Canal Corporation Announces Canalway Trail Tender Award Winner

The New York State Canal Corporation today announced that Henrietta O'Grady, Town of Halfmoon, is the 2009 Canalway Trail Tender Award winner. The award was presented to Ms. O'Grady by Canal Corporation Director Carmella R. Mantello during a Halfmoon Town Board meeting on Wednesday evening, February 3, 2010. Henrietta O'Grady is being recognized for her outstanding efforts and commitment to promoting, developing and enhancing the Canalway Trail.

Director Mantello said, "For the past several years, Henrietta O'Grady has been a staunch advocate and steward of the Canalway Trail. The Corporation is pleased to recognize Ms. O'Grady's diligent efforts with the Canalway Trail Tender Award."

Town of Halfmoon Supervisor Mindy A. Wormuth said, "Henrietta O'Grady is a community advocate whose actions have directly influenced the availability of parks and trails in Halfmoon. Actually, Henny's impact goes beyond Halfmoon and includes Saratoga County and the Region. We are pleased and gratified that the Canal Corporation recognizes Henny's contributions with the Trail Tender Award."

The Town of Halfmoon created a Trails Advisory Committee in 2001, in large part due to Ms. O'Grady's trail advocacy. Ms. O'Grady was appointed the Trails Committee's inaugural chair that year and served in the position until 2009. In 2002, the Town created a line item in the Town's general operating budget to support the planning and development work of the Trails Committee. That same year, Ms. O'Grady joined forces with the neighboring Town of Clifton Park in preparing the "Join Us" Mohawk Towpath Trail Plan. Today, nearly six miles of the Mohawk Towpath Trail is either constructed or under contract through these two Saratoga County towns bordering the Mohawk River and the Historic Erie Canal.

Ms. O'Grady's policy advocacy and planning efforts have resulted in many Canalway Trail accomplishments, including the completion of a Trails Master Plan in 2006; purchase of the old Champlain Canal and Towpath within the Town of Hafmoon; construction of nearly two miles of the Champlain Canal Trail and construction of more than two miles of Mohawk Towpath Trail. In addition, another mile of the Champlain Canal Trail development is under contract and the development of another mile of Mohawk Towpath Trail, which connects with the Town of Clifton Park, is under contract.

Ms. O'Grady has also organized annual Canal Clean Sweep and National Trails Day/ Canalway Trail Celebration activities in the Town of Halfmoon. Ms. O'Grady has recruited scores of volunteers and other groups such as scouts to participate in these annual events. She is also Secretary of the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway, which runs through eight communities, including Halfmoon.

The Canalway Trail Tender Award was established in 1998 to honor the efforts of volunteers that have demonstrated exemplary and significant contributions to the development, promotion and enhancement of New York's historic Canalway Trail.

With more than 285 miles of trail constructed, the Canalway Trail will eventually encompass more than 500 miles of multi-use trail, connecting Lake Erie, the Finger Lakes, Lake Ontario, Lake Champlain and the Hudson River. When completed, the Canalway Trail will be the longest multi-use recreational trail in the United States.

The New York State Canal Corporation is a subsidiary of the New York State Thruway Authority (Authority). Since 1992, following State legislation transferring the Canal System from the New York State Department of Transportation to the Authority, Canal operating and maintenance activities have been supported by Thruway toll revenue.

To obtain a free map of the New York State Canalway Trail System, please call 1-800-4CANAL4. To learn more about the Canalway Trail System, visit the Canal Corporation's website at www.canals.state.ny.us/canalway trail/.

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The New York State Thruway Authority/Canal Corporation offers a free email service called TRANSalert to its customers via email or text messaging to inform them of major incidents and emergencies that may affect travel on the Thruway or navigation on the Canal System. To sign up for the Canal TRANSalert service, customers can visit the Corporation's website at www.nyscanals.gov/tas/. To sign-up for Thruway TRANSalerts please visit the Authority's website at www.nysthruway.gov/tas/.

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