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October 28, 2012

SUNDAY ISSUE: Waving the flag for French Creek

By Mary Spicer THE MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

MEADVILLE — Imagine a world in which people travel from all over the region — or even the nation — to paddle their way along a waterway designated by the Nature Conservancy — a global nonprofit organization with more than a million members — as one of the “Last Great Places.”

Then imagine how communities along that waterway could profit from being part of a destination capable of attracting countless travelers once — and luring them back again and again to enjoy the waterway and its environs.

That’s the world the Meadville-based French Creek Valley Conservancy is working to build, one Creek Town at a time.

“Creek Towns,” the waterway equivalent of the popular Trail Towns concept, where communities bordering established trails unite in an effort to tap into the economic potential of the ever-growing outdoor recreation market, is an idea whose time has come, according to the conservancy’s program director, Dave Washousky.

However, as he sees it, the French Creek community has two options. Spend countless eons debating mega-approaches and fine-tuning logistics — or get started on something manageable and take it from there.

During the pilot phase of what the conservancy envisions as an ongoing series of meetings focusing on specific portions of French Creek, an idea emerged that Washousky believes is extremely do-able. In fact, it’s so do-able that he’d like to see it start during the spring of 2013. Around Memorial Day, to be exact.

A report on the results of the recently completed Creek Town assessments conducted for the pilot communities of Saegertown, Cambridge Springs and Venango identified the possible kick-off project.

“One of the very easy ideas that could be a great start to the program could be to drape American flags from the bridges on holidays during the summer,” Washousky explained. “It could be a great idea to communicate an awareness of the creek and its users — and that all the communities are sharing a regional vision of the Creek Town philosophy.”

Interest was also expressed in including municipal flags in the project by draping an American and a municipal flag from each bridge.

A report on the results of the first community assessments prepared by project consultant McCollom Development Strategies noted that “The town of Utica drapes a flag over the creek on summer holiday weekends and this simple gesture is appreciated by creek users. Draping flags from bridges in each community — Saegertown, Cambridge and Venango — would be a unifying project and send a welcoming, patriotic message.”

Although the report focused specifically on the project’s three pilot communities, Washousky suggested that other communities with bridges crossing French Creek would be welcome to participate.

The McCollom report included a remark from a project participant to the effect that flags put up on holiday weekends should be taken down after dark if they are not appropriately lit.

“In five years, I would love to see all the small communities along the main stem of French Creek embracing the Creek Towns concept and working together to market their communities and the creek as “Creek Towns,” Washousky said during a recent interview.

In the immediate future, the conservancy hopes to formally include three more communities in the Creek Towns project in 2013.

n For information about French Creek Valley Conservancy, visit frenchcreekconservancy.org.



Mary Spicer can be reached at 7624-6370 or by email at mspicer@meadvilletribune.com.





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For information about French Creek Valley Conservancy, visit frenchcreekconservancy.org.

 

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