Musketawa Trail News

West Michigan Trails & Greenways Fall Update

2009-10-25T20:56:00.003-04:00

Check out the West Michigan Trails & Greenways Fall Update for many exciting local trail happenings. Click HERE
The newest issue of the Friends of the Musketawa Trail newsletter has also been posted. Click on "Newsletters" in the right hand column for the most recent issue as well as back issues.

Help Put the Musketawa Trail on Google Street View

2009-10-20T22:09:00.003-04:00

Help us get the Musketawa Trail included on Google Street View. Click on the link below. Thanks!

Street View Nomination Form

A Note from the West Michigan Trails and Greensways Executive Director

2008-10-08T21:09:00.003-04:00

It's Fall, a beautiful season and a great time of year to get out on the trails for some wonderful color tours!
We hope you are enjoying the Trails & Greenways around western Michigan!

Did you know...
1. Many of the trails are developed and maintained by individual citizen's groups?
2. Many communities & townships support the trails and contribute to their development?
3. It take approximately $75 to cover the cost of constructing one foot of trail?
4. Trails & pathways are safe alternatives to motorized transportation for commuting?
5. Trails & pathways are a safe route to schools for many?
6. You are a key piece of the ongoing work to build new trails and maintain existing ones?
Visit our website: www.wmtrails.org to learn more about West Michigan Trails & Greenways Coalition, and to learn how you can be a partner with us.
Visit www.networkforgood.org to make a tax-deductible online donation to West Michigan Trails & Greenways Coalition.

Thank you for using the trails -- and, thank you for supporting our work.

West Michigan Trails & Greenways Coalition
P.O. Box 325 -- Comstock Park, MI 49321

Please take a moment to complete this brief survey. We want your input...
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=aNxiRQuyX83CD2nbib_2fZDg_3d_3d
Thank you.
--
Sharon R. Nunnelee
Executive Director
West Michigan Trails & Greenways Coalition
4658 West River Drive
Comstock Park, MI 49321
616-485-7805 (cell)
westmichigantrails@gmail.com

Musketawa Trail Named a National Recreation Trail

2008-06-05T22:31:00.004-04:00

In celebration of National Trails Day on June 7th, The Friends of the Musketawa Trail are proud to announce the designation of the Musketawa Trail as a National Recreation Trail. Only 24 trails in the United States and only one in Michigan were bestowed this distinction in 2008. Thanks to the Michigan DNR and the Ottawa County Parks for their assistance in being awarded this honor. For more information on this program take this link to the National Recreation Trails website.

2008-04-13T18:33:00.002-04:00

The newest issue of the Friends of the Musketawa Trail newsletter has been posted. Click on "Newsletters" in the right hand column for the most recent issue as well as back issues.

Message from the West Michigan Trails & Greenways Coalition

2008-04-13T18:22:00.005-04:00

Dear West Michigan Trail Supporters:

As we get geared up for 2008, we can reflect on many great accomplishments from 2007. We completed our $6-million Phase I capital campaign, we were able to get another 28 miles of blacktop on the ground, we're in our new office right off the White Pine Trail at 4865 West River Drive, and we are celebrating several new executive board officers.

We need your help!

Help us jump start 2008 with a donation to the West Michigan Trails & Greenways Coalition. Simply go to www.wmtrails.org/2007/join_up.htm and click on Give Online. The Coalition has teamed up with Network for Good to make your online donation quick and simple. We'll even send you a reminder of your contribution at tax season next year.

Please forward this message to friends and family who want to be a part of trail and greenspace success in West Michigan in 2008.

Sincerely,

Dennis Kneibel
President
West Michigan Trails & Greenways Coalition

Exciting News from our Friends at the White Pine Trail

2007-08-05T16:30:00.000-04:00

Update 9/20/07

We are very happy to report that the paving of the trail to Sand Lake is done! Dean Wall of Dean�s Excavating reported that his paving crew finished the final layer of asphalt on September 19th. His crews are completing the trail shoulder restoration which involves grading the shoulders so they slope away from the trail then raking them out and applying hydro-seed to prevent erosion. During the upcoming weeks they will be replacing signs and doing the final steps needed to wrap up the project.

The Friends of the White Pine Trail would like to recognize the extraordinary work that Dean and his company did on the trail. The project was completed ahead of schedule and the final product is something we can all be proud of. Dean noted that one of the unexpected benefits of the trail paving project was all the excitement and enthusiasm that he received from trail users he happened to talk to. If you have not yet ridden the trail north of Russell Road I would encourage you to do so soon. There has been a steady increase in trail usage since the paving began as a whole new group of trail enthusiasts use the section that was only gravel before.

Group Raises $6.4 million for West Michigan Trails

2007-04-18T13:46:00.000-04:00

Just over a year after setting the lofty goal of raising $6 million to help fund recreation trails in West Michigan, Dave Heyboer and Peter DeBoer have reason to celebrate. Two weeks ago, the pair had secured $6.4 million in contributions, money that would provide local matching funds needed to leverage $18.4 million in federal and state funds for nine trails in West Michigan. "No one ever dreamed it would happen that quick," said Dave Heyboer, president of the West Michigan Trails and Greenways Coalition, which got its nonprofit status in 2005 and kicked off its capital campaign in February 2006. "We thought it would take two to three years to raise that money. Two years ago we didn't know if we'd survive another day."

