Those who leave the Mohawk Towpath Byway to find a Pokemon will be shot!

Seriously, there are some interesting stories evolving about these new wave encounters on the Byway.  My closest encounter was to see Maryanne Mackey drawing a Pokemon character while answering questions by visitors to a recent Byway booth set up at the Schenectady County Historical Society’s Canal Fest.

As you visit the Byway what is the strangest story you have heard?

These individual stories are what brings the Mohawk Towpath Byway to life.  Share them with me, with friends, and with your neighbors.  There’s something new on the Byway every day.

Have a voice in how our community is presented to visitors on the Byway.  You are invited to a meeting of the Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Byway on Tuesday, June 14 at 7 PM at the Clifton Park Halfmoon Library at 475 Moe Road in Clifton Park.  The agenda includes:

• Creating a birding trail in the Vischer Ferry Preserve
• Improving a riverwalk trail from Clutes
• Brainstorming a worthy project to apply for grant money
• Organizing the 14th Annual Duathlon
• Planning an Erie Canal Bicentennial Celebration

Come join the fun.  The public is invited!

Several members including a majority of the Board of Directors met on a recent Saturday morning to review and update our organization’s Action Plan.  Facilitated by Ray Patterson, one of our charter members, we had a productive session that reviewed our mission statement and vision, our progress toward achieving that vision, and mapped out initiatives that would get us closer to that vision.  This review will be most helpful as we put together a budget.  If you are a member and would like to see what we are proposing for our Action Plan please contact Paul Olund, President or Eric Hamilton, Membership Director.

We have built a broad based organization to fulfill our vision, including Friends of all ages, seniors who live in our region, as well as families, and youth in our regional schools.  We have developed and implemented a full year calendar of activities that is widely publicized and draws visitors and investment to the Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Byway.

This is how our organization’s Action Agenda of 2013 – 14 starts.  Where are we today?  Are we on the right track?  What do we need to do now to advance our vision?  Do we need to…

• Develop Our Story
• Reach Out
• Utilize Our Volunteer Base
• Enhance the Byway Experience
• Develop and Schedule Events
• Strengthen the Organization

The Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Byway will be gathering at 9 AM on Saturday, March 19, 2016, at the historic Grooms Tavern at the corner of Sugar Hill Road and Grooms Road, Rexford, to map out the organization’s future, at least the next five years.

Will you join us?  Perhaps Samuel Grooms or one of his team will provide lunch as our session winds down by mid day.  You are encouraged to attend, bring a friend, meet new friends, and provide your perspective on the Mohawk Towpath Byway.

Shenendehowa Rotary is partnering with Giffy’s Bar-B-Catering to hold a Chicken and Biscuit Dinner fund raiser for the Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Byway on Sunday, February 21, 2016, from 4 to 6 PM at the Vischer Ferry Fire House community room at 360 Riverview Road, in Vischer Ferry (Rexford mailing address).   Tickets are available from any Rotary member, the Friends or from the Mohawk Towpath Byway.  Dinner is $10 a person, $8 for seniors, and child (10>) $6.

Tickets will be available (while they last) at the door and take out is also available.

This locally prepared dinner is reminiscent of the type of fare that one would have experienced on the Erie Canal back in its “heyday”: chicken, biscuits, mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes, beverages, and light desert.  Come out and enjoy a hardy meal with friends, family, and neighbors right on the Mohawk Towpath Byway.