Ready to Roll! President s Message. The Quarterly Newsletter Published by the Linn County Trails Association. A Valuable Tool

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1 The Quarterly Newsletter Published by the Linn County Trails Association Ready to Roll! By Troy Albrecht Quick quiz: How many of you reading this article have tried inline skating? Never mind that it is the fastes t-growing sport in the country. Don t worry about the fact that it burns more calories than cycling, and almost as many as jogging, with less than half the impact shock to the joints. Can t afford it? Hah! Considering a decent pair of blades can be found for about the same price as a pair of running shoes, I ll bet you can! Maybe you should stop thinking about it and give it a shot. Want another reason? The city of Cedar Rapids has made paved trails a priority within its park system. We now have almost 7 miles of bladeable trails running through the center of town. While I would agree that this is not enough for a community of our size, it is at least a step in the right direction, and the city has plans for even more miles in the near future. Inline skating started in 1979 in Minneapolis by two hockeyplaying brothers who wanted another way to train. As they skated down roads, other hockey players, and even skiers, took note and the sport quickly took off. There was only one problem. As most of you have probably noticed, trends usually begin on either coast and slowly make their way towards the Midwest. So in 1984, the brothers were bought out and inline skating was marketed nationwide. Specifically, one example of marketing was placing blades in (Continued on page 8) President s Message Spring, 2001 By Jim Wing, LCTA President Rolling Along Cedar Lake I want to thank each of you who have joined or renewed their membership or contributed towards trail development. I realize that most of you only want to support us financially, and that is great. However, there are some of you who have expressed interest in doing more. We are going to try and provide you with some opportunities to get out and actually work on the Grant Wood Trail if this is of interest to you. We will have several work days this year. Notification of work day details will be via and our website [ ]. The accompanying story tells of our plans to utilize an network. The newsletter is too infrequent, phoning too cumbersome, and mailing too costly and time -consuming. We are also going to try and have a few more fun activities for you to participate in if you choose. There will be a walk on the newest open section of the Grant Wood Trail on May 19 th. This will only be advertised through the newsletter and details can be found on page 11 of this issue. We also will sponsor a Freedom Festival event on the Cedar River Trail. Lastly, we may hold some sort of night walk on the Sac and Fox Trail this fall. With the Coltons returning from Texas soon, other ideas may also surface. By trying to improve the newsletter, and by providing the above-mentioned activities, we are trying to give you a little more for your generous financial support. We are working hard to develop a trail system, and your backing is critical. Come on out and meet some other trail supporters and have some fun. A Valuable Tool LCTA is putting together an network that we believe will be very beneficial. We hope as many members and contributors as possible will be on it. Some of the uses will include notification of work days on the Grant Wood Trail, reminders of scheduled activities and meetings, keeping you informed on trails related news stories and events, updating you on political candidates/officials and their views or actions as they relate to trails, requests from the board to the general membership for information, data, or assistance, and requests to you to elected officials, newspapers, conservation board members, etc. There have been a number of times, for example, when it would have been nice to have had the ability to quickly inform the membership on an issue and ask them to an elected official. is an easy way to let someone know your opinion without actually having to call them. If you are interested in being on this list and receiving or sending trails s, please Dean Barnum at djbarnum@aol.com with your address. Once you are on the list, you may send an to the group at trails@descriptor.com Hopefully, this will enable you to stay better informed and have a real positive effect on the process of trail building in this community.