The group's ambitious principals have been talking up the idea of building 150 miles of new trails in West and Mid-Michigan by 2008, creating a 14-county trailways system. Having the local match in hand now would begin to make the long-term dream possible of eventually building or connecting 510 trail miles in 20 counties. Peter DeBoer, executive director for the coalition, said the coalition raised $4.7 million in private contributions from foundations, corporations and individuals. Another $1.7 million was pledged from townships and counties. "The Meijer Foundation proved to be key," said DeBoer. "Because after we got $1.2 million from the Steelcase and Frey foundations, Meijer said: 'You still have a long way to go.' "He offered us a dollar-for-dollar match up to $3 million." The Meijer match tops his previous $1 million pledge to leverage state and federal money for paving the White Pine Trail to Cadillac -- an offer accepted by the state which required that the trail be named after Fred Meijer.

Eight more miles of the White Pine are slated to be paved this summer from Russell Road north to Sand Lake and the Kent County line. State officials say it and the group's other projects will move ahead despite the recent state moratorium on distributing grant funds issued March 29 by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. That moratorium was one of several to deal with state cash-flow troubles. Building projects, however, funded with "pass-through" federal dollars and funds from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund are "exempt" from the moratorium, according to Dennis Fedewa, chief deputy director for the Department of Natural Resources. A project also could be exempt from the moratorium if it contributed to job creation. "Any past-due funds or projects under way or where there are commitments for work to be done will continue," said Fedewa, adding that isn't guaranteed for operations funding. Heyboer, also president for the Friends of the White Pine Trails, said his group of volunteers will continue to do trail maintenance even if those funds are not available

Paving on the White Pine Trail is expected to begin in mid-July, according Troy Rife, a recreation planner in Cadillac who is spearheading the effort. "If we get authorization to proceed in the next two weeks, we can bid it out and begin construction July 15th," he said. "If not, it gets moved back two weeks." The trail will paved with a special harder-than-normal asphalt formulation designed to withstand the rigors of studded snowmobiles. The additional $50,000 or so in costs for the material will be covered by the state snowmobile fund. The $10,000 required to develop the material was provided by the Michigan Snowmobile Association. "It's an important contribution," said Bill Manson, with the MSA. "We figured why spend all that money on trails and not do it right. This will hold up under the duress of studs."

DNR state parks chief, Ron Olson, said he is enthusiastic about being able to move forward with this project. "It will be nice to get it moving and have it provide some benefits to the trail users," he said. Olson said it has taken several days to get official clarification about the types of projects covered by the moratorium. Earlier this week, DNR staffers were saying that federal and state funds for White Pine and other trails might be held up until the end of September. DeBoer and Heyboer said that gave them a scare. Heyboer had made a trip to Lansing before New Years to deliver a $202,000 check to Olson to cover the local match needed for the eight-mile paving project. The promised bid dates for the contract already had come and gone with no action. The moratorium, if it applied to coalition projects, would mean losing another building season and setting their three-year plan back at least a year. "It's a relief to know that the approved projects will go forward," said DeBoer. "People ask me all the time, when it will be paved. The White Pine is a popular trail and this should benefit those communities north of Rockford."

By Howard Meyerson - hmeyerson@grpress.com
Grand Rapids Press Outdoors Editor
Friday, April 13, 2007
Courtesy of the Grand Rapids Press �2007

Supporters Show Enthusiasm for New Stretch of Bike Trail

2007-04-16T22:09:00.000-04:00

Supporters show enthusiasm for new stretch of bike trail for a potential connection to the Musketawa Trail. If public enthusiasm can help secure state grant money, the committee that's building the new Fred Meijer Berry Junction Trail should have little problem getting the funding it needs. As many as a dozen interested citizens turned out Tuesday at a Muskegon County Commission meeting where a public hearing took place as part of the grant application process for the new bicycle trail.

The citizens loved the idea of having a new 10-mile section of paved trail connecting the existing Hart-Montague and Lakeshore trails, from a point along White Lake Drive to a point along the Causeway in North Muskegon. The turnout was a rarity for public hearings. While the sessions are generally required for any grant application process, few if any people ever show up for them. County commissioners, who were already inclined to support the project, followed the display of public support by voting 11-0 to apply for a $500,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund to help fund the trail.

The county, which will maintain the trail on behalf of the communities it crosses, is also expected to apply for grant, perhaps for as much as $1.4 million, later this year from the Michigan Department of Transportation. Next year the county hopes to secure another grant from the DNR Trust Fund, during the next phase of funding. All the grant money that can be secured, along with the 618,000 already donated by philanthropist Fred Meijer and money being raised locally, is expected to cover the estimated $2 million needed for construction and engineering costs. The first phase of construction, expected in 2008, will pave the northern section from White Lake Drive to McMillan Road and the southern section from Dykstra Road to the Causeway. The final phase, in 2009, will pave the middle section, from McMillan to Dykstra, according to Dalton Township Supervisor Scott Hladki, who chairs the Berry Junction Trail Committee.

Hladki presented petitions at Tuesday's hearing, bearing the signatures of 822 trail supporters. The petitions will accompany the grant application to Lansing. "And I haven't picked up the petitions from Laketon or Fruitland (townships) yet," Hladki told commissioners. "There is a lot of support for this out there. I urge you to get this done." Other citizens backed up Hladki's call. "I heartily recommend that you support this proposal, so we can get the trails tied together, and the Hart-Montague and Lakeshore trailways can become one singular trail system that people can come from across the lake to Muskegon and enjoy," said Harry Wierenga of North Muskegon. Greg Scott, an official from Pioneer Resources, a non-profit group that serves handicapped residents, told commissioners that his organization and its clients use local bicycle trails extensively. "Our club owns special tandem bikes that allow people with disabilities to use the trails," said Scott, who added that Pioneer Resources' leisure and recreation club serves about 400 people with disabilities.

