Schunnemunk Rail Trail & New County Chester/Blooming Grove Park Steps Forward -Groundwork, Layout Plan, Art

Pieces of Art, Pieces of History

Art by Dan Angeli

"The New Schunnemunk Rail Trail Meets the Moodna Trestle"

By Edie Johnson

While it may take a year or two for the new Schunnemunk Rail Trail NE to display its full future potential, at least FIVE significant steps during August are giving it some exciting feelings of reality, all the way from the Chester/Blooming Grove starting point at what will be a broad and multipurpose Park at the former Camp LaGuardia.

First, during August Orange County DPW and Parks cleaned up all of the property and building frontage grounds along Greycourt Rd. as well as the fields along its side to the West. It required several rounds of tree cutting and trimming and mowing since the land has left dormant in recent years.

The entrance to the LaGuardia site has been spiffed up along with access to the Trails Parking Lot. Greycourt Road, the main road from Blooming Grove to Chester, has also just received road repairs and all new paving by the Blooming Grove Highway Department.

Now it has a clear look of "Something's happening here and it looks good". Next, County Executive Steve Neuhaus announced just last week that the County's Parks Department has been allocated $600,000 for an engineering and design study for how the entire 258 acres will look. Thirdly, CE Neuhaus said that he would like to see a portion of the 258 acres reserved for agricultural farming. A portion of that property has been classified as an extant portion of famed historic Black Dirt Land, the major portion of which is in the Pine Island area called "The Drowned Lands", which are said to have been formed by glacial movement centuries ago. Part of the former LaGuardia property, along with the nearby Chester Agriculture Center, located in the deep Chester Valley, have that same quality of Black Dirt that brought water and rich mineral resources (perfect for healthy organically grown foods) into some of the best growing land in the world. This special farm-rich land has created to two of the most historic and popular agriculture farms in the region, "Pine Hill Farm" and Roe's Orchards". With today's emphasis on feeding healthy and organic "You are what you eat", a further expansion at the new County Park, coordinated with the Chester Agriculture Center (which leases acreage to a number of small farmers and has become surrounded by some fun Tourism stops like Rushing Duck Brewery, the Chester Band Pavilion Swedish cafe "Valkyrie" (they have Krumkaker), "Meadow Blues", and other shops along the Village of Chester Main Street), might help give Tourism activities at the new (yet unnamed) County Park a boost. CE Neuhaus is just finishing one of his special (and incredibly well filmed) Neucast videos that will include more details about the County Park Plan. Might it include a name? Stay tuned.

Neuhaus, interviewed by Mid-Hudson News last week about the engineering study said, "“Camp LaGuardia has been part of Orange County’s story for generations, and it’s time we give this property a new chapter that promotes activity, recreation, and opportunity,” Neuhaus said. “This investment in design and engineering is a giant step forward. This park will rival any in the region, connect our rail trail network, and stand as a symbol of progress and pride for Orange County.”

Meanwhile, a few miles North in Washingtonville, THREE new venues hope to help entertain new groups of tourists and hikers soon. ONE- Amada's Kitchen at Fulton Square is located exactly at the SRT Trailhead Intersection with Route 208 and is already very busy with dining, and events. Behind the large restaurant and bar there is a paved area where they hope to have outdoor dining and events, (alongside the Trail) and serve the likely hungry hikers. TWO- Just 2 weeks ago, Freitas Group met with the Washingtonville Planning Board about their lease of the 1/3 right section of the shops across from Veterans Square. This is a mere stone's throw from Sewell Park and Washingtonville High School, which is the other main Schunnemunk Trailhead (and has unlimited parking between the HS Parking Lot and Veterans Square Parking lot). Washingtonville has been waiting for years to get FEMA approval to hold events at Sewell Park. The holdup has been an engineering study with an ok to place a medium sized bandstand in the Park. A required Certified Boundary Surveying Services survey of the Park was just approved. This will help fulfill the Village goal to encourage tourism walkability so that visitors find it easy to do some shopping while there. THREE- Just behind the shops along McLoughlin Square, space has been developed for a roofing company. In the former Spears Cycle Shop which has an enormous indoor space. They are developing it for their Firehouse Roofing NY Company. The completed indoor design is already spectacular, and when finished they will be offering it for Community Events.

Firehouse Roofing's Grand Opening this past month. While they are a roofing company they will eventually also be offering space for large indoor/outdoor Washingtonville events as well.

Washingtonville has become known for its Event Season's incredible offerings, frequently bringing 5,000 to 8,000 visitors and receiving regional awards. But what you do when a large event is planned and it rains. And what about all of the large events they would love to hold indoors when it's 25 degrees and people need a place to warm up, or 90 degrees and 100 people need a place to cool down. Problem solved!

Now for what is personally the most exciting progress of all. We all know that the most exciting and iconic place in our area is the Moodna Trestle and its Valley (Yes, I'm biased about that"). My personal goal as editor and longtime resident of Blooming Grove, and Cornwall, is to promote our important historic and art communities. This is the kickoff of design for my new website about the Schunnemunk Rail Trail, the art, history and hiking in the communities along the Trail, and the very lucky visitors who come to enjoy it with us. Look for an announcement of the new website being active next month.

I have long thought that the view of the Moodna Trestle may have gotten into my genes, since it was the first significant "site" I saw when I was only 2 weeks old, and came up from the Bay Ridge, Brooklyn house my grandfather built to the Johnson Summer house in Cornwall. And so, the dream of being able to share the magnificant art and history with neighbors and visitors to our Valley is happening right now. An incredible Cornwall Landscape Artist just shared what as far as I know is the FIRST set of artistic renderings of the Moodna Trestle and Valley INCLUDING the new section of the SRT right beneath it. It brought tears to my eyes, and a feeling of "The dream is true". I could not be more impressed by Dan Angeli's art. Beyond its technical quality it adds a childlike innocence to our favorite historic view, and yet the splashes of color give a soft modernistic twist. I expect to help promote his art in venues this Fall, including the Washingtonville Artisan Fair.

Dan Angeli at Work in his Studio

Mineeral Springs

Dan Angeli, hiking the Valley