2 SPRING 2001 TRAIL CONNECTIONS PAGE 2 By Keith Fletcher March 26, 2001 With the arrival of spring, we will now be able to pick up where we left off late last fall. Ho wever, the Hwy 13 to Oxley Road segment that we opened in 1999, will need cleanup after the long hard winter. Also, the gates that were vandalized late in the season will need to be repaired or replaced this spring. For the purpose of simplifying discussion of the different portions of the GWT, the portion already open is considered to be Phase I. The portion from Oxley Road to Springville Road is designated as Phase II, and the portion from Springville Road to the Linn-Jones county line will be designated as Phase III. The main emphasis this year will be on Phase II. This is the portion shown as segments B through G on the map (below), which is re peated from the last issue of the newsletter. Segment G on this map is actually an easement across the north side of the right-of-way and varies in width from 16 to 40. This easement is scheduled to be surveyed in the very near future. The surveying will be followed by clearing off trees and other debris as necessary and then installing a fence along the entire south side of the easement supplementing the existing fence on the north side. When this is accomplished, we will then be ready to clear the upper end of segment F all the way southwest to the missing bridge. Overall, there is a considerable amount of clearing activity planned for this year. Starting at Paralta Road, there is some minor clearing needed on segment F northward to the missing bridge. Then working south from Paralta Road, we will now be able to clear our newly purchased segment E property as well as the northern part of segment D. You may recall that we had a very productive trail clearing session last October. We cleared out approximately the lower two - thirds of segment D. The volunteers who accomplished this included LCTA general members, LCTA board members, as well as some non-members with an interest in trails. The names of these volunteers were unintentionally omitted from the last issue of the newsletter but are listed here in recognition of the fine job that they did: Barbara & Roger Flint, Marilyn & Gordon Gott, Dick Chelikowsky, Nancy Wickersham, Gary Darland, Ed Colton, Dean Barnum, Dave Oliver, Martin Nash, John Wauer, Bill Ronnenberg, Milo Popp, and Larry Jayne. We hope to accomplish much of our trail clearing early in the season this year, with the additional goal of drawing on volunteers from our entire LCTA membership. When accomplished, a trail walk is planned to give as many of our members as possible an opportunity to become familiar with this very scenic Phase II Portion of the GWT. What are we going to do about the missing bridge? If we had a new bridge in place and the trail clearing Grant Wood Trail Report completed, we could then walk all the way from Creekside Road to Springville Road. We are working on the bridge problem to see if we can find an affordable solution that could be implemented this year, but are as yet making no promises. LCTA has come a long way with the GWT since the original purchase of six miles of right-of-way from CMC Heartland in Eight additional purchase or easement agreements have been negotiated since then to add much needed additional rightof-way. Four of these agreements were for Phase I, three for Phase II, and one for the future Phase III development. Special efforts are continuing to be made to talk to, meet with, and work with various neighbors living near the trail. We hope to listen to any concerns that they may have, and try to cooperate with them whenever possible on resolving any special problems relating to the development of the trail. This will continue to be a priority because we are the new kids on the block and they are understandably concerned about what kind of neighbors we will be. Keith Fletcher photograph Grant Wood Trail (Oxley Rd to Springville Rd) View looking west toward the widest part of the Segment G easement. The GWT will jog to the left beyond this point and then follow the east/west fence line.

3 SPRING 2001 TRAIL CONNECTIONS PAGE 3 Cedar Lake Trail Hub Has Rich History By Dale Todd, Parks Commissioner The next time you ride your bike or jog the trail along the banks of Cedar Lake, say a quiet thank you to the visionaries who had the foresight to develop and preserve parts of the lake area for future recreational use. Today, Cedar Lake provides a quiet link to our city s past. The peace and quiet that exists in this urban wildlife sanctuary is a lasting monument to the early forces that shaped Cedar Rapids. First used by Indians and Cedar Rapids s earliest settlers for a place to hunt and fish, Cedar Lake has always played an important role in the development of our city. In its early years, the backwaters of the Cedar River combined with the crystal clear spring water from McCloud s Run to form a swamp -like area or slough. In 1910, Iowa Electric Light and Power built a dam to back up the water and form a lake. Not only did the dam alleviate the smell of the slough, but it also provided water for the coal generation plant. Iowa Electric found that the spring-fed water from McCloud s Run worked better in their steam boilers than river water from the Cedar. The