"We were all over the new Muskegon trail about a week after it opened." Muskegon County Undersheriff Dean Roesler said he supports the project, as a private citizen and public official. "As the father of three kids who are out on bikes this time of year, and speaking as undersheriff, the more we can do to get bikes off the roadway and onto trails, the safer it will be," Roesler said. One resident, Gary Rice of Montague, argued for the rights of snowmobilers to use the new trail in the winter months. He noted that his organization, the West Shore Snowmobile Council, helps to maintain the Hart-Montague trail and has been granted the right to use it. "We pay $40 for a trail permit to allow us to be on the trail," Rice argued. "That money goes to the very fund that you're going to apply to so you can build this trail. When our money is being used for that, we would like to have the ability to use it." The Fred Meijer Berry Junction Trail Committee will eventually determine whether any sort of motorized vehicles are allowed to use the trail.

By Steve Gunn
sgunn@muskegonchronicle.com
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Courtesy of the Muskegon Chronicle �2007

New Path Would Link Hart-Montague, Lakeshore Trails

2007-04-15T13:39:00.000-04:00

A 10-mile bicycle trail that would connect the Hart-Montague trail with the city of Muskegon's trails could be constructed as early as next year if officials succeed in efforts to secure funding for the project. The funding process is expected to go smoothly, particularly with the assistance of Muskegon County officials, a local engineering firm that's volunteering its grant-writing services and the signatures of interested citizens.

The Berry Junction Trail, which is named for an old railroad junction in Dalton Township, has been in the planning stages for several years. Now members of the board that will govern the trail say they are ready to secure the estimated $1.9 million needed to build it. If the grants come through as planned, the goal will be to begin and complete construction of the trail in 2008, said Dalton Township Supervisor Scott Hladki, who chairs the Berry Junction Trail committee. "It's fun to actually see everything coming together," said Hladki. "It makes my job worthwhile."

The trail would link the city of Muskegon Lakeshore Trail at the north end of the Veteran's Memorial Causeway with the Hart-Montague trail on White Lake Drive. To meet their funding goal, Berry Junction committee members have asked Muskegon County officials to apply for a $500,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on their behalf. The deadline to apply for that grant is April 2, so the county is expected to finalize the application by the end of the month. The county also will be applying for a $1.4 million "enhancement grant" for the trail, from the Michigan Department of Transportation. The Berry Junction Trail project already has received a $618,000 grant from philanthropist Fred Meijer, who will be rewarded when the trail is dedicated as the "Fred Meijer Berry Junction Trail." A local group also is working to raise $500,000 for the project, Hladki said. Muskegon County officials are getting involved in the process for several reasons, said Hladki.

The Berry Junction board recently asked the county's department of public works to handle maintenance of the trail, and state law says that grants must be sought by the agency that's in charge of maintenance. In addition, there's a general feeling that the county, with it's higher exposure and experience in securing grants, will stand a better chance of having the grant approved. The actual grant applications will be written, free of charge, by the local engineering firm of Johnson and Anderson, said Hladki. And officials hope to gain support for the grant applications by attaching petitions with the signatures of thousands of citizens.

By Steve Gunn
sgunn@muskegonchronicle.com
Wednesday, March 17, 2007
Courtesy of the Muskegon Chronicle �2007

Thank-you

2007-03-29T21:39:00.000-04:00

The Friends of the Musketawa Trail wishes to thank everyone who donated to the trail in memory of Ruth Lomax and Stan Shavalier. Ruth was the wife of Trail Manager Wes Lomax and Stan was one of the original members of the Friends of the Musketawa Trail. We express our heartfelt condolences to both families.
Ruth's Memorial Information.
Stan's Memorial Information.

Newsletters

2006-07-02T21:33:00.000-04:00

Click on "Newsletters" on the right side of this page to view the newest issue of the Friends of the Musketawa Trail newsletter. Here is a photo of the progress that has been made on the Ravenna Water Tower restoration.

Trail Donors Hope for Matching Funds

2006-05-17T20:30:00.000-04:00

An effort to construct 150 miles of recreational trails across the region is receiving a boost from some familiar names. Meijer Inc. patriarch Fred Meijer is pledging $3 million, with the Steelcase and Frey foundations each offering $600,000. The money is being given with hopes that other local donors will match the funds. For his $3 million contribution, Meijer will be honored by having five of the new trails named after him. In addition, the entire network of trails will bear his name. "If he's going to give us that kind of money, we'll rename the township," joked Scott Hladki, supervisor for Dalton Township in Muskegon County. The township will receive $618,000 from The Meijer Foundation to build the 10-mile Fred Meijer Berry Junction Trail. The trail will connect the Hart-Montague Trail State Park with the city of Muskegon. Its estimated cost is $3.3 million.

The West Michigan Trails and Greenways Coalition launched the fundraising effort in February. Eight of the network trails will see new construction. "This is wonderful," executive director Peter DeBoer said. "We expected it would take 18 months, if not longer. We are really pleased." The $4.2 million from the three foundations puts the group closer to its $6 million goal. That's the amount of local dollars needed to leverage an additional $21 million in state and federal money earmarked for building trails by 2008 in West and Mid-Michigan. Meijer, 86, said his interest in funding trails has its roots in his rural upbringing and a love of cycling as a younger man when he and his wife, Lena, would bicycle in Europe with friends. "Once they are gone, they are gone forever," Meijer said. "I think city folks need a connection with nature to keep their sanity. These trails will give them a chance to see cows, a hayfield or a field of corn."

Ruth Pruis, the clerk for Jamestown Township, is expected to receive $630,000 toward the $3.7 million cost of the 13-mile Fred Meijer Kenowa Trail, which will connect Kent Trail to the Macatawa Greenway Trail. "We simply couldn't afford the trails otherwise," Pruis said. "The townships just don't have the money to do that." DeBoer said the recent pledges also mean the Fred Meijer M-6 Trail will be built next year. "Fred gave so much, we've decided to name the entire trail network after him," he said. The Meijer Foundation, he said, has put up $7.1 million for trails in the area, including the Fred Meijer Heartland Trail, Flat River Greenville Trail and the Clinton, Ionia Shiawassee Trail.

