8:50 p.m. Fundraiser in the works for trail extension

News First. News Fast.

By WARREN SCOTT, Staff writer

WELLSBURG - The Brooke County Pioneer Trail Association hopes to hold a dinner to raise funds to complete a link of the trail between Beech Bottom and Wheeling.

Ruby Greathouse, a longtime member of the trail group, said tentative plans have been made to hold a dinner on Aug. 15 to raise funds for a local match required of a $300,000 federal grant issued for the trail by the West Virginia Department of Transportation.

The grant is to be used to extend the trail between Beech Bottom and Windsor Heights, forming a connection with the Wheeling Heritage Trail in Ohio County.

But Jeff Harpold, transportation enhancement coordinator for the state Department of Transportation, recently advised the commission it must secure the $70,000 match by Sept. 1 or it could lose the grant.

Greathouse said the group recently was advised that deadline is actually Aug. 14. She said while the fundraiser would come too late for the group to contribute to the match, it could reimburse the commission for funds it may supply.

She said the group has raised about $4,000 toward the match through contributions and sales of a local cookbook.

Bernie Kazienko, the commission's president, noted the commission has discussed drawing upon the county's economic development fund for the match.

Kazienko said Weirton Medical Center and other entities have been contacted about contributing to the effort.

"We're going to come up with that money to make that a reality," he told Greathouse.

Proponents of recreational trails have argued they boost tourism, and the commission has heard from Wheeling trail officials who would like to see the Brooke County trail completed.

The trail currently extends from the county's southern border to Airport Road, where it breaks for 3.4 miles before resuming near the former E-Z Pool Marina and on to the Buffalo Creek Bridge at the south end of Wellsburg, where it connects to the city's Yankee Trail.

Last year the group received permission from Esmark to cross property behind the company's culvert plant on the condition it divert the trail there from the former railroad bed on which it runs and establish a barrier between it and plant activities.

Greathouse said the Brooke County Pioneer Trail Association will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Brooke County Public Library to discuss the tentative fundraiser and welcomes input from the public.

She said there's been talk of featuring recipes featured in its cookbook at the dinner. Entitled Happy Trails to You and featuring nutritious recipes and cooking tips, copies of the book are still available for purchase.

After serving as the groups president since its inception, Greathouse said she is stepping down but will remain involved as vice president. She said she was happy that Lenny DeWitt has agreed to serve as the groups leader and is looking forward to working with him and its new secretary, Grace Mitchell; and treasurer, Carolyn Forrester.

For more details, see today's newspaper.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)