proximity of the Sixth Street power plant to downtown and its central hub location resulted in a flux of railroad development during the turn of the century. Whether moving grain from Quaker Oats or beer from one of the early breweries that once lined the lake before Prohibition, industries have always used the lake for their needs. But it was during the turn of the century that city leaders began to talk about the need to develop the Cedar Lake area for recreational uses. WG Haskell, Alderman and early Riverfront Commissioner, said that it is of the opinion of those who have looked over the ground that the lake could be converted into a most beautiful resort unequaled by anything in all Iowa, if funds were available. Also in 1910 efforts to provide ice skating on the lake fell short when the City Council turned down a request by the Woman s Ga rden Club to string lights on the lake and pay an $18 dollar a month light bill. During the depression, the lake was stocked by the DNR with game fish truckloads of fish were distributed to the poor. Fast forward to 1979, when a citizens committee of me m- bers from the Daniel s Park neighborhood identified the Cedar Lake area as a prime location ripe for recreational development. Soon, the 22-member Cedar Lake Master Planning committee was formed. They developed a plan that advocated the public purchase of land in the area. Today the trails and bike paths in the area are a direct result of the plan. While not all of the ideas were implemented, the plan laid the groundwork for the future direction of the park. Probably the most important result of the plan was an agreement worked out in 1982 between the owner of the lake, Iowa Electric Light and Power (today known as Alliant), and the City of Cedar Rapids. It allows the city, for the sum of one dollar, to lease the lake area for recreational purposes. In the lease, the city assumes liability for use, but the primary use of the lake remains Alliant s. This public/private partnership continues to be one that greatly benefits the citizens of Cedar Rapids. Unfortunately, water quality problems surfaced in the early 80 s when fish tested by the DNR showed high quantities of the chemical Chlordane. This chemical was sprayed around the foundation of houses in the area to fight termites. It was banned by the EPA in 1978 but still showed up in the lake sediment. This put Cedar Lake on the list of the DNR s impaired lakes and prohibited the fish from being consumed by anglers. Today we know much more about the lake. Like many urban lakes, the water quality is influenced by what runs into it, (Continued on page 4) Aerial View of Cedar Lake

4 SPRING 2001 TRAIL CONNECTIONS PAGE 4 Rich History (Continued from page 3) and in Cedar Lake the primary problem is the sedimentation that impacts it. However the good news is that the Chlordane levels are dropping and that next year the lake may no longer appear on the DNR s list of impaired bodies of water. Last year the Cedar Rapids City Council assembled an interdepartmental team of planners, engineers, water control, and park staff, and dusted off the original 1980 Cedar Lake plan. Updated and revised to insure for the future preservation of primary parts of the park for recreation, the new plan will improve the lake area for the use of future generations. Current projects for the area include construction this summer, to complete the trail loop all the way around the lake. Design work is substantially complete and the trail should be ready for use this September. LCTA Treasurer, Ed, & Marlene Hayek, on recumbent bicycle. The same factors that made the Cedar Lake area crucial to the development of early Cedar Rapids, today are demonstrated in importance for recreation use. The lake s central location allows it to act as a trail hub and connector to all quadrants of the city. Continued purchase and preservation of land in the area will insure that Cedar Lake continues to play a major role in serving the recreational needs for trail users in Linn County. On the Road Again Minnesota's Spectacular Trails By Diane Handler For in-line skaters, a smooth paved and scenic trail is a real bonus. The Cannon Valley Trail in the central eastern part of Minnesota fills the bill. The trail is 20 miles long, and goes from Cannon Falls to Red Wing. My husband, Bob, and I have visited many trails in Minnesota and this trail turned out to be one of our favorites! The trail goes along an old railroad route that hugged the Cannon River. Tree lined corridors, and open meadows abound, with scenic views of the river. The first time we visited the trail, we bicycled from Cannon Falls to Red Wing (and back again). Both towns are quaint and have lunch spots, shopping and good trail heads. We had planned to inline skate, but a fine misty rain was falling so we donned rain/wind breakers and unloaded the bicycles. We always bring both bikes and skates for days like this, and for variety. The skates slip on a wet trail surface and once the ball bearings in the wheels get wet, they have to be taken apart and dried it is a mess. The bicycling was perfect. We got wet but it was a warm rain and the view was great. Once in Red Wing, a prosperous town by the Mississippi River, we had lunch, biked around the town and headed back