Naw, not you leatherjacket, totally-tattooed, scoff-law tough guys (and gals) who go roaring through wide spots in the road, hell-bent on scaring the beejeesus out of rural observers; you can just disregard this message. I’m talking here to the more sedate–slow, even–three-speed, ten-speed, fifteen-speed on a good day, peddlers that populate bike paths ‘round and about this neighborhood and beyond–Road Apple Roubaix participants, perhaps, anybody who likes a little exercise out on the (sort of) open road, for a good cause or just because, That’s who I’m addressing here. Listen up.
I have been inviting all and sundry to a Grand Opening, of sorts on July 20, this summer. At the rate things are going, it may turn out to be next summer; we’re dealing with two government entities and a non-profit here, so “hoops and levels”, so to speak, are holding things up. See, it’s all about the family farm, which has just been sold to another branch of the family and we have placed it in an agricultural/conservation easement with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy. This means that it will not be turned into a housing allotment or a dirt-bike track–at least in my lifetime. Along the south edge of the property we have donated acreage running from the east edge to the west end for a bike and hike trail which will connect an outpost of the Lorain County Metropolitan Park System (west border) to the Findley State Park right across State Route 58 (east side)–Findley State Park has its own set of bike & hike trails, so this will make for a fairly extensive opportunity for the exercise-minded.
That’s if it ever gets done.
The last time that I talked to my brother, who’s been managing all this, he said that there seems to be some uncertainty about when all of this was going to come to pass ( Uncertainty? Among government officials? Perish the thought! ). So, anyway, the western contingent of the Walker tribe will be coming here–with a stopover at Cedar Point, of course, and a trip to a Guardians game sometime in there–whether this is settled by then or not. I’m thinking that I should just get a rental of the small entertainment installation on the Lorain County Park outpost–all set up for parties and such, with paddle boats, children’s play area, parking, all that–and have folks come to see what might have been. We’ll see. I will keep you all posted and if you’d just like to peddle along the Corb and Dorothy Walker Memorial Bike & Hike Trail on your own some time, come ahead.
The whole idea of a bike trail came out of the fact that my parents used to bicycle into town (Wellington) on Sunday morning to the “Hotel” (Gone now, but it was something else) to have breakfast with their friends; they had to go early to miss having their seats taken by the Catholics or the Baptists–it was a small dining area…and a small town.
So, until this is all settled, mark July 20 on your calendars, oil your bike chains, pad your seats (read that any way you want), and get ready to ride…into the sunset or whatever.
Talley-Ho!
