Montour Trail-Letter

Volume 10, Issue 6

November/December, 1999

The 12th annual Cecil Township Indian Summer Festival opened on a foggy start as the rains of the previous evening evaporated in to the Millers Run Valley, but the fog quickly dissipated as the sun climbed higher into the sky on what would be a bright late September day and weekend. Two trail related events took place on this opening day.

At 11:00 a.m., the ribbon was cut on the balloon-decorated Glass Hill Bridge providing trail users another six-tenths of a mile to continue their trail-treks. In attendance, were Washington County Commissioners Diana Irey and Scott Fergus and Cecil Township Supervisors Tom Casciola and Frank Egizio. Montour Trail Council president, Dick Quasey acknowledged the officials in attendance for their cooperation and support of the Trail. Many thanks are extended to Frank Ludwin, who was one of the ribbon cutters.

Frank is the President of the Cecil Township Parks and Recreation Board and has been helping the Montour Trail Council on two fronts; helping to clear the way between Large and Clairton, and in his backyard on the new Cecil extension doing a rough grade between the park and the Glass Hill Bridge and the tie replacement on the Bridge. If it were not for his grading, the ribbon cutting Saturday may have not taken place. Even though the trail has yet to be graded and surfaced, it has become a favorite of many trail users. Melinda Freed of Mount Lebanon, who walked the section prior to the ribbon-cutting, was thrilled with the new section, "it takes you through a crown of trees", she said to those attending the ceremony. The Cecil Friends hope to have it graded and surfaced with the cooperation of the Cecil Township Department of Public Works before the snow flies.

With the completion of the bridge (see the previous newsletter for the details), trail users can now continue their journey to PA 980 near the intersection of PA Route 50 (Venice). The Cecil Section of the Montour Trail is now 6.3 miles in length, five miles between Hendersonville and Venice, and 1.3 miles from Hendersonville eastward to Chartiers Creek. Now if we only had a bridge for Morganza Road...

The second trail related event of the day was the naming of the stage in Cecil Park after Don Berty who passed away last fall. Don Berty was an MTC board member and the Cecil Township Trail Representative, who devoted much of his time to the Parks and Recreation Board as well as the Montour Trail. Frank Ludwin and Mark Chauvet, Parks and Recreation board members, performed the unveiling of the sign which they installed over the previous day.

The Cecil Friends manned their booth near the Tennis Courts both days, thanks go to Hoyt Hall, Bill Palmer, Joan Dristas, Annemarie O?Toole. Dennis Sims and Frank Keppel who performed their share of the duties. The biggest hits were the genuine Montour Trail Sumac Walking Stick and the MTC post office banks made by Hoyt when he isn?t inspecting, enforcing and "ambassadoring" on the Trail. The doors for the bank are the doors from the Cecil Township Post Office, provided by Don Berty. Hoyt will take orders for these items. The sticks are $10 and the banks $40.