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- Nancy Wasielewski, Editor - Join our Earth Day 2000 CleanupBy David Tate,
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| Location | IPP Coordinator | Phone Number |
| Maywood & Bellwood | Paul Aeschleman | (708) 848-6023 |
| Hillside | Nancy Becker | (630) 654-1019 |
| Berkeley | John Kacich | (708) 544-7524 |
| Elmhurst | Eric Keeley | (630) 691-1413 |
| Villa Park | Nadia Gawron | (630) 941-8781 |
| Lombard | Joelyn Kott | (630) 620-5718 |
| Glen Ellyn | Tom Barriball | (630) 790-3171 |
| Wheaton | Helen Bartlett | (630) 668-1759 |
| Winfield | David Tate | (630) 682-1449 |
| W. Chicago/Geneva | Spur Tom Yule | (630) 293-1726 |
| W. Chcago/Elgin Branch | Birt Hurlbert | (630) 293-1062 |
| Wayne | Gladys Johnston | (630) 584-2491 |
| Warrenville | Bob Rawls | (630) 393-6720 |
| Aurora/Naperville | Mike Cross | (630) 416-1415 |
| Batavia | Spur Ed Barsotti | (630) 820-8759 |
| Unincorporated areas | David Tate | (630) 682-1449 |
| General information | Dick Wilson | (847) 299-7882 |
The name of the book is eloquent: The Living Legacy of the Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin, An illustrated history of the CA&E and the Illinois Prairie Path. Authors Peter Weller and Fred Stark are cousins who grew up in the waning days of the electric railroad era when automobiles and a burgeoning highway system began to make interurban railroads obsolete. Peter lived in Chicago and Fred and his brother Richard lived in Elmhurst. Because neither family owned an automobile, the boys rode the CA&E regularly back and forth and all three became lifelong railroad fans.
This well researched and illustrated book gives a brief history of the Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin Railway from its beginning in 1902 as the Aurora, Elgin, and Chicago Railway through its best days before World War II to its final abandonment in 1961. (This reviewer as a visitor from Madison, Wisconsin in the 1930s and 1940s has fond memories of the "Roaring Elgin" which speedily carried two Madison sisters and their Wheaton cousins into Chicago for convenient shopping at Marshall Field's.)
After the abandonment, most of the CA&E cars were scrapped. The 18 that were saved were sent to operating museums; Chapter 6 describes their current status. For the true railroad buff the book re-creates a ride from Chicago in the 1940s and also includes illustrations of fascinating CA&E memorabilia -- tickets, timetables, cartoons, safety rules for CA&E motormen, ads for businesses served by the railroad and for the 1933 Chicago Century of Progress Exhibition.
Prairie Path members and friends will especially enjoy the final chapters of the book, which give a well documented history of the Path with special attention to the contributions of the volunteers whose stubborn determination over 35 years made the dream of the founders a reality.
This very readable volume, with its scholarly attention to facts and copious illustrations is a treasure to be proud of, the first real history of the Illinois Prairie Path and its volunteers.
The Living Legacy of the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin in hardcover sells for $54.95 and is available at the following locations:
Al's Hobby Shop, 121 Addison Avenue, Elmhurst, IL 60126 (630) 832-4908
Anderson's Bookshops, 176 North York Road, Elmhurst, IL 60126 (630) 832-6566
The Book Store, 475 North Main Street, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 (630) 469-2891
Cardiff Brothers Trains, 300 Crescent Place, (Union Pacific train station in Geneva) Geneva, IL 60134 (630) 262-0727
Timeless Hobbies, 75 Danada Square East, Wheaton, IL 60187 (630) 690-5542
Villa Park Historical Museum, 220 South Villa Avenue, Villa Park, IL 60181 (630) 941-0223
W.S. Publications, P. O. Box 364, North Liberty, IA 52317 (800) 999-6901
Longtime friends of the Illinois Prairie Path were saddened to learn of the death of Ralph O. Franzen, 79, one of the Path's first volunteers, at Windsor Park Nursing Home in Carol Stream on November 5, 1999. Ralph and his wife Janice (Jan) Gosnell Franzen had lived for many years in Oak Meadows, where their property adjoined the Prairie Path.