For more information on the West Michigan Trails & Greenways Coalition go to www.wmtrails.org.
By Howard Meyerson (hmeyerson@grpress.com) Grand Rapids Press Tuesday, May 16, 2006

2006-03-19T10:23:00.000-05:00

Trail Groups Need a Statewide Perspective

I recently was struck by two things while looking at a state map of rail trails: just how far we've come and how far we still have to go. It was 1975 when the 8.9-mile Paint Creek Trail was built in Oakland County and 1989 when the Hart-Montague Trail opened. The latter was Michigan's first linear state park. Within a few years, it had 60,000 annual visitors. The 34-mile Kal-Haven Trail also opened around then. Five years later it had 75,000 using that trail annually. Back then, the White Pine and Musketawa trails were only a gleam in state trail planners' eyes. Today, there are 1,340 miles of rail trail in Michigan. Some are complete. Some not. There are 88 in all. The benefits to their respective communities have been inestimable, but most who have looked at the question agree that they provide strong economic, health and quality-of-life benefits.
State dream possible?
And yet, to look at the map, one has to wonder whether the state's vision of a network of interconnected trails ever will be possible. These are very different times. The story that changed is the usual one: State money and staffing is less available. The state was the major driving force for years. Today it is busy trying to get out of the business. Increasingly, it has looked for local partners. On the White Pine, much of the work is done by Friends of the White Pine Trail and adjacent communities. But in Van Buren County, things are different. The state just signed a 25-year lease with the county to manage 45.5 miles of rail trail there -- 14 miles of the Van Buren State Park Trail between Hartford and South Haven and most of the Kal-Haven Trail. The lease is for 25 years. The $4.4 million in rent will be offset by $4.5 million the county intends to invest in operations and maintenance.
Potential for confusion.
While those are examples of how things are changing -- and not necessarily for the worse -- management diversification rather than centralization brings with it the potential for greater confusion. You know: the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. And sometimes it simply doesn't care. For instance, Muskegon County has chosen not to get involved managing the Musketawa Trail, but Ottawa County has stepped forward. The trail runs through both. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see the difficulties. What happens when you try to connect that local trail with another? What happens if you see the possibility for connecting it with another 100 miles away? The bold idea behind the Michigan Trailways Act of 1994, to form a state Trailways Commission and Trailways Fund -- a group whose job it was to coordinate and help fund state trailway development -- has gone the way of so many snowmen. It just melted into oblivion. Which where the value of grassroots coordinating groups has become essential. At the regional level there are groups such as West Michigan Trails and Greenways Coalition, which have brought together a strong core of local interests. It also has made it more important to have groups with a statewide perspective -- the Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance, for example. The role once played by the Michigan office of the National Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has since shifted to this group. "There is so much to be done in Michigan that we felt we needed an organization here to keep that focus," said Nancy Krupiarz, the executive director for MTGA. Trail enthusiasts likely know her name. Krupiarz ran the Michigan Rails-to-Trails office before the national organization closed it, opting instead last October to consolidate its midwestern effort in Ohio. "We would have ended up lending our help to some of the other states," said Krupiarz, who jumped ship along with assistant director Barry Culham, who coordinated the RTC's popular Michigander bike ride. They formed the non-profit MTGA and the two are now focused intently on statewide coordination and trying to give a boost to mid-Michigan communities, which Krupiarz said "have been neglected for so long." In an effort to get the left hand communicating with the right, the MTGA is hosting Connecting Michigan:A Statewide Trails Planning Partnership conference in Flint on April 13. Gov. Jennifer Granholm has been invited to speak. Department of Natural Resources director Becky Humphries has agreed to speak. Michigan Surgeon General, Kimberlydawn Wisdom has been invited also to speak. Krupiarz said considerable discussion is needed. "Fifty percent of the trails are the state's and the other 50 percent are locally operated," she said. "Whether it's way-finding signs, maintenance, promoting trail-based tourism or finding money, there isn't a lot of coordination. We're hoping to bring the other regional efforts into a statewide program." With such a long way to go and so many disparate parts, the idea of statewide connected trailways needs a friend. I suspect we will hear a fair bit more about MTGA in coming years.
By Howard Meyerson - Friday, March 17, 2006 - The Grand Rapids Press
Check out www.michigantrails.org for more information on the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance. MTGA brochure/trail map is usually available at most Grand Rapids area bicycle shops.

