11th Annual Snowy Egret 5K race
Monday, May 28, 2018
The Snowy Egret 5K is the primary annual fundraiser for Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center, with additional proceeds benefiting Eastern Trail Alliance. The 5K course covers both pavement and dirt paths along the Eastern Trail. This event will take place rain or shine!
Time:
Kids 1K Fun Run starts at 8:30 am
5K Run/Walk starts at 9:00 am
What a success – over 200 people joined us on April 7 for this unique and delicious event to benefit the Eastern Trail Alliance’s “Close the Gap” campaign! They sampled signature dishes from local establishments, bid on exciting items in our silent auction, and danced the night away to music by the Time Pilots! Most importantly, they all were contributing, or otherwise helping, to raise funds to Close the Gap in South Portland.
The event was a Camp Ketcha in Scarborough.
What is the “Close the Gap” campaign? A $4.1 million fundraising effort to close a critical 1.6 mile gap between Scarborough and South Portland. Once complete, we will enjoy 16 miles of continuous, off-road trail for transportation and recreational use between Bug Light in South Portland and Downtown Saco.
Currently, we have approximately $500,000 to raise before we can break ground.
Some pictures from the event appear below (all pictures by Jim Bucar):
Go to this link to see more pictures
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Published online by the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier/Mainely Media, January 25, 2018
Legislative Lowdown by Rep. Martin Grohman
When I first moved to Biddeford 18 years ago, the path that is now the Eastern Trail was just a four wheeler track. I lived on Mountain Road and I was fortunate to have access from my backyard. But the trail was arguably kind of sketchy and quite swampy. There was no formal access point for people not as lucky as me to have direct access. If I headed out there to snowshoe or mountain bike, I practically never saw anyone else.
It’s amazing to see how much has changed. The Eastern Trail, now graded and firmly surfaced with formal access points at Southern Maine Health Care and Thornton Academy, sees more than 100,000 users a year and generates more than a million dollars a year in economic activity for area merchants. Starting in Biddeford and heading south, this off-road section of the Eastern Trail provides more than six miles of flat, easy and scenic terrain connecting Biddeford, Arundel and Kennebunk. It also includes the only pedestrian bridge over the Maine Turnpike. It truly is a hidden gem.
Heading north from Thornton Academy, the trail runs all the way to Scarborough Marsh off road. It is built along the old Eastern Railroad Corridor, which was the first railroad to connect Boston to Portland, operating from 1842 until 1945. Soon, it will run all the way to South Portland’s Bug Light, thanks to a recent successful Closing the Gap fundraising campaign that will help fund construction of bridges over the railroad tracks and the Nonesuch River in Scarborough.
The trail is part of a larger vision, called the East Coast Greenway, which spans 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida. About one-third of it (led by the sections in Maine) is off-road today but one day, the founders hope to have an entirely off-road trail, similar to – and in fact longer than – the Appalachian Trail, but focused on a wider range of users including cyclists and walkers. This may seem like an unlikely goal, but the group has a track record of success.
Many people are surprised that the Eastern Trail is so flat and accessible. It’s close to the city, but feels miles from anywhere. Walk a short section and you’ll pass through forests, marshes and grasslands. The firm surface of stone dust is wheelchair accessible and great for strollers. Leashed dogs are allowed. There are health benefits to being outside, and in fact the staff from Southern Maine Health Care, Biddeford’s hospital, use the trail as part of their cardiac care and cancer therapy programs. It’s not groomed or plowed, so right now, you’ll need footwear with good traction (I recommend Stabilicers, made right here in Biddeford), snowshoes, or a fat bike for the best trail experience.
By Juliette Laaka on January 4, 2018 – The Forecaster
SCARBOROUGH — The Eastern Trail Alliance reached a $4.1 million fundraising goal to complete a nearly 2-mile section of trail, including building a bridge to traverse the Nonesuch River.
The fundraising campaign spanned five years and included donations large and small. Carole Brush, ETA executive director, said in December alone the organization pulled in $100,000 in donations and grants.
