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The Bulletin -- June 23, 2010 (#1045)
Program: Laurie Williams, Saranac River Trail The River Trail will be funded through a $1.2 million grant from the N.Y.S. Department of Transportation. There are plans in the works to develop and connect this trail to other trails that are being proposed to develop in the towns of Plattsburgh and other areas in the county. The trail will stretch 1.2 miles along the Saranac River from Angell Drive (SUNY Plattsburgh) to the old Saranac Street footbridge near the city police station, and its width will be between 6 to 13 feet wide to allow for bike and foot traffic. The dawn to dusk multiuse year-round path will not be shoveled in the winter so users will also be able to ski on it. Williams called this “Mapping our way to a Healthier Clinton County.” These activities are to help our community be a healthier place to live. “When this committee was formed, everyone tried to squeeze dollars out of their own grants and program budgets as there was still money that was needed for bicycle racks, benches, picnic tables, etc.” Williams said the committee is still looking to apply for monies to put a tree house on the Saranac River Trail. She is also looking for funding Big Red bike rental program. She went on to discuss built environment change. “You want built environment changes, policy changes and system changes that are permanent and sustainable and around for decades.” Williams also showed a promotional video about the Saranac River Trail and its development and importance to the community. She said, “Our river trail can be a model for other communities to develop their own trail. These trails will greatly expand walking and biking opportunities. It will allow easy and safe trips from neighborhood to local schools, connecting diverse city resources, the downtown business district, the reviving Lake Champlain waterfront, the SUNY campus, multiple historic sites and a blossoming arts corridor. Williams said the committee is also exploring funding opportunities with the National Parks and Recreation to help with promoting and connecting the various trails and bike paths. This would provide the committee with assistance to develop a master plan in perhaps some sort of downloadable map. “The city and county will benefit because recreation helps to recruit businesses and residents to our community. The new trail also provides a healthy site for our own residents looking for low cost exercise, fighting inactivity, obesity and many other health risks.”
Williams said that the biggest factor we have to think about now is getting the business community strongly behind the project. To kick that effort off, she is coordinating a half day event, called Dollars and Cents, What’s Health got to do With it, on Wednesday, Sept. 15 that will bring two national speakers to talk about economics and development and how to create healthy and vibrant communities. A ground breaking ceremony for the trail will take place next month when Phase One begins. The city will reconstruct a portion of Stelzer Avenue near Riverside Cemetery to South Catherine Street next month. Williams asked the Rotary club to consider three things the trail committee is asking of all groups. Support of the trail, talk up the trail in the community to generate further support, and some sort of small sponsorship. Williams said, “We want to do this trail right.” Visiting Rotarians: Charlie Lewis (Naples, FL), Michelle Frechette (New Mexico), Soham Patel MD (Honorary), Larry Arcarese (Honorary) Guests: Dr. Anne Cahill (Bob Parks), Joanne Nelson (Faith Long) Announcements:
Bonnie’s Bucks:
Auction Item: A carton of toilet paper went to Keith Tyo and paper towels went to Ida Bullard. Thanks Tim Boshart (G-P) 50/50: Jackpot today is $1,950 with 31 cards left. Bob Frenyea pulled the Ace of Spaces and won the Jackpot -- $1,950. Congratulations.
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Dr. Soham Patel was born in 1942 to well educated parents in India. In 1963, he became a doctor and moved to Scotland two years later. In 1973, he came to United States and worked in New York City for a short time. He and his wife had a daughter and decided the city was not the right place to raise a family. He came to Plattsburgh in 1975 and is still here with no desire to leave. He practiced in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. He’s had some health issues over the past several years and had to give up being a neurosurgeon. But, that has not prevented him from doing other things. He served for nearly 12 years on the SUNY Plattsburgh College Council, and he has participated in the creation on two physician organizations -- Northern New York Physicians Individual Practice Association and the Northern New York Medical Alliance Management.
In 1999, he became the director of the Northern Area Health Education Center. Dr. Patel and his colleagues have created an organization called Northern New York Medical Foundation Inc., which gives scholarships to student attending a SUNY medical school. He is hoping that within the next five years it will be able to raise $1 million. 