up the trail. The rail bed type trail offers a gentle grade so the ride back was easy. We visited Cannon Valley Trail on a later trip and were able to in -line skate. The trail was smooth and it was a great feeling to be flying down the trail. The tree lined areas offered great cover from the sun and wind. Other paved trails within an easy drive of the Cannon Valley Trail, include the everpopular Root River Trail and the lesser-used Douglas Trail, which goes from Pine Island to Rochester. Rochester is a gem of a city to stay in and it too has miles of paved trails in town. Rochester also has tons of hotel rooms (due to the Mayo Clinic) and great restaurants. A new section of the Root River, from Preston to Harmony, was quite different from the rest of the trail. From Preston we skated along a river, then turned and Cannon Valley Trail started up a bluff. The climb went fine and once at the top we were in farm country. Pastures and rows of corn surrounded the trail. The truly amazing feature was all the bluebird houses on the fence posts, about every ¼ mile, and all the bluebirds. Every house seemed to have a family. There were also

5 SPRING 2001 TRAIL CONNECTIONS PAGE 5 Government Relations/Trail Development Committee Report Trails Status - April, 2001 This report on the status of trails in Linn County contains general information on the Cedar River Trail construction, the Cemar Trail, the West Loop and the project to improve trail safety and courtesy. More details are in the trails status chart (pages 6-7) in this issue of TRAIL CONNECTIONS. CEDAR RIVER TRAIL Construction has started on that section of the CEDAR RIVER TRAIL North to 42 nd Street from the parking area at McLeod Run Place. With good weather people living in the Pierce School neighborhood will have better access this summer. Design work is nearing completion for the section going North of 42 nd Street and the city is trying to get the work let this summer. Negotiations are underway for a parking lot South of Collins Road. Hiawatha continues to work on alternate routes- one of which would cause Cedar Rapids to modify their plans. The Most likely scenario is running the trail along Center Point Road crossing Blairs Ferry Road at the main crossing light. Hiawatha ran into problems with the original route along the Railroad ROW and several alternatives which were tried impacted parking and driveways. Contract letting for the remainder of the Cedar Lake Loop trail is scheduled for June. Paving along the South side of the lake was completed last fall so that this work will complete the loop. Parking is available off Shaver Road. Construction of a trail parking lot for the South end of the CRT is underway at Tait Cummins Park and use can probably start in a month. We are close to having all the easements for the Cedar River Trail going South from Tait Cummins Park. New design and IDOT approvals are required for the section down to Highway 30. South of Highway 30 the old design can still be used. Because of delays and route changes we need to find more money for this section and the County part of the trail where it connects with the Hoover Trail. CEMAR TRAIL CEMAR TRAIL is the new name of the link between Cedar Rapids and Marion. The segments and connections are detailed in the trail matrix. This is a very strategic trail since it not only connects Cedar Rapids and Marion, but it will lead to the Dry Creek plus GRANT WOOD and SQUAW CREEK TRAILS where they come together in Squaw Creek Park. We intend to resubmit this trail for Federal funding at the next opportunity. We are hoping that a better explanation of the value of this trail and the support of Marion will convince the people at IDOT. Enjoying the Cedar Lake Cedar River Trail WEST LOOP The trail matrix has been expanded to list several new connections if/when the highway 100 bypass is built around the west side of Cedar Rapids. These connections not only support the strategic value of the West Loop Trail but they will result in some very nice loops which are being sought by more of you who would like to return another way. RIVER LOOP While two segments of the west river trail are paved, we still need to close the gaps. Through the downtown section of Cedar Rapids this could be a matter of some signs. There are, however, two places needing some work behind the police station and along the river in Ellis Park where a water main expansion (which would run under the trail) is holding things up. We will try to get some action on any property matters, which often come up late in the process and cause delays. TRAIL SAFETY AND COURTESY At the July LCTA Board meeting there was considerable discussion about the need to do more about making our trails safe and pleasant places for people to enjoy. Several meetings between LCTA and the Cedar Rapids Parks, Traffic and Safety Departments followed. We have come up with signage and publicity ideas, which we hope to implement soon. The new signs will direct people where to walk, where/how to pass, and will give some improved directional information for people new to the trail system. We are also starting work on a video (targeted for school age persons), and a brochure, which will repeat some of the rules of good trail usage. See TRAILS MATRIX on pages 6-7 of this issue.

