South Haven, MI walk closed early

Historic Pathwalkers President Jean Woltjer reported this morning:

The walk box at Café Julia in South Haven Michigan has been pulled unexpectedly as of yesterday.  This walk, which was supposed to run through the end of November, has therefore closed for the season. We will be working on finding a new spot for the box for next year. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience but some of these things are beyond our control.

NOTE: Nov. 12, 2010 -- Jean Woltjer reported today that the South Haven start point will return to Cafe Julia when the seasonal walk re-opens next spring. 

Historic Pathwalkers Newsletter, October 2010

From Historic Pathwalkers President Jean Woltjer:

Fall has arrived and with it we are nearing the end of our walking season. We have enjoyed a wonderful fall season so far this year so let’s hope it lasts for a while longer. 

We had good participation at our scheduled group walks this year and were able to get those in before the summer heat. Now it’s time to start closing down the walks for another season. The third-quarter participation reports have been filed with the AVA and after a very slow start the numbers were up significantly for some of the walks. Thanks to our walkbox hosts who submitted those numbers to me in such a timely manner and for maintaining the boxes throughout the year.

By the end of November most of these boxes will be pulled for another season. At that time the stamp(s) should be sent to AVA , 1001 Pat Booker Rd., Suite 101, Universal City, TX  78148  within 10 days to avoid a penalty. Please send the final walk numbers  to jean.woltjer@att.net for our last report of the year.

Money should be sent to Alma Lucas, 5261 Southbrook Ct. #51, Hudsonville MI 49426. 

At our annual meeting this summer the current officers were re-elected for another year.  We also decided to take over the East Lansing walk from the Great Lakes Amblers, a club that is disbanding at the end of this year. John Pierce will be the POC for this walk.   It will be a seasonal walk with the walk box being hosted by Biggby Coffee, 4480 Hagadorn Rd, Suite 108, East Lansing MI.

 

We’ve also sanctioned most of our current walks for 2011 with the following exceptions:  Douglas, Ludington city walk and Manistee.

 

Each month the AVA sends out its bulletin with current news. The last issue noted that the AVA has a new logo tag line that reads: "AVA Moving together toward a healthier America." In addition they have a new national sponsor, Brazos Walking Sticks.

The AVA Biennial Convention will be held next summer in Des Moines Iowa for those who might be interested in attending. More information will be available early next year.

Thanks to all who have helped to make this another good year for our club. Your work is appreciated since we couldn’t function without you. This is the last newsletter for 2010 and as the holiday season is not far off I’d like to wish everyone a happy holiday season.

President:          Jean Woltjer, 616-392-2844 , jean.woltjer@att.net
Vice Pres:          Pat Korloch, 517-882-1495, pk55@juno.com
Secretary: John Pierce, 616-527-2413, jwpierce53@gmail.com
Treasurer:          Alma Lucas, 616-662-2359, ajlucas@charter.net

Stefan Szumko announces two AVA special events

Washtenaw Wanderers President Stefan Szumko says:

Greetings Walking Fans! Now that walking season is here, we'd like to invite you to two delightful walks:

On Saturday, September 25, we'll be joining the Oktoberfest Celebration at the Saline Harvest of the Arts Festival in downtown Saline.  Walk either a 5K or 10K route and work up an appetite for authentic German food and a thirst for authentic German bier.   Enjoy music, arts, children's activities and more.  Start your walk between 9am-noon and finish by 3pm.  Meet at the Saline Farmer's Market on S. Ann Arbor St. which is a half block south of Michigan Ave.  You can walk for free or for AVA Credit only ($3). We'll also have B-Awards from previous events on sale for various prices ($5 or less - we still have some Fairydoor Fridge Magnets, while supplies last).  For more information - http://www.ava.org/gen3/data/event_details.asp?eventid=87163.

