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On Saturday, October 18, the Friends held a
Climb the Mountain with
Jon
event to aid Jon Ruggles, our founding President, who is
undergoing radiation and chemotherapy for tongue cancer.
Several hundred people participated in some fashion and
over $3700 was donated to help Jon with his mounting
medical bills. The billboard on the Best Western Wallace Inn
summarized the event.
Further cash donations may be made to the Jon Ruggles
Medical Fund, Bank of America, Osburn, ID 83849.
Since then, Jon has recovered enough to attend our
executive December meeting and to work full speed ahead
on a grant to improve the
multiple use trail from Shoshone Park
to Lookout Pass that was
featured in the benefit event!
His letter to
the local press on December 10, 2003, summarizes what
the Friends of the Coeur d'Alene
Trails hopes to accomplish with this grant.
The Trail of the
Coeur d'Alenes is mostly free of snow in the Lower
Basin; bike with care and remember to carry water and your
camera. The Trail between
Wallace and Mullan, on the other hand, is nicely snow
covered and ideal for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing,
AND snowmobiling. This is a unique Rails-to-Trails in that
snowmobiling is allowed on this section (only!) because
both towns permit snowmobiles on their streets and there
is no other way for a snowmobile to travel between them.
So be careful.
Alas, the painting of the Chatcolet Bridge over Lake
Coeur d'Alene is still not done, so it is still closed.
We will keep you posted on this final task to be completed.
The Grand Opening celebration is currently scheduled for
June 5, 2004.
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