SOUTHWICK – The Friends of the Southwick Rail Trail (FOSRT) received its 501C-3 status Tuesday.
Members of the group met with the Parks and Recreation Commission and opened the letter during the meeting.
“I’m very excited,” said FOSRT member Beth Malone. “We went through the state and got non-profit status and applied for 501C-3 and we just got it.
“I think this will be helpful because more businesses can make contributions now.”
The FOSRT were at the meeting to discuss opportunities for collaboration with the Commission.
“One of the things we want to do is a membership drive,” said Malone, “possibly during Bike Week.”
Bike Week is an annual event hosted by the Park and Recreation Commission and has included a bike rodeo and helmet giveaways. Malone said her group would like to encourage new membership that week with an event that includes a cookout.
“For us, it’s really important to boost our membership,” she said.
Malone said she hoped the Commission could help defray some of the costs for that, as well as for another event the FOSRT is planning.
“We would like to get together with you, other boards and committees and talk about the trail, and even invite people from the Farmington and Westfield trail groups,” said Malone.
Malone said she would host the event at her home, which is next to the trail on Depot Street, and would like to have a cookout, with those in attendance contributing to a potluck meal.
“That would be a great opportunity for networking,” said Commissioner Daniel Call.
“And it would be great to get the other boards and committees in town familiar with each other,” added Commission Chairman Kelly Magni.
Malone also presented ideas that the FOSRT could assist the Commission with, as far as trail maintenance. The list included staining the Phase I fence, trim vegetation behind the fence, adopt-a-kiosk for weeding and mulching, adding benches along the trail, and replacing damaged and missing trash cans. The group also asked about volunteer access to the trail in order to perform the tasks mentioned.
FOSRT member Brooks Martyn currently helps maintain the trail, but can only do so when Call is available to go out with him. He asked if there was a way he could have access when Call or another commissioner is not available.
“He is retired and has a lot of time to give,” Malone said.
Call said there could be some concerns with having a volunteer out alone, but the commission agreed to look into it with the police department.
“We could provide the names of the volunteers to the police,” suggested Commissioner Li-Ling Waller.
Call said he notifies police when he will be doing train maintenance and gives his name and vehicle information.
The FOSRT assisted in collecting usage data on the trail this past year and found 197 users of the trail during a four-hour period on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012, 253 users in a four-hour period on Thursday, Sept. 13, and 1,230 users in an eight-hour period on Saturday, Sept. 16.
The FOSRT is planning to meet again in January and encourages the public to join. Information on the group is available at www.southckrailtrail.org and through its linked Facebook page.
In Westfield, the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail just introduced a new logo that was recently designed by Stevens 470 design firm of Westfield. The logo was unveiled at a Chamber of Commerce event by Friends chairman Jeff LaValley.
“We are grateful for the support of Tina Stevens and her team at Stevens 470. They are consummate professionals with whom we had the pleasure and joy of working,” said LaValley. “They were thoughtful in their approach to listening to our ideas and creating an image evoking both the spirit and history of Westfield and the essence of the rail trail project.”
Westfield’s Columbia Greenway also has two new kiosks, located in Phase One. LaValley said the structures are designed with a cupola to mimic the Grandmother’s Garden gazebo and are three-sided to maximize signage.
“One side will have rail trail information maps, the second side will have an away-finding guide with local government offices, restaurants and parks, and the third side will have more interpretive signage,” said LaValley.
Information on how to use the trail responsibly, as well as historical information, will be included.
“It will be a living museum-of-sorts on the trail,” he said.
When complete, the Greenway will travel from Southwick, through downtown Westfield to the Great River Bridge, on a mostly elevated line. The first section of the Greenway is now open, connecting Westfield to the Southwick Rail Trail. Eventually, the Greenway will connect to rail trails in Easthampton, Northampton, and Amherst, via a soon-to-built Southampton Greenway.
State Sen. Michael R. Knapik said this morning that Southampton’s Greenway is a step closer to fruition. Following a town approved referendum last month, the state is expected to announce this week that the town will receive a matching grant.
Knapik said these funds, matched with Southampton Community Preservation Act funds, will allow the town to purchase a stretch of rail that will connect to Westfield and Easthampton’s trails.
“The next step is securing funds to construct the trail,” Knapik said.
