HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommunity Involvement-1996/1997 Local bicyclists enjoy scenery,
campaign for proposed trail
By MAURnTN Henn
From bicycle polo to political activism. In theory,the Trail Heads of Central Florida
cover a lot of ground.
And quite literaly,,too.
On June 8,the Trail Heads,a moentain bicycle group,tuck to the gravel Saturday,June 8
as they biked 15.75 miles from the Environmental Center to the aunt'lice,passing through
Oviedo on what is the proposed Cross-Seminole Trail.
The five-member caravan tan into trouble with the undeveloped trail on the two-and-a-
half hour trek.
"Now,it's all soft sand and gravel from the old railroad auks,so itwas atough ride,but
it went pretty good,"said David Lancaster,of the Trail Heads. This was the first organized
ride through the proposed Cross-Seminole Trail.
• "We wanted to make a statement that we want both the paved and unpaved trails the
county is working on,"said hamster. "We wanted to make it known to people that we want
to see this trail developed fully."
The Cross-Seminole Trail would coned five schools,three parks,two office centers and
five shopping centers to residential areas,andpossSdythe future site of the Oviedo Crossings
Mall,according to the Cross-Seminole Trails Alliance.
"It's a pretty scenic ride that connects the cilia,towns andbusiow of Seminole county.
It's great for way fitness and recreation,and a wonderful its the wadi*"Mid Lammas.
"B'swsohitelfiybeautdml between Winter Sprhigssid Odado."This week,a xamember task force formed by the county looking into Fss aBAkland
and developing a Cross-County trail will present proposal to the Seminole County Bard
of Commissioners.
Committee members see advantages for the trail from both an ecoimmic and cn*Im-
Iii aspect "A trail like this always brings an economic boom to the are;and it's a great,non-
polluting way of transportation,"said Art Aeken an,committee member and Advocacy Di-
rector for the Florida Freewheelers.
960 ‘, /3
Happy trails to you
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Herald Pholo by Denise E.Monroe
Blazing the first leg of the Cross Seminole Trail are nole County Commission chairman,and Mayor Paul
Mayor Mimi Bruce of Oviedo, Randy Morris, Semi- Partyka of Winter Springs.
County breaks ground
TONY TIZZIO crowd of local citizens and dignitaries from
By
Herald TONY
YoTIZZIOt enjoying the festivities. The ceremony
started at 10 a.m. and lasted about an hour.
July 19th, Seminole County broke It all took place at Jetta Point Drive in
On Ju the first segment of the "Cross Winter Springs at the southwest corner of
ground l State Road 434 and the Central part Florida of a
Seminole Trail" on what was a beautiful and
hot Central Florida morning. Greenway. This marked the first part of a
Neither the heat or the mud could keep the See Trails, Page SA
Trails- -
Continued from Page IA Said Seminole County County commissioner and Mr.
trail system Commissioner Dick Van Der McGill a representative of
that will stretch over many Weide, "I can't wait until this Congresswoman Corrine
miles of paved and unpaved project is completed. It will get Brown.
roads. a big spot in Seminole County
Our goal," says Randy history: Trails Information
Other notable comments Condensed: Major elements of
Morris. Seminole County from this event included the county's Trail Program are
Commission chairman. who a the three top projects, which
spearheaded the project, "is to representative of the U. S. P P 1
have this trail eventually reach Army, Captain Reeser. whose together combine for over 45
all the way to Sanford." The reserve unit will be responsible miles. These projects are: I.
immediate goal is to have the for the actual construction of The Cross Seminole Trail by
ball connect to Orange the trail. Grey Wilson, former the cities of Winter Springs
County's "Cady Way Trail". chairman of the Seminole and Oviedo is expected- to be
The Cross Seminole Trail County Trails and Greenways completed in early 1998. 2. The
was at one time part of the Task Force, was also present. Seminole Wekiva Trail from
CSX Rail Line and was bought Wilson said, "There are a lot of Altamonte Springs to the
by the Florida Department of people to thank today. mainly Wekiva River is expected to be
Environmental Protection's the early cities and groups like completed in 1998. 3. The
Office of Greenway's and Trails the Cross Seminole Trail Flagler Trail (old S.R. 13. in the
by something called Alliance." eastern part of the county) the
"Preservation 2000" funds. The It wasn't so,much the crowd, master planning is expected to
Environmental Protection's the elected officials or the heat be completed in 1998. Most of
Office of Greenways and Trails that got everyone so excited, it the funding of the Trails
closed on the 14 mile corridor was a kind of electricity in the Program will be by joint
on December 27, 1996. air. This electricity was due to projects, grants, private
Congressman John Mica and the fact that this project partners and community
his office .helped in obtaining couldn't even have gotten off initiatives.
