This blog is for June Marie...who left this world on 18-June after a brief battle with cancer. June was an avid cyclist and Katy Trail enthusiast... and a lover of life and her family/ friends, a tough physical challenge, and a good adventure.In the past weeks, I've talked at length with another friend (Jenn) about a fitting tribute to June. Jenn and I went for a ride on the Katy Trail a few weeks back and reminisced for much of the day about our many bike rides with June. June and Jenn rode the whole Katy Trail from West to East over five days in June of 2007. Over the years, I've ridden well over a thousand miles (maybe two!) with June... so a love for biking and for the Trail is something that Jenn and June and I all wholeheartedly shared.
What is the Katy Trail, you ask? The Katy Trail is a 225 mile trail in the Missouri State Parks system which runs from Clinton to St. Charles in the right of way of the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad.
For a nominal annual fee ($100/year), the Missouri State Parks system will allow a mile on the Katy Trail to be named for someone - placing a sign stating such at either end of the mile. Also for a fee ($1,500/permanent), a bench with a plaque can also be placed along the mile. The parks folks use the funds for trail mainenance and staff uniforms.
At this point, we are seeking contributions from anyone interested so that this tribute to June can be realized. We are hoping to raise $1,600.00 to cover the cost of the bench and first year of trail signage. Funds raised in excess of $1600 will be used to fund future years of signage.
We were thinking that the signs on either end of the mile could read "June Marie's Mystical Mile." 'Mystical' really fits June, as one definition of the word is "spiritually symbolic."
For the bench plaque, we thought of something like:
"It's all about the love..."
June Marie
1961 - 2008
It remains to be seen if the Missouri State Park system will approve our wording for the signs and bench, but whatever the case - we'll adapt as necessary.
Mile 254 of the trail is the mile that we hope to adopt - just east of Calhoun Missouri. During a recent reconnaissance ride, Jenn and I really liked this mile because it is treed, moderately shaded, and has a few views through the trees of serene flowered fields...see below.
This section of the trail is away from major roads...and lots of birdsong could be heard... we think June would approve! We plan to request that the bench be placed along the trail such that it takes in a view like the one above. A vew from an adjacent mile is below...
Clinton is the nearest trailhead to Kansas City, and Calhoun the very next one out... so it is easy to reach for anyone who wants to travel to a trailhead to ride June's mile or just 'be' in her 'space' and sit on the bench in her mile. The specific mile that we are interested in is just a mile or so east of the Calhoun trailhead... so it is also very accessible on foot if you're not a cyclist.
If you are interested in contributing to this effort, please email me at donnaronnebaum@yahoo.com and we can work out the logistics... and thank you very much for your consideration. We'd like to be able to place the application/ request by September first, but will do so earlier if sufficient funds are received. And... please visit this blog again, as it is our intention to use it as a tool to communicate progress, and post pics from rides through June's Mystical Mile!
I absolutely love the idea and can't wait to bike June's mile with family and friends.
ReplyDeleteJune would approve!
It's all perfect, the mile, bench location and verbage for both. Count me in for $100 and more if we need it.
ReplyDeleteEd & I are in for at least $100, too... so we're on our way!!! : )
ReplyDeleteIt is perfect. Biking, sitting on the bench drinking a cold beer, reminiscing. I'm absolutely positive June will be right there with us.
ReplyDeleteI can do 50.00 for now and do more later.I think this is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteJune and I rode the whole trail about four or five years ago we had so much fun
all she talked about for weeks after the ride was how beautiful it was and that it was the best vacation she ever had.so a section of trail and a bench in memory of June would make her smile.
THANKS, Joel!!! Stay tuned for a fall day trip. Please plan to ride with us. BTW, I KNOW how much June enjoyed that ride with you. She did talk about it for a loooong time and said that it was her best vacation ever. : )
ReplyDeleteI echo Donna's comments. I remember that was the first time she rode the trail and she did talk about how much fun the two of you had for a long time afterwards!!
ReplyDeleteThat's my memory of June and the Katy Trail...after her vacation with Joel she kept telling us how wonderful it was.
ReplyDeleteShe encouraged John and me to consider riding the whole trail with her some day. And I kept asking her when the Katy folks were going to plan a fall ride!!!
And she loved her trip with Jenn! There were so many good memories for June. :)