News items for Friends of the Trace.

These news items are advance notice for your information and have not been publicized to the general public. The reason they have not been publicized is that some are still in the planning stages and may take months or even years to come to fruition, if ever. They are not top secret or even confidential but please avoid raising expectations in persons who may not be familiar with the glacial pace of progress in government endeavors. 

Other items are actions we are requesting that all members take in certain situations.

Funding has been resolved on the extension to downtown. Construction will begin in the Summer of 2012 and should be completed by year end. The city is building some side trails which will connect to the Trace, one to the zoo, and one to the train depot. Construction is already underway on these side trails.

	Impoundment of the lake at the Beaver Pond should be complete by early 2013.
	The horse/mountain bike trail is being extended from Epley to the Beaver Pond.
	MS Tank has been sold to USM and the property will eventually be converted to athletic fields, greatly improving the aesthetics of the Gateway.
	The Friends have planted butterfly gardens at each station. Diane Lafferty, an expert gardener with  the Hattiesburg Audubon Society, planned the gardens so they would be in bloom 11 months of the year. Volunteers are needed to help maintain these gardens. See minutes for more details.
	The Friends are also planning to plant  more native shrubs along the Trace to complement those already there. Melinda Lyman, the curator of the Crosby Arboretum, and Diane Lafferty an expert gardener with  the Hattiesburg Audubon Society, are advising.
	Jeff Davis County is thinking of building a paved trail from Jeff Davis Lake to the Trace along a power line right of way, and is in the process of applying for grants. Mayor Blount plans to be at a Friends meeting soon to explain the plans for this new trail.
	The Jeff Davis Lake trail would be a great side trip and is one of the "Loops of Interest" the Trace hopes to have in place one day. Other loops could be to historical sites, businesses and farms of interest, or tours of towns along the Trace. If you have a good idea for a loop, let us know.
	More items as things develop.
	See previous Friends news items. Also see Minutes.