By Juliette Laaka on January 4, 2018 – The Forecaster
SCARBOROUGH — The Eastern Trail Alliance reached a $4.1 million fundraising goal to complete a nearly 2-mile section of trail, including building a bridge to traverse the Nonesuch River.
The fundraising campaign spanned five years and included donations large and small. Carole Brush, ETA executive director, said in December alone the organization pulled in $100,000 in donations and grants.
The campaign, called “Close the Gap,” was to build bridges over the Nonesuch River and the Pan Am Railways tracks near Pleasant Hill Road. Pending regulatory approvals, construction is expected to begin this summer.
Completing the 1.6-mile portion of the trail will link four communities and enable access to 16 miles of uninterrupted, off-road trail between South Portland’s Bug Light and downtown Saco.
The Maine Department of Transportation contributed an additional $500,000 to the project in December, officially putting it at goal.
“This is a win-win for all,” MDOT Commissioner David Bernhardt said in a press release. In 2015, MDOT committed $1.55 million and asked that Scarborough, South Portland and the ETA raise the remaining funds to complete the project.
“This trail project is a successful example of how collaboration between a public and private partnership should work,” Bernhardt said. “It enables us to stretch our dollars further and gives momentum to grassroots fundraising projects.”
John Duncan, director of the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System, agreed the project is critical to greater Portland’s growing demand for improved transportation logistics.
“Our members have repeatedly voted in favor of this trail project because we see that the benefits will be multi-faceted from transportation, recreation and economic development perspectives,” Duncan said.
The increased connection between communities will encourage non-traditional commuters, improve health, and encourage recreational activity, ETA said in a press release.
The next project for the group will be adding a section of trail from the Kennebunks through Wells and the Berwicks that will eventually go to Kittery.
The Eastern Trail is part of the East Coast Greenway that, when completed, would stretch approximately 2,900 miles from Calais to Key West, Florida. In southern Maine the trail is about 65 miles long, stretching from South Portland to Kittery; Brush on Wednesday said about a third of the Maine trail system is complete.
She estimated that 100,000 people used the trail last summer, after a counter and surveys were used to track activity on a designated 16 miles. The counter will remain on the trail until May, providing about nine months of data.
Parts of the trail are equestrian friendly and are also accessible to people with disabilities, Brush said.
The Eastern Trail is built along the old Eastern Railroad corridor. The railroad connected Boston to Portland and operated from 1842-1945. In 1998, a group of volunteers pitched the idea to create the trail along the rail corridor between the Scarborough Marsh and Bug Light in South Portland.
The money will be used to build two bridges in Scarborough that will complete 16 miles of off-road trail from downtown Saco to Bug Light Park in South Portland.
BY KELLEY BOUCHARD STAFF WRITER Published 12/30/2017
The Eastern Trail Alliance has reached its $4.1 million fundraising goal for the “Close the Gap” campaign to build two bridges in Scarborough that will complete 16 miles of uninterrupted, off-road trail from downtown Saco to Bug Light Park in South Portland.
It was the largest fundraiser in the alliance’s 18-year history, topped off with an additional $500,000 pledge last week from the Maine Department of Transportation, the alliance announced Friday.
In 2015, the MDOT committed $1.55 million to the project and asked Scarborough, South Portland and the alliance to raise the remaining funds. With help from the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, the campaign raised nearly $2 million from various donors, including and Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System, which pledged over $1.1 million.
“We are like the little engine that could,” said Carole Brush, executive director of the alliance. “We believe in what we are doing and clearly so do our partners.”
The “Close the Gap” funds will be used to build two bridges – one over the Nonesuch River near Eastern Road and the other over the Pan Am Railways tracks near Pleasant Hill Road – that will complete a 1.6-mile section of the off-road recreational trail as it passes through Scarborough. Pending regulatory approvals, construction is expected to begin next summer.
“This trail project is a successful example of how collaboration between a public and private partnership should work,” said MDOT Commissioner David Bernhardt. “It enables us to stretch our dollars further and gives momentum to grassroots fundraising projects.”
