Update from The Friends of the West River Trail Lower Section Steering Committee:
West River Trail users may have noticed the No Trespassing signs and logs blocking the parking area at the Rice Farm Road trailhead. We want you to know that the FWRT lower section steering committee is aware of this. There is a misunderstanding and we are working on a resolution. For more information, email FWRT at lowersection@westrivertrail.org and/or check the website for updates. Thank you.
The PCL+FIGG Team will conduct the next on-site Trail Talk on Saturday, April 18, 2015.
Interested participants should meet the PCL+FIGG Team at the West River Trail Marina trailhead on Saturday, April 18, 2015, at 8 am and the talk will begin at 8:15 am Participants will walk the trail to the I-91 bridge site, appropriate clothing and footwear is recommended. The trail talk will be led by Caleb Linn, Project Manager for PCL (lead contractor) and William Johnson, Senior Quality Engineer for
FIGG (bridge designer).
The project’s website features up-to-date information about the project, construction photos, and live traffic cameras. If you would like additional information, or would like to be added to the email distribution list for all project updates, please contact Cindy Cook, Public Relations Officer, Adamant Accord, Inc. ccook@adamantaccord.com.
Riverstone Preserve presentation PPT
Click the link above to view a presentation of the River Stone Preserve.
At the recent annual meeting, FWRT board members Lester Humphreys and Paul Cameron gave a presentation on the Riverstone Preserve, a 23-acre parcel which the group acquired in 2013. The land sits one mile north of the Marina restaurant in Brattleboro, between the West River Trail and the river itself. The southern section subcommittee purchased the land for $97,000. One-third of the purchase price was raised in donations and the rest came from a grant from the Vermont Housing Conservation Board. The Vermont Land Trust holds a conservation easement on the property.
Cameron gave an overview of the plant communities in the Riverstone Preserve, which include a sugar maple ostrich fern flood plain community; a river shore grassland that is home to several rare plants such as the great lobelia; and a river cobbleshore, where the FWRT are working to control invasive Japanese knotweed, the worst of several invasive plant species in the preserve. Cameron also reported that last spring a volunteer group formed to develop a management plan for the preserve. So far the group has completed a drainage project, built a trail connector with a board walk, removed an old shed, and continues to work removing invasive species. FWRT would like to build stone steps, picnic table, a pavilion or shelter of some type, and an information kiosk. More volunteers are needed for projects happening this summer, please be in touch if you are interested in volunteering.
The West River Trail is open. Please be aware that there are intersections between construction access and the trail path, and users should exercise extreme caution at these intersections. As an additional safety precaution, users of the West River Trail are reminded to keep pets on a leash in this area. Trail users should be aware that snow removal operations on I-91 may cause snow to fall on the trail.
The next Trail Talk will be held on February 21. Check the I-91 bridge construction website for details.
Friends of the West River Trail (FWRT) in the news. Story published in The Commons issue #292 (Wednesday, February 11, 2015), page B2. Written by Sarah Buckingham.
LONDONDERRY—Work is about to begin to restore the former Newfane depot for use as a railroad museum. The Friends of The West River Trail (FWRT) learned more about this project, and others, when the group held its annual meeting at the former South Londonderry depot last month.
Laura Wallingford-Bacon, president of the Windham County Historical Society in Newfane, said her organization purchased the 1880 building for $42,000 from the children of Fannie and Bill Mantel last fall. It had been in the Mantel family for around 50 years. The railroad went out of business in the 1930s. The purchase price includes historical artifacts in the station. The historical society plans to restore the building and incorporate a collection of artifacts from the West River Railroad that currently resides at the county history museum. South Londonderry and Newfane are the only two of the 10 original depots from the West River Railroad that still sit at their original sites. Other surviving depots that were later relocated can be found in West Dummerston and Williamsville. Wallingford-Bacon said the historical society hopes to raise funds to offset the purchase price and to restore the property and they have received an “encouraging response” to that campaign. The restoration will take place in six phases, with an estimated total cost of around $50,000. The first, and most urgent, phase — addressing drainage and replacing the roof — is expected to cost $16,000.
At the annual meeting, FWRT board members Lester Humphreys and Paul Cameron gave a presentation on the Riverstone Preserve, a 23-acre parcel which the group acquired in 2013. The land sits one mile north of the Marina restaurant in Brattleboro, between the West River Trail and the river itself. The southern section subcommittee purchased the land for $97,000. One-third of the purchase price was raised in donations and the rest came from a grant from the Vermont Housing Conservation Board. The Vermont Land Trust holds a conservation easement on the property.
Cameron gave an overview of the plant communities in the Riverstone Preserve, which include a sugar maple ostrich fern flood plain community; a river shore grassland that is home to several rare plants such as the great lobelia; and a river cobbleshore, where the FWRT are working to control invasive Japanese knotweed, the worst of several invasive plant species in the preserve. Cameron also reported that last spring a volunteer group formed to develop a management plan for the preserve. So far the group has completed a drainage project, built a trail connector with a board walk, removed an old shed, and continues to work removing invasive species. More volunteers are needed for projects happening this summer. FWRT would like to build stone steps, picnic table, a pavilion or shelter of some type, and an information kiosk.
