Alna gets free town office trail
Courtesy of Jeff Spinney
The black line right of center is the new loop that starts and ends at the Alna town office. Courtesy of Alna Snowmobile Club
Courtesy of Jeff Spinney
Courtesy of Jeff Spinney
The black line right of center is the new loop that starts and ends at the Alna town office. Courtesy of Alna Snowmobile Club
Courtesy of Jeff Spinney
A walking and cross-country skiing trail, an idea when Alna was getting its new town office, became real this month. It cost the town nothing, First Selectman Melissa Spinney said.
“It’s wonderful.”
About a dozen Alna Snowmobile Club members, including Spinney’s husband Jeff, have been clearing and grooming the trail, the Spinneys said Monday and Tuesday via phone, email and text. Jeff Spinney was taking part in an evening grooming session when the newspaper called him Monday.
How was the group staying warm outside on a cold January night? Working with the chainsaws, he said.
Jeff Spinney said the club was happy to add the trail at the town office on Route 218 to its others in town as a way to provide access for multi-purpose use. “That (new) trail is a nice flat loop we thought people would like.” It’s about six to eight feet wide, he said about the new 4.1-mile loop. A map is posted in the town office’s parking area out front, he added.
Melissa said via text Tuesday, she knew when she asked the club it would say yes. “The club is very community-minded and doesn’t hesitate to give back to the town. We got landowner permission from (next door neighbor) Steve Piwowarski, who is very supportive of the project.”
Reached by phone Tuesday, Piwowarski said he loves that people are getting to use the land and enjoy being outside “even in the winter.” He has already seen a family cross-country skiing there. He and Melissa Spinney said users need to be aware the trail is multi-purpose.
She announced the trail’s opening in a town email Sunday. The email credits the club with the work and notes the loop is marked with blue reflectors starting at the office parking lot, then passing Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum’s central station, crossing a bog, and returning to the office. “Please be aware this trail is on the regular snowmobile trail so be aware of snowmobiles and keep dogs on (a) leash for safety ... Enjoy.”
Jeff Spinney said it was nice for members seeing three or four people cross-country-skiing on the new trail. He added Tuesday, “I saw some tracks this morning.”
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