Beginning in the late 1960s before the Oak Meadows section of the trail had even been surfaced with limestone screenings, Ralph began taking an interest in the Path. As a local farmer and owner of the Farmers Feed Center on Glen Ellyn Road south of North Avenue, he had equipment including an old dump truck which he used to do many jobs for the Prairie Path volunteers. In those days our board was trying to build the trail on a shoestring budget with very little help from any governmental agencies.
Ralph and his truck hauled and spread tons and tons of limestone screenings and picked up and hauled to the dump countless loads of brush and junk. He also hauled railroad ties and provided a strong shoulder when our volunteers were working on our first construction project in 1975 -- the steps on both sides of the Great Western right-of-way on the Elgin Branch west of Prince Crossing Road.
In those early days, keeping the Path clean was a never-ending struggle. We tried to keep 55-gallon steel drums placed at all intersections, but they regularly disappeared. A collection of these drums, plus railroad ties and steel sign posts, had been donated to the Path. Ralph volunteered to let us store these materials at his Farmers Feed Center property so that we would always have replacements near at hand. He was truly a godsend. One of the nicest things Ralph did was to build our first bench for Path users northwest of Klein Creek on the Elgin Branch. It served many years and its remnants can still be seen.
The Illinois Prairie Path Board of Directors has voted to install a new bench on that site in memory of Ralph Franzen, a good friend who generously gave us help when we needed it most.
In the fall of 1997, The Illinois Prairie Path Board voted to work with the Glen Ellyn Taylor Avenue Bridge Task Force and raise funds to help pay for a much needed bridge to carry the Path over Taylor Avenue in Glen Ellyn. To be able to raise that kind of money, the task force suggested we should solicit the aid of a professional fund raiser and The IPP Board concurred. During fiscal year 1997-98 with the expert's help we were able to raise $62,103.57 for the project. This amount does not include $50,000 added to the State of Illinois budget at the request of our local Representative Vince Persico; and we had fund-raising expenses of $11,217.26, most of which went to pay the fund raiser. These extra receipts, when added to the normal IPP operating income, caused the total for the year to exceed $100,000. That fact plus the fee we paid to our fund raiser triggered the IRS requirement that we have our books audited for that fiscal year.
We hired the firm of Chadwick & Verduin, L.L.C., located in Glen Ellyn, to audit our books. The CPA who actually reviewed our finances remarked that our bookkeeping records were straightforward and totally in order and that he found no errors. The firm provided the audit at a minimum fee, which saved The IPP considerable money; and the unaudited financial statement of the operating fund that appeared in The 1998 Fall and Winter Newsletter is correct.