The FWRT board of directors elected Greg Meulemans as board president and treasurer. Humphreys was voted in as vice president of the board and assistant treasurer for the trail’s lower section subcommittee, and Sharon Crossman the assistant treasurer of upper section.
Meulemans reported that FWRT has received a grant for mile markers which will be modeled after railroad markers and be installed along the trail this summer.
The public is invited to the Friends of the West River Trail Open House & Annual Board Meeting on Thursday January 29th at the South Londonderry Depot. The Meeting is at 5:30 pm, followed by a Social Hour with refreshments at 6 pm.
The meeting will include an update on important trail and depot projects and an introduction to the New West River Railroad Museum, under development by the Windham County Historical Society.
For questions and information about the annual meeting and open house, contact Greg Meulemans by email at meulemans@myfairpoint.net. Please join us on Thursday, January 29, 6-7:30 pm at the South Londonderry Depot.
PLEASE NOTE! The Trail Talk scheduled for January 10th has been CANCELLED due to weather.
The next Trail Talk will be held in February. The Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project website features up-to-date information about the project, construction photos, and live traffic cameras. If you would like additional information, or would like to be added to the email distribution list for all project updates, please contact Cindy Cook, Public Relations Officer, Adamant Accord, Inc. at ccook@adamantaccord.com.
Brrrr! Bundle up if you go out on the trail!
The public is invited to monthly Trail Talks to be held for the I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Project. The next trail talk is scheduled for January 10th at 8 AM. Details below.
The PCL+FIGG Team will conduct the next on-site Trail Talk for the Public on Saturday, January 10th at 8:00 AM. The talk will originate at the West River Trail near the marina. The trail talk will be led by Caleb Linn, Project Manager for PCL (lead contractor) and Garrett Hoffman, Design Manager for FIGG (bridge designer). Interested participants should meet the PCL+FIGG Team at the West River Trail trailhead at 8 a.m. and the talk will begin at 8:15 a.m. Participants will walk the trail to the I-91 bridge site, so please wear appropriate clothing and footwear. The project’s website features up-to-date information about the project, construction photos, and live traffic cameras. If you would like additional information, or would like to be added to the email distribution list for all project updates, please contact Cindy Cook, Public Relations Officer, Adamant Accord, Inc. at ccook@adamantaccord.com.
Photo courtesy of https://cleanenergydurham.wordpress.com
Attention all bicycle riders! Light up the night! On December 21, 5:30 pm, meet at Pliny Park in Brattleboro. Deck out your bike to outshine the holiday lights in Brattleboro. Ride south on Main St, south on Canal, RT on Fairview, LT on Maple, RT on Guilford Extension past Living Memorial Park, RT on Western Ave, back to downtown. Followed by social at a downtown location. Spread the word. Please contact Alice Charkes (acharkes@myfairpoint.net) for info.
The PCL+FIGG Team will conduct the next on-site Trail Talk for the Public on Saturday, December 13, 2014. There has been a lot of progress at the I-91 Brattleboro Bridge project site, which will be shared with attendees. The talk will originate at the West River Trail near the marina. The trail talk will be led by Caleb Linn, Project Manager for PCL (lead contractor) and Garrett Hoffman, Design Manager for FIGG (bridge designer). Interested participants should meet the PCL+FIGG Team at the West River Trail trailhead on Saturday, December 13, 2014, at 8 a.m. and the talk will begin at 8:15 a.m. Participants will walk the trail to the I-91 bridge site, so please wear appropriate clothing and footwear. The project’s website features up-to-date information about the project, construction photos, and live traffic cameras. If you would like additional information, or would like to be added to the email distribution list for all project updates, please contact Cindy Cook, Public Relations Officer, Adamant Accord, Inc. at ccook@adamantaccord.com.
A note from Jason Cooper on the West River Trail workday:
“It was a beautiful fall day. Cool with just a hint of rain at one point. We repaired some erosion on the hills of the I-91 bridge construction bypass trail. Beyond that we cleared drainage culverts and ditches, drying out some wet spots and cleared several branches that had come down along the trail. We even had one volunteer who replaced the gate post that someone had pulled out of the ground at the Rice Farm trailhead.
We got a lot done! As we were wrapping up for the day people began pulling out cheese, chocolate, hot cider and goodies to share, tasty rewards for a job well done, a few hours well spent, in the good company of others. Many thanks to Michael Esposito, Lester Humphreys, Malcolm Moore, Scott Hurley, Kathleen White, Jim Webster, Hank Lange and Marcia Steckler for coming out to help improve the trail. And to Elin Waagen for taking photos.
The trail is now clear and in good shape for the winter. As I rode the trail this past Sunday I was pleased to see how many people of all ages were out enjoying it”.
THE WEST RIVER TRAIL 