The Berlin
Cit itiz ize en
Volume 15, Number 32
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Thursday, August 11, 2011
One step at a time, town’s hiking trails make the grade
Summer is a treat
There are 2,000 acres of open space to manage By Olivia L. Lawrence The Berlin Citizen
Citizen photo by Nick Carroll
Business was brisk at this ice cream truck parked at Scalise Field Saturday. As one of the sites for the Nutmeg State Games, Sage Park played host to baseball, soccer and lacrosse games that day, and throughout last week.
Librarian walked all 50 capitals He also started state’s first Volksport club By Daniel Jackson Special to The Citizen It took him 12 years and a journey of 500 kilometers, or 310 miles, but Andrew Fal walked through all 51 capital cities—including Washington, D.C. Fal, a reference librarian at the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library, finished walking through the city of Dover, Del. in April, completing all 50 states, including Alaska
and Hawaii. He wanted to save the first state for his last walk. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution. He also saved Delaware for last so that his family could walk the last leg of the journey with him. His goal was simple: walk 10 kilometers, or 6.2 miles, through each capital city. He set this goal 12 years ago, in 1998. “I steadily chipped away at it,” he said. “It helps you realize how beautiful our country is and how united we are.” See Walk, page 6
Andrew Fal
Berlin offers miles and miles of scenic trails with a variety of levels of difficulty, so hikers should be able to find a path that suits their abilities — that is, if they can find the path. But locating access to Berlin’s hiking opportunities is becoming easier all the time, say officials. New signs, better parking, detailed maps and trail maintenance are making Berlin’s woods, fields and other open spaces more accessible than ever. Conservation Commission Chairman Michael DeLorenzo said “We’re continuing the work — and we’ve made a lot of progress.” Residents can learn more about hiking opportunities at a presentation by Conservation Commission member Karl Lewis, Wednesday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m., at the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library. (See page 4). The main challenges for those developing the open space use are to make the parcels “more accessible and to improve off-road parking,” DeLorenzo said. The Hatchery Brook Conservation area has the first off-road parking area. The commission has been working to: get signs in place (to mark the start of main and accessory trails, much of this work has been completed); make access easier and more understandable through better maps and
A hiker heads for the hills on the Metacomet trail, one of many local hikes.
parking, for example; and to promote the availability of these outside recreation areas. The commission has no regulatory authority over Berlin’s open space, but works in an advisory capacity to keep the town’s open space a well-managed resource. One area of need the conservation is looking into is developing “volunteer stewardship”, that is, individuals or groups to take on the job of maintaining sections of paths.
See Trails, page 3