Endings at the Beginning of 2019

Three projects that have been on the books or in progress throughout 2018 will be complete before the first daffodils start to bloom this spring.

There’s light at the end of the tunnel south of Morrisville. A pedestrian passageway has been drilled through the Conrail embankment. The liner is in place, concrete wing walls on the north and south sides have been poured, and finishing touches are underway. The completion of the passageway, preparations for which started in the fall of 2017, is a relief. The Conrail embankment was one the remaining major trail obstructions along the Canal and the most dangerous. To continue along the towpath, visitors either had to climb up, then down steep, slippery slopes or take a detour path that lay much too close to the active Amtrak and Septa tracks. The new passageway is a very welcome improvement, especially for those who use the towpath to commute to work in good weather.

Cars are already crossing the new bridge over the Canal at Phillips’ Mill. The design of the replacement incorporated faux camelback trusses and can accommodate the needs of the residences that are situated between the Canal and the Delaware River. Bi-State Construction is removing the extensive temporary access road and will paint the trusses traditional barn red when the temperatures allow. All should be done three months ahead of schedule. It will be great to have this section of the towpath back in use, especially since it is part of the PA/NJ Canal Loop system.

Taking advantage of the waterless state of the Canal through this area, the State Park maintenance staff is clearing vegetation that has grown up in the Canal prism and partially blocks water flow. It is anticipated that the Centre Bridge pump will be turned back on in the spring when all the bridge work is done and the clearing accomplished. The electricity to operate the Centre Bridge pump is paid by the community group New Hope for Our Canal working under the non-profit umbrella of the Friends.

The idea of improving the detour route around the Tyburn Road towpath trail obstruction in Falls Township has been simmering ever since the Friends commissioned a plan back in the 1990’s. The proposed route was simple, but the ownership issues were not. An upgrade was not pursued by DCNR, particularly since the old path was, sort of, usable. Then, in 2017, the stars aligned. PennDOT constructed an access for one of its projects that basically matched the route of the proposed towpath detour. The idea of recycling PennDOT’s access into a trail detour took hold, particularly since the Delaware Canal towpath is part of longer trail systems, such as the D&L Trail and the East Coast Greenway. Plans were prepared, and, late this fall, DCNR’s regional maintenance crew grubbed, graded, and laid two layers of stone. The new detour is now usable, but the application of the final layer of fine argillite stone will have to wait until the local quarries reopen in the spring. At the same time, fencing will be erected along the railroad property and a crossing will be marked at the intersection of the towpath and the entrance to Cresent U-Pull-It Auto Parts.

An unexpected ending was the departure of Delaware Canal State Park Manager Josh Swartley at the end of December. Josh has been promoted to the position of Assistant Regional Manager and will be responsible for the parks located centrally within Southeast PA Region 4. DCNR has received applications for the Delaware Canal State Park Manager position from managers at other locations within Pennsylvania. Interviews will take place at the end of January and hopes are that a new manager will be in place by mid-February. In the meantime, Assistant Park Manager Bethany Hare is in charge of the Canal Park. Many thanks to Josh for always endeavoring to improve the Park and make operations run smoothly.

In other news of the continuing sort:

• The final designs for both the Kleinhans Aqueduct replacement and the Tinicum Aqueduct bank and trough repairs have been approved. It is anticipated that the two projects will be put out to bid this spring.
• The initial scoping meetings for the replacement of the Lumberville Aqueduct and the rebuilding of the stone walls at High Falls Creek in Bridgeton Township have taken place.
• The solution of filling sinkholes in the Canal prism with flowable concrete continues to work well. Unfortunately, new sinkholes keep dropping down. In the last 3-4 months, eight sinkholes have been discovered and filled between Bridges 2 and 3 north of Point Pleasant. This section of the Canal has been notoriously problematic over the years.
• The original River House/Odette’s structure has been moved from its original site between the Canal and the River to a triangle of land at the intersection of South Main Street and Riverwoods Drive in New Hope. The move and exterior rehabilitation of the building are being done by Gateway to New Hope, the developer of the four-story hotel and event venue planned for the original Odette’s site. DCNR will then acquire ownership of the building. Plans for its future use are in process.

And, of course, there are many more things going on along the Canal. Thanks to the generosity of those who contributed to the Friends’ year-end appeal, we will be able to deal with the removal of, at least, some of the huge trees that have fallen into the Canal and are too much for the Park staff to handle.

And on we go!

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Whole Again

Marking the individual miles along the 58.9-mile-long Delaware Canal is a service appreciated by State Park visitors and staff alike.  The history of how those miles were marked is long, complicated and reflects the generosity of donors and thousands of hours of work by volunteers.

The latest system of markers – engraved granite stones set flush with the towpath surface – had its birth back in 2002 fathered by Board member Pete Sperry.  Friends’ members willingly contributed the cost of the stones and materials, often to honor friends, relatives, and pets.  Volunteers under the leadership of Pete Sperry began the laborious job of installing the new stones in 2004, the same year that the first of four major Delaware River floods struck.   Naturally, the flood damage drastically slowed down the mile marker project, but the volunteers kept at it, putting in markers in the sections that were unaffected by the floods.   Ironically, the floods didn’t damage the stones as much as the heavy equipment used to repair the Canal did.   Some of the markers were buried and broken.  But the volunteers were undaunted.

This fall the last of the replacement mile markers was installed.   Mile Marker 57 is in the ground, and all of the Canal’s 58.9 miles have their engraved granite markers back.

