National News: August 2016

Judy Carlson on the 2013 WAY Tour

Special thanks to Herb Hiller, Southeast Consultant for ECGA

Herb Hiller has contributed ten incredible years to the ECGA as our Southeast Consultant and point person covering the Georgia and Florida region. Herb's passion, experience, and skills have overseen tremendous growth in the Greenway throughout his region. Starting September 1, Herb will transition to assisting the ECGA on a project-by- project basis. Herb has been an invaluable teammate and we look forward to continuing to work closely with him. Stay tuned for our September e-news, when we will publish a special recap of Herb's many accomplishments over the years.

NC State University to Archive ECGA Materials

ECGA co-founder Karen Votava and ECG-NC committee member Dave Connelly are working with North Carolina State University library to create an archive for ECGA files. Former ECGA Board Chair Chuck Flink originally began an archive of greenway materials at NC State. If you have ECGA files or documents that are not being used currently, please contact Karen via info@greenway.org to arrange to have your materials sent to NCSU for archiving. The University will cover shipping, and they want raw files, so materials don't need to be "sanitized.” ECGA State Committee files are also appropriate, and if local partners that manage sections of the ECG want to archive their materials, they can as well.

In Memoriam: Judy Carlson, ECGA Supporter and Cyclist

We are sad to report that ECGA member Judy Carlson passed away on July 30, 2016 after a short illness. In 2013, she rode the Hartford to Philadelphia segment of the ECG on our Week a Year Tour, and she was hoping to ride this fall in the Raleigh to Myrtle Beach segment. After the 2013 WAY Tour, Judy shared with us that she could barely bike five miles when she registered. At age 66, she worked diligently to train for the tour, adding a few miles every time she rode until she could easily handle the 50+ miles per day for the entire week. Her determination was inspiring to ECGA staff and other tour riders. Judy was from East Windsor, Connecticut, and had been very active her entire life. She began her career as a Physical Education teacher, and when she made a career change from teaching, Judy biked alone from Connecticut to Florida, which was unheard of for women in the 1970’s. Always fearless, she also solo-hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Connecticut.

Judy worked for the University of Hartford’s Security Department for 33 years, becoming the first woman in Connecticut to attain the rank of Director of Public Safety. One of her many accomplishments at the University was starting a bicycle patrol program. In addition to being an avid cyclist, Judy was also a gifted songwriter, guitarist, poet, and woodworker. Judy hoped that her participation in fundraising for the ECG would lead to a safe route that her great-nephew might someday enjoy. We celebrate her lifelong dedication to active living and her spirit of adventure.

Judy, you will be missed on the East Coast Greenway. - By ECGA member Donna Koenig and ECGA staff Debbie West

National Media:

This 3,000-mile Bike Trail is Connecting People Maine to Florida | 

This Unimaginable 3,000 Mile Path Will Hyperlink Maine and Florida