8-25-1992 PTRC Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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a r o es A newsletter of the Friends of St. Paul and Ramsey County Parks 1621 Beechwood Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55116 698-4543 Volume 6, Number 4 November , 1992 BN Purchase approved The Ramsey County Rail Authority recently authorized a purchase agree- ment to acquire the Burlington Northern line from the east side of downtown to Maplewood. It will forge one of the most significant trail links in the entire system. Regular readers will remember this as the trail nearly stopped by a man made mountain of fill dirt. Champagne corks....pop now? Park without borders A park withoutboundaries is architect Ben Thompson's vision of St. Paul's riverfront. Thompson's concept of the Great River Park recognizes and pro- motes St. Paul's unique Mississippi River gorge /river valley setting as a context for balanced development and encourages the entire city to become more park- like. In the downtown area, the Great River Park encourages commercial, residenrial, cultural and recreational development that is sensitive to the river, bluffs, and valley vistas. Reforestation and low maintenance natural landscap- ing as a part of existing redevelopment plans for the riverfront play a vital role. The Friends of the Great River Park* will concentrate their initial efforts in the Harriet Island/Lillydale Regional Park areas. Plans include pedestrian, bicycle and cross country ski trails, wildflower and tree plantings, plus develop- ing and maintaining an ice skating rink on Harriet Island. For more informarion about the Friends of the Great River Park, call Kevin Howley at 291-1652. *No t to be eonfused wi Eh the Friends of the Parks and Trails of S t. Pau 1 an d Ramsey Cou n ty, a reaIly snappy title and the yurveyor of this newsletter. Fifty hardy souls braved a cool September drizzle to bike the Gateway segment of the Willard Munger Trail in a celebration marking the 500th conversion of an abandoned railroad corridor for alternadve transportation and recreational use. Among those who joined the riders and made brief statements were Liz Anderson, Metro Council; Tom Baldwin, Mayor of Falcon Heights and President of the League of Local Governments; and Congressman Bruce Vento. The ride was jointly sponsored by the Friends, and the Ramsey County League of Local Governments, with special assistance from the Department of Natural Resources. Pictured at left are Congressman Vento, Dan Collins and his children. Ride is cool success