JANUARY 2010 TRAIL NEWS
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM FLORIDA
ITC IS LOOKING FORWARD TO A BUSY
2010: #1 – CALENDAR OF EVENTS ON THE
GRAND ILLIOIS TRAIL #2.
APPLICATION FOR TOURISM BROCHURE FOR ROUTE 66 & #3 – AN
INTER-ACTIVE WEB SITE WITH TRAIL INFORMATION which
will be undertaken by Board Member Ray Hoven from
American Bike Trails. Bev will
need your help on these projects. Let
me know if you can lend a hand.
ITC ACTIONS IN DECEMBER INCLUDE:
· December 1 - Created and Distributed 205 issues of TRAIL NEWS to ITC MEMBERS. Can you encourage a friend to become a member. This will help us continue our mission to assist communities to build, connect and maintain more recreation trails for all of us.
· December 1 – Forwarded a request for information about a trail site in the Peoria area between Bartonville and through Farmington to Board Member George Burrier. Received a reply that it is the Hanna City Trail, a 24.7 mile section between Middle Gr. & Bellevue, a section of rail that was abandoned by UP. Negotiations are ongoing.
· December 1 – Received e-mail from Dan Roddewig at Belvidere Park District thanking us for our efforts.
· December 3 – Diana Cooper agreed to pick up ITC envelopes for Bev and bring them down to Florida.
· December 4 – Received information from Don Kirchenberg, Volunteer Chairman of Friends of the Great Western Trail regarding failure by Com Ed to agree to plans to trim trees and replacement of new. Bev contacted Deborah Fagan @ DuPage County Planning and she indicates INFORMATION IS UNTRUE.
· December 8 – Diane Banta from National Park Service will be hosting a meeting for ITC Board Members in January in Springfield to work on an expanded mission statement for ITC. GOOD THINGS ARE COMING.
· December 9 – Received e-mail from John Fritsche regarding Route 66 Recreation Trail. He was part of the group that welcomed the Route 66 Riders to Staunton on August 29. Bev explained that she was there and sent him a Route 66 brochure. We will contact John to assist with the Route 66 Brochure in 2010.
· December 9 – Checked out DOT Legislation Sent to Congress list. Most recent act is Dec. 7, 2009, Public Transportation Safety Program Act.. See it at http://testimony.ost.dot.gov/final/default.htm
· December 11 – Received news that Steve Moser from Hennepin Canal will be retiring after almost 38 years with DNR, 28 of them at the Canal. A good man will be missed but we WISH HIM WELL.
·
December 11 – Tommy Greer at
American Bike Trails has installed a temporary new
Illinois Trails
· December 14 – Participated in a conference call with George Bellovics and others on the Grand Illinois Trail Plans for a 10th Anniversary Celebration. A suggestion for a Ribbon Cutting on the Savanna Great Rvier Trail on June 17, 2010 would be a great place to invite legislators to attend. The GITAP riders plan to be there. George & Amy will be working on a Poster of the History of GIT. Suggestion to piggy-back on other events was made and Bev will keep a list as she gets them. Hopefully Bike the Drive or Bike to Work in Chicago. Next Conference Call will occur in February after the Primaries so we know names of Legislators Running.
· December 16 – ITC received a request for Rails to Trails to sign on to Active Transportation Investment Fund that would be in addition to existing bike/ped funds. Bev had a couple of questions that she forwarded to Ed Barsotti at LIB. Ed received information from Kevin and Marianne from RTC that more funds in more programs would not deplete Enhancements. Bev indicated that ITC would sign and support RTC.
· December 17 – ITC received requests from Center for Neighborhood Technology and Illinois Environmental Council for financial support. Bev will check with Board Members for consideration.
· December 14, 18 & 20 – ITC received letters of thanks from IDOT Division of Highways for information regarding 3 separate roadway improvement projects that Bev had submitted information on.
· December 18 – Marla Gursh sent information about an upcoming Route 66 Meeting on January 14, 2010 in Litchfield. Bev is not available to attend and requested information from the meeting.
· December 26 – Bev completed the Annual Report for Illinois Charitable Organiztion and sent it on to Ray.
· December 29 – Received information that computer problems were being experienced with LIB Seminars. Bev e-mailed Ed Barsotti and offered to list them in TRAIL NEWS. See them in Opportunities for You.
· December 30 – Bev ordered 10 Copies of the RTC Rail-Trails Midwest Great Lakes Book for ITC renewals.
ITC BOARD MEMBERS ARE BUSY WORKING FOR YOU:
· George Burrier from Peoria sent Bev minutes from the December 7 meeting of the RTA Group. Their next meeting is January 4, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at Safetytown off Sheridan Road. PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TRAIL ADVOCACY GROUP. He also shared an article from the Peoria Journal Star “Purchase will link bike trails”. Land buy will let cyclists ride uninterrupted from Morton to Pimiteoui Trail. GREAT!
· Pat Hartman from Freeport sent Bev a correct e-mail address.
· Bruce Perry from Port Byron missed out on the GIT Conference Call but is working with Great River Trail Group on a 10th Anniversary Event for Grand Illinois Trail.
· John Wilson from Lan Oak Park District might attend the Greenways & Trails Council Meeting on January 20 in Springfield as well as the ITC Board Meeting with Diane Banta the same day.
