Spring 2008 Download the pdf newsletter version (176KB)
CANAL NEWS
Sharing the Shovels
n the misty morning of March 14th, the Friends welcomed stakeholders and supporters to Lock 24/ Fish Ladder in Easton to celebrate the long-awaited start of the major flood repair work on the Delaware Canal. State Representative Robert Freeman, Easton Mayor Salvatore Panto, Williams Township Supervisor Fred Mebus, Pennsylvania State Park officials, Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor staff, Delaware Canal State Park Advisory Committee members, a representative from the Canal Society of New Jersey, Popple Construction, BiState Construction, and members of the Friends gathered in front of Popple’s fully-extended long-arm track excavator. The crowd stretched from one end of the excavator to the other!
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Celebrating the start of work in Easton. Left to right: Terry Pursell, Delaware Canal State Park Maintenance Supervisor; Rick Dalton, Park Manager; Tom Williams, FODC President; Cora Anderson, Tom’s granddaugher; Armand Cencetti, Popple Construction; and Greg DiNardo, Bi-State Construction. |
All in attendance expressed their hopes for the Delaware Canal’s new beginning. Wishes were also made that the construction project flow smoothly and quickly. David Kemmerer, Assistant Director of the PA Bureau of State Parks, and Terry Purcell, Delaware Canal State Park Maintenance Manager, both quipped that they hoped that the work would be completed before their rapidly approaching retirement dates.
The highlight of the celebration was a “sharing of shovels” during which Tom Williams, President of the Friends’ Board of Directors, and his three-year-old granddaughter, Cora Anderson, presented beribboned shovels to the representatives of the two construction companies. (Cora, dressed in a bright pink vest that perfectly matched the bow on her little shovel was more than ready to convey the hopes of future generations.)
The “sharing of shovels” was meant to demonstrate that the Friends of the Delaware Canal and the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which have been undertaking comparatively small flood repair projects are happy to have new help with the “big” job.
Since the first river flood of 2004 the Friends have been dealing with the consequences. Special clean-ups were waged after each of the inundations and significant, innovative repairs were completed.
The rushing waters from the flood of September 2004 caused the canal bank to break and the towpath to severely erode in the vicinity of the David Library of the American Revolution in Washington Crossing. This damage was tackled by the Friends. A contractor was hired to line the canal prism with geosynthetic material and reestablish the towpath surface using a potentially more flood-resistant method called “stabilized turf.” This project allowed the PA Bureau of State Parks to test stabilized turf to determine its suitability for other sections of the Canal. The completion of the repair, which cost $102,000, allowed the southern 25 miles of the Delaware Canal, from New Hope to Bristol, to be rewatered.
The towpath in this same location was again damaged by the flood of April 2005. The erosion was less severe thanks to the positive performance of the geosynthetic liner and the stabilized turf. The second $47,000 repair was again funded by the Friends, and water was restored to the southern end of the Canal.
Canal structures also take beatings during floods. The structural crossbars of the Thompson-Neely camelback bridge, located in the midst of the northern section of the Washington Crossing Historic Park, were dislodged by high water. With Department of Community and Economic Development grants secured by then State Senator Joe Conti and private contributions, first the Friends funded emergency stabilization and then later funded restoration of this bridge, one of only six authentic camelback bridges that remain along the Canal.
The Friends intend to keep on tackling flood-related projects as does the State Park. So along with the “big” job contractors, we’ll surely bring the Delaware Canal back to its old self and make it even better.
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A Surge of Progress
We have momentum! Canal repair and improvement projects are
Underway or
Out for bid or
Nearly ready to be put out for bid.
Project Area: Easton to Groundhog Lock (aka Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area) in Raubsville
Action: Flood damage to the canal prism and towpath is now being repaired by Popple Construction.
Project Area: Palmer Fish Ladder on the Lehigh River; Lock 24, Weigh Lock, and Fish Ladder in Easton
Action: Reconstruction and adjacent dredging is currently being done by BiState Construction.
The cost of the Popple and BiState Projects is $10.8 million, which is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Project Area: New Hope at the Delaware River inlet to Lower Makefield Township
Action: Bids will be opened on April 17, 2008 for repair of the canal prism and towpath.
Project Area: Wy-Hit-Tuk Park in Williams Township to Indian Rock Inn
Action: Bids will be opened on April 29, 2008 for repair of stop gates, waste gates, a footbridge, and other structures.
