has since been euthanized after it was determined it could not be rehabilitated.

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By Juliette Laaka on January 4, 2018 – The Forecaster

SCARBOROUGH — The Eastern Trail Alliance reached a $4.1 million fundraising goal to complete a nearly 2-mile section of trail, including building a bridge to traverse the Nonesuch River.

The fundraising campaign spanned five years and included donations large and small. Carole Brush, ETA executive director, said in December alone the organization pulled in $100,000 in donations and grants.

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Maine Public – All Things Considered – By FRED BEVER, DEC 15, 2017

[Ed. note: The Eastern Trail gets a nice plug about one-third into the article]

A proposal to create a new bike path along an existing rail line between Portland and Yarmouth is drawing strong interest from the communities it would pass through. It’s also raising worries that it would interfere with a plan to extend passenger train service from Portland to the Lewiston-Auburn area.

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Southern Maine just might have more than its fair share of gorgeous beaches. But when it comes to walking — really walking for miles across packed sand without needing to dodge chairs and umbrellas and small children making a sprint for the ocean — Pine Point beach deserves a spot at the top of the list.

[Read on in this article for an excellent section on the Eastern Trail]

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BY RON CHASE – Seniors Not Acting Their Age
The Times Record  – September 22, 2017

Cycling is one of my favorite activities and a primary source of aerobic exercise. The older I get the more I enjoy it. A runner for almost forty years, a knee replacement compelled me to quit. The knee guy said that if I kept running, I’d soon be back for another one. A certified sissy, I’m not suffering that very painful rehabilitation again if I can avoid it.

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Two years ago, we were contacted by a rider who was writing a book about losing weight.  The ride had already sold out, but he wanted to be part of the event, and promised if we “snuck him in” he would mention the MLR in his book.

We didn’t see him last year, but he joined us again this year (2017). He shared the link of a New York Times article he was featured in, and as promised, wore his MLR jersey for the photo. Note this article is from 2015.

We thought you’d enjoy seeing/reading this article and meeting one of our MLR riders.

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