New on-line guide to multi-use trails in NYS

Visit TrailFinder at www.ptny.org/trailfinder

Parks & Trails New York has launched a new on-line guide to multi-use trails in New York State, just in time for the best outdoor season of the year--fall. Called TrailFinder, the site focuses on trails and greenways that allow multiple uses—such as walking, bicycling, in-line skating, cross-country skiing and, in some cases, horseback riding and snowmobiling.

TrailFinder includes 11 trails, totaling more than 1200 miles.
Visitors will be able to plan their trail adventures in just a few minutes at the computer – with key information at their fingertips.

Visitors to TrailFinder can search for trails in several ways. They can select a trail from a drop-down menu, query by trail attributes such as length, surface, allowable uses, and distance from a particular location, or browse the interactive map. Trailhead parking areas are included, as are directions and nearby bike shops and other amenities such as bicycle-friendly bed & breakfasts.

Parks & Trails New York developed TrailFinder to make people more aware of the vast resource of multi-use trails and greenways in New York and to make it easier for people to enjoy them.

Parks & Trails New York Executive Director Robin Dropkin hopes that TrailFinder will build support for the vital and growing trail movement in New York. She also hopes the new website will spur more communities to develop trails and encourage bicycle tourism, which will foster the protection and re-use of abandoned transportation corridors throughout the state.

“I think people will be amazed at the extent of the multi-use trail system in New York. The potential for creating one of the best statewide multi-use trail networks is fantastic,” says Dropkin. “With NewYork’s abundance of abandoned railroads, historic canals, and scenic rivers, it’s possible to create a dynamic system of multi-use trails serving communities in every corner of the state, with major statewide trail systems—such as the Erie Canalway Trail, Genesee Valley Greenway, and Hudson River Valley Greenway—as the backbone of the network.”

Trails a boon to local economies
Trails and greenways provide a wide range of benefits to communities. They make it easier for people to keep fit and have fun by providing close-to-home recreational opportunities. They provide safe places to walk or bike to work, school, or local shops. They also protect open space, attract tourists and add to the quality of life.

“Trail use is part of the new economy of New York tourism, especially upstate,” says Dropkin. “A major National Park Service study of three multi-use trails around the country found that trail use pumped between $1.2 and $1.9 million annually into the economies of nearby communities.”

Bicycle-friendly B&B’s and accessibility information featured
Featured in the TrailFinder site are convenient bed & breakfasts and inns that cater to the needs of cyclists. All are members of the Empire State Bed and Breakfast Association (ESBBA) that have pledged to offer bicycle-friendly amenities, including covered and locked bicycle storage, tools for minor bike repairs, no-smoking rooms, and healthy and filling breakfasts.

Accessibility information is available for some trails so that before ever reaching the trailhead, visitors will have the data to decide whether a trail is right for them. While especially useful for persons with disabilities, older adults and parents with young children may find this information helpful, too.

Parks & Trails New York is a statewide not-for-profit organization working to create a network of parks, trails and open space across the state for all to use and enjoy.

Women Determined to Vote in 1871

Image via WikipediaN.Y. Suffragists Took the 14th to Polling Booths in 1871

By Louise Bernikow
WeNews historian

Nov. 7, 1871: New York women, determined to vote, confront election officials.

(WOMENSENEWS)--Victoria Woodhull and her sister, Tennie Clafin, truly maverick spiritualists, stockbrokers, publishers and political activists, always commanded public attention. When they called the press to their apartment on Election Day, 1871, reporters responded and listened as the sisters and 10 other women announced that they were about to become the first women to vote in the city of New York.

"Unterrified, indomitable," one reporter wrote, "each determined female unsheathed her parasol and swore to vote."

At the crowded polling place, the inspectors refused the women's ballots. Woodhull demanded to know if it was "a crime to be a woman" and began reading aloud from the 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution, to no avail. The group left to begin work on a lawsuit that they hoped would become a test case against the government for preventing legitimate citizens from casting ballots.

The action was neither spontaneous, nor unique to the flamboyant Woodhull. Confronting election officials was part of a new national strategy. Since the first convention for women's rights in 1848, an organized and growing movement had tried petitions and speeches, legal arguments, lobbying and withholding tax revenues, without success.