Project Area: Lock 5 in Yardley Borough to Ferry Road in Lower Makefield
Action: Bids will be opened on April 29, 2008 for replacement of the culvert at Black Rock Road and dredging.
This project will be funded through the PA Capital Budget.
Project Area: Raubsville to Bridgeton Hill Road in Upper Black Eddy
Action: The State has projected that bids will be opened in May 2008 for repair of the canal prism and towpath.
Project Area: Lock 14 in Point Pleasant to Bowman’s Hill in Solebury Township
Action: The State has projected that bids will be opened in May 2008 for repair of various locks, wastegates, and other structures.
Project Area: Bridgeton Hill Road in Upper Black Eddy to New Hope
Action: The State has projected that bids will be opened in June 2008 for repair of the canal prism and towpath.
Project: Rocky Falls Stop Gate in Williams Township
Action: The State has projected that bids will be opened in July 2008 for repair of the structure.
Project: Riegelsville Stop Gate
Action: The State has projected that bids will be opened in August 2008 for replacement of the structure.
Project: Lock 12 in Lumberville
Action: The State has projected that bids will be opened in September 2008 for the lock reconstruction.
All of the projects listed with the exception of the Black Rock Road culvert replacement and dredging will be funded by FEMA and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The contracts for the canal prism and towpath repair projects allow for the work to be done in 360 days or less; the structure contracts have a 270-day length.
On March 11th, Tom Williams and Susan Taylor from the Friends traveled to Harrisburg to meet with the Delaware Canal State Park Legislative Caucus. The purpose of the trip was to ask the legislators to help streamline the State’s internal funding process for the upcoming flood repair projects. A full six months elapsed between the time that the successful bidders for the Easton projects were chosen and the time that the funds were made available to PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources so that Notice to Proceed could be issued to the contractors. Typically, the length of time should be 90 days.
Senator Chuck McIlhinney, Representative Marguerite Quinn, and Representative Scott Petri, who attended the Caucus meeting personally, promised to convene a meeting with the Secretaries of the Department of General Services and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to hammer out a way to ensure that future projects aren’t unduly delayed.
May all these projects, as well as all the others that are on the books, have wings. Come to the Friends’ General Meeting on May 13th to hear Rick Dalton provide more details about what’s happening in the Delaware Canal State Park.
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Spring Calendar of Events
Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m.
Canal Clean-Up Day
From Riegelsville to Bristol with a few breaks in between
This is a first. Friends’ volunteers WILL NOT be cleaning up the Canal between Easton and Riegelsville this year, and we’re HAPPY about it. Why? Because the section is being otherwise engaged by the flood repair contractors.
The Friends are more than pleased to make way for the repair work and will keep busy by giving all the other safely accessible areas of the Canal their annual spring cleanings. Please come out on April 26th; bring along your family, friends, and acquaintances, too. Check out the list of Clean-Up Day Work Areas, choose a convenient or needy location, and call the area coordinator to offer your assistance. Your coordinator will tell you where to meet, what to bring, and answer any questions that you may have.
Hundreds of volunteers are needed for a successful Clean-Up Day. Please be one of them. Individual clean-up efforts are always welcome, too! Anytime, anywhere!!
Tuesday, May 13, 7:30 p.m.
General Meeting
The Park Manager Tells All
Riegelsville Library – First Floor Meeting Hall
615 Easton Road (Route 611), Riegelsville, PA 18077
At the one and only traffic light in Riegelsville, turn inland (away from the River) onto Delaware Road. Take the first right. The library is on the right side of the street after the church. Park in the back; the rear door may be used to enter the building.
The Delaware Canal State Park is buzzing with activity. The flood repair work is underway at last, more contracts will be awarded soon, and the Park maintenance staff is tackling non-flood related projects. Resources under the Park’s wing, such as the Giving Pond and the Delaware River islands, require attention, too.
Rick Dalton, Park Manager, will share the Commonwealth’s work plans and progress. He will describe the various projects, explain how they will be sequenced, and illustrate some of the new construction techniques that will be used to ensure that the Canal fares better in future floods.
To better understand what will be happening along the Delaware Canal in the next several years, please come to this meeting. An informed constituency is a powerful constituency!
Sunday, May 18, 2 p.m.