When you’re out on the towpath, keep your eyes open for them.  #1 is by the Grundy Mill in Bristol;  #58.9 is at the Forks of the Delaware in Easton.

 

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New Canal Tenders!

Where there are more people, there is more trash, so we’re pleased to announce that two heavily used sections of the Canal now have more Canal Tenders.

David Nay has volunteered to tend the section from Bridge Street to East Maple Avenue in Morrisville Borough.

Melissa, Steven, and James Leiby will be caring for the Canal from East Maple Avenue to Ferry Road also in Morrisville Borough.

The New Hope-Solebury High School Environmental Club is covering the stretch from Lock 11 in New Hope Borough to Phillips’ Mill in Solebury Township.

Thank you for helping to make the Canal a better place to visit and to live, if you’re a critter. 

Three sections of the Canal remain without Tenders.

• Bristol Riverfront Park to Beaver Street in Bristol Borough
• Bristol Lagoon Park to Home Depot/Levittown Shopping Center
• Levittown Shopping Center to Wheatsheaf Road

Please let us know if you can fill one of these gaps.   Being a Canal Tender is a rewarding experience in many ways.  To find out more about what’s involved, visit the HELP page at www.fodc.org or call 215-862-2021.

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Stories on the Way

The new three-panel interpretive sign for the Groundhog Lock aka Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area is ready to be installed this spring.  The panels tell the stories of the lost town of Uhlersville, the electric power house, and the impact of the Canal and the trolley line on the area.   Many thanks to Williams Township for making a donation to cover the cost of the sign and to local historians Beth Weaver and Ned Heindel for sharing their knowledge and resources.

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At the Board Table

During our Annual Meeting on November 13, several actions were taken concerning the Friends’ Board of Directors.

Pam Can and Lynn Vogel were honored for their service as Board members. Both were officers – Pam, Vice-President and Lynn, Secretary.   Enthusiastic about fundraising, Pam brainstormed and coordinated many an event and was a Canal Clean-Up Day community organizer. Lynn’s professional experience with the NJ DEP was invaluable, and she and her husband Josh Gradwohl are outstanding Canal Tenders and CAT volunteers.

The membership re-elected Judy Franlin, Joan Fullerton, and David Schaeffer to additional two-year terms.  Elected to their first terms were Nancy Small and Jack Torres.  Jack Donohue was elected to return to the Board after a hiatus.

Here’s a bit about them.

Jack Donohue

Jack and his wife Claire moved to Bucks County thirteen years ago and were fortunate to find a home on the Canal and the River in Lumberville.   They soon started walking and  bike riding on the towpath and, later, began cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.   Early on, Jack bought a used rowboat to paddle on the Canal, but it has mainly sat on its sawhorses awaiting a nice steady flow of water, and it’s still waiting.

Over the years, he has walked the entire length of the Canal and would recommend it to everyone.  All the diversity of Bucks County’s communities and scenery is played out along the waterway.

This will be Jack’s second stint on the Friends’ Board, which he joined about ten years ago, even serving as President for a few years.  Lately, he has been looking for a way to again become involved with the activities along the Canal, and he knows that becoming more active with the Friends is the best way to do that.

Nancy Small

Nancy, and her husband, Roger Keller, and their black lab, Samantha live between the Delaware Canal and the Delaware River in Upper Black Eddy.  Nancy has been a resident of Bridgeton Township for three years, yet has enjoyed the benefits of the Canal and its towpath for over a decade.

Having lived in Vermont for 20 years, Nancy has a good appreciation for the value of outdoor recreation, preservation of natural spaces, and advocating for policies and programs that allow important historic places to be preserved. This “last towpath canal in America capable of being fully-watered and restored” is a prize that she hopes to assist in building and preserving as well.

In retirement, Nancy serves on several boards, is an Auditor and the Majority Inspector for Bridgeton Township, a Master Gardener, and a regular yoga practitioner.  She hopes to put her decades of professional experience in marketing and publishing to use to benefit the Friends through engaging members in fulfilling activities and bringing the benefits of the Canal to an ever wider audience.

Jack Torres

Jack’s earliest memories of the Canal are of family day trips to New Hope to take rides on the mule barge.  After moving to Bucks County, he learned that the Canal was, indeed, more than just an attraction in New Hope.

Jack resides in Erwinna, just above the Canal, and enjoys walking and biking on the towpath in what he considers to be one of the most scenic areas along the waterway’s entire length.  He became involved with the Friends through Canal Clean-Up Days.  Since then, he has served on the Fundraising Committee, as well as the Advocacy, Restoration and Maintenance Committee, and is also a business member of the Friends.

Jack is a Real Estate Agent, licensed in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and enjoys telling his clients about the Canal, the Friends, and all of the many activities that make this area a special place to live.

At its first meeting of the new year the Board of Directors elected its officers.

Brett Webber – President

Laure Duval – Vice-President

Jack Torres – Secretary

Larry Reinfeld – Treasurer

The Board welcomes your questions, input and help!

 

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Welcome, New Friends

Sally and Bruce Blair

Daniel Bornstein

Debra and Kenneth Breslin

Ann Church

Jack Torres, Coldwell Banker Hearthside Realtors – Doylestown

Thora Faigle

Jason Goldstein

David Harper

Michael Hurle

Paula Hynes

George Miller

Rich Laughlin

Pam Murray

John Ramelli

Linda Schneider

Chris Shebest

Steven Shelly

Robert Sherry

Susan Ward-Huerkens

Sandy Weber