On Sunday, October 17, join us for our annual Colorwalk starting at the Leslie Science and Nature Center in Ann Arbor.  The 10K route follows scenic nature trails for approximately 7K and is rated a 3 on a scale of 1-5 (1 being easiest)!  The 5K route is also quite scenic.  Jogging strollers are perfect for the youngsters.  Wheelchairs will have difficulty on both routes.  Park on the lawn in the lower field and start your walk on the front porch of the "Leslie House" between the hours of 10am-1pm.  Walk for free, for AVA Credit Only ($3) or for this year's National Volkssport Month Patch ($7).  http://www.ava.org/gen3/data/event_details.asp?eventid=86672.

Two of our Year-Round Events (YREs) will not be renewed for 2011 - Oakwoods Metropark and Dundee.  So head on out and walk those for AVA Credit by the end of the year.  We are, however, picking up five new YREs in 2011 - Brighton, Northville, Plymouth, Adrian, and Tecumseh.  Visit the AVA website and click on the "Find Walking Events" in the left-side navigation bar to find out details for all these events.

We are looking forward to meeting you on the trail.  Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, queries, or confessions!

Stefan Szumko
     Master Educator, Leslie Science & Nature Center
           (www.lesliesnc.org)
     President, Washtenaw Wanderers Volkssporting Club
           (www.washtenaw-wanderers.blogspot.com)
     MAEOEgram Editor, Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education
           (www.michiganenvironmentaled.org/)

"Go to nature; take the facts into your own hands; look, and see for yourself." -- Louis Agassiz
"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time." -- Steven Wright

Group Walk in Manistee MI

We are planning a group walk in Manistee MI this Saturday, July 31 at 10:00 a.m. The start point is Wahr Hardware Store, 87 Division, one block west of US 31 behind the Christmas Store. The weather looks promising so come join us.

2010 HP annual meeting

Grand Rapids streetscape

The Historic Pathwalkers held our annual meeting in Grand Rapids on June 12, 2010. Members reelected our current slate of officers: President Jean Woltjer, Vice President Pat Korloch, Secretary John Pierce, Treasurer Alma Lucas. Members confirmed the club's sanctioning of our current list of 15 year 'round and seasonal events for 2011. The next meeting of the Historic Pathwalkers will be a group walk at 10:00 a.m. July 31 at Wahr’s Hardware Store, 87 Division Street, located behind the Christmas Store on US 31 or Cypress Street in Manistee, Michigan. All who attend are invited to join the group for lunch after the walk.

Grand Rapids walk

The Grand Rapids, Michigan YRE has got to be one of the best walks in the country. You see the magnificent Caulder stabile, the glorious gardens of the Gerald Ford Library in a vibrant cityscape, view the Frank Lloyd Wright Meyer-May house in nineteenth century neighborhoods, and stroll the riverwalk where we saw this heron fishing in the Grand River spillway.

Waterfront Film Festival and Grand Rapids on Michigan's west coast

Historic Pathwalkers President Jean Woltjer invites you to walk Douglas/Saugatuck and Grand Rapids this weekend:


Plan now to come and walk in Douglas - Saugatuck MI this weekend.    Our AVA sanctioned seasonal walk goes through the historic villages of Douglas and Saugatuck where the 12th Annual Waterfront Film festival is being held this weekend.  Saugatuck is known for its art colony dating back to 1910 and the Film Festival has been named one of the top 5 film festivals.

For more info on the festival go to  http://www.waterfrontfilm.org/  and for more info on the walk go to 
http://www.ava.org/gen3/data/event_details.asp?eventid=85283


The Historic Pathwalkers invite you to a group walk of our Grand Rapids seasonal walk on Saturday, June 12.  We plan to start walking at 9:30 a.m. The trail takes you along the Grand River, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and burial site, historic Heritage Hill with it's magnificent architecture as well the  downtown area.   There is something for everyone! The start point is the Big Boy Restaurant, 407 Pearl St.   More information can be found at http://www.ava.org/gen3/data/event_details.asp?eventid=85281
Come and join us for a great walk.


P.S. While you're in Grand Rapids, take a walk around the Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park to enjoy the Dale Chihuly outdoor glass installation.
Jean Woltjer, Pres
Historic Pathwalkers