West Virginia Northern Rail-Trail Updates
 On October 17th we held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Kingwood Section of the WV Northern Rail-Trail, which stretches from Kingwood to Tunnelton. It was a wonderful ceremony with state and local support from County Commissioners Don Smith, Dave Price, State Senator Dave Sypolt, and letters of congratulations read aloud from Senators Manchin and Capito and Governor Justice. We also enjoyed some lovely music and a celebratory walk along the trail! The first 2 miles on the Kingwood end have been constructed and efforts are underway to construct the remaining 8 miles. The construction project was funded by a Transportation Alternatives Program grant and completed by Stone Paving Inc. This project has been over 15 years in the making, and the current developments are due to the hard work and dedication of many.
A huge thank you to this year to our Trail Crew volunteers and Jay Sowers of the Sheriff's Department, who have helped us immensely with cleaning up sections along the trail to make it more accessible for all. Also, a shout out to the WVDEP for contributing approximately $82,000 to PCPaRC this year through removal of the old railroad ties on the Tunnelton end of the WV Northern Rail-Trail. Thank you to Kelly Cook, Dennis Stottlemyer, and Jay Sowers for their involvement in the railroad tie removal effort. And thanks to Robert (Jay Bob) Maxwell, we placed four beautiful, hand-crafted benches at some special spots along the trail. We are excited with how the trail is progressing, and hope you all can check it out soon!
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Fall Recreation Raffle
 
PCPaRC is happy to announce the first of many recreation-based raffles! This fall package includes a Carbon Express Cover Tyrant Crossbow Kit and a 2-ngiht stay at Alpine Lake Resort with a value of $700! The winner will get to schedule their stay at Alpine Lake and will have access to the resort amenities, which include an indoor pool, hiking and biking trails, boating, fishing, and more! Tickets are only $25 and each ticket has four chances to win. The winner will be drawn using WV Daily 3 once all tickets are sold. Winner need not be present to win. Tickets will be sold at local businesses throughout Preston County.
Tickets have been ordered, please check our website on where to purchase them. Thank you to supporting Preston County businesses Alpine Lake Resort and Street's Store in Masontown. |
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New programming in Preston County!
 
Many of you joined us for our new programming, Wellness in the Park and Preston Rambles, making them huge successes! In Bruceton Mills and Masontown, Preston County residents were able to attend high-quality fitness classes (yoga, REFIT, HIIT, and strength & conditioning!) taught by local fitness instructors. This was the first year we've done this program, and we're working on expanding it and bringing it to new Preston towns next spring! Our Preston Rambles program is a monthly event at a recreation site in Preston County. This year, we visited Cannon Hill Park in Rowlesburg and participated in the Run for It race along the WVNRT. Check out Facebook and our website for updates and scheduling for next year, and thank you to everyone that participated in these programs!
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Job Opportunity with PCPaRC
 We're offering a year-long opportunity to gain experience as a trail crew leader and program coordinator. This position, as our Recreation Engagement Coordinator, will work to develop the WVNRT Trail Crew, our Wellness in the Park outdoor health and fitness series, and a week-long summer camp. This position is part of Stewards Individual Placements Program with AmeriCorps VISTA. For details, email prestoncountyparks@gmail.com.
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Masontown Trailhead Park Improvements
 
We had a successful work day in May making some improvements to the Masontown Trailhead Park! Volunteers and PCPaRC Commissioners replaced the boards and painted the bridge, installed a new picnic table in the shelter, built raised planter beds, and built an information kiosk. Thank you to everyone that helped out, and we hoped you enjoyed these new features over the summer!
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Tucker Community Foundation Run For IT
 A big thank you to everyone that ran, walked, or donated as part of the PCPaRC team for the annual Run For It event. We raised $655, and we're still waiting for news about the team results! We could not have done it without you all, and it was great to get out and enjoy the recently constructed section of the WV Northern Rail Trail. Run For It is a yearly fundraiser sponsored by the Tucker County Community Foundation.
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Reedsville Trail Connector Completed
A trail town amenity totem sign was installed on the Deckers Creek Rail-Trail in July, completing the Reedsville Trail Connector. This connects the rail-trail to the Reedsville Town Park and downtown businesses. The Deckers Creek Trail was also recently resurfaced. Thank you Mon River Trails Conservancy and all the supporters for these wonderful improvements to the Deckers Creek Trail!
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Preston County Master Trail Plan Released
Friends of The Cheat, alongside partners Downstream Strategies and Preston County Parks & Recreation Commission (PCPaRC), released the first comprehensive trail plan for Preston County. This plan is the first in a planned series of county-level plans for the Mountaineer Trail Network (MTN). Created by legislative action in 2018, the Mountaineer Trail Network encompasses a 15-county region across northern West Virginia. The goal is to help leaders, trail advocates, and Mountaineer Trail Network representatives in Preston County guide local trail development in a way that maximizes economic and community benefit. Based on this goal the plan was guided by the following objectives:
- Define what the Mountaineer Trail Network is, how it will function, and what it means for Preston County and northern West Virginia
- Quantify the economic potential for trail-based tourism development in our region
- Assess the existing trail and tourism assets within Preston County and recommend areas for targeted improvement
- Showcase potential trail routes and viable market opportunities to boost trail-based tourism
- Highlight steps for implementing trail projects and transforming Preston County, and the MTN, into a premier regional destination
PCPaRC contributed, and will continue efforts, towards county recreation tourism workforce development and community outreach in preparation for the MTN. For more information on recreation tourism career opportunities, visit https://www.pcparc.org/career-opportunities.html.
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 Try This WV Grant Awarded to PCPaRC
Try This WV in conjunction with WV’s Bureau for Public Health awarded PCPaRC with a $9,000 grant towards a 5K Fitness Trail on the WV Northern Rail-Trail. Construction is anticipated to begin next spring, so stay tuned for updates on this exciting project!
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