2006-03-05T15:01:00.000-05:00

State a No-Show on Trail's Upkeep

You may be wondering what is up with Musketawa Trail, which celebrated its ninth birthday last month, but has begun to look a little dog-eared. You know, cracks running along the trail, sinking edges, even occasional woodchuck and plant holes along with seven to eight years of snowmobile damage. Some important and promised work simply hasn't been done by the state. For instance, a plan to patch the rough spots caused by snowmobile studs hit a snag two years ago. It just hasn't moved forward, though state officials say they want to git 'er dun. "It is our responsibility and it was supposed to be done, but it fell through because the trail manager couldn't find a contractor," Department of Natural Resources spokesman Mark Mandenberg said.
Bids went out in 2004
Mandenberg is talking about a request for bids that went out to contractors in 2004. They were asked to bid on applying three surface treatments, each viewed as potential spot fixes, which might offset the need for a costly repaving job. One was epoxy-based. Another was liquid plastic. The third was a standard driveway coating. "It wasn't that the job was too small, but that it was a pain-in-the-butt job," Wes Lomax, the Musketawa trail manager, said. "I just couldn't get a bidder. "It was a 100 feet of this over here and 100 feet of that over there. We need the repair done on 28 spots. We were intending to find an economical way to do it." The result, of course, is that nothing has been done, although the problem was recognized seven to eight years ago.
Backed off banning studs
You may recall in 1999 that the DNR and Natural Resources Commission opted to move away from a heated push to ban studded snowmobiles on state-funded paved trails and explore "design" and "management" alternatives. One option was to give trail managers such as Lomax the authority to close the trail when there was not enough snow to protect the surface from snowmobile studs. That idea helped. A design option involved building the west half of the Musketawa with a gravel shoulder, where snow could be piled up to create a base for riding. But riders still insisted on riding down the middle, where there was little snow and the trail was damaged further. Meanwhile, snowmobilers ponied up money to research whether other asphalt mixes might hold up better under carbide studs. The initial mixes were tested on the Musketawa Trail. One or two showed promise and the research continued. The DNR then moved to realistically test mixes on the Pere Marquette Trail. That multi-year study is showing promise, according to Mandenburg. "So far we're finding that a couple of mixes are holding up really well," he said. "A final report will be coming in 2007. "But back home here in Muttsville on the Musketawa, people are starting to grow weary of the trail's hang-dog appearance. Bob O'Brien, vice-president of the Friends of the Musketawa Trail, is an avid in-line skater who skates with his wife Arlene. Even though the trail is 12-feet wide, the pair are confined to four-foot wide strip the entire 23 miles out and back. That, or risk going down because of roughness. "I'm quite frustrated about the repairs but I am feeling like I haven't done enough to keep it moving," said O'Brien, who said he has pulled back a bit in recent years. Generous feelings for an unpaid volunteer, a man who shouldn't have to prod the state to do what it should to maintain its $2 million investment. O'Brien worries the trail eventually may deteriorate to a point that he can no longer skate it. And he may not be far off. "The problems don't affect the bicyclists as much as the skaters," said Dave Mazurek, operations superintendent for Ottawa County, which does regular daily maintenance on its portion of the trail during the summer months, but has no involvement in winter or major maintenance. "It is a popular trail, but we see a little deterioration every year. We hit the plants that grow up through it with herbicide, but we don't do anything about the pit that is left. Those can be the size of a 50 cent piece. And it may buckle up around that for two or three inches." Which is where Lomax has the right idea. "We have a mix of problems and the construction defects are more serious than the snowmobile problems," said Lomax. "What would be most useful is a maintenance program where we periodically assess the needed repairs and schedule to get them done in two or three years." An idea that brings the discussion full circle. "I would like to see it (the coatings) done this year," Mandenburg said. "There is a legitimate need to see about the repairs. We need an assessment. We haven't done that. If we need more money then we need to identify those needs and get them in a grant-round to get it." Seems the only thing left is to git 'er dun.
By Howard Meyerson - The Grand Rapids Press - Friday, March 03, 2006

2005-12-08T11:57:00.000-05:00

Fall/Winter Trail News

The most recent issues of the Musketawa Trail and White Pine newsletters have been posted. Click on the "Newsletters" page in the right column. Check these out for much more additional trail news.

2005-10-13T20:47:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Andy Maine and crew for the new roof over the deck west of Ravenna. This project was completed as one of the requirements for Andy's Eagle Scout Badge.

2005-10-10T16:34:00.000-04:00

The Friends of the Musketawa Trail recently had the old railroad water tower base in Ravenna repaired and painted. Masonry work was done by Mike Staple and painting by John Ritz. We are currently working on a replica of the water tank to be placed on top. The Community Foundation for Muskegon County recently awarded the Friends group a $4000 grant towards completion of the water tank.

2005-09-09T21:55:00.000-04:00

Trail boosters licking their chops.

You may have heard the good news coming out of Congress earlier this summer: In a rare bit of good form, pushed by good people like Rep. Vern Ehlers, West Michigan will get more than $9 million for recreational trail projects. That money was made available by passage of the federal transportation bill and was lauded by biking and trail enthusiasts across the country. The $286 billion transportation bill will up the ante for recreational trail development nationally over the next five years. Funding is to rise to $370 million, about $100 million more than the last go-round in 1998. "It's tremendous," said Peter DeBoer, the new executive director for the West Michigan Trails/Greenways Coalition. "We haven't received any funding like this ever before in West Michigan."

$9 million over five years.
The $9.024 million is slated for a variety of projects including M-6/Paul Henry Trail, the Musketawa Trail, White Pine Trail, Fred Meijer Heartland Trail and Flat River Trail. It is money that will be doled out over five years, 40 percent available the first year. The only catch is that the trail money requires a 20-percent local match. That's right, nearly $2 million in local money will be required to be able to spend the federal dollars. Given these trying fiscal times, where municipalities can't even afford to fix their roads, one might wonder: Where's the good news? Again, enter DeBoer and his now four-year-old organization.

