Presidents Message, Dec 2018   By Dennis Lindeke

Happy Holidays all! I hope that everyone is out enjoying the winter beauty of the trails. My preferred method of winter locomotion is skis and snowshoes. I haven’t made the leap yet to a fat tire bike, but I’m thinking about it. I’d like to use my allotted space to update our members, and followers of the Assn, on significant happenings the past few months (in no particular order).

• Construction will begin in 2019 to realign the trail at Hadley Ave, just south of Fleet Farm with bridges, roundabouts, cloverleafs and a temporary detour in 2019 for trail users. More details here

• Also in 2019, a project will begin to replace and raise the old steel RR bridge at Westminster Ave in St. Paul. The project will also repair adjacent trail sections with poor underlying soils.

• The short interim trail section on the west side of Interstate 35E, between Arlington and Maryland Aves, had been in a sorry state for several years. The plan is to start design in 2019 for a 0.65 mile segment, with construction in 2020-2021. The project is funding dependent at this time, but it is very high on the DNR and legislative priority list.

• Very good progress continues on easement acquisition for the 15 mile Gateway Trail extension from Pine Point Park to the City of Scandia. The DNR staff is working hard to make this a reality.

• I’d like to welcome Everett Myers to the Board of Directors. Everett will be the new manager of our Facebook site and other social media venues. Along with Ian Harding, our website manager, the Association is taking active steps to reach out more effectively to our membership, as well as to attract new members.

• We have a very dedicated group of volunteers that do so much to make the trails the gems that they are. They do the unseen things like pick up trash, horse droppings, print and re-stock the trail maps, prepare this newsletter, and run the association. A couple new groups are working to inventory and update all the trail signage, build new benches and start painting over all the nuisance graffiti. Thanks much to all of these folks. When you catch these folks helping out, stop and say “Thanks”. That makes is all worthwhile.

• Bluebird update: 46 baby bluebirds were fledged this past summer from the 16 houses along the Gateway Trail, between Mahtomedi and Pine Point Park. The total number of fledglings for the past five years has been 235!

• There will be several events along the trails this winter and coming summer, like the DNR candlelight and snowshoe walks, the annual Assn Gasthaus ski/snowshoe event, and the summer 2019 first ever Assn bike ride event. Details on our events page

Thank you so much for being a member and contributor to our Association. If you are a lover of the trails, and not yet a member, we would love to have you join us.

Be Safe.

Dennis