January 2016 Actioneer Meeting Recap

Previously published in the Citizen's Voice & Times:

The Estill Action Group met on Wednesday night to forge ahead with Trail Town plans, although those plans have taken a slightly different direction.

Trail Towns are required to have a visitor's center or informational kiosk where tourists can learn about local trails and all that the attractions a county has to offer. Finding a place that could be accessible to the public at just about any time was a challenge for local organizers.

However, Jeff Richardson, owner of the building at 726 Main Street in Ravenna, has offered the use of his space as a visitor's/information center/trailhead.

Richardson has volunteered his space not only for the displaying maps and brochures, but he says he'd like to rent canoes and kayaks eventually.

Although the information center will be housed in Ravenna, the Trail Town will still encompass all of Estill County, including Irvine.

The EAG is considering naming it “the Twin City Trail Town.”

For anyone interested in helping move the Trail Town project along, there will be a workday for cleanup and repairs at the information center on January 21. The building is located at Main Street in Ravenna, and the workday will begin at 5 p.m.

Other upcoming Actioneer Adventures, weather permitting, include a paddle on the river on January 16, beginning at the American Legion at 11 a.m. The group plans to paddle to Miller's Creek then back to the Legion. This paddle trail is one that will be incorporated into the Trail Town's system of water trails.

Robert “Skip” Johnson was also in attendance at the EAG meeting on Wednesday night and said he is very optimistic that the National Forest, which was about to close the Cottage Furnace area to the public permanently, will allow the non-profit group Friends of Fitchburg to adopt it, but he has asked the Estill Action Group for help maintaining it.

The Estill Action Group hopes to clear the trail connecting the Cottage Furnace and Fitchburg Furnace, so that it too can become a part of the local Trail Town network.