The Peru Gazette

PLATTSBURGH –  Thelma I. Douglas – an early proponent of a river trail in the City of Plattsburgh – will be feted at the Oct. 24 grand opening of the newest Saranac River Trail Greenway segment.

That new section of trail, which runs behind Plattsburgh High School and connects to the Thelma I. Douglas Footbridge across the Saranac River, will also be named after Douglas – the school district’s first female athletic director and an advocate of fitness for all ages.

“We can see from 1971 newspaper coverage that Thelma’s initial plan had a trail running across Adirondack Lane behind the high school and through Rugar Woods,” said Paula Calkins Lacombe, Saranac River Trail Greenway Board member. “We love that we were able to honor her and this portion of her vision.”

The opening ceremony and ribbon cutting will take place at 11 a.m. on the trail, just off George Angell Drive, near the end of the Douglas Footbridge. It will feature an overview from the Saranac River Trail Greenway Board and speeches by Mayor Chris Rosenquest and Plattsburgh City School District Superintendent Jay Lebrun.

Plans for the Greenway involve extending 26 miles from Lake Champlain to the High Falls Dam in the Town of Saranac.

Following the ceremony, all those interested are invited to walk the trail.