May 17, 2000

At the event to celebrate the opening, Atlanta Braves baseball star outfielder Brian Jordan, pitcher John Smoltz, and Braves general manager John Schuerholz were on hand to express their support of the league.

"It opens my heart to see these kids play," said Jordan in a live appearance on CNN. "Every state should have a field like this."

"As a parent, to see the smiles on these kids faces and to see the lives that they have touched goes far and beyond what being a professional baseball player could be all about," said Cy Young Award winner John Smoltz in an interview on MSNBC.

With the dream of the complex now a reality, project leaders are starting an ambitious drive to bring similar facilities and the Miracle League to other communities. Rotary member Dean Alford, who led the effort to build the complex, promised that "through endowments we can help sponsor other fields and provide construction and fundraising support to touch other childrens' lives the way we have over the past two years."

The Miracle League was formed in 1998 as a youth baseball league for children with disabilities. In its first two years, it has grown in popularity from a few dozen players to more than 100. The new baseball complex will allow the Miracle League to serve more than 500 children. In many cases, players and their parents travel more than 100 miles just to be a part of the action each week.

But most importantly, the Miracle League gives children with disabilities the opportunity to suit up in a uniform, step up to the plate, and enjoy playing the game of baseball in its purest form. It is a dream most of these children would not be able to realize as members of a traditional youth league. The games are the same except for a few additional rules: every player gets a hit, gets on base, and crosses home plate. No one keeps score, but you'd never know it listening to the cheers from enthusiastic parents in the stands or teammates in the dugout.

The baseball complex is made up of four baseball diamonds. Three are grass, but one field is made of a custom-designed, cushioned synthetic turf that accommodates wheelchairs and other walking-assistance devices. The stadium restrooms are completely accessible to people with disabilities. The dugouts are designed so players in wheelchairs can easily make their way to the plate. Even the drinking fountains were designed with the children in mind. And all four fields are under stadium lights so the League can play games at night.

Rotary International is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide, who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians who are members of more than 29,000 Rotary clubs in 162 countries.

The landscape was decidedly different than what I remembered from 1962, when I was a student at the Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies. Back then, litter-strewn railroad tracks wound along the bay to a very seedy Cannery Row, immortalized in the John Steinbeck novel of the same name. Since then, most of the canneries have closed — and the buildings transformed into trendy shops and restaurants.

Now, wherever I travel, I try to find a rail-trail to ride. It's not difficult. There are more than 1,200 of them in the United States, totaling nearly 12,000 miles (about 19,000 kilometres). What are they? Sometimes called "linear parks," they are public pathways, reclaimed from abandoned rail lines. Since the 1920s, "the golden age of railroading" in North America, some 200,000 miles (about 320,000 kilometres) of railway have been abandoned as unprofitable. The recycled-rails movement got rolling in the 1970s and is now active in all 50 states and portions of Canada.

There's the Burke-Gilman Trail, which winds some 30 miles (about 48 kilometres) from the heart of Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., through pleasant residential neighborhoods where homeowners plant flower gardens along the embankment. And in the southwest corner of Virgina, U.S.A., is the Virginia Creeper Rail-Trail, where a former narrow gauge logging railroad has been resurrected as an exhilarating, 17-mile (about 27-kilometre) gravel trail that snakes along a river gorge and crosses 100 bridges and trestles before it reaches the town of Damascus.

The Capital Crescent Trail near Washington, D.C., U.S.A., winds some 30 miles (about 48 kilometres) from its start near the Potomac River in the trendy Georgetown neighborhood to suburban Silver Springs, Maryland. Another great ride is the Cape Cod Rail-Trail, which travels through historic New England settlements, eventually linking with another bike trail that winds through the Cape Cod National Seashore and leads to the artsy resort town of Provincetown, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Each rail-trail is different, but they all started with one thing: the vision and dedication of a local organization whose members worked long and hard, sometimes against formidable odds. Five of those reclaimed miles lie in Pemberton, a town in central New Jersey, U.S.A. There, members of the Rotary Club of Pemberton, led by Jerry Jerome, dedicated themselves to building a trail. On hand for its ribbon-cutting ceremony in July 1999. was New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, who has pledged state funds to build a total of 2,000 miles (about 3,220 kilometres) of pathways in the Garden State. Though governments typically build the long, narrow parks, impetus for rail-projects often begins with grassroots groups. Len Frank, a retired civil engineer from Hackettstown, New Jersey, formed one such organization — the Paulinskill Valley Trail Committee. Members battled opposition and apathy for nearly 20 years to promote an abandoned 26-mile (about 42-kilometre) section of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad as a rail-trail. Finally, in 1993, the State Department of Environmental Preservation bought and designated the land as a linear state park.