| THE ILLINOIS PRAIRIE PATH | |
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| Treasurer's Report | |
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| November 1, 1998 - October 31, 1999 | |
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| (Unaudited) | |
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| Cash Balance November 1, 1998 | |
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| First National Bank of Chicago (checking) | $24,296.84 |
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| Stein Roe Cash Reserves (Money Market Fund) | 89,823.46 |
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| TOTAL $114,120.30 |
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| Revenue | |
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| Donations | $1,145.00 |
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| Dues | 42,652.00 |
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| Sales (maps, T-shirts, Patches, "Guides", hats) | 2,567.00 |
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| Interest | 4,310.53 |
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| Miscellaneous (a) | 1,708.79 |
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| TOTAL $52,383.32 |
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| Expenditures | |
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| Office Manager (salary) | $7,920.00 |
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| Newsletters (printing and mailing) | 8,402.48 |
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| Membership/Flyers 1,739.97 Maintenance Supplies (includes 13 new trash containers) | 6,313.90 |
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| Litter Removal/Port-o-let | 3,995.00 |
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| Postage 946.48 Office Supplies | 1,416.48 |
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| Telephone | 483.32 |
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| Special Projects (installation of pump in Wayne) | 5,875.00 |
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| Special Events (cleanups and Chicago Bicycle Show) | 1,174.32 |
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| Prairie Restoration (includes new Maywood Prairie) | 7,581.16 |
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| Other Printing | 380.30 |
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| Merchandise for Sale (new maps) | 7,966.00 |
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| Donations (Conservation Foundation Trails Project) | 1,300.00 |
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| Travel | 30.00 |
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| Legal and Consulting (mostly audit of 1998 books) | 1,105.00 |
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| Miscellaneous (b) | 2,857.71 |
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| TOTAL $59,487.12 |
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| Cash Balance October 31, 1999 | |
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| The First National Bank of Chicago (checking) | $13,086.95 |
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| Stein Roe Cash Reserves (money market fund) | 93,929.55 |
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| TOTAL $107,016.50 |
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| (a) Includes $1,698.79 from Taylor Avenue Bridge Fund
account to repay IPP [see (b)]. |
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| (b) Includes $1,698.79 paid to the Taylor Avenue Bridge
Fund fund raiser + office manager's $1000.00 petty cash account. |
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More than 140 members and friends attended The Illinois Prairie Path corporation's annual meeting on November 7, 1999. Held at The Abbey, an Elmhurst Park District facility on St. Charles Road, the event attracted a standing-room-only crowd. Many of the attendees were fans of the Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin Railroad, whose former right-of-way is now the site of the Prairie Path.
Illinois Prairie Path President David Tate called the meeting to order and introduced the current board members. After approval of the minutes of the 1998 annual meeting, the president called for the nomination of the five board members whose terms were expiring. There being no further nominations from the floor, these directors were re-elected by acclamation: Paul Aeschleman, Bob Bernero, Paul Mooring, David Tate, and Nancy Wasielewski.
Highlights of the President's Report, which was presented in written form to save time, included:
Next on the program was IPP Treasurer Paul Mooring, who noted that the auditing firm of Chadwick & Verduin, L.L.C. had found our financial condition to be excellent. See page 5 for the Treasurer's Report. The audit was required because The IPP raised funds to donate to the Taylor Avenue Bridge project, generating a contribution of $100,000 for the bridge, and thus triggered the one-time audit under the U. S. tax code.
Board member Ken Moss introduced the first of our guest speakers, Steve Hyett, who presented a nostalgic slide program entitled, "When Trolleys Rode the Prairie ... Path." Steve apologized for not wearing his authentic Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin conductor's uniform. He said it must have shrunk and just didn't fit any more, but he was still able to convey the sights, sounds and sensations of riding the old Roaring Elgin and its many sister lines in Chicagoland. The crowd of railroad fans loved it.
Two more lifelong rail fans followed Steve, cousins Peter Weller and Fred Stark, who introduced their new book, The Living Legacy of the Chicago Aurora and Elgin, An illustrated history of the CA&E and its transition to the Illinois Prairie Path. (See page 2 for a review of the book and purchasing information.) Many autographed copies of the book were sold after the meeting.
Last on the program was the annual Mooring slide show, assembled and written by Paul and narrated by Jean. The show illustrated most of the activities of our hardworking board members, spouses, and friends as listed in the President's Report. The presentation closed with a symbolic trip from the yellow-flowered prairie restoration at First Avenue in Maywood, near the mighty Des Plaines River, west to the peaceful Fox River in Batavia where the new trail bridge leads to a curving brick river walk flanked by purple New England asters.
The meeting concluded with a social hour and cider, cakes, and cookies provided by board members and their wives. Dick and Nancy Wilson brought a delicious sheet cake with a CA&E car depicted in the frosting.
