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News from the Keweenaw Peninsula June 2, 2005 Updated June 3, 2005 Text and photos © 2005 Michele Anderson

B.R.I.D.G.E. Alternative High School students build Hancock trail

By Michele Anderson

HANCOCK -- Hancock City Council members celebrated the opening of the Terrace Park Walking Trail in east Hancock on June 1 with students and teachers from the B.R.I.D.G.E.* Alternative High School -- builders of the trail. The occasion included a ribbon cutting, a walk on the trail and refreshments. About 50 students, putting in many volunteer hours, have participated in the project since last September. 

During one of the final work sessions on the Terrace Park Walking Trail, B.R.I.D.G.E.* students Stephanee Monette, left, and Tia Ponnikas rake the soil near steps leading to the trail, while Jay Orgie waters wildflower mats. The steps help prevent erosion as well as providing access to the trail. (Photo © 2005 Michele Anderson)

"It's amazing what volunteers can accomplish," said Lisa McKenzie, Hancock mayor pro tem, "and it's great to see such volunteerism in our high school students." 

Cathy Hill, who teaches math, social studies and computers at the school, received a Service Learning grant from the Copper Country Intermediate School District (CCISD) and involved not only her geography class but nearly all the students in the school, as well as some parents, in the project. The trail building was part of an AmeriCorps Make a Difference Day project last fall. 

Cathy Hill, right, B.R.I.D.G.E. teacher who initiated the Terrace Park trail project, and Karen Endres, third from right, AmeriCorps worker at the school, work with students Jesse Frantila, left, and Jay Orgie on the wildflower mats along the steps to the trail.

Karen Endres, an AmeriCorps worker at the school, said Hill's geography class marked the trail using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) last September. With the help of AmeriCorps workers, they spent a Saturday in October -- Make a Difference Day -- clearing the trail.

"The kids have worked on it a lot since then," Endres said. "They've put in a lot of hours."

Endres noted B.R.I.D.G.E. students are strongly encouraged to volunteer in the community. In addition, the school offers small class sizes for a better teacher-to-student ratio.*

The trail extends about one quarter of a mile, entirely within Terrace Park, which is a property of the City of Hancock. Starting at a series of steps built into the steep hill at the trail entrance, it crosses a creek, where the students have built two bridges; it then circles around and returns to the far end of the park. 

City Manager Glenn Anderson, who walked the trail after the ribbon cutting, said the quarter-mile trail is a good workout (some uphill). 

"It's very healthy," he said. "It's a very nice addition to the City of Hancock."

Anderson noted the city donated the building materials for the project.

"We provided the materials; then the B.R.I.D.G.E. School did all the labor, all the layout and all the design," he said.

Cathy Hill, B.R.I.D.G.E. teacher, pauses for a photo on the Terrace Park Walking Trail. She is standing on one of two bridges built by the students.

Hill said the project has involved math as well as geography, history and science.

"We had to figure out the cubic yardage on our wood chips and gravel," she noted.

Pointing out a metal pipe sticking out of the ground beside the trail, Hill said she hopes to find out if it had a historical use during mining days in this area. Future plans for the trail include adding interpretive plaques about the history of this part of Hancock.

"Next year the science class is going to come and identify the plants and trees in the area, so we'll have an interpretive 'learning trail,' she added.

The students have also identified locations where they would like to put benches and a butterfly garden.

Taking a break from trail work, B.R.I.D.G.E. students, from left, Tia Ponnikas, Stephanee Monette and Tammy Racine,** relax on one of the bridges students built across the creek.

Hill noted students also came on Saturdays to work on the trail.

"This was really a big effort," she said. "Parents came, too."

B.R.I.D.G.E. student Stephen Lapeer, who had the honor of cutting the ribbon to open the trail, said he learned about landscaping from working on the trail project. 

"I put in a few of the steps, helped carry bridges," he said. "Mostly I did hauling chips."

Stephen Lapeer, third from left, hands scissors to Cathy Hill, B.R.I.D.G.E. teacher, after cutting the ribbon for the opening of the Terrace Park trail. Also pictured are B.R.I.D.G.E. students Shylynn Winnie, left, Tammy Racine, second from right, and Stephanee Monette.

Present for the ribbon cutting ceremony and walk on June 1, Lois Gemignani, B.R.I.D.G.E. Alternative High School coordinator, was enthusiastic about Hill's efforts in creating the trail in conjunction with the school's encouragement of volunteerism as part of the curriculum.

"She's an exceptional teacher, who came up with this great project," Gemignani said. "We had about 50 students working on this."

Lois Gemignani, left, B.R.I.D.G.E.  Alternative High School coordinator, walks the trail along with visitors, students and members of the Hancock City Council, on June 1, 2005.

Bill Laitila, Ward I City Council member, who lives in east Hancock, near the park, was also on hand for the ribbon cutting and hike on the trail.

"I think it's great -- a great use of a piece of land that otherwise wasn't utilized too much," Laitila said. "I wish I'd been here when our kids were little. They would have enjoyed it. It's a great example of school-community cooperation. It's great to see that. The kids did a great job!"

Bill Laitila (right, foreground), Hancock's Ward I councilman, chats with Robert Lewis, councilman at large, during the June 1 opening walk on the Terrace Park trail.

Betty Carlson, who teaches English and social studies at the school, also joined the walk around the trail.

"They put a lot of work into it," Carlson said. "It's a good project for the kids."

A newly decorated sign welcomes visitors to Terrace Park in east Hancock, site of the new walking trail built by B.R.I.D.G.E. Alternative High School students.

Hancock Mayor Barry Givens said the walkway looks much better than it has in the past, thanks to this project.

"I think it's neat how the kids pulled together," he said. "The walkway is a nice touch."

Editor's notes:   * B.R.I.D.G.E. stands for "Becoming Responsible Individuals Dedicated to the Goals of Education." ** Read a student view of the Terrace Park project in the June 3 Viewpoints column, "Improving Terrace Park," by Tammy Racine. This is the third in a series of articles on pedestrian issues in Hancock. See also "Hancock Council approves speed bumps in subdivision" (May 22, 2005) and  "Hancock residents concerned about walkability" (May 7, 2005.

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