(responded to a local journalist who requested information about the project and trail in Sept 2019)
Thanks for you interest. Here is some information to date about the John Jay Community Trail effort:
I have a lot of information on the jjtrail.org website about the projects and the history of the effort.
Specifically:
- jjtrail.org/projects – map and current status of each construction site.
- jjtrail.org/history – overview of where the project got started and some news article links from the time.
- jjtrail.org/donate – donation page!
- instagram.com/jjtrail – 3-6 photo/video clip updates each day from the work on the trail for that day. (Started in July 2019 after the students told me that none of them used facebook and if I made an instagram feed they would follow it 😉
- facebook.com/jjtrailrace – the original social media presence for the race – has morphed into a site for jjtrail volunteering and fundraising efforts.
Plus — https://leathermansloop.smugmug.com/OtherEvents/2019/John-Jay-Trail-Building – photo and video archive for the efforts going back to original survey photos in 2015 up through the present. (I help organize the Leatherman’s Loop 10k trail race at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation and Run The Farm at Muscoot Farm — so we use the photo/video storage of that site for other races and running events – like JJTrail, John Jay running sports, Katonah 5k, and of course the Leatherman, Run The Farm, and Raven Rocks Run)
There are definitely a few key volunteers who have been part of this effort for a long time.
First and foremost – Mike Surdej – KLSD resident and chief engineer on the project since 2015. Without Mike’s involvement the project simply would not have gotten done. He has been the single most important piece in this puzzle from the get-go. Though he would deny that and give credit to everyone else! He works with all of the volunteers, especially the students, as a mentor and teacher as well as a leader. He knows construction and trail building inside and out. (He is involved in most of the Eagle Scout projects in town.) He is the liaison to the Operations & Maintenance staff at KLSD and they are very appreciative of all of the communications and work he does. [O&M head Paul Christiansen has lent us their Honda generator as needed — which has been a big help during times of peak activity. Most of the tools we use are battery operated. Having the generator allows us to use a wider variety of more powerful tools which are needed for some of the bigger jobs.]
Jim Berenson – JJHS parent and super-volunteer. Jim does it all. He digs, he saws, he nails, he fastens, he chainsaws. Whatever we need him to do he is there.
Tim Farrow – super-volunteer and resident artist. Tim helps not only on the trail but also with graphic arts stuff. He created our “Fund the Finish Line” PR effort. He is also helping with the trail map and the signage for the trail when it is finished.
There are many students and parents who have volunteered a lot of time.
David Gordon JJHS ’15 got the project started and still comes back (from Philly) where he just graduated from UPenn in 2019. When he is up in the area he volunteers as an EMT for LVAC and when not on an emergency call he heads to the trail to lend a hand.
Most recently twin seniors Clodagh and Aidan McGroary with their younger sisters Maeve ’22 and Ciara ’24 and their mom and dad Sheila and Dennis McGroary have put in heaps of time doing whatever is needed including digging, decking, moving logs, and moving rocks.
Alyssa Cohen and her sons Ari and Noah Goldman are on our decking crew (trained on-the-job!). JJHS parent Samantha Kanner plus twin juniors Bryce and Amelia Walsh have probably decked over 100 feet of boardwalk themselves. Mike Mongiello and his sons Lucas ’25, and Jake ’27 have helped out clearing key spots on the trail.
Sean Winter and his dad Chris have been a steady presence all summer and going back to 2017. Juniors Peter Gressler ’20 and Aidan Oates ’20 worked hard during the summer heat on lots of jobs. Devin Braun ’22 and his dad Erich have helped out many times on work days. Marc Schreiber has been out during the weekdays to help many times. Olivia Flynn ’22 and Krista Longo ’22 have helped with both digging and decking. Danny Siegel has brought his contracting experience to us on the weekends. Lauren Pollak ’19 and her parents Doug and Rina have helped a bunch this summer. Kelsey Crawford ’22 and her parents Bill and Doreen have also put in much time digging and decking.
Going back further, twins Jasper and Jamie Miekle worked on the boardwalks at the start of the summer. [Lots of twins working on the trail!] Class of 2019 “trail interns” Akshay Amin, Kyle Hafter, Isaac Gordin, and Sam Howse helped get the first summer 2019 boardwalk done as part of their senior intern project.
I have tried to keep a running tab of the volunteer names from past year by going through photos from 2018 and prior — but I don’t have an exhaustive list (yet).
However, I do know the donor names – and we have had many over the years! 108 unique donors as of August 2019 with many of those giving multiple times over the years. The largest donations were a pair of $5,000 donations (Gary & Priscilla Page and Bob Hackett) that kicked the project off in 2015-16. There have been several other large donations in the $1000-$2000 range (Brian & Anne Marie Carroll, Adam Rose, Apex Fitness). However, most of the donations have been between $50 and $250. We even got one $2 cash donation from a 2nd grader when they picked up their race bib before the 2019 races. All donations are welcome! We have raised over $30,000 through August and have put every penny of it into the trail. All donors will be recognized on the trail signage when the project is officially completed.
Coaches Paul Saloom and Tom Nohilly have been actively volunteering on the project for years. They also help us wrangle student volunteers when we need a large contingent for a big job. JJHS grads and Apex Fitness owners John Swertfager and Skaz Gekaj have sponsored the race and also made a large donation to the trail building this summer.
Athletic Director Christian McCarthy has been steadfast in his support of the project – lending us the use of the athletic department Gator utility vehicle on demand since 2017. This has helped immeasurably. Before we had this vehicle we carried all materials and tools by hand to the work sites and back each day. Some of the work locations are a half-mile or more hike. That’s fine to do unencumbered, but tough and tiring when you have to carry 28 pieces of 12’ 2×8 that distance!
I would be remiss if I did not include the fantastic umbrella organization of the John Jay Boosters Club. The mission of the boosters is to support athletics programs and athletes in the K-L School District. This project fits in beautifully with that mission. All of the trail donations come through the boosters club and are earmarked for the trail building project. They take care of the paperwork and the tax filing freeing us up from having to create and maintain a separate not-for-profit trail foundation.
The Boosters Club and the officers have been absolutely perfect to work with. Boosters President Nick Giardina loves the project and helps us with whatever we need. VP Brendan McCormick is an enthusiastic supporter and also a trail runner. Treasurers Heather Brennan and Bridget Wanek are super to work with. Officers Valerie Palacio, Liz Katz, and Kerri Wolfe keep everyone informed about all activities. And last but not least Laura Giardina is the hub of all things Boosters and we depend on her support in many ways.
Well that was more than I intended to write, but good to get down on “paper.” I’d love to talk with you about this project in the future.
I can give you a guided tour on the trail system. Let me know via email or call (phone# below) and we can coordinate something. We are out there most weekends starting around 10am and some weekdays from around 9am-1pm.
We aim to finish the project by the end of 2019 – the permits expire in December so there is a deadline. But we are very well positioned and on target for an end of 2019 finish.
We will probably have a 2020 “Grand Opening” with more fanfare — but as you know the trail is open and usable now 🙂
Take care,
Rob Cummings