In New York state, publisher Elinor Mettler used her newspaper to report on the proposed Harlem Valley rail-trail and printed editorials emphasizing the recreational and economic benefits a trail could bring to towns along an old commuter rail line.

One of the most ardent supporters of the Root River Trail in the southeast corner of Minnesota, U.S.A., was once its most vocal opponent. Kristine Poelzer of Lanesboro spoke long and loud against the proposed 60-mile (about 97-kilometre) trail that would run past her back yard. "I envisioned all sorts of horrible things that would happen to take away from the pleasant back yard I had come to love," she explains. But the Lanesboro City Council didn't listen to Poelzer's protests — and she now believes that's a good thing. "Without this trail, people wouldn't be able to link up as easily or safely with other communities," she says. "Because of the friendly traffic, [we have] old-fashioned neighborhood security that money can't buy." The woman who once feared that a rail-trail would invade her privacy is now a member of Minnesota's Bicycle Advisory Committee.

Craig Della Penna, northeast field representative for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), a nationwide advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., helps groups in nine states with the long and sometimes difficult process of making a new pathway out of an old rail bed. Della Penna should know: He is in charge of freight services for a Massachusetts short line railroad.

Della Penna and other rail-trail advocates tell anyone who will listen the same story: Rail-trails provide safe and scenic pathways that promote outdoor recreation. They can help reconnect neighborhoods and communities. Rail-trails boost tourism and local economies through money spent by trail users. Even homeowners whose property lies next to or near rail-trails can benefit from higher resale prices.

The Northern Central Rail-Trail begins in Ashland, Maryland, U.S.A., a few miles north of Baltimore. It follows the Gunpowder Falls River north to the Pennsylvania state line, where it links with the York County Heritage Trail into historic York, Pennsylvania.

Since the trail was completed in 1993, the region's population has grown by more than 30 percent — a jump some attribute to the trail's presence. A 1994 study of the Northern Central showed that the 41-mile (66-kilometre) trail cost nearly $200,000 to build and supported about 250 jobs. It generated more than $300,000 in tax revenues, and $3.3 million worth of goods and services that year.

In several counties in eastern Iowa, visitors to three trails generated more than $1.2 million in direct and indirect spending in one year. About 60 miles (about 97-kilometres) northwest of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where the 20-mile (about 32-kilometre) Georgian Trail stretches from Meaford to Collingwood, trail-related revenues during July and August 1998 reached C $2 million. The Georgian Trail study also showed that property values along the bayside trail rose from five to 32 percent, depending on how close houses were to the bikeway.

In Seattle, where realtors routinely list houses as "next to Burke-Gilman trail," or "5-minutes walk from rail-trail," owners can expect increases of from two to six percent in property values. The IntraCorp's RiverTrail Community in nearby Redmond, Washington, home of the Microsoft Corporation, is advertised as "nestled along the Sammamish River Trail."

"Homes along the trail are in the most desirable location," explains Christy McClure, sales administrator for Intracorp, a property developer in Washington's Puget Sound region. According to American Lives, an Oakland, California-based market research firm, bikeways score higher in terms of community appeal than such community amenities as golf courses, tennis courts and amphitheaters.

One reason for community interest, as Kristine Poelzer discovered in Lanesboro, is that rail-trails are safe. Police in Seattle, Denver and other larger cities confirm her report, explaining that even urban trails are overwhelmingly secure because of active police and volunteer patrols — and because people take "pride of ownership" in their trails.

Most of Lanesboro's residents, in fact, display just the kind of pride that helps to make a rail-trail a successful addition to any community. The town lies in the southeast corner of Minnesota, about 35 miles (about 56 kilometres) from Rochester along scenic Route 16 and nestled within limestone bluffs cut by the Root River. When the Southern Minnesota Railway folded in the 1950s, many towns along the line all but dried up. But today, tiny Lanesboro, population 1,500, is a premier tourist destination touted as one of America's top 100 arts communities. The quaint town offers antiques shops, good restaurants and at least nine bed and breakfast inns.

The State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) operates the 60-mile (about 97-kilometre) trail and charges no usage fees, except for a standard statewide cross-country ski permit for those who choose to glide along the trail during the winter. Nonetheless, according to a DNR fact sheet, "The Root River Trail generates millions of dollars each year, the result of the tourism industry which has grown up alongside it."

The LR General Store, located on the trail, does a brisk business in canoe, kayak and tubing rentals, and bike rentals and repairs. "We derive about 60 percent of our business, from May to October, from people who visit Lanesboro and enjoy the trail and the Root River," says Kirsten Mensing who, along with her husband, operates the store and the nearby Scanlan House bed and breakfast.

