The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
ENJOYING STROLLS
Chenango Canal Towpath receives wayfinding, other signage along trail
HAMILTON, N.Y. >> An ongoing project to revitalize the Chenango Canal with signs and other markers was recently completed, bringing visitors a better understanding of the canal and its history as they enjoy their strolls.
The $13,300 project was the result of a partnership between the Hamilton Partnership for Community Development (PCD) and the Chenango Canal Association (CCA). The PCD put in the grantwork to land the funds provided by the CNY Community Foundation, and the CCA provided the much-needed historical context, information, and canal experience, explained Laura Caughlan, economic development specialist for the PCD and Diane Van Slyke,
CCA president.
The initial sign designs were created by the Cornel Design Connect program in 2018, Caughlan said. Once the money for the project was secured, the designs were edited, with the
help of CCA, and finalized. Valley Signs in Clayville was hired to produce and install over 70 signs along the 7 1/2 mile towpath trail and 3 miles of the O&W Railroad Trail, which connects to the towpath. Installation was finished by July 30 after three days of work.
A bobcat (with auger), various tools, and two sideby-side vehicles to carry the workers and equipment were needed, Van Slyke said. Up to three CCA board members accompanied Valley Sign installers in the process, and one CCA board member provided his personal truck, trailer, and side-by-side for all 3 days.
Installation included 15 Wayfinding signs with a map on road and trail intersections; 1 bird identification sign on Woodman Pond; and 44 mile-markers at quarter-mile intervals. Additionally, to enhance the learning experience, 17 History Happened Here signs with QR codes that link to informational audio messages provided by the CCA can be found along the trail. Two large informational signs, one found at the Canal Museum in Bouckville and one at the start (or end) of the trail on Montgomery Street in Hamilton, welcome trail goers onto the historic towpath.
In the course of this process, several CCA members and 16 volunteers from the community walked the entire trail at least three times to measure where each sign would go, Van Slyke shared.
“This is an example of communities working together,” the CCA president remarked. The project involved a strong collective CNY effort from organizations, volunteers, and community members. Added support was provided by Harvey and Debbie Kliman, of Hamilton, who donated a total of $1,500 to the CCA to extend the scope of the signage initiative, when possible. Harvey is the secretary on the CCA board.
“We thought a good portion of this will be needed for more signs,” Van Slyke explained. “We will need at least 21 hiker signs and some arrows, plus identification and history for the O&W Railroad Trail.” The O&W RR Trail links to the Towpath Trail from Woodman Pond Road.
Permits and permissions for the project were obtained from the DEC, NYSDOT, US Army Corps of Engineers, SHPO, Dig Safely, landowners, Village of Hamilton, Village of Hamilton DPW, Town of Hamilton, and the NYS Canal Corporation, Van Slyke said.
“This project is part of our mission of community revitalization. We know that improving quality of life with things like amenities for recreation is really important for people who already live here and is also important to help us attract new jobs and new residents to this region,” Caughlan said.