Fund drive in progress.
"We have a capital campaign going that will address the local match requirement and much more," said DeBoer, outlining a vigorous goal of "$25 million for West Michigan trailways from Alma to Pentwater and south to Saugatuck. "We have 150 miles on the ground now and we'd like to add 137 miles. We hope to create a huge loop around West Michigan." Pie in the sky? Maybe not. The coalition, which includes influential and get-it-done groups like the Friends of the White Pine Trail, professional planners, environmental groups and municipalities, already has raised more than $200,000 from community foundations for trail projects. DeBoer said $100,000 is going to help Kent County build a quarter-mile trail connecting Millennium Park with Kent Trails -- work that is being done right now. The Friends of the White Pine Trail, have a proven track record as well. The group raised another $100,000 some years back to help fund the trail bridge that was built over West River Drive. DeBoer said the group's nearly $26 million capital campaign includes the $9 million-plus from the federal government, plus another $11 million from state coffers. That would be either federal money given to the state for transportation projects or the Natural Resources Trust Fund. That leaves $6 million for the group to cover in order to meet the required local match. DeBoer declined to say just how far along the group is toward meeting that goal, but he did say: "We are well on our way." The community foundation money the group raised will be doled out to 11 other projects besides Kent County -- including $20,000 to the city of Muskegon. The city is working on funding its Laketon Trail, a planned connector along Laketon Road, which will hook up with the Musketawa Trail (Marne to Muskegon) and bring people into the city of Muskegon. "There will be just a mile of this trail to go after this," said DeBoer. "We hope to make a big loop that would go Holland to Muskegon to Grand Rapids to Holland. And that is just Phase I for the group. DeBoer said the coalition also has a Phase II plan. It has its collective eyes set on a goal of 500 miles of trail on the ground. Pie in the sky?
Maybe not. It is certainly good news that West Michigan has such an active group of trail enthusiasts, people that work hard to make the necessary connections -- in order to put trails on the ground and to secure whatever funding is available for them.
Friday, September 09, 2005 By Howard Meyerson The Grand Rapids Press

2005-05-06T21:27:00.000-04:00

Connection would unite Kent, Musketawa and White Pine trails.

Friday, May 6, 2005
By Howard Meyerson
Grand Rapids Press Outdoors Editor

A bicycle trail connecting Kent Trails with the beach at Millennium Park is expected to be constructed in June, according to Kent County Park officials who say they had initially hoped to see it by June 4, National Trails Day.
"Originally we thought we could do it by June 4, but that's probably pushing it," said Roger Sabine, the director for Kent County Parks.
Sabine said progress on the trail segment got delayed by the need to find a safe way to get Kent Trail riders and skaters through the interchange at Maynard Avenue, where the big trucks roll.
"We want to get it done as soon as possible," Sabine said. "It's likely to happen in June sometime. It will be an attractive ride into the park."
That decision and another to limit the length of the trail for now, has area trail planners and grassroots trail supporters dismayed. Most are glad to see the segment built, but had hoped it would go further.
"I'm disappointed," said Jean King, the president of the Friends of the Walker Highland Trail. "I know if they'd build it, people would come."
King and her group have been working with the City of Walker on its long-range plan to build connecting trails through the city that would link Kent Trails with the Musketawa Trail.
Another proposed trail in the plan is an east-west running trail referred to as the Grand-Walk Trail, a prospective partnership arrangement with the city of Grand Rapids. Its route would run along the course of a new Grand Rapids sewer line connecting Richmond Park with City Central Park in Walker and the Musketawa Trail. That link would close the loop and create an integrated network of trails.
The Millennium Park link was to be the kick-off connection -- a symbolic segment that might stimulate public interest and accelerate action. Area planners say they thought the trail would be built through to Butterworth Road, where the City of Walker's trail would begin.
"The connection between Kent Trails and the park is essential," said Frank Wash, the planning director for Walker. "It's an important piece of the puzzle. But it is news to us that things are changing."
Sabine, who heartily embraces the overall concept of connecting the trails, communities and regions, said the decision of where to expend money and manpower was a matter of working with "knowns."
Today there is little bike or pedestrian traffic coming into the park from Butterworth Road on the north. Most of it comes from Kent Trails on the south. The new trail will bring people as far as the beach and ponds in the park.
"Once the northern section takes shape more, we will bring that trail between the entry drive and the beach and move it north to Butterworth," Sabine said.
"Or, if Walker starts building quickly and develops trail that dumps people into Millennium, we will make sure that there is a safe route into the park.
Scott Conners, the city engineer for Walker, says it will be awhile. The city has no money for trail projects. The planning vision for Walker's trails took shape in 1998, after several years of community discussion. That talk led to the formation of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee followed by the formation of the local friends group.
Conners called the proposal an ambitious five- or six-year plan to connect the trails with parks, schools and shopping districts in the city. It's cost would run into the millions of dollars. But he also acknowledges that hard fiscal times will slow things down.
Which is one reason he recently asked the Grand Valley Metro-Council to put the trail project on their priority list. The metro-council is the conduit for federal transportation funds for such projects.
"The issue here is that the White Pine, Musketawa and Kent Trails are all dead in Walker and we have a big void," Conners said. "But we've done a lot of homework to get things ready to go."
Wash says "the private sector is going to have to step up to the plate." Local government no longer has any money to build these kinds of projects. It is a return, he said, to how things used to be in America.
"Look at Central Park in New York, the plan for Chicago or San Francisco and you find they were all privately funded projects," Wash said.
Enter the West Michigan Trails and Greenways Coalition, a group of trails enthusiasts, environmental groups and various planning and recreation professionals from an a number of West Michigan counties.
"Walker's overall concept is exactly what we want to see happen," said Dave Heyboer, the chairman of the group.
"We have been working with a group of foundations and hope to be able to mount a capital campaign in the near future. They've earmarked $200,000 as initial seed money to do something with and they want the lion's share to go toward the connection with the lakeshore (the Musketawa Trail)."
Heyboer said the group is waiting to hear from the federal government about its application for status as a non-profit organization.
"We have donors all lined up, but until we get it they can't give us money."
The coalition, he added has conducted a feasibility study to determine whether there is private money available to support such a project. What he found is "overwhelmingly positive."
"This is what we want to see happen," he said. "We want to see West Michigan trails connected."

2005-04-24T14:09:00.000-04:00

Spring Trail News

The most recent issues of the Musketawa Trail and White Pine newsletters have been posted on the "Newsletters" page. Check these out for much more additional trail news. We will also be reprinting our trail brochure/map this spring. Please contact someone from the Friends of the Musketawa Trail on the "Friends Group" page if you are interested in being an advertiser.

