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Is Columbia the next Trail Town - USA? Anyone of the Trail Town Initiative meeting attendees can be asked about more details. Those on the sign-in sheet at Thursday's initial start-up meeting were: Holly and Charles Grimsley, Ellen Zornes, Brenda Mann, Linda Waggener, Jelaine Harlow, Sue Stivers, Tracy Aaron, Kelly Caldwell, Susan Loy, Lee Ann Jessie, Barry and Mary Ann Loy, Ted Caldwell, Jerry Holt, Jackie and Rebecca Montgomery, Sharon Burton, Joel Peterson, Steve Chundy, Ann Young and Chris Schmidt. Trail Towns mentioned in this story:
Click on headline for complete story By Linda Waggener Twenty-two Adair Countians turned out Thursday evening to hear Elaine Wilson, Director of Kentucky Adventure Tourism, speak on the development of Trail Towns. Leadership areas represented in the meeting included local tourism, Lindsey Wilson College, Adair and Russell County Health Departments, media, Rotary, Parks and Recreation, City Council, Adair County High School, library, downtown businesses, Holmes Bend Boat Dock and interested citizens. Wilson said Gov. and First Lady Beshear issued a directive to research what other states were doing to showcase their natural beauty, improve the health and wellbeing of its citizens and create economic opportunities for communities. Studies included places like the Great Allegheny hike/bike trail among others and the resulting shared information grew into The Kentucky Trail Town initiative which provides certifications followed by marketing and promotional assistance. A Trail Town, she said, is a gateway into a portal, a place providing supplies, friendly services, hospitality and especially directions to trail heads. A town that reflects its food, music, history, natural beauty and culture to visitors. A Trail Town fills the bill for tourists who love to visit non-chain shops, attend concerts and sample local foods after an active day of exploring, it's a town that cares about and maintains its trail systems. She said that Gatlinburg, TN is one of the most famous Trail Towns, the portal/gateway into the Great Smoky Mountains where travelers can stay overnight, find entertainment, get supplies for backpacking, etc. She said it has now grown beyond a Trail Town so much that it may have lost its authenticity. This initiative is meant to bring everyone together, moving in spirit, mind and body, with common goals of personal health improvement of our families while helping direct tourists to and from jobs-producing commerce in Adair County. She said that with so many of us sitting in front of screens so much of the time, we have to get outside. Trail Towns help with that. She mentioned the existing 270-mile Sheltowee Trail for hikers, a partial mountain bike trail/partial horseback trail. The trails can be traveled by whatever mode of transportation works. My trail from the back door to the carport is a walking trail, albeit a very short one. Wilson shared stories from her experience: Example: Damascus, VA, Trail Town USA, famous for its railway called the Virginia Creeper because the train would have to creep up the mountain. Thousands lived in the thriving logging community -- until all the timber was harvested. With the inability to earn a living, the town population decreased to 300 people. The rail line was purchased and turned into a trail system and now the town population has increased to 1,100 people; every store front is open; most of the homes open up as Bed and Breakfast businesses to serve some 200,000 people who come every year. It supports seven bike shops serving the 34-mile trail. Damascus is right in the middle of the trail. It only closes down for a brief part of the year and opens in winter for snowmobiles. For $27 you can rent a bike and be bussed to top the mountain from where you bike the 17 miles back to town -- this means tourists are in town twice, first to rent the bike then on the return. At each visit they spend money in the little town. Damascus offers an annual Trail Days festival at the convergence of four scenic trails including: the Appalachian Trail, the US Bicycle Route 76, Iron Mountain Trail in addition to the Virginia Creeper Trail. Damascus is also positioned on the Daniel Boone Heritage Trail and the Crooked Road Music Heritage Trail.Wilson said, "Tourists want authentic experiences. Use your festivals and events to further tell people what you have." She said the menu on Kentucky's tourism website getoutkY.com, lists over 12,000 miles of trails across Kentucky, water trails, undergrounds, ziplining, caving and everything in between. She spoke from personal experience about the zipline over Natural Gorge in Daniel Boone National Forrest, "a third of a mile long, 300 feet up in the air -- scary!" Next step advice: Get task force volunteers in place to lead the committees and she will meet with them. She said some towns take as few as six months and some take years -- "it's your vision, a living thing, not something that's one and done -- you work on it and expand it from now on." She said Green River has trails around it and will provide maps of their trails. One possible trail, courthouse to Giles House, the Quilt Trail at Chamber of Commerce, Lindsey's bike routes. The PVA will provide maps and all Area Development Districts (ADDs) have a mapping service to help the effort meet the requirement of mapping out the GPS trails. She said, "Hopefully the Mayor and County Judge will be enrolled as they have equipment to help establish connections to trails as the Rockcastle County Judge did, providing a four mile connector." Private properties offer important linkages and it is possible to get land use agreements, land use easements and donations of land along borders. One question concerned lease agreements with landowners and insurance. Wilson recommended reading KRS 411-190 which states that anyone allowing their property to be used for access or use is not held liable. Land owners won't be held liable unless they do something mischievous to hurt someone. Wilson said trails must be open to the public and free to use but she cited the Virginia Creeper Trail where landowners offer camping for $5 to $15 for primitive camp sites but there is no charge to go across the land. Another offers parking for $5 for easy trail access, again, no charge for trail use but there are ways to provide services and earn money from traffic. One well-traveled biker suggested that no matter what we do, Adair County is still handicapped because it's a dry county and, "you simply need a beer after a hearty bike ride." Another pointed out having been watching neighboring Campbellsville since they legalized alcohol in restaurants, "and they haven't turned into lawless heathens, so it is recommended Columbia give it serious consideration. Either that or one of our documented trails could be the not-really-a-secret-anyway bootlegger's trail." Anyone of the meeting attendees can be asked about more details. Those on the sign-in sheet at Thursday's initial start-up meeting were: Holly and Charles Grimsley, Ellen Zornes, Brenda Mann, Linda Waggener, Jelaine Harlow, Sue Stivers, Tracy Aaron, Kelly Caldwell, Susan Loy, Lee Ann Jessie, Barry and Mary Ann Loy, Ted Caldwell, Jerry Holt, Jackie and Rebecca Montgomery, Sharon Burton, Joel Peterson, Steve Chundy, Ann Young and Chris Schmidt. Volunteers for connections and next steps: - Ellen Zornes offers her cell number 270.250.3400 for calls or text. This story was posted on 2014-03-15 10:19:43
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