6 SPRING 2001 TRAIL CONNECTIONS PAGE 6 provided by Ron McGraw, Government Relations Status of Linn County Trails TRAIL MILES LOCATION AND ROUTE FUNDING/COST OPEN NEXT STEP REMARKS CEDAR RIVER TRAIL 7 Miles are paved Made up of the following segments CRT-A 0.3 Beginning at the CVNT Head south to North Center Point Rd. LCCB funded EST Will proceed when CRT-B is ready Linn County Project CRT-B 0.7 In Hiawatha, from Center Point Rd. to Blairs Ferry Rd. Total Cost: $151, 350. Local match: $30,306 EST Working on Alternative Route $121,224 from Federal Funds CRT-C 1.6 Blairs Ferry Rd South to McCloud Place NE. Parallels I-380, RR, and Creek. CRT-D 2.7 From McCloud Place (North of 32nd St. NE) to the south end of Cedar Lake. LAKE LOOP 1.0 Trail Around Cedar Lake and comfort station at the parking lot Est. Cost $1,392,000. Being revised. $345,000 for Trail plus parking/toilets Funded Part 2000 Rest 2001 OPEN 1997 Part 2000 Rest 2001 Need new route easements finalized Const. to 42nd St. started Design about completed June letting CRT-E 1.8 Through downtown Cedar Rapids to Czech & Slovak Museum. CRT-F 4.3 From the Czech Museum to 1/2 Mile south of Hwy 30. Funded. Total Project: $496,000 New Est. $840,000 to Complete. OPEN 2000 Part 2000 Rest 2002 Route being negotiated N. Half Complete. Construction South half in 2002 CRT-G 1.8 From South of Hwy 30 to Hoover Trail Head north of Ely at 76th St. Cost $420,000.$200,000 local enhancement funds. Est Funding shortfall. Resubmit request Matches; LCTA, 35K, LC 45.5K, Hall 45.5K CEMAR TRAIL Made up of the following segments SEGMENT A 2 In NE CR. From Cedar Lake to 29th St. and on to city limits SEGMENT B 2 From CR city limits to R-100 at Indian Creek Bridge Not funded Total Cost $846,007 Funding Req. $637,500 Unfunded; No Cost 2002? Resubmit funding request Easement work needed Marion/County Seg. Route definition needed SEGMENT C 2 South side of by-pass from Indian Creek Bridge to Squaw Creek Park Unfunded; No Cost Marion Segment; Cost estimate needed All of this route is in the IDOT ROW SEGMENT D 1 From Bypass north to Hannah Park Unfunded; No Cost Marion Segment; Cost estimate needed Easement by development needed RIVER LOOP Made up of the following segments RTH RIVER 4 J Ave. NE via Mohawk Park to Seminole Park & West Bypass No Cost Work put on hold Difficult route problem NW SIDE CONNECTOR 2 In NW CR; Along Edgewood Rd. from O Ave. to the river No Cost Was part of Edgewood RD rebuild Need a plan WEST RIVER 4 In CR; On west side of river from Czech Museum to Ellis Park No total estimate. $40,000 for levee paving in Partial opening 2 Seg. Open; Need a plan for the remaining work Water Main const. Is a problem at Ellis

7 SPRING 2001 TRAIL CONNECTIONS PAGE 7 WEST LOOP Made up of the following segments R-100 BYPASS 7 From Twin Pines Park along R- 100 to Morgan Creek Park Cost estimate part of the highway design SEGMENT B 2 From Twin Pines Park to CRT at 42nd St. Route needs definition SEGMENT C 1 From Twin Pines Park So. To River Loop Route needs definition SEGMENT D 2 From Twin Pines Park to Hiawatha RIVER LOOP Made up of the following segments Route needs definition RTH RIVER 4 J Ave. NE via Mohawk Park to Seminole Park & West Bypass No Cost NW SIDE CONNECTOR 2 In NW CR; From O Ave. to the river No Cost WEST RIVER 4 In CR; On west side of river from Czech Museum To Ellis Park DRY CREEK 4 No total estimate. $40,000 for levee paving in 2000 Made up of the following segments 2000 Partial opening DRY CREEK HIAWATHA 1 From CVNT Head to Tucker Park Unfunded. No Cost DRY CREEK CEDAR RAPIDS 2.3 Tucker park via Broderick Park to Marion City Limits Unfunded. No Cost DRY CREEK MARION 0.7 Boyson Park Trail to CR city limits Unfunded. No cost estimate. OTHER TRAILS INDIAN CREEK 2 Marion. From Donnelly Park to 29th Ave. Unfunded SQUAW CREEK GREEN BELT 4 From 29th Ave. South to the Bypass; then So. Of Squaw Creek Park to Mt. Vernon Rd. Phase 1 $125,000; Total Project $375,000 PRAIRIE CREEK 5 In SW CR; Extending along creek from Edgewood Road to the river