some of the federal funding for the ground, If not for the The Seminole County Trails
this project. Dick Harkey. cooperation of all the cities, can be used for bicycling,
District Rep. for Congressman the county and state. This was walking, horseback riding,
John Mica said, "It is an expressed by Chairman Morris wheelchair recreation and
enhancement of the quality of at the actual ground breaking many other activities. The goal
life for the citizens of Seminole ceremony. of Seminole County's Trails
County." Other notables included Mimi Program is to provide for
Cindy Gennell, chairman of Bruce, mayor of Oviedo: Paul bikeways. trails and greenways
the Seminole County Trails Partyka, mayor of Winter to ell Seminole County
and Greenways Task Force and Springs; Bill Bagley. Orange residents.
the City of Winter Springs
commissioner said, "This -is a
significant first. it is a project
that will connect people."
Cross-
Seminole Trails
Alliance says
thanks for the It was white knuckle time.The appraiser
hedged, then said that the purchase was a
support! barn
Sec.MoAiani moved to approve the Trail,
and Treasurer Nelson seconded.The roll was
It was supposed to sail through.But at 5 i called Education commissioner Brogan,a Trail
p.m.,the day before the CST was to be voted supporter,was truly unable to be there,so we
on by the Cabinet,we heard that it would be needed four of six members.Treasurer Nelson,
killed for"costing too much."Furious last- Yea,Attn Gen.Butterworth,whose staff had
minute lobbying managed to get our Trail been so helpful,Nay; Governor Chiles,who
merely tabled.But,if not brought back up,it hadraised the objections,Yea,Ag.Commis-
would die there.People swung into action to sioner Crawford, Yea, Secretary of State
.....
build support. Moitham,Yea; (4 of 6--we broke out in ap-
Grey Wilson, Jennifer King, and Ben plause)and Comptroller Milligan,as expected,
Griffith made the long drive to Tallahassee to Nay.The drive back home was much shorter
spin up their staff about our Trail.Longwood and happier than it would have other wise
Commissioner Jim Carrico,State Representa- been.
five Tom Feeney and Bob Starks,State Sena- What next?Why there's lots of work to
or Toni Jennings,and US Representative mica be done,of course!the State still has to close
helped.Letters and articles appeared in the the purchase,probably by year's end.Then,
Voice and Sentinel,along with favorable edi- communities need to get involved,develop-
torials. About 700 petition signatures were ment funding needs to be rustled up,phasing
gathered. Finally, at 3:45 a.m., 22 October, needs to be planned, coordination with
"Task Force CST" (Art Ackerman, Dave Oviedo's downtown redevelopment, Winter
Lancaster,Grey Wilson,Jeanne Purkins,Jeff Springs Trails and Greenways Task Force,and
Payne, and Winter Springs Commissioner the Cady Way Trail Extension worked out,
Cindy Gennell rolled out for Tallahassee and trestles decked, signs made, trees planted...
the 9:30 am. Cabinet meeting. A group of And this is just the"south leg."The north leg
elected officials, Seminole Commissioner of the project,the South Shore Greenway,to
Randy Mortis,Mayor Mimi Bruce of Oviedo, bridge the gap in the Florida Trail,still to come.
Appraiser Bill Super,Orlando Commissioner So come out to the next meeting,Thurs-
Bagle and staff:Ben Griffith,Colleen Roteila, day,Nov 14,at 7p.m.at Gray Wilson's house
and Tony Van der Worp)also went. (SR 419 north out of Oviedo,around the big
We arrived in the hectic mayhem that pre- turn,past a church;then lett at"MacKinleys
cedes a Cabinet meeting.Office of Greenways Mill" subdivision, which is MacTavandash
&Trails,Railsto-Trails,and Sierra Club were Dr., to house #1330, the fifth house on the
there.At the appointed time,we formed a pha- left).Come to"Great Day in the County,"Sat-
lanx of speakers.The elected folks addressed urday,Nov.9;there will be food,music,rafts..
the Cabinet;then the Governor called for the and us...look for our logo. /J // Q 7
appraisers.There followed some pointed Q& Thanks, Thanks, thanks to all who 7
A. Finally, Sec. of State, Sandy Monham worked so hard to get the railroad corridor for
spoke favorably of our Trail and asked,"Is it the Cross-Seminole Trail approved.
a good deal at$6.9 million?" Members of the Trails Alliance