CRR Mark Deshon with the bubbly

Since 1999, Creek Road Runners have been gathering on Dec. 31 at Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area to “Wring Out the Old, Ring In the New,” celebrating the end of the year and the promise of a new one while enjoying camaraderie along a 7.5km trail loop.

Check out this year’s event review and those of previous years.

Interim City Manager Carol Houck, Councilman Jerry Clifton, Secretary Bhatt, Mayor Vance Funk, U.S. Senator Carper, Gov. Markell, State Senator Liane Sorensen, and Secretary O’Mara join in the ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 10, 2012.

Good things are happening for runners here in Newark.  U.S. Senator Tom Carper, Governor Jack Markell, DelDOT Secretary Shailen Bhatt, DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara, and city officials cut the ribbon yesterday on the new two-mile multi-use trail that runs north-south from Creek Road along the old Pomeroy and Newark railroad bed to the east-west-running James F. Hall Trail along the southern portion of the center of the city.

This should give runners more choices, particularly in terms of off-road routes to and from Creek Road.

Note that the only portion of the Pomeroy Trail that is still under construction is the portion between the Laird Campus trailhead and the northernmost trailhead at Creek Road (at the “S” curve). Both new bridges are in place, but they’re not very “runable” at this time.

For construction-stage photos on the northern half of the Pomeroy Trail, see posts from August, April, and February of this year.

Much progress has been made on the Pomeroy Trail’s northern section since April’s progress post. Split-rail fencing, final surfacing, and lighting infrastructure has been completed along all of this portion of the trail up to and including the Laird Campus spur. One of the two bridges north of the Laird Campus spur has been positioned; north of that bridge, the trail is unfinished. The following views (listed below) were from August 18. Also see Bike Delaware’s video of most of this northern section.

Note: The formal dedication of the Pomeroy Trail will take place on Monday, September 10, at 11 a.m. at the south Pomeroy trailhead (at the Hall Trail).

• Looking south just north of the trailhead
• A look (facing south) at the path to the bridge that will cross the ravine
• Looking north at the ravine crossing showing concrete footers for bridge
• Looking south from the ravine
• The new bridge just north of the Laird Campus spur
• Looking north just north of the Laird Campus spur
• The completed Laird Campus spur
• Looking south just south of the Laird Campus spur
• Looking west from the trail’s intersection with Creek Road
• Looking east from the trail’s intersection with Creek Road
• Looking west from near North Street
• Looking east from near North Street
• Looking west from near Kershaw Street
• Looking east (toward Paper Mill Road/Cleveland Ave. intersection) from near Kershaw Street

CRR Jim Fischer had an interesting phone call recently from Joan Samonisky, athletic director at the Sanford School in Wilmington, Del.  This phone call led to Jim’s accepting a position as cross-country and indoor track coach at the private high school.  See story.

This comes after the University of Delaware had gutted its men’s running sports at the DI level over the past few years, relegating them to club status and leaving Jim with only the women’s running teams.