Grove Road Trail, Ypsilanti Township

We are excited to announce the official opening of the Ypsilanti Grove Road segment of the B2B Trail!  This half mile stretch of trail connects to Rawsonville Elementary, giving local children a safe path to walk to school. This trail segment also brings the B2B closer to reaching the border of Washtenaw and Wayne counties, with the long term goal of connecting to the scenic Lower Huron Metropark trail.

The Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, October 8th, to celebrate the occasion. The ceremony will take place on the grounds of Rawsonville Elementary School, adjacent to the trail. Families and neighbors are encouraged to attend! We will have B2B Trail giveaways and updates on future trail construction.

Chelsea-Stockbridge Phase 2 Groundbreaking

On Thursday, August 8, HWPI held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction of phase 2 of the Chelsea-Stockbridge connection of the #B2BTrail! Partners and major supporters from the community gathered to mark the occasion.

Two exciting elements have been added to this section of the trail. The first is a new B2B trailhead located at the intersection of North Territorial Road and M52, adjacent to the Lyndon Township hall. Parking, shelter, bathrooms and other amenities will be available. The second feature is a tunnel crossing of M52 to replace a planned at-grade crossing. The tunnel will connect the Waterloo and Pinckney Recreation Areas and will serve as a major safety improvement for the trail. Construction is expected to be completed and open to the public in 2020.

Dexter-Chelsea Trail Segment Ribbon Cutting

HWPI and WPARC are excited to announce the official opening of the first Dexter-Chelsea Road segment of the B2B Trail! This stretch of trail boasts a beautiful bridge over Mill Creek, stunning stretches of Michigan fields and a connection to the Chelsea Ridge neighborhood. We would like to extend a huge thank you to our partners and the hundreds of donors that have made this possible.

We will be hosting a trail opening event at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, August 27th, to celebrate the completion of the 2.1 mile segment beginning at Freer Road and extending to Lima Center Road. We will distribute Iron Belle Trail bike lights to the first 50 attendees and refreshments will be available for the celebration. The ceremony will take place on the Freer Road end of the trail by the Oak Grove East Cemetery. Parking will be available in the lot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 1330 N. Freer Road. Families and neighbors are encouraged to attend. Visit our Facebook event page for more details.

HWPI Volunteer Spotlight: Marsha Mumm

Marsha Mumm

We are pleased to introduce HWPI’s Volunteer of the Month, Marsha Mumm! Marsha just retired this month from 32 wonderful and fulfilling years at Greenhills School in Ann Arbor where she was a PE/Health Teacher and coach. Congratulations Marsha!

She is also a professional musician, plays guitar and sings under the stage name of Marsha Gayle (http://www.marshagayle.net/). You might find her performing several nights per week in the area at clubs and restaurants such as the Aut Bar in Ann Arbor, Captain Joe’s in Whitmore Lake and Wines on Main in Chelsea. In addition to singing, Marsha loves to rollerblade, hike, bike, swim and cross country ski. Marsha stated, “I really enjoy my time on the trails and parks, especially sharing these activities with friends, family members, neighbors, and coworkers, and I plan on having recreating become my number one pastime in retirement. No one is more excited about the expansion of the trails than me!”

Marsha has been involved with HWPI for over two years. She was motivated to help build the trail in Karen McKeachie’s honor and for the safety and enjoyment of all community members. Marsha is a huge advocate for health and fitness, and in her mind, nothing contributes more to promote that cause than safe, accessible, recreational facilities such as the Border-to-Border Trail.

Marsha has had many different roles as a volunteer with HWPI. She has used her skills as a teacher, coach and entertainer, by being an outspoken trail advocate at event booths such as The Ann Arbor Art Fair, Dexter Daze and the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run. When asked about volunteering Marsha said, “I enjoy the face-to-face interaction with folks in the community and I love sharing my enthusiasm with those who are curious and excited about the growth and expansion of the trail. It’s the best product I have ever had the pleasure to ‘sell’ or promote.” Marsha has also written and performed our very own B2B Trail theme song, “The Fabulous B2B!”

When asked why she believes the completion of the B2B is so important for our community, Marsha answered, “For fun, safety, enjoyment, health, well-being … and getting kids off their phones and onto the trails!” Marsha also added, “Everyone I have met and worked with through HWPI have been such wonderful people, and I am really looking forward to building friendships and relationships with them in the months and years to come.”

Thanks for being part of our HWPI team, Marsha!

HWPI Bridge Set Over Mill Creek