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GOOD NEWS FROM APRIL MEETINGS @ IDNR & IDOT:

ATTITUDES ARE MUCH MORE UPBEAT due to a Governor who actually will put forth a budget.
Optimism exists about Historic Preservation being folded back into IDNR as it was in the past.
Hopefully we will see some announcements on the March 2008 Recreational Trails Program Grant Apps.
March 2009 Recreational Trails Program Grants are being evaluated.
Old RTP unobligated funds will be coming available.
Ed Barsotti asked why there is such a delay with RTP Funds. Greg Piland from FHWA explained.
FEDERAL ENHANCEMENTS ARE UP FOR REAUTHORIZATION IN MID-MAY.
Route 66 may become a 3 Day Get Away at Tourism Department.
A 25 mile Corridor is being Railbanked between Urbana & Danville.
Imagine a Trail between Peoria, Bloomington, Champaign/Urbana and Danville. WOW!
A Southern Illinois Regional Trail Plan is in the works.
CONTACT TIM MILAM @ Tim.Milam@illinois.gov if you have a SHOVEL READY PROJECT.

ITC ACTIONS IN APRIL INCLUDE:

April 1 – Created, copied & distributed APRILTRAIL NEWS to 220 ITC Members & Groups
April 2 – Received e-mail from Michael Aldas regarding his Eagle Scout Project along the Great Western Trail.
April 2 – Received e-mail from Rails to Trails sharing information about the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). For information go to activetransportation@railstotrails.org Applications for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant EECBG funds are available from the Department of Energy site.
April 3 – Received thanks from Kartik Sribarra at RTC for spreading the word about these programs.
April 3 – Don Kirchenberg ask Bev about our ITC web site. It can be found at www.ILLTrails.com Jim Gehrke is our web manager and does a great job keeping it active and full of good links and information.
April 5 – Bev received some really fun info about Congressman Earl Blumenauer called Bicycles:Healthy Transportation.
April 5 – Bev also received info about Trail Bridges from Custom Manufacturing in Clinton, Wisconsin.
April 5 – Tom Baer, Head Udder of the McHenry County Bicycle Club e-mailed Bev regarding a road on the route.
April 6 – Diane Banta from National Park Service shared information from Experience Your America.
April 6 – Received the news that SAFETEA-LU’s reauthorization bill draft is under way with a mid-May target date.
April 7 – ELECTION DAY – Bev lost her bid to remain President of Capron leaving more time for ITC. YIPPEE!
April 7 – Received a renewal notice from Center for Neighborhood Technology which ITC supports.
April 8 – Tom Baer from McHenry County Bicycle Club offered to borrow “grabbers” for LPT Trail Cleanup.
April 8 – Bev received e-mail from Bob Clay expressing disappointment with response he received from Todd Hill on the Route 66 Trail Plan. Bev telephoned him later for a person to person talk.
April 9 – Mailed letters to Federal Legislators regarding reauthorization of the SAFETEA-LU bill. Jerry Costello from Belleville, Phil Hare from Moline, Timothy V. John from Bloomington, Daniel Lipinski from Chicago and Aaron Schock from Peoria. ISN’T IT GREAT THAT THEY ARE ALL FROM TOWNS WITH TRAILS.
April 9 – Received e-mail from Diane Banta re meeting up in Springfield on April 15 between Trail Meetings.
April 10 – Again received thanks from RTC for ITC efforts on behalf of the SAFETEA-LU bill.
April 10 – Received e-mail from Ed Barsotti at LIB re Route 66. Check out http://www.bikelib.org/route66/2009ride
April 10 - Received more e-mail from Bob Clay in Bloomington regarding Route 66 Plan
April 14 – Bob Clay sent me an article from the Bloomington Pantagraph about a disabled cyclist riding on Route 66.
April 14 – Received an invitation to have an exhibit at Green Earrth Fair In Naperville.
April 15 – Attended IDNR Greenways & Trails Council & IDOT Inter-Agency Bikeways Meetings in Springfield.
April 15 – Received an update on the Eagle Scout Project from Michael Aldas & Don Kirchenberg.
April 16 – Sent in the check and application for Mid-America Trails & Greenways Conference in Kalamazoo in Oct.
April 17 – Mailed a letter to Governor Pat Quinn thanking him for opening parks, supporting trails and expressing concern about reprinting Illinois Official Bicycle Maps.
April 18 – Coordinated the LONG PRAIRIE TRAIL CLEANUP. BEAUTIFUL DAY, LOTS OF HELP. THANKS. People came from Chicago, Vernon Hills, Lake Villa, Lake Zurich, Schaumburg, Crystal Lake and Roscoe to help.
April 19 – Received a photo from Ron Saluski of the folks from Lake County who came to help with cleanup.
April 20 – Received a notice on progress of the Canadian National Railway Project at www.stbfinancedocket35087.com
April 21 – Drove to Galena for Earth Day Exhibit at Earth Fest.
April 21 – Forwarded information to Vermillion County Conservation Dist. Re dangerous boating on Middlefork River

April 22 – Received the Green Issue Online from Rails to Trails
April 24 – Received letter of Thanks for ITC donation to Illinois Environmental Council & participation in Lobby Day
April 24 – Ed Barsotti from LIB hopes Bev has better luck with Rep. Schock than he had in Washington D.C.
April 27 – ITC Logo was forwarded to Mid-America Trails Conference as a sponsor.
April 30 – Christie Trifone from Galena asked for Bev’s help with getting in touch with Tim Milam at IDOT
April 30 – Bob Clay e-mailed Bev that Normal held a public meeting announcing their proposed Bike/Pedestrian Plan. Good attendance and encouraging comments from officials. See http://www.normal.org in a couple of weeks for info. Bob also met Don & Sharon A. Mcginnis from the Friends of the Constitution Trails and was encouraged about Route 66.