No Cost SAC-FOX EXTENSION 3 An extension of the Sac-Fox trail to meet up with the CRT No Cost MT VERN 10 From Sac-Fox Trail along old interurban route to Mt. Vernon Unfunded No Cost KINGSTON TRAIL 2 From the Prairie Creek Trail to near Kingston sports complex No Cost Border Indicates a Change from the last Trail Connections Issue Est. construction Depends upon R-100 going forward Work put on hold Difficult route problem Was part of Edgewood RD rebuild Need a plan 2 Seg. Open; Need plan for the remaining work. Water Main const. Is a problem at Ellis Some wide sidewalks are in place REAP funding received for land purchase in 2000 Land east of C Ave. under negotiations. No activity Marion project No Activity Marion Project Two separate projects LCCB WORKING TO SECURE So. ROUTE No Activity Connects to West Bypass Trail Short segment will be opened in 2001 Need routes defined No Activity Project was put on hold several years ago. Many route details to be worked out. New addition to the long-range plan

8 SPRING 2001 TRAIL CONNECTIONS PAGE 8 Ready to Roll (Continued from page 1) rental shops along Venice Beach, California, where peoplewatching is a sport all unto itself. Today, inline skating is the fastest-growing sport in America, with participation increasing almost 900% during the 90 s. This number, and the need for paved trails, should only continue to increase, as the average age is 18. Some other demographics to consider, include: Over 25% of all households own inline skates. The average person skates 29 days per year. 50% of skaters plan to skate more in the upcoming year. The highest percentage of ownership is in the under 18 category and most skates are given as gifts. Locally, the Cedar Rapids ice arena is removing one sheet of ice this summer for an inline hockey league. This should only increase participation in this community. Like runners and cyclists, most skaters need goals. With the recent surge of popularity and our inherent need to compete, it was only a matter of time before organized races began to sprout up. Personally, my wife and I have participated in the last two Northshore Inline Marathons in Duluth, MN, which is the largest inline event in North America. Last year, over 3500 skaters competed, and this year s organizers anticipate increasing the cap to nearly 4000, as they are now the only North American leg on the World Cup tour. However, if you want to participate in the largest inline skating marathon in the world, you ll need your passport it s in Berlin. Also, the year 2001 marks the inaugural Big Granite Marathon in Ashland, Wisconsin. Other long distance events will be held in New York City, Montreal, and on a course running from Niagara Falls to Buffalo. But for the person who thinks 26 miles isn t enough, save October 7, 2001, on your calendar. This is the date for the Athens-to- Atlanta race. This one-day course consists of 89 miles of rolling Georgia countryside. While I will be participating in the Duluth and Ashland races this year, I ll let someone else tell me about the Athens-to-Atlanta jaunt. Anyone interested in the Midwest events can check out northshoreinline.com and biggranite.com Now for a little lobbying.... You might ask, where does someone train for an inline marathon in this area? Unfortunately, while I did mention that the mileage available in Cedar Rapids is increasing, it is still very low compared to communities of similar size. With the increase in number of skaters locally, the downtown trail has become very crowded, forcing local skaters to surrounding counties and beyond. Many of us feel that the best solution to this issue would be to pave the Cedar Valley Nature Trail. It s been done by our neighbors to the north in Black Hawk County. As a matter of fact, Black Hawk County has over 60 miles of paved trails. Whether it s for recreation, weight loss, off-season hockey training, or marathon training, participation in this sport is only going to increase, increasing our need to pave more trails to meet this growing demand.

