**Five Trail Planning Workshops in May**
During the second and third weeks of May, residents of all five towns in the Norwalk River corridor are invited to help plan the Norwalk River Valley Trail in a series of interactive community workshops.
Each one will run from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Light refreshments will be served.
May 9: Norwalk - Norwalk Public Library Auditorium, 1 Belden Avenue, Norwalk.
May 10: Wilton - Wilton High School Cafeteria, 395 Danbury Road, Wilton.
May 11: Danbury – Warner Hall on the Midtown Campus of Western Connecticut State University, 181 White Street, Danbury.
May 18: Ridgefield – Veteran's Park Elementary School Cafeteria, 8 Governor's Street, Ridgefield.
May 19: Redding - Redding Community Center, 37 Lonetown Road, Redding.
The workshops will feature an opening overview of the 27-mile corridor using town maps and Google Earth. Then, attendees will work in small groups on a series of Table Topics to answer questions such as:
What is the most sensible route for a community trail?
How could the trail be used for educational activities?
How could a trail generate economic activity through recreation and tourism?
What uses would you most like to see on the trail?
Before adjourning, participants will have time to compare the key points of the small group conversations. This will be a highly interactive evening with assistance from John Monroe of the National Park Service – Rivers & Trails Program.
Information gathered during the workshops will be compiled for a consulting firm that is to be hired in April to produce a trail routing study. For 12 to 18 months, the consultants will assess the corridor and prepare implementation strategies and cost estimates. Additional public workshops will be held during this process.
Please direct further inquiries to Pat Sesto, Town of Wilton Environmental Affairs, at 203-563-0180 or patricia.sesto@wiltonct.org.