The Bridge Tales Walk
Meet at the I-95 Park and Ride lot in Yardley at the intersection of Taylorsville and Woodside Roads.
Quirky stories abound about the Delaware Canal, and the 3-mile stretch that will be hiked during the “Bridge Tales Walk” claims more than its share. As we travel from Yardley to Washington Crossing, we’ll be walking under bridges that are still known by the unusual names that they were given a century or more ago. These names relate to happenings on the adjoining properties – properties that have colorful histories, both long ago and recent. Complementing the stories will be the Canal’s lovely scenery and spring wildflowers.
When Washington Crossing is reached, walkers can choose to double their day’s exertion by returning to the Yardley Park and Ride on foot or they can ride back via a carpool. The free walk will be held weather permitting. Reservations are helpful, but not necessary. To let us know that you’re coming, please call 215-862-2021 or e-mail friendsofdelawarecanal@comcast.net.
Friday, May 30
Illusions
Join the Friends for a magical evening of mystery as Wayne Hoffman, one of the top ten illusionists in the world, astonishes us with his unique talents. Fittingly, this very special 25th Anniversary benefit dinner and show will be held at the grand new “castle” at Sand Castle Winery in Erwinna and will include hors d’oeurves, a superb entrée, and a dazzling flambé dessert. To learn more about Wayne Hoffman, watch this YouTube video or visit his website.
Mark Friday, May 30th on your calendar now and anticipate the arrival of your invitation in the mail, for you surely don’t want this event to disappear. Tickets are $150 per person. Please consider reserving a table for a party of your friends and colleagues.
Individual, business, and corporate sponsorships are encouraged to further benefit the restoration and improvement efforts of the Friends of the Delaware Canal.
Space is limited, so please reserve early. For additional information, please call 215-862-2021.
Saturday, June 7, 2 p.m.
“New Paths to Travel” Walk
Meet at the parking area located east of the Canal and the Thompson-Neely House in the northern section of Washington Crossing Historic Park.
What better way to celebrate National Trails Day than to christen a brand new trail that the Friends of the Delaware Canal helped to create. The “New Paths to Travel” trail connects the Delaware River, Delaware Canal, Thompson-Neely House, Neely Gristmill, Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, and Bowman’s Hill Tower. New interpretive signs are being placed at the sites. Each will include a trail map, teasers about the places along the trail, and more detailed information about the specific site. By using the signs and trail, visitors will be able to discover all that the area has to offer.
The “New Paths” will be a round-trip hike of 2-1/2 miles. It is free and will be held unless the rain is pouring down. The route offers two bonuses – traversing the newly restored Thompson Neely Camelback Bridge over the Canal and leisurely crossing under River Road rather than dodging cars while trying to cross it.
Share in a new adventure.
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Help the Friends When You Shop
The Friends of the Delaware Canal are participating in the Giant Food Stores ‘Cash for Causes’ Fundraising Program. Buy Giant Food Stores gift cards from the Friends, and 5% of the value of each card sold will benefit the Friends’ efforts to restore and improve the Canal.
The cards are available in $50.00 denominations and can be redeemed simply by presenting the card to the store cashier. 5% of the value of each card is tax deductible. Order as many as you like. The cards also make great gifts for friends and family who live out of the area and shop at other Giant affiliated stores such as Stop ‘n Shop and Martin’s.
To order your cards –
| Send us an e-mail at friendsofdelawarecanal@comcast.net |
| Or call us at 215-862-2021 |
| Or send a check in payment for the number of cards you want to Friends of the Delaware Canal, 145 South Main Street, New Hope, 18938. Please make your check payable to FODC and note that it is for “Giant Gift Cards.” |
Locally, Giant Food Stores are located in Morrisville, Levittown, Langhorne, Fairless Hills, Bensalem, Newtown, Yardley, New Hope, New Britain, Plumsteadville, Southampton, Warminster, Willow Grove, Abington, Horsham, Spring House, North Wales, and Lansdowne. For more information and store locations, go to www.Giantfoods.com.