Steve Hyett pointed out the centerpiece, made by Jean Mooring, and informed the crowd that the base was a three-piece CA&E insulator assembly. This was topped by an orange column candle nested in a ring of variegated vinca and orange and cream euonymus berries.
Trail fans and rail fans alike agreed this was one of our best meetings ever.
The members of The Illinois Prairie Path Board of Directors announce the election of a new board member, Charlie Johnson, of Lisle.
Charlie replaces Susan Wisniewski of Bellwood, board member since 1992 and vice president since 1993. Susan is a self-employed professional artist who air-brushes her own original designs on T-shirts and other clothing. Since our annual meeting she has decided to resign and give more time to her business. We wish her great success in her work and know she will continue her commitment to the improvement of the Prairie Path in Bellwood.
Charlie Johnson has been an enthusiastic Prairie Path bicyclist for many years and probably knows more than anyone about what is actually happening on the Path, especially west of Wheaton. He is a civil engineer who retired from the Army Corps of Engineers in October, 1998. His field of expertise is coastal engineering and he has conducted shore erosion studies on all of the Great Lakes including Lake Michigan at the Indiana Dunes. Now he has more time for his avocation, bicycling; and he can be found on the trail virtually every weekend as well as many weekdays.
David Tate (Winfield) - President
Dick Wilson (Des Plaines) - Vice President and Projects
& Maintenance Chairman
F. Paul Mooring (Glen Ellyn) - Treasurer
Nancy Becker (Willowbrook) - Secretary & Public Relations Chairman
Paul Aeschleman (Oak Park) - Director
Bob Bernero (Glen Ellyn) - Director
Mike Cross (Naperville) - Director & Webmaster for IPP website
Birt Hurlbert (West Chicago) - Director
Charlie Johnson (Lisle) - Director
Eric Keeley (Oak Brook Terrace) - Director
Jean Mooring (Glen Ellyn) - Director
Ken Moss (Elmhurst) - Director
Bob Rawls (Warrenville) - Director
Nancy Wasielewski (Naperville) - Director, Office Manager & Newsletter
Editor
Tom Yule (West Chicago) - Director
Editor's Note: The IPP has received a number of questions
from our membership |
Q: Can you provide some details on why the site is being remediated?
A: The 35-acre site which is being remediated is a former municipal waste
landfill which was constructed and closed before the passage in the 1980s
of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Most landfills constructed
prior to the enactment of this legislation did not have engineered liner
systems or significant restrictions on the types of wastes that they accepted.
As the wastes buried at the site began to decompose, they began producing
leachate and methane, both of which can be very serious pollutants. In
the late 1980s the US EPA listed the site on its National Priority List
(NPL), also known as the Superfund list and began to work with the owners
to develop a remediation strategy.
Q: What is Waste Management Inc.'s role in this project?
A: In the early 1970s, Waste Management Inc. purchased the local hauling
company and Woodland Landfill from its owners. The sites being remediated
were not included in the purchase, and the owners chose to have Waste
Management oversee the remediation of the abandoned sites.
Q: That sounds like a busy year, when do you hope to have the
projected completed?
A: If all goes well and the weather cooperates we hope to have grass growing
on the remediated areas by mid to late August.
Q: What are the long term goals of this remediation project?
A: The installation of the synthetic cap should eliminate or significantly
reduce the amount of moisture (e.g., rain) which seeps into the garbage
and therefore reduce the amount of leachate that is produced and may escape
from the site.
Q: Have you considered using native prairie species as part
of your final vegetative cover?
A: Yes we evaluated using prairie plants and other native species because
we have had very good success with these plants in other locations. Unfortunately
it was determined that the 20-24 inches of soil was not sufficient to
support deep rooting prairie plants, and therefore we will be using shallow
rooting plants such as fescue, ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass.
Q: Once the remediation efforts are complete are there any plans
to redevelop the site, and if so will any of the redevelopment be adjacent
to the IPP right-of-way?
