The Pieces for the first ever Down East Sunrise Trail News



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This newsletter is sponsored with generous support!



Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop
Sunrise Trail Coalition Directors
Sally Jacobs, President Bill Ceckler, Vice President

Eleody Libby, Treasurer Stephanie Clement, Secretary

Bill Cherry David Whitney

Jacob van de Sande John Ashmore

Maggie Warren Michael Shook

Jef Fitzgerald Carol Cuddy



Polly Ceckler Sandy Johnson

Tim Tunney
The Sunrise Trail Coalition is a publicly supported non-profit charitable 501(c)3 organization. Dues are tax deductible. Learn more at www.sunrisetrail.org.






Sunrise Trail Coalition
Membership Application

Name: _______________________________


Address: _______________________________
E-mail _______________________________
Phone _______________________________
Affiliation/Club _________________________

If applicable




$10

Individual/family membership (Member-1 vote)

$ 25

Sustaining member

$25

Non/Profit and Club membership (Club-1 vote)

$ 50

Business membership

$5

Club associate (Members-1 vote. Specify Club)

$500

Lifetime membership


Please mail this form with your check made out to “Sunrise Trail Coalition.” to:

Eleody A. Libby, Treasurer / Sunrise Trail


43 South Lubec Road, Lubec, ME 04652

Down East Sunrise Trail News

The newsletter of the Sunrise Trail Coalition

July, 2008 ~ www.sunrisetrail.org

Mission


The purpose of the STC shall be to promote outdoor recreation, health and fitness, and economic development in Hancock and Washington Counties in the State of Maine through education and the development of an integrated on- and off-road four-season, shared-use trail system.

Construction Underway

On Friday, June 20, 2008, Vaughn Thibodeau and Sons of Bangor pulled the first spike from the Calais Branch rails. After decades of disuse, the tracks and ties were deteriorated and facing an unlikely future for rail users.



On Monday, June 23, a group of trail supporters and local leaders met with WABI TV in Whitneyville to record the kickoff of rail to trail conversion. They were surprised and excited to learn that the contractor had already taken up two miles of track and one mile of ties.


Bill and Polly Ceckler, Bill Cherry, Sandra Johnson, Carol Cuddy, Emily Bean, Kathleen Shannon, and Machias Mayor Betsy Fitzgerald gave a great cheer as the Down East Sunrise Trail becomes a reality after many years of planning. WABI TV was in Whitneyville and Hancock to record the kickoff, and provided

footage on the evening news. The Bangor Daily News and WLBZ TV also reported the next day.


The contractor hopes to complete approximately 40 miles of trail by the end of this year. The contract calls for completion of the trail from Ayers Junction in the east to Washington Junction in the west by fall 2010; however it is hoped that they will be able to complete the job in 2009.

Letter from the President
Sally Jacobs

We have Trail!


We have been working and waiting for this day for 17 years. Some would say 21, if you count from the year the State bought the Calais Branch.
On June 7, 2008, National Trails Day, Senator Dennis Damon joined us in Machias to announce that the contract would soon be signed with Vaughn Thibodeau and Sons of Bangor, and the rehabilitation of the Calais Branch and the construction of the Down East Sunrise Trail would soon begin. The trail may be open by fall 2009! Thanks go to Senator Damon for coming to our celebration and supporting the Down East Sunrise Trail.

Senator Dennis Damon and David Whitney Celebrate Trails Day in Machias

We have lots of good news and many people to thank.
First, many thanks go to the wonderful presenters at the Business Conference, April 2, at the University of Maine in Machias. The building was bursting with expert panelists, enthusiasm, and people who were excited about the business prospects related to the trail. We were lucky to have five conference sponsors: the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, the East Coast Greenway Alliance, the Maine Snowmobile Association, ATVMaine, and GOMaine Commuter Connections. Thank you for your generous support.
The National Trails Day event on June 7, was once again made special by having the Big Barbecue and the Ukulele Band at Whitney’s Tool Shed, compliments of David Whitney. Many thanks go to David and to Machias Mayor Betsy Fitzgerald and the Town of Machias for hosting our celebration and parade.