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Twenty-Five Winning Years
Since the founding of the Friends of the Delaware Canal twenty five years ago, the organization has won many awards. Recognized were a variety of achievements – the exemplary efforts of volunteers, the excellence of the 1987 Delaware Canal Master Plan, the quality of the Locktender’s House restoration …
The honors most often won were the “Take Pride” awards. “Take Pride” was a state and national campaign to increase awareness of the nation’s natural and cultural resources, encourage stewardship and responsibility for public resources, and promote volunteerism. The individuals and organizations that were chosen “made the choice to become involved, to care, and to volunteer. They exhibit the qualities of get-up-and-go responsibility for the common good that have made America great,” said U.S Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan in 1990.
The Friends were honored by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources (now the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) with the “Take Pride in Pennsylvania” award for four years in succession starting in 1989. To add to their laurels, the Friends were also finalists in the civic association category of the national “Take Pride in America” awards program in 1989 and 1990. In 1991, the grand prize was achieved. The Friends won the “Take Pride in America” First Prize, and Board members were invited to the White House in Washington, DC to receive the honor.
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Friends traveled to the White House in 1991 to receive a “Take Pride in America” award. Left to right: George Schweickhardt, Nancy Boylan, Betty Orlemann, Zabel Davis, Betty Barr, and Will Rivinus. |
This year the Friends will again be recognized for their efforts. In May, the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation will bestow its Improvement Award on our organization. The award is presented to a Friends group that has made lasting, positive impressions on the park that it serves and that has advanced the mission of the Parks and Forests Foundation and the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Among the specific projects for which the Friends are being recognized are the flood repairs, restorations of historic camelback bridges, mile marker and mileage chart projects, numerous interpretive sign initiatives, the memorial 9-11 bench project, and repairs of lock walls, wastegates, and bulkheads.
The Friends have every reason to be proud of what they have and are accomplishing – and their winning ways.
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Goal–A More Stable Core and Surface
If you’ve had the opportunity to examine any of the towpath bank blowouts along the Canal, you will have seen that the canal bank was built simply of earth and stone. To try to make the canal more flood resistant, the engineers from DCNR’s Bureau of Facility Design and Construction have devised a reconstruction plan that involves installing a stable core material within the bank, providing a liner that is more reliably impervious than clay, and then laying down a trail surface that will be less prone to erosion.
In the areas where the towpath bank has been totally washed away, the construction specifications call for the installation of stacked gabion baskets that will serve as a core. A gabion is a wire mesh basket, about 3 feet high by 3 feet wide by 6 feet long that is filled with stone. Gabions act like building blocks.
To repair a blowout, first a layer of large stone will be put down as a base. Then gabions will be laid side by side along the length of the blowout. Another layer can be added on top if needed to fill the void. Several feet of dirt will be used to cover the baskets, then a layer of geotextile material called bentomat will be put down. The bentomat, which functions more reliably than clay, will extend from the bottom of the canal prism up and over the towpath area to the far side. Another layer of dirt will be placed on top of the bentomat.
The towpath trail surface will be “stabilized turf.” It consists of 85% stone aggregate mixed with 15% topsoil seeded with a special non-clumping grass. The stabilized turf will not be as smooth as the argillite gravel trail, but will hold together better in a flooding situation.
Bentomat and stabilized turf were used for the David Library towpath bank repairs in 2004 and 2005, and the gabion/ bentomat/ stabilized turf solution was used for the repair of a 100-blowout south of Easton in 2006. The materials and methods seem to be working.
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Getting Things Done
With Solebury Township's Help
Solebury Township has contributed $12,500 to the Friends this year. This very generous support will help our organization to accomplish improvements along the section of the Canal that runs through the Township.
In the recent past, we have been able to clear Paunacussing Creek of accumulated silt and debris that threatened both the Paunacussing Aqueduct and upstream property owners. Last year’s contribution was instrumental in the restoration of the Thompson-Neely camelback bridge.
The Friends gratefully thank Solebury Township for giving us the ability to deal with problem areas and look forward to taking on another project that will benefit both the Canal and the Township.
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Pick Up a Polo Shirt It’s short sleeve shirt time, and the Friends Stop by the Locktender’s House or call or send us an email at friendsofdelawarecanal@comcast.net. The shirts are available in sizes S, M, L, XL, and XXL, and are $35 each.
Susan Sperry, sporting a Friends’ 25th Anniversary polo shirt, is ready for a jaunt on the Canal. |
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Look for Sarah and Learn
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Sarah Bellois |
Sarah Bellois has joined the Delaware Canal State Park staff as a seasonal Environmental Education Specialist (EES). You’ll be seeing her along the towpath and at the Locktender’s House from now until November. She follows in the footsteps of Ian Kindle, who has been promoted to a full-time position with the Park.