A: At the present time there are no redevelopment plans for the site,
other than the establishment of grassy field. We do anticipate that the
new gas flare will be visible to IPP users because this will allow the
technicians at Woodland RDF, just southwest of the IPP to monitor the
flares performance. The local Waste Management hauling company has inquired
about using a portion of the site for container storage. If this should
occur the storage areas would be screened from path users.
Q: Are there any other plans to improve the natural flora and
fauna at the remediated site?
A: In addition to the wetland restoration efforts, we are investigating
the feasibility of installing raptor poles, for the birds of prey which
are common throughout the Fox River valley.
Q: Once the site is completed, will it be completely fenced
in or will it remain an open area?
A: We have had some preliminary discussions with the US EPA and Kane County
Forest Preserve about establishing the area as an open area, but have
not reached any final decisions. At this time the US EPA ROD requires
that we fence in the entire 35 acres, and since a ROD is a federally binding
agreement we will install fencing unless otherwise directed.
Jack, thank you very much for providing the Illinois Prairie Path with a very thorough understanding of the activities occurring at the site. We look forward to the day when the hawks are circling the site in search of small prey.
Pack your binoculars and a picnic lunch and join IPP members to look for spring arrivals at the annual IPP Bird Walk in Pratt's Wayne Woods on Saturday, May 20! Meet at 9 a.m. in the far back parking lot. From Rt. 59 go west on Army Trail Road to Powis Road in Wayne, then go north to Forest Preserve entrance. The group will have a picnic after the walk.
For more information, call Dick Wilson between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. at 847-299-7882.
When I was younger, like almost all students, I would wish for a heavy snow so that school would be cancelled. Today I no longer wish for heavy snows during the week, but rather hope they will occur on the weekends so that I can cross-county ski on the Illinois Prairie Path. Some of the most beautiful winter scenes in Illinois can be found in the forest preserves and parks along the IPP.
The 61-mile IPP offers some of the most scenic and safest cross-country skiing in the Chicago metropolitan area. Listed below are 5 sections of the IPP that are my favorites. These routes have fewer cross-streets than most sections of the IPP plus each route goes through at least one forest preserve. Here are my recommendations:
2-mile round-trip route: IPP Aurora Branch -- Warrenville Grove Forest Preserve
Start in Warrenville at the IPP parking lot at Winfield Road (1/8 mile south of Butterfield Road) and go west one mile to Batavia Road, and then return to Winfield Road. This 2-mile round-trip route goes through the 116-acre Warrenville Grove Forest Preserve, crosses the West Branch of the DuPage River, and does not require crossing any streets.
3-mile round-trip route: IPP Elgin Branch -- Volunteer Bridge and Lincoln Marsh
Start in Wheaton at the IPP's Volunteer Park at mile marker 0 (intersection of Liberty Drive and Carleton Avenue) and go northwest 1.5 miles to Jewell Road, and then return to Volunteer Park. This 3-mile round-trip route crosses the IPP's 370-foot Volunteer Bridge, crosses Winfield Creek, and goes through the Wheaton Park District's 135-acre Lincoln Marsh Forest Preserve. Lincoln Avenue, a small two-lane street, is the only street that this route crosses. An IPP display case, a rail-to-trail sculpture and a comfort station are provided at Volunteer Park. Parking is available across the street from Volunteer Park in the large Wheaton commuter parking lot, which is free on weekends.
3-mile round-trip route: IPP Geneva Spur -- West Chicago Prairie Forest Preserve
Start in West Chicago at Reed-Keppler Park and go west 1.5 miles to Kress Road, and then return to Reed-Keppler Park. This 3-mile round-trip route goes through the 305-acre West Chicago Prairie Forest Preserve, crosses the IPP's $1.2 million Jack Knuepfer bridge over eight Union Pacific and EJ&E railroad tracks. Industrial Drive is the only street this 3-mile route crosses. Plenty of free parking is available in Reed-Keppler Park.