9 SPRING 2001 TRAIL CONNECTIONS PAGE 9 CVNT Tree Removal A second Visioning meeting was held on April 9 th to discuss Alliant Energy s plan to remove trees along the right side of the right-ofway along 13 miles of the Cedar Valley Nature Trail. The plan was very different from that which was presented at the first meeting in January. Reacting to concerns raised at the first meeting, the new plan tempers the amount of removal as well as providing for a better plan for replanting in those areas which will be affected. A large contingent of LCTA members were present at the second meeting and felt that the plan was becoming much more tolerable as both sides attempt to find a common ground. LCTA will continue to monitor this process and will keep everyone updated. Thanks to all of you who have been involved. Cedar Lake Fun (All Photos This Page)

10 SPRING 2001 TRAIL CONNECTIONS PAGE 10 The following trail supporters have donated to trail development! THANK YOU! $0-$15 Robert and Velma Leuenberger John Ely David and Linda Langston $16-$25 Dick & Mary Allemang Tom, Sue and Jessica Bullis Gary Donnermeyer Laura Fashoda Sarah and Richard Knight Howard Schiffer John and Beverly Zamastil $26-$50 Daniel and Monica Baldwin Martin Bruns Lee Clancey Craig Clark Gordon Gott John and Nancy Herring George & Mary Kanz Art & Joyce Kelsey Jerry and Regina Meyer Dr. Dale and Ann Roberson $51-$100 Cheryl and Richard Bartunek R.L. and B.K. Flint Dr. James R. & Sharlene Anne Flynn Sara McDermott Stephen and Leah Nelson $200 Laurie Frisch $300 Charles Grado & Ruth Macke $1,333 Weaver Witwer Trust $2,000 Esther & Myron Wilson The Greater Cedar Rapids Foundation Welcome and Thanks to These New and Renewing Members, Renewing Since December, 2000 Dr. and Mrs. David Ard Family Michael & Linda Augustine Family Patrick and Judith Baird Trailblazer Gerry and Kathryn Barr Family Ron and Catherine Baty Family Gregory and Teresa Best Trailblazer Beth Blakeslee Robert Boettcher Family Dr Jeffrey and Diane Buffo Trailblazer Norma Burnham John R. & Joan Carpenter Family Jeff and Sara Clark Family Carolyn Cleveland Family Kenneth and Becky Collier Trailblazer Lillian Coonrod Family Dr. Don Damsteegt Family Bob & Roberta Davison Family Brian and Teri Donnelly Family Gary Donnermeyer Fred and Velga Easker Family John Ely Family Lelland Freie Mr. And Mrs. William Gasway Family Gary Goldstein Trailblazer Tim Grady Mary O. & Donald P. Hattery Family Doug and Linda Hill Family Lynn & Polly Hudecek Trailblazer Jill Jamieson Gregory and Paulette Keeley Family Charles and Rebecca Kelsey Family Judy Kinney Bill Landers Theodore and Christine Lawler Family Robert and Velma Leuenberger Peg and John Maher Family David Maresh Sally and Daniel McAleer Family Sara McDermott Nevin Meredith - James Monagan Trailblazer Ron Moore Susan Murty Family Stephen and Leah Nelson Trailblazer Ronald and Margaret Nelson Family David and Carolyn Oliver Family Dorothy Peterson Helen, Don and Jon Quass Family Dick and Ann Ramsey Family John & Barbara Rosenberg Trailblazer Larry and Bonnie Roth Family Timothy and Shonda Ryken Family Sandra K Scaia Glenn and Darlene Schuller Family William Schwarz Family Daniel and Janet Shaffer Family James and Nancy Spencer Ruby Spencer Peter and Susan Stamats Family Steve Sutliff Robert and Ann Swaney Family Don Thomas Trailblazer Kathy Toborg Bill and Jerilyn Vincent Family Rebecca and Stephen Vlcko Trailblazer Ronald Wasik Trailblazer Dr. John Wollner Trailblazer Robert Woods Family Marlin Zuber Check out our website: Thanks to the authoring skills of Chuck Kelsey, LCTA now has a website! Check us out at Send any comments and suggestions about the web page to Chuck at kelseyc@mwci.net Also, if you have an account, and want to participate in a trails mailing list, send a blank to: subscribetrails@descriptor.com You will receive a welcoming message with instructions on how to use the mailing list and how to unsubscribe. This mailing list is intended for general discussions of trail issues, not limited to trails in Linn County.