By Michael Kelley Staff Writer Published 12/29/2017
Christmas arrived early for the Eastern Trail Alliance, which for years has dreamed of finding the funding to close a 1.6-mile gap of the Eastern Trail between the Nonesuch River in Scarborough and Wainwright Athletic Field in South Portland and for the past few years has been working to raise the more than $4 million needed to complete the project.
Last week, at a meeting with Scarborough Town Manager Tom Hall, the Maine Department of Transportation, already a sizeable donor to the effort, agreed to fill the remainder of the fundraising gap.
“The meeting didn’t require a hard sell,” Hall said at the Dec. 21 meeting of the Close the Gap Committee. “I truly believe the hard work we have done with fundraising resonated with them. We didn’t just sit back and wait.”
Hall said the gap was roughly $500,000. The DOT had previously contributed $1.55 million to the project, which it saw as the highest priority trail project in the state.
Joyce Taylor, chief engineer of the Maine Department of Transportation, said DOT Commissioner David Bernhardt “agreed to fill whatever the gap was when they are ready to advertise it for bidding.”
“He appreciated the private donations and all the support the project has had,” she said.
The fundraising gap to complete the project is closed, but as Scarborough resident and Bicycle Coalition of Maine member Larry Rubinstein said that doesn’t mean the need to raise funding is totally over because a maintenance account for the trail may be necessary.
“The fundraising is not finished even though we’ve met the goal for initial construction,” he said, adding there may be “enhancements” that the group would like to add to the project, such as benches, water fountains or rest areas, that were not part of the preliminary plans.
“As we finalize the design, we could still have a need (for more funding),” Hall said.
The decision by the department of transportation comes on the heels of a successful month of fundraising when nearly $100,000 was raised through grants and private contributions, including a $30,000 commitment from the Caiazzo family in Scarborough. The project has also had the support of the communities of South Portland and Scarborough, which have contributed a total of $285,000, the Eastern Trail Alliance ($100,000), area businesses ($205,000), more than 434 private donations ($104,000), the 2017 Eastern Trail Alliance annual appeal ($1,900), grants ($61,755) and events ($16,000). The membership of PACTS, the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System, has given more than $1.1 million toward the effort.
Eastern Trail Alliance director Carole Brush said there are three additional events planned for spring that will benefit the trail extension project, including a gala in April at Camp Ketcha, the John Andrews 5K on the trail in May and a 10K Mend Health and Wellness of Scarborough is planning this spring.
“It feels absolutely fantastic to have such tremendous support from the Maine Department of Transportation, PACTS and corporate and private donations. It’s been overwhelming,” Brush said.
While the gap may measure only 1.6 miles, making that connection is a complicated and expensive endeavor since it requires building two bridges, one over the Nonesuch River, which thanks to contributions from Town & Country Federal Credit Union, will be named in honor of Wilfred Couture and Edward Connolly, two long-time credit union supporters, and one over the Pan-American Railroad that is used by Amtrak and freight trains.
“Town & Country is proud to be a major supporter of the Eastern Trail’s Close the Gap initiative and is very excited the DOT is committed to providing additional support to bring the project to completion,” David Libby, president and CEO of the credit union, which has branches in both Scarborough, and said in a statement to the Leader. “The Eastern Trail is an important resource for our community. By completing the 1.6-mile gap between South Portland and Scarborough, it will help bring our communities closer together and expand the already wonderful recreational opportunities for our neighbors. In fact, several of our employees are really looking forward to commuting to work once the trail is complete.”
After the trail crosses Pleasant Hill Road in Scarborough, it will pass along the pond behind Pleasant Hill Driving Range before connecting to the Wainwright recreation area in South Portland.
“We are just thrilled DOT has agreed with everyone in greater Portland that the Eastern Trail project is so important to the region,” said Paul Duncan, director of Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System. “This is an unusual project for us at PACTS. When we heard about it, the staff said we really want to make a contribution to it and when we went to our board, our board said ‘absolutely’ and they almost tripled the amount of money we proposed. The communities of PACTS, its members have been strong supporters of the project.”