Now they leaped on the language of the post-Civil War constitutional amendments, particularly these words from the 14th Amendment, adopted in 1868: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States, and of the State wherein they reside." The new tactic was to announce that women were citizens and already entitled to the vote.

In April 1871, women in Washington, D.C., including Belva Lockwood--the first female attorney to argue before the Supreme Court and, in 1884, a candidate for the presidency herself--had attempted to register and tried to cast ballots. After being barred, they filed cases at the District of Columbia Supreme Court against the Board of Registration and the election judges. While Woodhull was marching to the New York City polls, Matilda Joslyn Gage was confronting local registrars in upstate New York.

And in Rochester, N.Y., Susan B. Anthony was organizing for another assault, which would take place a year later. In 1872, while Victoria Woodhull was audaciously campaigning for the office of president, Anthony also read out the words of the 14th Amendment at her local polling place. She and 14 other women were rejected, but Anthony would stand trial for trying to vote. Hers would become, while not exactly the test case the women with Woodhull and Lockwood hoped for, a media and legal spectacle that brought women's citizenship claims even more intensely to the nation's attention.

Louise Bernikow is the author of seven books and numerous magazine articles. She travels to campuses and community groups with a lecture and slide show about activism called "The Shoulders We Stand On: Women as Agents of Change." She can be reached at louise@womensenews.org.

Women's eNews welcomes your comments. E-mail us at editors@womensenews.org.
(Used with Fair Use from the web).

So it's finally time to VOTE

Here's some information we hope you won't need tomorrow when you vote.

Know Your Rights
If you are an eligible voter, you have the following rights:

• If your name is not on the official voter list but you believe you are eligible to vote in that precinct, even if an election official challenges your vote, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot.
• If you are in line when the polls close, you are entitled to vote no matter how long it takes to get to the booth.
• In many states, employers must allow you time to vote at some point during the day. You can't be fired for being late due to long polling lines. Check your personnel policies with your employer.
• You have the right to vote without being intimidated by anyone.
• Visit the Election Protection website at 866OurVote.org for more information on your rights.

What if Something Goes Wrong?

First, document it. If there are specific individuals challenging your right to vote, intimidating voters, or interfering with the process, try to get their names. Write down exactly what happened, including the time of day, descriptions of the people involved, and any other details you can remember. A cell phone camera could be very useful in this process, if you have one.

Then, report it. There are many organizations that will be working to respond quickly to complaints of voter intimidation, suppression, and fraud. Here's who to call.

• 1-866-OUR-VOTE. This hotline has been set up by the nonpartisan Election Protection coalition to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process. They have hundreds of lawyers standing by to immediately respond to problems at the polls. Call as soon as possible after you encounter problems.
• Share your experiences with others and ensure that the media and watchdog groups are aware of any problems by using the citizen-driven election monitoring platform Twitter Vote Report.
• Voters who believe they have been the victim of racial discrimination in voting should contact the U.S. Department of Justice at 1-800-253-3931 in addition to the 866-OUR-VOTE number.

Bambino Baseball Start-Up -- Spread the Word

Looking for mentally and physically challenged children who live in Ulster or Orange County to participate in the All-American sport of baseball by being a part of the Bambino Buddy Ball Division of Marlboro’s Babe Ruth League!

The Bambino Buddy Ball Division offers mentally and physically challenged boys and girls, ages 5 through 21, the opportunity to participate in an organized game of baseball. This program helps children enjoy the full benefits of participating in an athletic environment structured to their abilities.

The Bambino Buddy Ball Division employs the use of "buddies". The buddies assist the players on the field and, whenever possible, encourage the players to bat and make plays themselves. A buddy can be any age.

For a Bambino Buddy Ball Division to exist, there must be 30 or more players.

The division will be based out of Marlboro and open to Ulster and Orange County residents. If you know someone who might be interested in this program, please have them contact Heather Troncillito by March 21, 2008 . With enough interest, she will hold an informational meeting about this wonderful program.

Let Them Play Ball!!!

Photo by B Tal