Damascus, Virginia, a village of 1,000 residents near the borders of North Carolina and Tennessee, bills itself as "Trail Town, U.S.A." Five long-distance trails intersect nearby. The Appalachian Trail literally follows the main street, as does the Virginia Creeper Rail-Trail.

"We get over 100,000 trail users a year," says Tom McMullen, president of the Virginia Creeper Trail Club. During the peak visitor season, the pathway is often packed with riders shuttled by van to the trailhead at Whitetop Station "so they can ride down as fast as they can," McMullen explains.

Damascus supports at least three full-service trail outfitters that also operate van shuttle services. An adult ride to Whitetop Station costs about $9, or $5 for those who rent a bike at $15 to $25 per day. "We will see anywhere from 200 to 500 people a week over the course of the summer and fall," says Phoebe Cartwright, owner of Blue Blaze Bike & Shuttle Service in Damascus. Cartwright says the population of the town mushrooms during the area's two annual festivals: the three-day Trail Days festival in May and the new "Fat Tire Festival" for mountain cyclists, held in October. The 1999 festival drew more than 15,000 people to the area. Some restaurants ran out of food, and lodging at the 75 area inns and motels was at a premium.

According to McMullen, the 280-member Virginia Creeper Trail Club has become the nexus for economic planning and research. "We installed people-counting devices at two places on the trail, and are studying its economic impact on the area," he says. Club volunteers also do cleanup and maintenance.

The Baltimore & Annapolis (B&A) Trail Park in Maryland is a 13-mile (21-kilometre) bikeway that runs from Glen Burnie south of Baltimore almost to historic Annapolis. Several businesses have opened up second stores along or near the trail, and the park offers seasonal leases to pushcart-style food and beverage concessionaires.

According to Trail Superintendent David Dionne, the leases cost from $1,000 to $1,500 per year, paid to Friends of the B&A Trail, a volunteer organization that provides patrols and maintenance. Some pushcart vendors report earning up to $30,000 from May to September. The B&A also promotes "junior entrepreneurs" of the lemonade-stand variety. "Vendors are told not to hassle the youngsters, no matter where they set up their stands," Dionne says. On one sweltering Saturday, one youth sold more than 350 cups of lemonade at 25 cents each. He spent his profit on inline skates, which he now uses to skate on the trail. The B&A trail is popular with fund-raising groups as well. In 1999, the annual CROP Walk event to help area food banks raised $10,000 in one day.

With all of the economic, visual and environmental benefits, one might think that everybody would welcome a rail-trail to their community. But that's not necessarily the case.

In Massachusetts, five communities along the proposed Wayside Rail-Trail were set to accept state funds to rehabilitate an old line. But in Weston, a town about 12 miles (about 19 kilometres) west of downtown Boston, a small but powerful group of wealthy homeowners remained opposed. At a town meeting attended by more than 1,100, opponents outvoted supporters two to one, and the trail remains unbuilt — a trash-filled derelict in the eyes of trail advocates.

However, in Williamsburg, Massachusetts, about 15 minutes north of the college town of Northampton, merchants and citizens overcame municipal apathy to raise enough money to do a title search and buy the rail corridor. "The vast majority of the people of Williamsburg have the vision, and know full well that the benefits of the coming rail-trail will make their town a more attractive place to live and make for a stronger community," said the RTC's Craig Della Penna as he handed the $12,400 check to the mayor.

Along several trails, old train stations have been renovated and converted into museums. In Pemberton, New Jersey, Mike Tamn is the curator of the North Pemberton Station Museum. Twenty years after the line was abandoned, the station, built in 1892, was in danger of collapsing. Civic and preservation groups began the "Save Our Station" campaign in 1998, and managed to get a $460,000 grant from the state department of transportation. The group hired a restoration specialist who supervised rehabilitation, and the old station-museum came to life again in April 1999.

"Now, we get school groups in here all the time; it's part of their local history unit," says Tamn, himself a former Pennsylvania Railroad employee. "We are planning a nature walk along the trail, and other interpretive activities."

David Burwell, president of the RTC, believes that rail-trails reconnect America to its past. "The Cathedral Aisle Trail in Aiken, South Carolina, follows the first railroad designed for steam trains," he explains. "California's Bizz Johnson trail commemorates Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe." Others follow more prosaic work-a-day routes through downtown America. Regardless of their location, Burwell says, "We need trails to connect and preserve our natural environment and shared history. As trail advocates, we are saying to future generations: These corridors tell stories that we as a community cherish. Remember them and honor them."