American Tobacco Trail Workday Saturday, May 24 9 a.m.

Thu May 22 14:33:06 EDT 2008

Hi Volunteers for the American Tobacco Trail,

This message is to remind you of our American Tobacco Trail workday,
*Saturday, May 24*, at the O'Kelly Chapel Road Parking Access 
<http://www.triangletrails.org/DIRECTIONS.HTM> at 9:00 a.m. **

Please join us for this volunteer workday, *Saturday, May 24*, at the  
O'Kelly Chapel Road Parking Access 
<http://www.triangletrails.org/DIRECTIONS.HTM> at 9:00 a.m.
  **
Our goal is to do general trimming, maintenance and upkeep on this 
section of trail. Because of work elsewhere we've not been back to this 
section in awhile, so we may have a bit more work than usual to do here. 
Grass has not been cut in awhile, so expect tall grass and ticks.

Last week, Dan Clever, Moria Smoski, Leslie Kennedy, Frank Bennett, and 
a host of unnamed (Sorry, I've not received the sign up sheets yet!) 
Environmental Science students from Green Hope High School in Cary 
worked at our information table and booth at the NBC17 Health and 
Fitness Festival 
<http://www.nbc17.com/midatlantic/ncn/shopping/2008_health_fitness.html>. 
The group met lots of trail users and future trail users, showing off 
and giving away the latest versions of the ATT maps. They all did a 
super job! Thanks to all for the great work.

At this Saturdays' workday, as 
always,bring work gloves, full shoes or boots, long pants, and other
clothing appropriate for the weather. Bring water and a snack if you
like. Be prepared for briars and ticks because you will be in the woods.

You will need to sign a waiver and participation list.

While you don't have to bring any tools because we do have some tools,
we do have a wish list of tools if you'd like to bring them.

We can use string trimmers for this workday. If you have a mower of any 
kind, and care to bring it, please do so.

If you have some, bring a pair of loppers. 

Feel free to bring a small hand pruning saw if you like.

We can always use a pickup truck which you don't mind hauling brush,
logs and trash on the trail. Please contact Bill Bussey 
<mailto:billbus at gte.net> 919 545-9104 or Frank Bennett 
<mailto:FJB675 at hotmail.com> 919-851-3992 so we can make plans.

We'll work till about noon, and probably a bit after.

*Do note* that if you are volunteering for school *Environmental Service 
hours*, and you say you will work for 3 hours, you need to be prepared 
to work until noon, or a little after because we need to plan for our 
work and cleanup of our work. If you need to leave earlier, you need to 
let the workday leader know ahead of time. Thanks!

If you or your group would like to work days or early evenings other
than Saturdays, please let Bill Bussey <mailto:billbus at gte.net> know.

Please let Curt Devereux <mailto:cdevereux at nc.rr.com> 919 919 544-3948 
Frank Bennett <mailto:FJB675 at hotmail.com> 919-851-3992 or Bill Bussey 
<mailto:billbus at gte.net> 919 545-9104 know anytime if you have any 
questions.

For more information on ATT workdays, please see our Volunteering page
at: http://triangletrails.org/VOLUNTEERS.HTM

For directions to workday meeting places and ATT Trailheads go to our
directions page at: http://www.triangletrails.org/DIRECTIONS.HTM

Future workdays are still being planned. Here is the tentative schedule
for upcoming workdays.

*Upcoming American Tobacco Trail Workdays *

*Saturday, May 24* Chatham Workday 9 a.m. O'Kelly Chapel Road Access 
<http://www.triangletrails.org/DIRECTIONS.HTM>
*
Saturday, May 31* Durham Workday Scott King Road Access 
<http://www.triangletrails.org/DIRECTIONS.HTM> or Solite Park 9 a.m.

*Saturday, June 7* National Trails Day 
<http://www.americanhiking.org/NTD.aspx> Possibly Solite Park 9 a.m. 
Still finalizing details. We *WILL *do a workday somewhere!

*Saturday, June 14* Chatham Workday 9 a.m. Just north of the 
Chatham-Wake County line
*
More News

*We understand that the advertisement for bids to construct the American 
Tobacco Trail in Chatham County will be posted in the Want Ads Section 
of todays' (May 21) */Cary News/*. We've not verified this. If you 
receive the */Cary News/*, and see this, please contact us 
<mailto:billbus at gte.net>. 

Depending on the results of the bids received, the ATT in Chatham County 
could be under construction by the end of this year.

**The second Community Meeting about the planned pedestrian and bicycle 
bridge crossing of *I-40 for the American Tobacco Trail (ATT)* was held 
April 29 in the City Council Chambers at Durham City Hall.  

This meeting, which was hosted by the City of Durham Department of 
Public Works (and facilitated by Steven Grover and Associates) focused 
on a selection of bridge concepts and designs for this long anticipated 
bicycle and pedestrian bridge.

About 100 ATT trail supporters and interested folks attended this 
informative meeting. It was refreshing how Stephen Grover discussed the 
bridge and the thoughts behind it in a very intelligent manner. He spoke 
up to those in attendance instead of talking down to them, as is usually 
the case when consultants speak before the public. Most questions were 
answered thoughtfully with time after the meeting for individual 
discussion with the architect and staff involved.

Cudos to Stephen Grover, staff at Parsons Brinkerhoff, and Byron Brady 
for setting up this meeting.

If you missed the meeting, here are some links that may give you a sense 
of what happened.

http://www.bullcityrising.com/2008/05/another-look-at.html

Should you have any questions or input regarding this meeting, please 
contact Byron Brady, PD CPESC, Contract Engineer, City of Durham at 919 
560-4326 x 296 or byron.brady AT durham.gov <mailto:byron.brady at durham.gov>.

Feel free to contact Mr. Brady at the above address with your questions. 
Better yet, contact the Durham City Council 
<mailto:council at ci.durham.nc.us> (this address sends your message to all 
of the Durham City Council) and tell them how much you want the ATT I-40 
bridge AND trail built as quickly as possible. You might also ask them 
to attend the meeting as well.

If you have any questions regarding this message, or want to chat about 
the trail or bridge, or don't know who to ask or talk to about your 
ideas or concerns, please feel free to contact Bill Bussey Triangle 
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy 919 545-9104 americantobaccotrail@ 
embarqmail.com <mailto:americantobaccotrail at embarqmail.com> or Dan 
Clever 919 286 3827 daclever@ gmail.com <mailto:daclever at gmail.com> 

You can print out our latest ATT map *right now* at 
http://www.triangletrails.org/ATT.HTM . Click on both links under the 
thumbnail for both sides of the map.

Don't let the thumbnail fool you. This is our new color ATT map done by 
Wayne Horton of Winston-Salem.

And let me take this opportunity to *Thank You* for all of your help
and support in building, cleaning and clearing the American Tobacco
Trail in 2007. Thanks to your hard work, expertise and
diligent efforts, we are making steady progress.

Thousands of trail 
users are *now safely using* the sections of the trail and facilities
you have helped clear, clean and build. We get so many wonderful
comments and thanks on how well the trail looks when folks use these
facilities. These trail users are often *amazed* to find out that these
improvements were done *completely* by volunteers. Thank you for the
great work and for volunteering your valuable time to help with this
project. Know that it wouldn't be possible without the great work of
each and every one of you.

Thanks for your help and support in building the American Tobacco Trail.

Happy Trails,

Bill Bussey
Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
americantobaccotrail at earthlink.net
www.triangletrails.org
919 545-9104
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