Kicking Off Al’s Trail—

Lions Club Breakfast Leads To Groundbreaking

By Dottie Evans

Buoyed by the news of more than $49,000 in Iroquois Gas Transmission funds recently dedicated to the completion of Al’s Trail, members of the Newtown Lions Club, the Newtown Hikers Club, the Ad Hoc Open Space Committee and Newtown Trails group, and friends and family of Al Goodrich gathered Saturday morning, March 20, at the Newtown United Methodist Church in Sandy Hook.

“We’re happy to see so many come out, and we hope you’ll join us for the groundbreaking ceremony behind the church,” said Lions Club past-president Gordon Williams as he greeted people at the door.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, cooks Ron Davis and Tony Ratzing kept flipping pancakes, and Newtown High’s Leo Club members Michelle Serock and Bill Manville served up sausages and bacon.

The long tables were set up with green cloths in honor of the nine-mile greenway trail, and a storyboard nearby recounted the history of Al’s Trail along with the names of many townspeople who have contributed time and effort highlighted in red.

Visitors also viewed a small display model of the gazebo that has been designed by architect Roger Ball and will be built later this year behind the Methodist Church. It will be sited along a portion of Al’s Trail that borders the Pootatuck River in Sandy Hook.

A Walk After Breakfast

After enjoying the hearty pancake breakfast, people stepped outside to enjoy the bright sunshine and blue skies –– both welcome sights at the end of a long, snowy, cold March on the first day of spring.

Two hikes were scheduled on different portions of the trail, before and after the groundbreaking.

The first, led by Newtown Trails volunteer John Evans, followed the river south through the woods to a newly blazed crossing beneath highway I-84. This crossing is a pivotal link to the Deep Brook-Fairfield Hills portion of Al’s Trail that will eventually end at the Reed Intermediate School.

The crossing was only recently approved by the Department of Transportation (DOT) with the stipulation that a sturdy chain link fence be erected separating the highway from the trail walkers. According to Mr Evans, approximately 400 feet of chain link will be needed in addition to 400 feet of animal fencing, and a substantial portion of the Iroquois funds will be used for this fencing project.

The walkers tramped through the snow and helped each other climb over a temporary stile that has been built over a deteriorating fence. When the new chain link is installed, the trail route will be changed slightly to make that section more user-friendly.

An old concrete bridge over the Pootatuck affords a wide passage under I-84, and trail volunteers have already shored up a steep embankment to create a safe path under the westbound overpass. As the group paused on the bridge between the raised sections of superhighway, they noted the crumbling asphalt remnants of Route 6 beneath their feet. These were the last vestiges of the old cross-Connecticut highway that was abandoned more than 50 years ago when I-84 was built.

David Goodrich of Portsmouth, R.I., who is Al Goodrich’s eldest son, remembered moving to Newtown in 1961 and riding his bike on the newly paved superhighway just before it opened.

“It was a great place to ride with friends, while no cars or trucks were allowed,” Mr Goodrich commented.

Saturday’s south trail walk terminated at the Commerce Road cul-de-sac where everyone turned around to attend the gazebo groundbreaking ceremony behind the Methodist Church at 10 am.

“The trail will go on from here when we can get a couple of footbridges built over Tom’s Brook and Deep Brook,” commented Newtown Trails leader Pat Barkman.

Snow Shovels Do The Job

Several residents were gathered for the groundbreaking along with town and state government officials. These included Newtown First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, Connecticut State Representative Julia Wasserman, and James Belden representing Trout Unlimited, a fishermen’s group that acts as environmental watchdog over the Fairfield Hills portion of Deep Brook, which is a Class A trout stream and hatchery.

Newtown High senior Dan Tishion, who has worked on the Rocky Glen section of Al’s Trail, was also at the groundbreaking. Dan will complete his Troop 70 Eagle Scout project this June on a northern section of the trail between Antler Pine and Black Bridge roads.

Mr Rosenthal opened the ceremony in honor of Al Goodrich, mentioning that “he was a good man” who remained humble and did not seek recognition for his accomplishments. Yet, he dedicated his retirement years to mapping Newtown trails and identifying existing greenways and open space for all future residents to enjoy.

“It is fitting that we dedicate this trail in Al’s memory,” Mr Rosenthal said.

He also recognized the efforts of Pat Barkman, who has carried on the vision for one continuous trail through town that was first conceived and blazed by Mr Goodrich more than seven years ago.

Ms Barkman not only helped bring about the designation of Iroquois Land Preservation and Enhancement (LPEP) funds for Al’s Trail, she is currently leading an effort to obtain additional funds from The National Recreational Trail Grant for construction of the gazebo.

In addition to the Iroquois money, the sum of $5,000 has been donated anonymously by a private organization, and the Lions Club has donated $1,000, as well as whatever money was earned at the pancake breakfast.

Following the First Selectman’s remarks, David Goodrich spoke a few words.

“My brother and I greatly appreciate the naming of this trail in honor of our father. We feel that it truly represents what he was all about. Trails were his life.

“During the last months,” Mr Goodrich said, “my father felt he had pushed the trail effort about as far as he could, and someone else would have to put it over the top.”

Another son, Gary Goodrich of Anchorage, Alaska, noted that he had been blessed to live in two of this country’s most beautiful places, Alaska and Newtown.

“I’ve traveled a lot and Newtown is as pretty as any place on earth. The beauty of this trail and the woods around is unique. I feel lucky to still have a connection with this town and to be here today.”

Then Mr Rosenthal picked up a snow shovel and dug a deep hole, finding good black earth underneath to mark the spot where the gazebo would be built.

A second hike led by Leon Barkman followed a northern portion of Al’s Trail from the Newtown United Methodist Church across Church Hill Road to Dayton Street and into Rocky Glen State Park.