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N E W S & U P D A T E S
J U L Y
, 1 9 9 8
Wednesday. July 29, 1998
Put
your name on St. Marys' newest walkway
Your $35 buys much more than the
plank
Progress, to go forward: That's what is happening to our
Grand Trunk Trail. You may have taken a sneak preview of the superb efforts of the local Kinsmen.
They have spent two weeks so far laying those planks our committee has been offering. On
my last visit to the site I counted just over 700 planks that had been installed. That's
just better than half way in two weeks. If the weather holds (or gets cooler!) the Kinsmen
may well have this massive task completed by the end of July. Of course, there is the
Emily Street Bridge to be done, too. That should be done quickly with the momentum that
has been developed on the part of the Kinsmen.
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The progress being made by the purchase of the planks/plaques is slower. Even at the halfway point, more planks have been installed than have been sponsored. We have donations for 664 planks now.
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Your $35 buys much
more than the plank:
fourteen screws hold each
plank to the five rows of stringers (either 2x4 or 4x4) that run the full length of the
663' Bridge. The plaque your name will be engraved in costs around $2. We are paying for
the hydro line that will light the lamps on the Bridge and eventually the length of the
Trail. The Kinsmen have donated the money for the light fixtures on the Bridge; the
committee has to raise the money for the lamps and posts on the rest of the Trail.
Please click here for donation form.
Fundraising
activities
The good news is that the Grand
Trunk Trail's second Trunk Sale and first River Poker Rally earned $668.
Thanks to all who donated items to our Sale table and to those who entered the Poker
Rally. As you may have read in last week's "We See…", Mary
and Meg Smith took top poker honours.
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What you may not know is that the team of Marg McBride and Donal O'Connor were rewarded for collecting the most debris from the river and Trout Creek. They did a great job of cleaning the trapped garbage at the top of the mill race. Due to the efforts of all participants, our local waterway was garbage free for at least one day.
The fundraising committee appreciates the initiative and support of Staffens and Stonetown Books. Staffens is giving the Grand Trunk Trail the proceeds from the Wishing Well by the fruits and veggies; Stonetown Books raised $60 for the GTT by raffling that great stuffed Dragon that was in the window. Thanks to you both for thinking of ways to help us reach our financial goal and for just "doing it". The hardest thing we had to do was collect the $60 from Linda Strathdee.
You may remember that the St. Marys Hospital Foundation has provided us with a challenge grant of $10,000. As of the June 25th meeting, we have raised $5,783 of that amount; when we reach $10,000, we get the grant. What a great investment in our health.
After two years of "a lot of talk" to raise "a lot of money", you can see that the talk and the money have become Bridge repairs, railings, lamp posts and hundreds of planks. So many of you have contributed in so many ways and soon you will be able to walk across the top of the Town. And what a walk it will be. Enjoy!
Reprinted from the St. Marys Journal-Argus, Wed. July 29, 1998
Monday, July 13, 1998 WHAT
A VIEW!!!!! by Tony Reynen
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The
sentiments of the Kinsmen group as they labour to install the deck on the 662' Sarnia
Bridge. Ten workers, more or less, pound the 6 inch nails into the 4 inch by 4 inch
runners, followed by the humming of electic drills to screw the final 2 inch thick by 6
inch wide by 12 foot long planking down.
