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Connections: Spring 1999

TRAIL BETWEEN TALENT AND ASHLAND DEDICATED!

Speakers at the dedication of the new Ashland segment of the Bear Creek Greenway trail on April 25, 1999. From left to right are: Susan Reid, Ashland City Council and chair of the Bear Creek Greenway Committee; JoAnne Eggers, Chair of the Ashland Parks Commission; Cathy Shaw, Mayor of Ashland; Sue Kupillas, Jackson County Commissioner; Ric Holt, Chair of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners; and Lee Mills, President, Bear Creek Greenway Foundation. [Photo by Don McCoy]

At the dedication ceremony with 75 people attending, Sue Kupillas read Governor Kitzhaber's proclamation of Bear Creek Greenway Day in Oregon and a letter of congratulations from Ashland Rep.Judy Uherbelau.

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

1999 has started off to be a good year. In April , we, along with many members of the community and city and county officials formally dedicated the new Ashland section of the Greenway trail. Also, Governor John A. Kitzhaber formally proclaimed April 25, 1999 to be Bear Creek Greenway Day.

We also dedicated a section of the Talent trail in memory of Isabel Sickels and a memorial plaque notes that section is named for her. We will miss her enthusiasm and generosity for the greenway. We capped off a busy April 25th with the second annual Greenway Gala benefit for the Bear Creek Greenway Foundation, which helped raise almost $8,400.

The next section of the Greenway trail from South Stage Road has been approved for federal construction funding by staff and the regional Rogue Valley Area Commission on Transportation. Final approval by the Oregon Transportation Commission is expected this fall. The Greenway Foundation is committed to raising $122,000 of the required matching funds to allow construction in 2001.

The Greenway Foundation is also pushing to "bridge the gap" on the entire six miles from Medford to Talent. The foundation hired OBEC consulting engineers to do aerial photography (flown in April) and mapping on this six mile stretch of Bear Creek to give a head start to final design.

Al Densmore and other board members work on toward a funding solution that will achieve our goal to have the entire 18 miles of trail from Central Point to Ashland completed. The momentum is building to bridge the gap. With your continuing support we will do just that. Thank you.
Lee Mills, President, Bear Creek Greenway Foundation

ISABEL SICKELS HONORED WITH MEMORIAL ON TALENT TRAIL

After the ribbon cutting in Ashland, the crowd moved (mostly by bicycle) to the large pond south of Lynn Newbry Park. Isabel Sickels daughter, Cory, from New York City and son, Ned, from Ashland gathered with friends to name the Talent area of the Greenway in Isabel's memory. Commissioner Sue Kupillas acted as moderator for the event and read a Board of Commissioners order recognizing Isabel as the first woman elected to serve as a County Commissioner as well as her contributions to the Library system, Historical Society, and Greenway program. Former County Commissioners Jon Deason and Marjorie O'Harra joined SOU Professor Emeritus Frank Lang, and Al Densmore in remembering Isabel.

Jon Deason, Lee Mills, Karen Smith and Al Densmore on April 25th stand by the plaque which says:

"This section of trail is dedicated to the memory of Isabel Sickels, champion of the Bear Creek Greenway and avid birdwatcher, who cared deeply about preserving wildlife habitat." [Photo by Don McCoy]

SECOND GREENWAY GALA HELPS US RAISE $8,400 FOR TRAIL!

The final event of the day on April 25th was the Greenway Gala, a dinner/dance at the Rogue Valley Country Club attended by 160 people. Joanie McGowan's three dimensional model of the Greenway on the silent auction table was whimsical and fun. Representatives of each community along Bear Creek stood to say a few words about the Greenway and a good summary of the messages is "Let's finish the Greenway soon!" Central Point Mayor Bill Walton, Medford Parks Commissioner Molly Kerr, Phoenix Council member Pat Burton, Talent Mayor Marian Telerski, and Ashland Council member Susan Reid each stepped to the podium to rally the crowd for the greenway.

Talent Police Chief C. W. Smith auctioned four donated items (including Lucy Warnick's beautiful oil painting and a 5 night condo stay near Bend). He had the crowd in stitches and secured more than $4,300 for the Greenway. A total of $8,400 was raised during the course of the evening! Dancing to Leslie Kendall's Band with swing music from the 1940s capped off the night. Mark your calendars now. The next Greenway Gala is on Saturday, May 6, 2000.

$170,000 IS OUR NEXT FUNDRAISING GOAL

The next round of federal TEA 21 (Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century) funding looks very good to construct two miles of trail from Barnett to So. Stage Road in 2001. The Oregon Transportation Commission will adopt the State Transportation Improvement Plan, which includes the greenway trail in the fall. In the meantime, the Bear Creek Greenway Foundation is working to raise matching funds, and as of May 20 we had $52,500 in hand toward our goal of $170,000.

The Greenway Foundation has hired OBEC Consulting Engineers to create detailed a aerial survey of the Greenway between Barnett Road in Medford and Suncrest Road in Talent. The mapping project costs $30,000, and the results can save us from six months to a year in our efforts to close the 6.25 mile gap in the trail. The mapping will save more money through more precise costing and by building trail one year sooner.

The Foundation's 1999 fundraising goal of $170,000 includes $30,000 for aerial mapping services, $122,000 for federal fund match, and $18,000 for fundraising and recognition expenses creates Any contribution you can make will be appreciated!

Costs and funding sources for the
Barnett to South Stage Road segment
of the Bear Creek Greenway trail extension:

Federal TEA 21 Funds Transportation Enhancement Congestion Mitigation City of Medford Greenway Foundation (6.26%) Total cost estimate

$    700,000 1,025,000 100,000    122,000 $ 1,947,000

SEVERAL WAYS TO HELP

Most of us write a check when we make a gift to the greenway, although some pay cash and others use a credit card to earn frequent flyer miles. Two of the largest gifts to the greenway last year were a gift of a trust deed on real property and a gift of stock. If you have appreciated property (securities or an interest in real estate), you might consider giving that property rather than cash to the Bear Creek Greenway Foundation.

When a donor makes a gift of the property, he or she is allowed a tax deduction for the present fair market value. The valuation of the property is the responsibility of the donor. The gift property can be either used or sold by the charity as soon as transferred in order to realize cash for the organization's needs. For your situation, please consult with your tax advisor. If such a gift to the Greenway makes sense call Lee Mills at 772-7123 or Joan Enloe at 772-5687.
After "Planned Giving: Getting the Proper Start," by The Fund Raising School, 1996.

GREENWAY ENDOWMENT AT OCF

With a portion of a gift of stock from Isabel Sickels, the Bear Creek Greenway Foundation Board established an endowment fund with the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF). OCF manages endowments for over 40 non-profit organizations around the state in addition to the many donor funds from which grants are dispersed. Our endowment balance was $12,782 as of May 20, 1999. Because we have established this endowment with OCF, greenway supporters have the option to participate in OCF's Pooled Income Fund. For more information call Lee Mills at 772-7123.

As our Capital Campaign enters its next phase think of helping the current goal and long term future of the Bear Creek Greenway. Many planned gifts can be combined with an immediate gift (or one can make an gift from tax savings. Thank you for considering the Bear Creek Greenway in your giving plans.

BEAR CREEK GREENWAY FOUNDATION BOARD

• Lee Mills, Pres.
• Joan Enloe, Treas.
• Al Densmore, VP
• Joy Olson
• Eileen Adee
• Mike Freeman
• Jackie Baker, Sec.
• Lenda Eek
• Loren Sawyer
• Mark Chinn
• Richard Ripper
• Jeannie Matthews
• Tom Foster
• Robert Maclellan
• Wes Reynolds

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