NHTA's Many Hands Make Light Work

The mantra offered up by President Ron Penton at Tuesday's North Haven Trails Association (NHTA) meeting was "Many hands make light work."

Penton was referring not only to what has been accomplished since the last meeting, but the work that needs to be addressed in the next few months.

“There has been a lot going on over the last 30 days,” said Penton, pointing out the progress made on mapping portions of phase three. “That’s where we’ll be spending most of our efforts this spring,” he said.  

Penton said meetings with the town’s Economic Development Commission and Mayor Mike Freda were positive and moving forward; additional meetings are imminent.

Penton went over various housekeeping items with the group: touching on schedules; reviewing, documenting and tracking grants being sought; arranging potential work with the Boy Scouts; and discussing group identification placards for use on members’ vehicles.

Other necessary work at hand for the group would include trail blazing and clean-up. There’s also a multitude of upcoming events. Many of the events would allow the group the opportunity to meet with the public, potentially grow the NHTA membership, and give the group a chance to show off the natural beauty of the river.

Miriam Brody, one of the NHTA Directors, brought up the topic of this year’s Earth Day event at the North Haven Middle School on April 15. The NHTA has been at the event in previous years. Secretary Sal Bonito said the group did request a table. The group plans to staff the event with NHTA volunteers from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

National River Clean-up Day is another environmental awareness event the NHTA plans to be involved in, possibly coordinating with other local organizations such as the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association. That particular day would be a working day.

Another important topic was the need to schedule a public tour of the property.

“The more people you can get down to see the land and the river; it’s good for us and them,” said Steve Fitzgerald, one of the NHTA directors, echoing the group’s view of how essential it is to get the public to see the river and proposed trail.

It was decided that the group host a guided public walk on June 16, National Trail Day.

Before that happens, though, Penton reminded the group that the trails needed several smaller “go throughs” to prepare for a public walk, and that there was plenty opportunity to get hands dirty and much work yet to be done.

If you share the vision of the North Haven Trail Association, and would like to join; or if you would like to learn more about the group and their Quinnipiac River Trail project for North Haven,  join them at the North Haven Middle School Earth Day event or check out the NHTA website.