Trail Town Corps program expands to include Monongahela River towns
Trail Town Corps members often take part in community activities. Here member Jeff Malik tries his hand a making maple cakes during the recent Meyersdale Maple Festival.
?They have come from Texas, North Carolina, New Jersey, Arkansas, Tennessee and a variety of communities across Pennsylvania with a mission to aid Great Allegheny Passage Trail Towns and River Towns tap their tourism potential.
Known as the Student Conservation Trail Town and River Town Outreach Corps, the nine college graduates are now becoming familiar with their designated communities, and within a few weeks will begin to knock on the doors of businesses, community leaders and officials to formally introduce themselves and how they stand ready to help.
“It’s a new adventure for me,” said Ashley Gramlich, an Arkansas native who chose to target the Monongahela River town of Point Marion and its residents, organizations and businesses during her 10-month tenure with the program. “I’ve always contended that I could be a student forever. I liked the idea of working together with communities in trying to boost their economy.”
In addition to Point Marion, the other river-town locations within the program include California, Fredericktown/Millsboro, Rices Landing and Greensboro. The six trail towns in the program include West Newton, Connellsville, Ohiopyle, Confluence, Rockwood and Meyersdale.
Now in its third year, the Outreach Corps is a multi-year partnership between the Student Conservation Association (SCA) – a national nonprofit organization and the Trail Town Program – an economic development initiative of the Progress Fund. The River Town program was added this year.
The initiative was spawned as a way to help communities that lie along the biking and hiking trails and along the rivers to reach out to those who use the pathways.
According to studies, an estimated 700,000 trips are taken annually on the trail and $40 million spent by those riding their bicycles or walking for overnight accommodations, eating, entertainment, souvenirs and activities.
Program coordinator Elisa Mayes has been at the helm of the initiative since 2009 and now a part of the Connellsville community, the headquarters for the organization.
“It takes a community working together to weave a network of businesses continually reinvesting in each other and individuals purchasing local goods to create a diverse and strong economy,” she said. “Our mission is to foster revitalization and sustainable redevelopment through minds-on and hands-on community services.”
The organization offers a wide variety of services to businesses and the community, including a sustainable business network to coordinate efforts between the various stores, shops and restaurants to ensure sustainability and help trail users to find and support a network of green businesses.
Laura Cole will be working with the river towns of Rices Landing and Greensboro.
A New Jersey native and graduate of Muhlenberg College, Cole said the typical 9-5 workday was not fulfilling to her adventurous spirit, and the SCA program would provide that outlet.
“While I don’t have an environmental background, I believe that my psychology background, to some extent, will allow me to better understand the communities that we are working with,” she said.
Because this is the first year for the River Town Corps, Mayes said that Gramlich and Cole, along with Jeff Malik and Brad Bishop, will spend much of their time and efforts discussing the program goals with community leaders and business owners.
“Our goals are to coordinate and increase reliance on local economies, promote appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of southwestern Pennsylvania and be an integrated resource and asset to the communities,” she said.
Now in the third year, those assigned to the trail towns will continue several programs already implemented, she said.
Since 2009, the Trail Town Corps and its community partners have created community gardens, promoted farmers markets, produced specialty ice creams for each trail town and taken part in town preservation plans.
Texas resident Phillip Wu said he will use his background in community planning and sustainability to aid the Confluence and Rockwood areas.
“Confluence has many assets,” he said noting the accessibility to the Great Allegheny Passage and rivers. “With the trail, nearby covered bridges and Ohiopyle State Park, it has great potential to support additional businesses.”
The community, he said, has become a retirement oasis for residents from Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Md., and Washington, D.C., and, along with the upswing in trail usage, will serve as a strong foundation for the development of niche businesses.
“There is definite potential for other businesses, and I hope that I can help foster that growth,” he said.
In addition to conducting trail surveys and taking part in preservation planning, the group has also worked alongside funding agencies and communities to have 14 pieces of art placed along the trail in the six trail towns. The artwork has included murals, sculptures, and carvings that paid tribute to the culture and heritage of the towns.
A third piece of art is being designed for Connellsville by Confluence artist Jody Best and will be constructed along the trail, near Yough Park.
With the program’s base being Connellsville, much of the corps members’ time and talents have benefited the community and residents, said Michael Edwards, Connellsville Redevelopment Authority executive director and Fayette County Cultural Trust president.
“The work that the interns have completed has been a real asset to our community,” he said. “They have been able to bring a different perspective to the issues facing the community, and it is always helpful to have a fresh set of eyes to look at the assets of our city.”
Connellsville will be the focus of Emma Strong, a Pittsburgh resident and 2010 graduate of Hiram College in Ohio, who holds a degree in environmental studies.
“Because I am a recent graduate, I didn’t have any real work experience, so the (SCA) is an opportunity for me to gain that experience,” she said. “The work of the Trail Town Corps falls right in line with my studies and what I want to do in the future.”
Strong said that her goal will be to build upon the progress made by her predecessors, including the incorporation of more businesses into the sustainable business network and work with the Youth Action Corps, local high school students taking part in community service projects.
“I want the opportunity to work with the businesses to share with them about sustainable business practices,” she said. “Surveys show that trail users are willing to ride further to reach a business that has local food or sustainable products.”
A related goal, said Strong, is to develop signage that will aid trail users to locate places to eat, shop, visit or stay overnight.
The Youth Action Corps was developed last year as a part of Downtown Connellsville’s main street program.
Recently, 200 Connellsville Area High School seniors and Trail Town members spent two days cleaning city parks, painting the East Side Fire Station and community center and preparing the Mill Run baseball field for its spring sports’ season as a part of their community service projects.
“(The project locations) are great community assets and it is good for the students to be accountable in helping to take care of them,” said Strong.
Other trail town members include William Prince, Amanda Metzger and Maggie Adams.
For more information about the Trail Town Outreach Corps, visit its website at www.trailtowns.org or contact Mayes by phone at 724-603-3151 or by email at emayes@thesca.org.