Which tree to bark up?

Remember that Summit County Trails Forum I attended? I loved it! I loved every minute of it - except the last minute.

Like most events such as this, we ran over our time. 'Twas the end of an enlightening session titled Trail Development 101 - and I mean the absolute end, like "Ok,and if there are no other questions we'll wrap it up" - when a middle aged woman raised her hand and with a tone I can only describe as "somewhat miffed," she said (paraphrased to the best of my memory):

"I notice that we're only hearing from the richer communities here, like Bath, Richfield, and the like. And I notice that there isn't a whole lot of color here (as she looked around at all of us). What about the lower income areas? I live over by Summit Lake, essentially across from the projects. What about them? How do we give them the advantages of Summit Trails?"

silence...

collection of thoughts...

And then the speakers discussed their opinions on the matter, which is that the means to involving the lower income areas is Education. We need to provide these populations with reasons that the trails are useful (health, fitness, enjoyment of nature, vehicle-less travel, general recreation, etc.) and assist them in using the trails.

Furthermore, other points were noted:

1. Despite strong encouragement for OECC to build the towpath around the lower income area near Summit Lake, the towpath goes right through the center of it. The towpath is literally in the backyard of these apartment buildings and alongside the Summit Lake Community Center which is utilized by many residents of that area.

2. Several different types of people are on the trail everyday and this diversity has been increasing over the years. (My addition: I agree. I've seen different ages, races, apparent economic classes, etc. on the trail, especially in that area.)

3. The OECC, along with Cargill and PNC (for 2012) hosts an annual Fishing Derby, specifically designed to bring local kids to the outdoors that would not normally have been exposed to the gifts of nature. These kids are taken out for a day of fishing and learning about our trails and parks.

Now, having said all that, my question is: Was this forum to right tree to bark up? I feel like this complaint could be better addressed somewhere else... but where?

In what other ways could we bring our beloved trails and parks to our entire community? Will Phase II, the project to connect all parts of the county to the towpath, be instrumental in this aspect? Will it be enough?

Some other ideas I have:

1. Programs similar to Girls on the Run, directed at inner city children, focusing on trail running.
2. A community walking program, enlisting first the teachers and professionals in the area. Their benefit and enthusiasm could inspire others.
3. What if Lebron James' famous Wheels for Education included a portion of the towpath (it's right there by the Aeros stadium) and some information showing the participants what the trails can do for them?

Hmmm... I wonder how I can make some/all of these things happen...

Why complain if you when you can DO? Why ask "Why haven't you...?" when instead you can ask "How can we help...?" The tree you should bark up is your own!

This is your city Akron. Love where you Live! If you don't, let's fix it!

The floating portion of the towpath over Summit Lake. The area in the distance is the one addressed above. Photo from here.

Summit County Trails Forum

The first half of my work day was exceptionally exciting! I was invited to and attended the Summit County Trails Forum for a morning of networking, trail discussion, and the unveiling of the newly designed Summit County Trail Plan.

Reasons I was invited:
1. I'm on the board for "the towpath committee," as I like to call it.
2. I'm an active user of the parks and I've indicated interest in contributing in some way.
3. I'm an engineer. Parks need engineers to design things like trails, bridges, drainage systems, etc.

Reasons my employer agreed to let me go:
1. Many elected officials were present: mayors of local cities and townships, directors of parks, and even a senator. These people are decision makers for projects my company seeks to obtain. Putting our name in front of them is always good.
2. Networking with decision makers and other interested parties.
3. To learn more about the needs and goals of trail projects, particularly in Summit county.

Reasons I really wanted to go:
1. I love trails! I use them several times a week. In fact I just spent 6 miles running on the towpath this morning!
2. Yeah, and the other reasons listed above too.

I am so glad that my profession ushers me into this tree-hugging, happy life leading community of people! I practiced my network skills (more on this later) and came away with cards (AND intentions to use said business cards) of some high profile people. Of them:

Ivan Kassov of the Cuyahoga Valley National Parks - to get me more involved in the CVNP workings for my personal involvement and this blog. And work. Yes, my company could potentially do work for the CVNP.

Gary Whidden, self-named A Citizen of the Valley - to go on a behind-the-scenes-kayaking trip in Cuyahoga Falls. I can't wait to see the Cuyahoga from this angle. Also, I plan to discuss the removal of the famous Gorge dams from the engineers' perspective.

State Senator Frank LaRose - to give him information about Akron Rugby. It's True! I had absolutely nothing to say to him, except "Thanks for standing up for the Parks in your caucus. We really appreciate it." I almost didn't go up to him because I didn't think that was worthy, but I decided I needed to at least expose myself to a conversation of someone powerful, no matter how small. It's like singing, the more you do it, the less nervous you get. While waiting for my chance to say hello, I overheard him talk about living in Copley. I play rugby in Copley! YES! After I thanked him I said "And since you live in Copley, I wanted to invite you to a rugby game. The mens and womens teams play right behind Carter Lumber." And you probably think he politely thanked me while rolling his eyes inside. But guess what.

HE FREAKING PLAYS RUGBY! His face perked up, he said he would love to come, and then he said "Maybe I could even play!" He quickly gave me his card and asked me to email him the details. That just happened.

Let's get back to the forum. It was an absolutely beautiful day to meet at Goodyear Heights Metropark with the golden sun, Autumn rainbow of trees, and our unseasonably warm weather. I learned a good bit about all the work required to complete a trail from start to finish. It's actually a pretty long process, particularly when the production involves several partners. The general process, as told by the Mayor of Bath township:

1. Write a Mission Statement
2. Form a Committee
3. Hire a Consultant if possible and appropriate
4. Review history and current situation
5. Solicit citizen input
6. Formulate plan
7. Solicit citizen input again
8. Implement plan
  8a. Find money
  8b. Design
  8c. Construction

You would probably guess that stage 8a above is the deal breaker in many cases, but actually, it's step 1. Without a clear vision, projects simply fall apart. It's never because of the money. That's comforting... sorta.

But the big moment of this whole shindig was the unveiling of the New 2012 Summit County Trails Map! The Towpath through Summit County has finally been completed this year and now we're moving on to Phase II. If the towpath is the backbone of our county's trail system, much like the body, we need a means to get to the blood of our county to the spine and send it on it's way. (Play with this map to see what is currently available.) Phase II is all about connecting the width of our county to the towpath. This requires the strength of many organizations working together. I wish I could show you the exciting new plan for all the trails yet to come, but I've been advised to keep it on the downlow. The OECC did promise to publish it before the end of the year, however, after we've received comments and finalized it.

Stay tuned for more information stemming from my new contacts and other Trail goodies! This is an exciting time to live and play in Akron!