PACTS has given more than $1.1 million toward the effort, including, Duncan said, $650,000 to build the requisite bridges to cross the river and railroad line. The group also contributed money for other work needed for the project and for outreach.
First and foremost, THANK YOU, for your support on the Eastern Trail in 2023. We are fortunate to have an incredible amount of support from so many. Whether you volunteered at an event or on the trail or you provided a monetary donation, the Eastern Trail continues to provide a safe and fun outdoor recreational trail and alternative transportation corridor for thousands of people because of you.
We greatly appreciate the support that so many of you give on a regular basis to make the Eastern Trail what it is. Without your help, the Eastern Trail would not be here for thousands to enjoy. 2024 promises to be a big year for the Eastern Trail—including major progress on new sections of the trail.
Maine Public – All Things Considered – By FRED BEVER, DEC 15, 2017
[Ed. note: The Eastern Trail gets a nice plug about one-third into the article]
A proposal to create a new bike path along an existing rail line between Portland and Yarmouth is drawing strong interest from the communities it would pass through. It’s also raising worries that it would interfere with a plan to extend passenger train service from Portland to the Lewiston-Auburn area.
Maine Public – All Things Considered – By FRED BEVER, DEC 15, 2017
[Ed. note: The Eastern Trail gets a nice plug about one-third into the article]
A proposal to create a new bike path along an existing rail line between Portland and Yarmouth is drawing strong interest from the communities it would pass through. It’s also raising worries that it would interfere with a plan to extend passenger train service from Portland to the Lewiston-Auburn area.
The rail line in question starts at the edge of Casco Bay, next to an imposing brick factory building.
“Right now we’re actually behind the B&M baked beans facility looking at what would be the southern terminus of this,” says Molly Henry, regional coordinator for the East Coast Greenway Alliance, the group that has been working for more than 25 years to realize the dream of a contiguous, protected walking and bike path from Maine’s border with Canada to Key West.
Henry says the path is about 30 percent done.
“Our longest continuous stretch of East Coast Greenway actually is in Maine, and it’s the 87-mile Downeast Sunrise Trail, which stretches from Ayers Junction just south of Calais and all the way into Ellsworth,” she says.
The group now has its eye on this stretch of rail corridor, which runs seven miles from the bean plant along Interstate 295 through Falmouth and Cumberland to a junction in Yarmouth. The state Department of Transportation owns it, and the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad has a renewable lease for use of the line, although it actually dropped service to the bean plant two years ago.
The corridor’s course parallels an on-road route popular with cyclists of all types, from squadrons of neon-spandexed racers and family outers to lone commuters, such as Ted Reed.
“I’m an executive at Unum. I ride about 4,000 or 5,000 miles a year from the middle of Cumberland Range Road area, every day, till about last week, and I pick it up again around March,” he says.
Reed was one of about 60 people who turned out for a recent presentation on the proposal in Falmouth. And he was one of many applauding the idea of a dedicated bike route into Portland.
“I am terrified in a few places on my commute. I cannot use Route 9 in Cumberland. It’s dangerous — it’s deadly dangerous,” he says. “This would be really, really welcome to people like me. Now, there are not many people like me, but there might be more if you put one of these things in.”
Bike and walking path boosters point to southern Maine’s Eastern Trail, stretching 65 miles from Portland’s Bug Light to Kittery — with 22 miles of it off-road — as a prime example of how they can contribute to local economies, creating new community gathering places, tourism assets and even boosting nearby real estate values.
But there’s opposition, too. Cumberland resident Paul Weiss reeled off a list of rail corridors whose potential he says has been degraded by their conversion into bike paths.
“The Mountain Division, the Sunrise Trail, the Augusta-Gardiner branch, the Union branch, the Maine Eastern Railroad. Those are all railroads that have been ripped up and destroyed or damaged by putting in these trails. And it costs a huge amount of money to ever rebuild by doing this,” he says.
Read (or listen to) the entire article online here.
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