· Diana Cooper – ITC Staff Person from Rockton has videos of the Route 66 Ride, the Long Prairie Trail Poker Run, Boone County Fair Exhibit and one from the Kal-Haven Trail in Michigan.
ITC MEMBERS ARE ACTIVE, GENEROUS
& SUPPORTIVE….
·
ITC RECEIVED CHECKS FOR $100.00 from
Tom Callum in Wheaton, Geoge Burrier in Morton, Leo
Skinner in Elk Grove Village, Donovan Gardner in Poniac,
Ron Dierks in Caledonia and Ron & Judy Ziemba in
Chillicothe. THANK YOU ALL FOR
YOUR GENEROSITY.
·
Peter Botzek from Chicago sent
Bev another of his short tales “The German Tavern”.
·
Kim Chao from Addison renewed
her membership in ITC after dropping.
RETURNS ARE IMPORTANT.
·
Julie Colby from Danville shared
a funny Proposed Amendment 28 to the US Constitution
from internet.
·
Jean Collins from Western Springs
sent Bev concerns from Friends of the Forest
Prserves regarding property in Cook County.
Preserving Natural Areas is important as well as
providing recreation for citizens.
·
Deborah Fagan from DuPage County
Planning assures Bev that Com-Ed has begun the
approved planting project for the 750 large shrubs along
the Illinois Prairie Path and the Great Western Trail.
A one year guarantee on the plantings is in place
in case there is any loss other than due to nature.
·
Avis & Jeff Fisher foam McHenry
thanked Bev for the renewal notice and will be mailing a
check.
·
June Ground from Mattoon had
difficulty downloading Dec. TRAIL NEWS so Bev mailed her
one.
·
Gordon James from Elgin sent Bev
newspaper articles “Bikers getting bogged down”
about ruts on the Illinois Prairie Path and
“Village Endorses Red Gate Bridge Project”
See
www.redgatebridge.org for more.
·
Sylvia Kellog from Hinsdale
reminds us that there will be no BRATS meeting in
January.
·
Bonnie Pink from McHenry asked
where to mail renewals. The P.O. Box
10 mail gets forwarded to Florida.
·
Mike Rucker from Peoria sent Bev
one of his books “Terry & the Dinosaurs”.
Bev is waiting for him to write on about “Terry
and the Bike Trail”. Terry is a
little bull-dozer who has lots of adventures.
·
Al Sturges from Park Forest
thanked Bev for sending him the new IDOT Chicagoland
Bike Map and shared information about how Mike Incoperto
could enlarge the font on TRAIL NEWS.
Use Edit, Zoom, 200%.
·
Bill Turnow from El Paso also
had difficulty with download of TRAIL NEWS.
Bev mailed him one.
·
Greg Valent from Chicago sent
Bev info about a book called Prairie Fever.
It has a photo of a bridge on Tunnel Hill Trail
in Southern Illinois. Bev forwarded
it to Louise Grobl. Greg keeps up on
all trails.
·
Eberhard Veit from Crystal Lake
continues to work on trails in Crystal Lake & Woodstock.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU
· January 7, 2010 – Preserving Open Sapce and Green Infrastruction in the Built Environment at Benedictine University – 11:30 – 5:00 p.m. Bev attended in 2009 and found it full of information. Call 630-428-4500E10
· January 12 – Intro to Bicycle Planning in Rockford – 313 N. Main. Mail Registration to LIB in Aurora
· January 15 – Intro to Bicycle Planning in Peoria at Tri-County Planning 211 Fulton Ste 207
· January 15 – Deadline for Proposals for Eagle Creek Resort operations
· January 19 – Intro to Bicycle Planning in Springfield at Sangamon Co. Regional Planning on 9th Street
· January 21 – Intro to Bicycle Planning in St. Louis, Mo. East-West Gateway Board Room
· January 29 – Intro to Bicycle Planning in Woodstock at McHenry County Administration Bldg.
· February 3 – Intro to Bicycle Planning in Champaign Illinois Terminal – 4th Floor 45 E. University Ave.
· February 5 – Intro to Bicycle Planning in North Aurora at Messenger Library, 113 Oak St.
· February 16 – Intro to Bicycle Planning in Des Plains at Oakton Community College
· February 17-19 – Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Chicago – Call 815-547-3740 for Information
· February 19 – Intro to Bicycle Planning in E. Hazel Crest at South Suburban Mayors 1904 W. 174th St.
· February 25 – Intro to Bicycle Planning in Wheaton at DuPage County Bldg. 421 N. County Farm Rd.
· May & June 2010 – 10th Anniversary Celebrations of the GIT GRAND ILLINOIS TRAIL
· June 12-13 – TOMRV, QuadCities BC
· June 13-18, 2010 GITAP RIDE – Contact Chuck Oestrich @ chuckace2@gmail.com for information.
· June 20 – Ride the River, River Action
· August – Quad Cities Marathon
CONTACT ILLINOIS TRAILS CONSERVANCY at www.ILLTrails.com or Bev at bebomoore@aol.com regarding anything mentioned in TRAIL NEWS. The address is P.O. Box 10 - Capron, Illinois 61012 & the phone number is 815-569-2472 or cell 815-289-1024 with fax 815-569-2976.