2005-02-02T15:49:00.000-05:00

RAIL-TRAIL LINK NEARER TO REALITY
Berry Junction Trail would connect Muskegon bike paths to State trail.

A proposed multi-use trail from Muskegon to Whitehall could connect Muskegon�s network of bike paths with the state�s Hart-Montague Trail as soon as 2006.
The proposed 10-mile-long Berry Junction Trail also would bring the Hart-Montague and Musketawa trails within a few miles of linking up.
Completing a trail between Muskegon and Whitehall would give the area�s tourist industry a big boost, said Berry Junction Rail Trail Committee Chairman Scott Hladki.
The trail could turn a trip to Michigan�s Adventure Amusement Park from Muskegon or Whitehall into a family bike outing, said Hladki, who is Dalton Township supervisor.
The trail could help local businesses as well. Hladki notes that hungry, tired bikers need to stop for refreshments.
Hladki said the committee is in the process of applying for a number of state grants to fund half of the estimated $2.3-million price tag to build the trail. The committee would have to come up with the other half.
Committee member Roland Crummel said the West Michigan Strategic Alliance has made funding the rail trail a top priority.
The alliance is a group of business and community leaders working to coordinate development goals in the Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Holland area.
Crummel, the Laketon Township supervisor, said a best-case scenario would see the trail completed by 2006. Crummel also is a member of the alliance board.
In November, six West Michigan community foundations announced a $200,000 challenge grant to encourage extending the Musketawa Trail from Marne to Grand Rapids.
Those same community foundations, as well as private sources and economic development organizations, are all possible donors of matching funds for the Berry Junction Trail, said North Muskegon City Council member Tom Anderson.
Anderson owns a local bike shop. He helped persuade the city to build a temporary gravel path linking Muskegon�s Lakeshore Trail and Lake Street in North Muskegon.
The proposed trail would connect with existing trails near the White Lake Community Library in Whitehall and in North Muskegon near the intersection of M-120 and Whitehall Road.
The trail would follow an abandoned railroad right of way from Whitehall to a point about a quarter-mile north of River Road in Muskegon Township.
The trail takes its name from the spot north of River Road where CSX Transportation�s still-active railroad line into Fremont diverges from the abandoned right of way.
The approximately 6-mile-long section of trail between Berry Junction and Whitehall is ready to be paved, Hladki said.
South of Berry Junction, the trail would follow alongside CSX�s tracks. Once it crosses Giles Road, the trail would follow along the banks of Bear Creek to the intersection of Whitehall and Dykstra roads.
The committee has yet to determine the trail�s route from the corner of Dykstra and Whitehall through North Muskegon.
Option A would follow Whitehall Road and connect with the Muskegon trail near the M-120 intersection.
Option B would connect with the Muskegon trail via the Four Corners.
Anderson said the Four Corners intersection of Ruddiman Avenue and Center Street is a poor choice.
�The Four Corners is a nightmare for traffic,� Anderson said. �It�s one of our more
accident-prone corners already. Adding bikes would make it worse.�
The state, county, six townships and most private landowners along the proposed 10-mile route already have given permission to build the path, Hladki said.
The committee recently approved a master plan for the project. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources also has granted the committee a use permit for the 6-mile section of abandoned railroad right of way through Fruitland and Dalton townships. The railbed will remain under state ownership.
Hladki said the committee still needs a signed agreement with Bayer Crop Science to cross its property on Whitehall Road.
-Dave LeMieux Muskegon Chronicle Staff Writer-

2004-11-14T22:09:00.000-05:00

West Michigan Community Foundations Offer Challenge Grant to Connect Region

November 12, 2004 - Yesterday, six West Michigan community foundations hosted more than 240 community leaders at the Fredrik Meijer Gardens to announce a challenge grant up to $200,000 to encourage the completion of 510 miles of regional trails and greenways.
�This is an historic event,� said Diana R. Sieger, president of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. �It is clear our communities do not stand alone. We are connected in numerous ways and our coming together tonight is the next step in our commitment to work together to ensure the highest quality of life for all West Michigan residents.�

The first phase includes connecting the Musketawa Trail to Millennium Park, which would also incorporate the Walker Highlands Trails and Kent Trails. Long range plans call for connecting local trails into a regional network. Some of the other area trails which would be included are the White Pine Trail, Paul Henry-Thornapple Trail, Fred Meijer Heartlands Trail, Hart-Montague Trail, Ottawa County Trails system and the Clinton-Ionia-Shiawassee Trail. Sieger said the trails will eventually connect hundreds of thousands of people, expanding the network of biking, hiking, and walking trails from 152 miles currently, to 510 miles.

�It�s our hope that these funds will fuel an even greater regional attitude of cooperation,� said Libby Cherin, president of the Fremont Area Community Foundation. �The writing is on the wall and it reads, �We are better together.� This initiative advances the connecting of our region, signifying an important step in what turns out to be a great coming together to improve the quality of life for all West Michigan residents.�

The focus of the event was to facilitate discussion and collaboration among community foundation trustees, donors and community leaders throughout the six counties. �We not only want input on what the regional priorities are,� said Chris McGuigan, president of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County �We also want to engage people who are willing to join us in the effort to address these issues.�

The six community foundations began working together in 2000 as a result of a challenge grant from W.K. Kellogg Foundation, administered by the Council of Michigan Foundations. The six partners include: Fremont Area Community Foundation, Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, Grand Rapids Community Foundation, The Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland Area, Greenville Area Community Foundation, and the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. Together, they hold assets over a half-billion dollars and three members are among the top 10 community foundations in Michigan.
Grand Rapids Community Foundation press release (edited)

2004-01-02T21:27:00.000-05:00

Correction from the most recent newsletter: There will be no January meeting of the Friends of the Musketawa Trail on the 8th as originally planned. We are taking the month off. We will resume our regular meeting schedule on the first Thursday of February when we tentatively plan to have our annual dinner meeting at Sam�s Joint in Coopersville.