4-mile round-trip route: IPP Elgin Branch -- Timber Ridge Forest Preserve
Start in Winfield at the IPP parking lot at the intersection of Geneva Road and County Farm Road. Go northwest two miles to Prince Crossing Road, and then return to Geneva Road. This 4-mile round-trip route crosses Klein Creek, goes through the 1,108-acre Timber Ridge Forest Preserve, crosses the 1902 vintage bridge over the West Branch of the DuPage River, and does not require crossing any streets. The Timber Ridge Forest Preserve is the most likely place to spot deer along the 61-mile trail.
4-mile round-trip route: IPP Elgin Branch -- Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve
Start in Wayne at the IPP's Army Trail Road parking lot and go northwest two miles to Dunham Road, and then return to Army Trail Road. This 4-mile round-trip route goes through the 3,388-acre Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve and requires crossing only Powis Road. A comfort station is provided at Army Trail Road.
Office Manager's Note: |
Q: Which sections of the Illinois Prairie Path are snowplowed
for runners in the winter?
A: As a general rule, the Illinois Prairie Path is not plowed in the winter.
It is used by many people for cross-country skiing. It has come to our
attention that several communities such as Villa Park and Glen Ellyn do
plow portions of the path that are used by train commuters, but this decision
is made by individual villages.
Just a reminder that maintenance for the Illinois Prairie Path is handled by the following agencies. If you have any questions or concerns regarding trail maintenance contact:
Q: Where can I obtain a copy of "The Living Legacy
of the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin" book? The line holds fond
memories for me as I rode it as a child. My wife and I rode to Chicago
while we were dating prior to the expressways, then only to Forest Park.
It went out of the passenger business on my 17th birthday, 07-03-57. I
was in downtown Elgin and a motorman I knew showed me the orders to pull
the watch company cars back to Wheaton. I think it was one of the saddest
days in my life. This line, as well as the North Shore, could and should
have been running today. I have pictures of the rails being torn out from
Chicago St. to National St. taken every day, just before the Prairie Path
was constructed.
William Ahrens, Elgin
A: Thanks for your letter and photos, William. See page 2 for details
about where to purchase the book.
We appreciate your sending the photos for our readers to enjoy!
The Illinois Prairie Path Board is looking to expand its crew of volunteers to complete needed repairs to mile markers and display cases, plant prairie flowers along the 61-mile trail, and complete other improvement projects. Individuals, as well as bike clubs, neighborhood groups and civic clubs, are invited to contact us at 630-752-0120.
| Late March & April | Prairie Burns, weather permitting. If you'd like to volunteer
to help with this annual project, call The IPP at 630-752-0120. |
| Saturday, April 29 | Earth Day Cleanup along the 61-mile IPP. This is the biggest
IPP event of the year and your help is needed! See pages 1-3 for details.
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| Saturday, May 20 | Bird Walk in Pratt's Wayne Woods to look for spring arrivals.
For more information, call Dick Wilson at 847-299-7882 between 8 a.m.
and 7 p.m. |
| Saturday, June 5 | Celebrate National Trails Day! |
| Saturdays, June 17, July 15, September 16 & October 21 | Work Days. Meet at 9 a.m. at Rathje Park, 616 Delles Ave.,
Wheaton. For more information, call Dick Wilson at 847-299-7882 between
8 a.m. and 7 p.m. |
This newsletter is published by the Illinois Prairie Path Board
of Directors.
Address coorespondance to:
The Illinois Prairie Path
PO Box 1086
Wheaton, IL 60189
Phone: 630-752-0120
Web Site: www.ipp.org
Meetings: The Illinois Prairie Path Board of Directors meetings are held at 7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month in Rathje Park, 616 Delles Avenue, Wheaton. Members are always welcome to attend!
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Last Modified:
Tue Feb 18 12:59:11 CST 2003