by Timothy W. Scee II, Newzjunky.com, link to original post
It was a bittersweet moment for Arlene R. Glasier-Smith, of Rodman, while she looked on with her husband, R. Steven, as the Development Authority of the North Country joined community leaders and local representatives Saturday morning to dedicate the same land upon which she was raised as a public nature trail.
In honor of Mrs. Glasier-Smith’s family, which once owned and farmed the land acquired by DANC in 1992 for its solid waste management facility, members of the organization came to the conclusion earlier in the week that its nature trail should adopt the same name-Glasier Trail.
The mile-long trail, located just to the east of the solid waste management facility at 23400 State Route 177, offers views of wildlife, several types of plants and trees and will eventually feature “interpretive signs along the trail to help people understand and appreciate the beauty that is here and originally part of the Glasier farm.”
“Ultimately that property became part of that landfill site and, more importantly, home to this particular trail,” said James W. Wright, executive director of DANC. “We have several generations represented here this morning on property that, for a number of generations, was in the family and therefore we have recognized that.”
The family was presented a resolution from DANC member and Lewis County Legislator Richard C. Lucas, R-Barnes Corners, before joining leaders for a ribbon cutting of the trail located just to the east of the solid waste management facility.
“It’s beautiful,” Mrs. Glasier-Smith said was her first thought as she and her husband walked the trail a week ago for the first time. “I couldn’t believe it when we first started out and I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but wow. The trail itself is not little holes here or little holes there- it’s very well kept.”
Although Mrs. Glasier-Smith said there were never any trees on the property until it was acquired by DANC in the early ’90s, she recalled stories of driving tractors and riding horses with her older brother when the site was formerly a hay field.
“We were all kind of just not really liking the idea,” Mrs. Glasier-Smith said when DANC originally purchased the family property. “We really did, as a family, wanted to stay in the family.”
DANC originally left 11 acres, the family homestead and a portion of road frontage when the property was first purchased. The Glasier home, which no longer exists, stood across the street from the farm’s remaining barn that was destroyed by the 1995 microburst.
“It’s water over the dam,” Mrs. Glasier-Smith said of the matter now resolved between her family and DANC.
Wright said the trail is expected to become lengthened once it is tied in to networks of other trials, including several logging paths he says exists on the property. Eventually the trail will also become wheelchair accessible, according to Wright.
A lean-to is also planned to be built at the trail head as a place for cross-country skiers to prepare and relax.
The trail is located off the parking lot at the entrance to the solid waste facility and is open from sunrise until sunset. Dogs are allowed on the trail, but must be kept on a leash.
