[Greenway-board] Sorry for the Missed Field Trip and Grant update

[Bill Bussey]

Hi TGC Team,

I want to apologize for missing the field trip yesterday. I was really 
looking forward to it. 

However, as I was leaving the house, I noticed our kitchen sink filling 
up with water as the dishwasher drained. Renée had told me to fix the 
drain as it had leaked badly the night before. I thought I had fixed it 
by tightening a loose plumbing connection. However, the problem was 
apparently a clog somewhere below the sink.

In trying to fix this clog, water went all over the kitchen floor. At 
4:30, I was up to my elbows in water on the floor and everywhere. Renée 
would kill me if I left the mess. Thus, I was committed to getting it 
fixed. I finally managed to break the clog and clean everything up about 
5:30 or so, which was unfortunately too late to leave for the hour drive 
into Raleigh.

Again, I apologize to Bill and all who showed up for this field trip. I 
know many cancelled earlier this week after we went to a lot of effort 
to accomodate everyone's schedule. Personally, I would prefer weekend 
field trips as they are far more convenient for me, with the long drive 
into town on work days at rush hour. However, I want nothing more than 
to accomodate everyone's wishes, and give everyone the opportunity to 
schedule these kind of things as they like.

I hope we can do this again in the future. Actually seeing and 
experiencing our properties makes them more meaningful than the endless 
reporting at meetings. The best way to get to know something is to walk 
or ride around it, see it, smell it, and be it. I can tell you that this 
works for trail maintenance and management as myself and others get out 
on the ATT as often as we can, simply to see what we can see and talk to 
users of the trail. Of course, we manage to pick up some brush or trash 
along the way!

Many of you have never seen our small 3 acre future parking area in 
southern Durham. I'll be happy to meet any and all who would like to see 
this property anytime. For the next few weekends, Sundays would be best. 
But I'll be delighted to meet with folks anytime they like as I'm in the 
area often. It is also a good excuse to visit the property!

Another bit of news. Kim Douglass, of NC State Parks and the 
Adopt-A-Trail Program called me yesterday morning, and wanted some more 
explanation about our grant request. Apparently the description didn't 
quite differentiate it from the companion TJCoG request. I tried to 
explain it as best I could. I also mentioned she should talk to Bill F. 
and/or Ben Hitchings, for a better explanation.

She said that it may be tough to award both grants because the rating 
system awards more points to trail construction projects. I told her 
that this was a two part grant in that the TGC project followed on the  
work of the TJCoG project. We sort of need the first to do the second.

Or do we?

Could we do the second project (our TGC project) if we got our grant, 
but TJCoG, which may or may not have more resources, didn't receive 
their first project grant? Or vice versa?

She mentioned it would be a tough sell to get both grants with all of 
the worthy requests she has. She was inclined to push the first TJCoG 
grant and let TGC reapply for funding next year. I told her this would 
hurt personally, as I worked personally on the TGC grant! ;-) However, I 
can understand the situation.

Bill or Ben, whom I've copied on this message, may want to contact Kim 
at their earliest convenience.

Let me know what happens or your thoughts on this.

Also, let the group know how the field trip went yesterday.

Happy Trails,

Bill Bussey
919 545-9104