11 SPRING 2001 TRAIL CONNECTIONS PAGE 11 Thank You! We would like to thank Bill Prowell from Shuttleworth & Ingersoll PLC as well as Steve Bowman with Iowa Realty for their generous assistance in helping secure land purchases and easement acquisitions for Phase II of the Grant Wood Trail. Their assistance made possible the three agreements that we finalized during If you know either of these men, please let them know how much we appreciate their professional help in what were very difficult transactions. LCTA Officers President: Jim Wing Vice President: Roger Flint Treasurer: Ed Hayek GRANT WOOD TRAIL HIKE SET FOR MAY 19 Mark your calendars for 1:00 on May 19 th for a hike on the newest section of the Grant Wood Trail to be opened. This section is 2.1 miles long and is exceptionally scenic. There will not be anything in the Gazette or on the radio about this as this is sort of a sneak peek for the members, contributors, and other Newsletter recipients. Parking will be at the intersection of Creekside and Secrist Roads To find this location, go to where the Marion Bypass starts at the intersection of Highways 100 and 13 and go east 3 1/2 miles. You will be traveling on Secrist Road and follow this to right past where the road crosses the creek. It is easy to find. Shuttles will be available for those wanting to walk less than the full distance. If it is raining, we will try the following Saturday at the same time. Come join other trail supporters and check out Freedom Festival Event Walk, Ride or Blade the Cedar River Trail during the Freedom Festival LCTA will sponsor this facet of the Freedom Festival Event on July 2, 2001, starting at Greene Square Park, and proceeding to Tait Cummins Park. Along the way, free drinks and snacks will be provided to the first 200 participants. A Festival button will be required. We welcome families to this new event. Mark your calendars now! Secretaries: Jan and Dean Barnum Past President: Joel Barnum Board Members Keith Fletcher Chuck Grado Ed Colton Sandy Colton Peg Maher Barbara Flint Gordon Gott Marty Ralston Troy Albrecht Ron McGraw David Wolf John Wollner Gary Darland Dick Chelikowsky Dick Manning Chuck Kelsey Diane Handler Appointed Stan Eilers Vic Dielschneider Fred Rogers Tim Grady John Rosenburg Ex-Officio Don Thomas Dale Todd Tom Neenan Honorary Bob Davison

12 SPRING 2001 TRAIL CONNECTIONS PAGE 12 Your Membership in the Linn County Trails Association is Impor- Membership Benefits: q Subscription to Trail Connections, our quarterly newsletter. q Invitations to trail events and work days. q Iowa Trails Council Membership and Trails Advocate Newsletter at the Trail Blazer and Partner membership level. q Pride in creating a recreational resource for your community. YES! I want to follow the progress of trails in Linn County. Enclosed is my tax-deductible membership of: TRAIL BLAZER (Trailblazer) $100 TRAIL PARTNER (Family) $ 35 TRAIL SCOUT () $ 20 Please consider an additional donation for NEW TRAIL DEVELOPMENT $ Name(s): Address: City/State/Zip: I would like to help with an LCTA committee (Optional mark one or more): Grant Wood Trail Publicity and Events Fund Raising None at this time Mail donations and membership to: Linn County Trails Association PO Box 2681 Cedar Rapids, Iowa Iowa Trails Council PO Box 131 Center Point, IA CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED N-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Center Point, IA Permit No. 7 Inside This Issue: Ready to Roll/ President s Message 1 GWT....2 Cedar Lake History.3 On the Road Again.4 Government Relations / Trails Matrix CVNT Tree Removal...9 Trail Donors/Members.10 Thanks/GWT Hike/Freedom Festival Event.11 Membership Info..12