In Connecticut, Shoreline Greenway a Story of Local Spirit and Generosity
You mightn't think it, but writing about trails can be a pretty life-affirming experience. More often than not, the stories of how our trails get built are stories about community spirit, the volunteer ethic, neighbors helping neighbors and local people using plenty of elbow grease, ingenuity and determination to build something of long-lasting good.
My story that we just launched at www.railstotrails.org on Connecticut's Shoreline Greenway Trail was like that. Interviewing the many local volunteers that worked for more than 10 years to bring a great idea to fruition, their passion for the trail and the community radiated through the phone line. For me it was exhilarating to feel that energy, and to realize how much of their own time and resources people will give up to build these trails and pathways for the public good.
We've got a special connection to the Shoreline Greenway Trail - Chip Angle, a Guilford resident and one of the prime movers behind the effort is on the Board of Directors here at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC). His experience helped the folks of East Haven, Branford, Guilford and Madison form an innovative volunteer committee that spread the work load, and that able to generate a lot of support.
It's a great trail, with a great story behind it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