Local trail improvements that were completed in 2003 include:
-The long awaited section of the White Pine Trail in Rockford around the Wolverine World Wide Hush Puppies shoe factory. No more detours on to the sidewalk.
-Grandville completed a couple mile long extension of the Kent Trails system. Part of this section runs past where the riverboat docks along I-196 between the Wilson Ave/28th St and Chicago Dr exits. The west bound lane of Indian Mounds Dr was also closed to motor vehicles and is now designated as part of the trail. Jenison residents are now able to access the trail behind the Grandville wastewater treatment plant. Knowing how traffic can back up during rush hour on I-196 it may be almost as fast to commute to work downtown on your bike.
-Up north, the Pere Marquette Trail is now completely paved between Reed City and Evart. Several miles of this section have experimental mixes of asphalt to determine which resists snowmobile stud damage the best. This section combined with the section from Big Rapids to Reed City on the White Pine Trail now totals 25 miles of continuously paved trail. Hopefully the unpaved gap between Evart and Clare will become a priority for completion. Once this is done you�ll be able to use paved trail all the way to Midland.
-The City of Kentwood has completed a section of trail in the 5000 block between S. Division and Eastern Avenue. This appears to be the first phase of a larger trail system. Hopefully it will it link with the Thornapple Trail and others in the regional network.

2003-08-14T22:02:00.000-04:00

LOCAL TRAIL HAPPENINGS

PAUL HENRY-THORNAPPLE TRAIL
THORNAPPLE TRAIL RUN/WALK
Saturday, September 06, 2003 8:00 AM Middleville, Michigan Thornapple Area Parks and Recreation Commission invites competitors and recreational enthusiasts to this scenic and challenging USTAF certified 5K course beginning just outside the Village of Middleville, down Loop Rd. and entering the paved Paul Henry Thornapple Trail along the Thornapple River and finishing at Stagecoach Park, Village of Middleville. Thornapple Trail Run/Walk is part of Heritage Days celebration in the Village of Middleville. Event is sponsored by the Thornapple Area Parks and Recreation Commission and includes awards for multiple age categories and overall male/female winner. Champion Chip is not used. Transportation will be provided from finish area to starting line so please arrive about a half-hour before starting time. Parking available at Stagecoach Park, behind the Village of Middleville offices at 100 East Main St. From M-37 (Shell gas station on corner) turn east on Main St. and follow over Thornapple River Bridge and make an immediate right to parking area. This is the finish area. A bus will transport you to the starting line approximately 1 mile from parking area. Registration is $16
Contact: Susan Vlietstra Phone: 269-795-7202 E-mail: vantilsu@pilot.msu.edu

CELEBRATE KENTWOOD
�Celebrate Kentwood" will be held on September 13, 2003 at Bowen Station Park (44th St. and Kalamazoo, behind McDonalds).� This years Celebration will include a classic car show, children's activities (inflatable and midway games) , food booths, live entertainment, information booths and much more family oriented FUN!!� The cost is FREE!� So come and join the "Celebration."

WHITE PINE TRAIL
WALKING WORKS
The voice that many people in West Michigan grew up with � the golden voice of Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell � will be encouraging local residents to join him for a new program sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network called WalkingWorks. Harwell will be in Grand Rapids on Sunday, Aug. 17, to launch the WalkingWorks program by leading a free two-mile walk that begins at 12:30 p.m. and follows the White Pines Trail adjacent to Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park. Walkers also have the option of purchasing tickets to a West Michigan Whitecaps-Peoria Chiefs game that begins at 2 p.m. on the same day. Walkers are encouraged to be at the ballpark staging area at 11 a.m. Pre-registration is encouraged by visiting the company's Web site at www.bcbsm.com or calling 1-800-733-2583. Registration is also available on the day of the walk. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

3rd ANNUAL PEDAL & PICNIC
A family oriented bike ride and summertime picnic will be held by the Friends of the White Pine Trail an Saturday August 23, 2003 at Dwight Lydell Park in Comstock Park. The vent will include a stream side picnic lunch served outdoors featuring summertime picnic favorites. Games and prizes will be available for participants. The biking event will use the newly paved and older sections of the White Pine Trail as well as well marked, lightly traveled roads. Loops of 15, 25, 50 and 62 miles will be designated. Each loop will have a unique designation. Early registration is encouraged, but will also be possible on the day of the event. A portion of each registration fee is donated to the Friends of the White Pine Trail for trail maintenance, improvements and promotion. For more information call (616) 874-6873 or e-mail pedalpicnic @yahoo.com.

FRIENDS OF THE WALKER HIGHLAND TRAILS
CELEBRITY SOFTBALL
Our local radio personalities (KLQ 94.5, WLHT 95.7, WGRD 97.9, WGVU FM) and television personalities (WOODTV 8, WZZM 13, WWMT 3) will face off in a softball challenge to benefit local trails!!!!!! Bring your picnic lunch and get your face painted. The first pitch will be thrown at noon Saturday, August 23, 2003 only after you have an hour to get autographs from other local celebrities:
The Grand Rapids Rampage
The Grand Rapids Griffins
The Grand Rapids Whitecaps
Local mascots will be on hand as well:
Griff and Blitz
Chuck E Cheese
Oven Mitt (Arby's)
Pizza Pizza Guy (Little Ceasars)
Palermo