Our sponsors for this newsletter are the Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop and Cadillac Mountain Sports. Please give them your business in appreciation.
And that brings us to an important subject: Membership. I thank all of you who have joined the Sunrise Trail Coalition. We need members and trail users need us! Ideally we can all be both. Now that the trail is under construction, there will be many exciting things for you to know about! Your dues help pay for the newsletter that keeps you up-to-date. The new Management Committee will need member input. We will be sponsoring activities and events. We are a coalition of all trail users: We want to stay connected to all existing and future trail groups, especially those in Washington and Hancock counties. We will need volunteers to manage and maintain this wonderful gift to Maine—the Down East Sunrise Trail. Please send in your membership so we can stay in touch and you can join in the fun!
Until next time, Happy trails.

Work Set To Begin On Rail Corridor Rehabilitation Project!
Excerpts: June 19, 2008 Press Release


The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) and the Maine Department of Conservation (DOC) have announced that construction is set to begin on the 85-mile Calais Branch Corridor Rehabilitation and Downeast Sunrise Trail Project.

The Calais Branch Corridor Rehabilitation Project is an interagency effort that will rehabilitate and preserve the 85-mile rail corridor for future rail use as well as provide a wide, compact gravel base, multi-use trail for snowmobilers, ATVs, pedestrians, bicyclists, cross country skiers, equestrians, and others.

Vaughn Thibodeau & Sons of Bangor will rehabilitate the rail bed corridor from Washington Junction in Hancock to Ayers Junction in Pembroke.

This project, overseen by both DOC and MaineDOT, will remove the substandard rail, repair washouts, place decking over bridges, rehabilitate the corridor, and construct an 85-mile multi-use trail and parking lots. Rehabilitation will take approximately 14 months and cost $3.9 million. The multi-use trail is expected to open in the fall of 2009.

DOC will manage and maintain the corridor until circumstances warrant the return of rail.

“This project is very important because it rehabilitates the deteriorated rail bed and preserves it for future rail use,” said MaineDOT Commissioner David Cole. “In the interim, the region will benefit from a multi-use trail in the corridor that will attract visitors, help the economy, and provide recreational opportunities for people in the region until rail returns.”

“Putting this asset to use for the region as a multi-use trail is enormously important,” said Senator Dennis Damon, chair of the state’s transportation committee. It makes sense to rehabilitate the corridor, protect it and put it to good use for the region.”

"This project is an important step in maintaining the rail corridor as an asset," said Governor Baldacci. The preservation of the structure ensures the option to expand rail to Eastern Maine in the future."

The multi-use trail will bring economic and recreational benefits to the Washington and Hancock County areas like rail trails in Central and Northern Maine. Some economic benefits include people visiting area attractions, staying at local hotels, and using local restaurants.

“These types of trails are enormously popular and help fill up area hotels and restaurants throughout the year,” said DOC Commissioner Patrick K. McGowan.



Trails and Business Conference
Explores Economic Opportunities
Jim Fisher, HCPC

On April 2nd, trail advocates, business owners, state and local development organizations and interested citizens gathered at the University of Maine-Machias to share ideas making the Sunrise Trail a force for economic prosperity.


The session included updates on the Downeast Sunrise Trail, examples of trails contributing to community and business development. You can learn more at www.sunrisetrail.org. Highlights from the conference include:


  • This has been done many times in many places. Carl Knoch from the Rails to Trails Conservancy presented many examples of successful trails from around the country. Visit www.railstotrails.org for more.

  • Success is the result of coordinated public and private investments. Federal, state, and local public funding can provide basic trail infrastructure and ongoing maintenance.

  • Many regional organizations are ready to help us. Presentations by Bar Harbor Bank and Trust, Coastal Enterprises, Women Work and Community, MaineDOT, and MaineDOC highlighted many opportunities.


Getting there is half-the fun. Progress comes in sudden jumps. Holding celebrations and public events keeps volunteers engaged, builds excitement about the trail, and motivates others to invest in the trail.



Truck Crossing Trestle Bridge Near Whitneyville

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