In 2005, Sarah earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Kutztown University and began her environmental career as an intern with the Berks County Conservation District. There she discovered her love of education and environmental conservation. Her pursuit of those interests led to her employment with the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Last year she worked as an EES at Evansburg State Park in Montgomery County, and now we’re pleased to have her join us along the Canal.
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New E-mail Address
The Friends’ new e-mail address is friendsofdelawarecanal@comcast.net. Send us a message anytime!
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Membership Renewal Time
Last year the Friends sent renewal notices to all members in late July. This change in process and paperwork caused many people to receive their notices several months later than usual. Others received it earlier than expected.
This year, the Board of Directors has decided to continue the practice of sending the notices in one batch, but they will be sent in early May, a more traditional time.
Please watch your mailbox for your membership renewal paperwork. When sending in your remittance envelope, please remember to include your e-mail address. It’s our most timely and economical way to communicate with you. We promise not to abuse the privilege by loading up your inbox. And we thank you for your generous support.
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Welcome New Friends |
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Our Business Members
These businesses support the Friends with their annual membership contributions and in-kind services. We urge you to support them.
Founder
Barley Sheaf Farm Estate & Spa, Holicong
Capital Planning Advisory Group, Yardley
Scannapieco Development Corp., New Hope
Toll Bros, Inc., Horsham
Benefactor
Ahlum Gallery, Easton – New Member
Fine, Kaplan and Black, Philadelphia
George E. Michael & Co., New Hope
Sand Castle Winery, Erwinna
Addison Wolfe Real Estate, New Hope
Patron
Carlton Pools, Inc., Warminster
DeLuca Enterprises, Inc., Yardley
Earl’s Prime at Peddlers’ Village, Lahaska
First National Bank & Trust Company of Newtown
First Savings Bank of Perkasie
Gratz Gallery & Conservation Studio, New Hope
Howard Gallery of Fine Art, New Hope
Logan Inn, New Hope
McCaffrey’s Markets, Yardley
Newtown Bicycle & Fitness Shop, Newtown
Shearer Penn Corp., Trenton, NJ – Increased Membership
The Tattersall Inn, Point Pleasant
The Thompson Organization, Doylestown
Tinsman Bros., Inc., Lumberville
William B. Parry & Son, Ltd., Langhorne
Member
Acadia National Mortgage, LLC
Baldi & Jenei, P.C., New Hope
Cramer Bakery, Yardley
DiAntonio’s Catering, Newtown
Dilly’s Corner, Centre Bridge
Ellenoff, Underwood & Norman, Doylestown
T. Foster & Co., Inc., Yardley
Golden Pheasant Inn, Erwinna
The Grundy Commons, Bristol
Havana Restaurant and Bar, New Hope
Hobensack & Keller, Inc., New Hope
Kurfiss/Sotheby’s Realty, New Hope
Leisure Craft, Warrington
Robert C. Lewis Insurance, Inc., New Britain
Mail Boxes Etc., Buckingham
The Mansion Inn, New Hope
Lisa James Otto Country Properties, Inc., Stockton, NJ
John Paton, Inc. Doylestown
Penn Valley Construction, Inc., Morrisville
Pete’s Bike & Fitness Shoppe, Flemington, NJ – New Member
Porches Bed & Breakfast, New Hope
Stephan’s Bridge Street Furniture Gallery, New Hope
The UPS Store, New Hope
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Looking Forward to Summer
Mark Your Calendars
July 12
Visit Art and the River (and Canal) with the Friends
Come for a family-friendly tour of the up-coming Art and the River exhibit at the Michener Art Museum in New Hope and stay for a post-tour gathering at a nearby restaurant. Venture to New Hope (there’s plenty of parking at Union Square), enjoy a docent-led tour of an exhibit of artworks near and dear to the Friends, and socialize afterwards. Take in the town’s Second Saturday activities, too. More details to come.
July 12 and 13
Tinicum Art Festival
Art, crafts, music, and food in abundance at Tinicum Park in Erwinna. Stop by the Friends’ table to chat and get your 25th Anniversary polo shirt, books, and other canal goodies.
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