Below, please find some great information about the Friends of the Sturbridge Trails and their annual meeting.
Also, attached please find information about the First Day Hike.
All the best
Leon A. Gaumond Jr.
Town Administrator
“Friends of Sturbridge Trails” 3rd annual meeting set
Sturbridge: in the winter of 2013, a group of Sturbridge residents came together expressing an interested in forming a “Friends of Sturbridge Trails” group (FrOST) and how appropriate their first organizational meeting will be held in the winter of 2013. This group was started by Sturbridge resident and Conservation Commission member David Barnicle as the creation of a friends group is one of the objectives set out in the Town’s Recreation Trail Master Plan.
When asked why he was promoting a friends group for Sturbridge trails, David replied “over the past three years I have witnessed firsthand the hard work being done by the volunteers on the trail committee, in constructing, obtaining funding to build the trails and now trail maintenance. I thought having a friends group could help in all these areas, primarily in the funding and trail maintenance parts.” Continuing he said “ in addition there is so much more that goes into building trails, like keeping records, maintaining web sites, making and distributing brochures and maps, all areas where a friends group could be a big help.”
From that start the friends group has slowly grown, however as always The Friends of Sturbridge trails is looking for new members to be diverse in its desires for trails in Sturbridge, from casual hiking and dog walkers, to highly technical Mt Bikers and everyone in between. In its bylaws, the Friends of Sturbridge trails states “composed of individuals, businesses and families sharing an appreciation of the potential for trails and trail related activities, interests and pursuits has organized itself to achieve these purposes;
a. To stimulate trails related activities in response to the rising expectations of a growing community.
b. To advocate for trails – planning, land acquisition, construction, as well as maintenance and the development of those tools (motorized and otherwise) to achieve this goal.
c. To preserve and develop the value of trails.
d. To develop popular support for trails as a community resource for the satisfaction found in the quiet beauty.
e. To pursue and implement, on the basis of independence and cooperation, ways and means to supplement trails facilities and services beyond those already imagined.
f. To institute fund raising projects and activities for the trails, in conjunction with any other bodies who desire to use the trails.”
The third annual meeting of FrOST will be held on Tuesday January 19th,2016, 7 pm graciously hosted by the Public House. Members of the Sturbridge Trail Committee will give a short presentation on where the Trail Committee is today and what their plans are for multiple and specific trail use development over the next few years. David Barnicle will speak on the current status of Friends of Sturbridge Trails and our future activities. Trail Brochures, copies of the recently adopted town wide trail master plan, as well as maps and photos of recent and proposed trail work will be available.
Sturbridge Trail Committee member Tom Chamberland will be on hand to answer questions and to talk on specific ongoing trail projects and representatives from the Friends of the Titanic Rail Trail will also be in attendance, discussing the 66 mile regional Titanic Rail trail a part of which is our local Grand Trunk Trail. Membership forms to sign up and join FrOST will be available that night.
In both the Town’s Master Plan and Recreation Trails Master Plan surveys, residents were strongly in favor of building several different types of trails to enjoy our open space lands. Here is the opportunity to support that effort without placing a burden on the town. The friends group is open to anyone who would like to support trails in Sturbridge. If you cannot make the January 19th meeting, or have more questions or wanting to help in the organizational effort please email either David Barnicle at: dmbarnicle8141@gmail.com or email Sturbridgetrails@gmail.com
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