Karl Stirner Arts Trail Gets a Spring Cleaning



Volunteers from the College Hill Neighborhood Association, from left to right,
Josh Rae, Liz and Jerry Nissen, Nancy Amacker, and Jim and Christina Helms.
Photo by Becky Bradley

About 40 concerned citizens came together to give some TLC to the Karl Stirner Arts Trail Saturday morning.

Included in the mix were Friends of the Karl Stirner Arts Trail, members of the College Hill Neighborhood Association, members of the Delta Upsilon fraternity at Lafayette College, representatives from the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership, and even whole families who just enjoy the bit of nature the trail offers in the midst of the City of Easton.



Two volunteers prepare tree protectors for the many young
saplings along the Karl Stirner Arts Trail during the clean up
event on Saturday morning.
Photo by Brian Gish.



 

The second annual spring clean up event was sponsored by the city's planning department, whose staff also got their hands dirty to beautify the trail which included adding tree protection to saplings, picking up trash, and generally sprucing things up for the many residents and visitors who regularly stroll, hike, bike, and fish along the path that skirts the Bushkill Creek.



West Ward resident Jim Bloom, Chief City Planner
(and Downtown resident) Brian Gish, and Charles Elliot,
a Downtown business owner, College Hill resident
 and chairman of the Easton Planning Commission,
take a moment to admire the results of their labor.
Photo by Becky Bradley.




One young volunteer noted that while the event was planned and organized by adults, kids such as himself make a serious contribution that shouldn't be underestimated.

"Kids are more efficient than adults because adults just watch the news and drink beer," he reportedly told Chief City Planner Brian Gish.


  

Volunteers Owen Amacker, 8, Georgina Amacker, 5, and
Bianca Sessegilo, 11, take a brief break from their trail clean
up efforts Saturday morning.
Photo by Becky Bradley.



And, while the Karl Stirner Arts Trail has been open for nearly two years and even includes a dog park for the city's canine residents and their humans to enjoy, there are still more improvements that have been recently completed and coming in the near future.

The public is invited to a celebration of the trail's new Grace Gate this Tuesday, April 23, at 2 p.m.

The gate was designed and executed by renowned sculptor Willie Cole.

Parking will be available at the Lafayette College parking lot at the corner of North Third Street and Snyder Street, with shuttle service to the event site.

In case of rain, check www.easton-pa.gov for details on an alternate location for the celebration.

For those that missed the event and wish to contribute to city beautification, there is a citywide clean up event planned for next weekend, on Saturday, April 27.