ITC MEMBERS ARE ACTIVE AND TOTALLY SUPPORTIVE:

ITC received $100.00 Trailblazer membership renewals from Fred Bates & Ellen Benjamin, Bev Moore, Art Krumrey & Cinda Berry. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR GENEROSITY.
Peter Botzek from Chicago sent Bev more wonderful short stories. ITC MEMBERS ARE TALENTED.
Jean Collins from Western Springs is looking forward to a visit on the Long Prairie Trail & Bev in June.
Deborah Fagan at DuPage County helped Michael Aldas find his Eagle Scout Project and encouraged Bob Clay with his pursuit of the Route 66 Plan. Check out the DuPage County website at www.dupageco.org/bikeways
Mary Lou Fitzpatrick from Roscoe shared her Florida bike ride on the Legacy Trail in Venice.
Carl Hall from Georgetown was able to e-mail Bob Hargis who has moved to Ohio via Bev.
Sylvia Kellogg from BRATS in Wheaton sent Bev minutes of the April 14 Meeting. BRATS ARE THE BEST
John Kremer from McHenry County Conservation Dist. Purchased a bicycle from Bev and shared the frustrating news about the extension of the Long Prairie Trail to Chemung. Too much drainage along the corridor. NOTHING IS EASY.
Joe Pakovits has moved to Pennsylvania and will be dropping his membership. WE MISS HIM & WISH HIM WELL.
Bonnie Pink from McHenry is waiting to become a first time Grandma today. TEACH THEM TO RIDE EARLY.
Bob Thornberry from Alton enjoys being grandpa, churchgoing & volunteering. RETIREMENT IS GREAT.
Gabby Greg Valent from Chicago is out and about again now that the weather is getting better. He actually rode the Lake County Skokie Valley Trail. The work on the tunnel under the railroad tracks between the trail’s northern end and IL. 176 in Lake Bluff is supposed to start again soon.

ITC BOARD MEMBERS ARE BUSY WORKING FOR YOU

George Burrier from Peoria mailed Bev an article from Iowa Trails Advocate about bicycle sales from bike tours. He e-mailed Bev minutes from the Recreational Trail Advocates April meeting and news of a public hearing on May 6 on the Northmoor Road project. He also coordinated a Trail Cleanup on the Kellar Branch. BUSY BOARD MEMBERS.
Greg Luttrell from Edwardsville is currently working as Director of Public Works in Overland, Missouri.
Bruce Perry from Port Byron shared information about a meeting with Director of IDNR Marc Miller. The Governor is interested in getting “kids” into the parks and outside and active. GOOD NEWS FOR ILLINOIS.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU IN 2009

May 1 – Wolf Creek State Park Earth Day Event
May 2 - Eagle Scout Project Work Day along Great Western Trail. Contact Michael @ mancilla05@yahoo.com
May 3 – Green Earth Fair @ 10S404 Knoch Knolls Rd. in Naperville. 1-5:00 p.m. See www.GreenEarthInstitute.org
May 4 – Lincoln Trail State Park Earth Day Event
May 7 – John Sauk Trail State Park – Earth Day Event
May 12 - BRATS Meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Wheaton Park District Community Center
May 16 - DuPage River Sweep sponsored by The Conservation Foundation
May 17 – Kids Bike Rodeo at Herrick Lake Forest Preserve
May 23 – St. James Farm Special Celebration – 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Music, Art, Food & Carriage Rides.
June 6 - NATIONAL TRAILS DAY - celebrated by DuPage County Forst Preserve Dist. at Waterfall Glen from 9:00 a.m. - Noon. Remove litter and cut brush along sections of this trail
June 14-20 - GITAP Grand Illinois Trail & Parks Ride - Contact Chuck Oestreich at 309-788-1845 or oestreich@qconline.com
July 11 – Tour de Donut in Staunton, Illinois – E-mail stauntonchamber@hotmail.com for info.
July 18 – McHenry County Farm Bureau 7^th Annual Tractor Trek from Harvard to Candlewick.
July 25-26 - Chase the Moon Bike Ride sponsored by Conservation Foundation. www.theconservationfoundation.org
August 8 - POKER RUN ON THE LONG PRAIRIE TRAIL
August 11-16 - Boone County Fair in Belvidere
August 29 – ROUTE 66 MEDIA RIDE FROM ST. LOUIS TO CHICAGO.
October 25-28 – MID AMERICA TRAILS & GREENWAYS CONFERENCE IN KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

ITC HAS NEWSLETTERS TO SHARE FROM: Illinois Trail of Tears, Illinois EnviroBulletin, Trailnet, McHenry County Pedaler, the Heron from Conservation Foundation, The Confluence & OUTDOOR ILLINOIS. Subscribe at 1-800-726-3249.

CONTACT ILLINOIS TRAILS CONSERVANCY at www.ILLTrails.com Contact Bev about anything mentioned in TRAIL NEWS. E-Mail her at ITC bebomoore@aol.com for info. Illinois Trails Conservancy is P.O. Box 10, Capron, IL. 61012. Cell phone is 815-289-1024.