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Proclamation recognizing and thanking John Paulik and Linda McKenna Boxx of the Allegheny Trail Alliance for their efforts to complete the Great Allegheny Passage.
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WHEREAS, the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) is a 150-mile trail which passes through Allegheny, Westmoreland, Fayette and Somerset counties and connects with the 184-mile C&O Canal Towpath in Cumberland, Maryland, to create a 335-mile connection between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C; and
WHEREAS, the Great Allegheny Passage took 35 years and $80 million to complete, with the last 9 miles costing more than $13 million and 6 years to complete; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Linda McKenna Boxx, past president and now secretary of the Allegheny Trail Alliance (ATA), along with the organization’s project manager, Jack Paulik, were instrumental in the design and completion of the Great Allegheny Passage. The completion enables bicyclists and walkers to travel between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.; and
WHEREAS, on June 8, 2013, Ms. Boxx and Mr. Paulik along with other trail enthusiasts left Washington, D.C. and biked the C&O Canal and then along the now-completed link to Pittsburgh. On June 15, 2013, Ms. Boxx and Mr. Paulik celebrated with a “Point Made!” ceremony at Sandcastle Waterpark in West Homestead before pedaling 6.5 miles to Point State Park for a dedication of the Western Terminus Marker of the trail; and
WHEREAS, the towns along the trail are expected to reap the economic benefits of trail-based tourism and recreation as part of a larger, coordinated approach to regional economic development;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Allegheny County Council, jointly with Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, does hereby thank and commend Ms. Linda McKenna Boxx and Mr. Jack Paulik for their years of dedication and work to complete the Great Allegheny Passage. Through your efforts, you have demonstrated a love for the community, serving as an inspiration to the residents of Allegheny ...
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