Northeast region. (Regional Reports).

Adirondack North Country Bikes Belong Coalition (N.Y.) recently received a grant for $796,575 in Transportation Enhancements Program funds to build a 9.1-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail. The trail will link the communities of Lake Placid and Sarnac Lake through a rail-with-trails path within the Remsen/Lake Placid corridor. Currently, travel between Sarnac Lake and Lake Placid is limited to a single highway with minimal shoulders.

"There is really no opportunity for youth, seniors or families with children to travel between the two communities by bicycle," notes Ted Blazer, president and CEO of the Olympic Regional Development Authority. "Nor is there an adequate way for our tourists to traverse between Lake Placid and Sarnac Lake. Adding a bicycle path to the Adirondack Railroad tourist train corridor will improve the quality of life for residents in each community by providing alternative transportation and recreation opportunities."

"The $10,000 grant from Bikes Belong helped to release nearly $800,000 in TEA funds and clearly tipped the scales in our favor," notes Terry Martino, executive director of the Adirondack North Country Association. For more information, go to www.bikesbelong.org.

The Massachusetts Recreation and Park Association held the 18th Annual State Conference on Nov. 4-5. The conference featured several nationally recognized speakers, including John Jeffreys from the University of Georgia, J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership, who spoke on "The Leader Who Gets Results" and "The Ethical Leader," and Shawn DeRosa, NRPA's Northeast Regional Director, who spoke on the importance of risk management for indoor pools and swimming beaches. Ross Lilley, executive director of AccesSport America, talked about how high-challenge sports are being used to bring out individual strengths in people with disabilities.

The New England Training Institute will be held April 2-4 in Portsmouth, N.H. Recreation professionals from around the region will learn about therapeutic recreation, ways to manage risk at their facilities and innovative aquatic programs. For more information, contact NRPA's Northeast Regional Director, Shawn DeRosa, at 800-295-6566 or [e-mail], or go to www.nrpa.org.

The gardens of Liberty Community Garden in Manhattan's Battery Park City celebrated and rededicated their 10-year old garden in September. As the closest open space to the World Trade Center, the northern section of Liberty Community Garden was used as a staging area during rescue and clean-up efforts. Mixed into each growing bed was a gift of love and solidarity from the people of Seattle. Compost prepared by Seattle's community gardeners from the deluge of flowers brought to the September 2001 Seattle Center Flower Vigil was mixed into the soil in New York City. A delegation of Seattle community gardeners, including Seattle City Council Member Richard Conlin, attended the dedication ceremony and presented a cubic yard of the Million Flower Compost.

Justine Liff, Boston's parks commissioner, died on Sept. 11 from ovarian cancer. She was 55. Lift joined the Parks Department in 1987 as director of planning and development, and became commissioner in 1995. She helped to revitalize the city's 200 parks, especially the Emerald Necklace parks designed by Frederick Olmsted. Under her leadership, Boston was one of three park systems awarded a four-star rating from the National Trust for Public Land. Flags flew at half-mast outside Boston City Hall to honor Lift, whom Mayor Tom Menino called "as dedicated a public servant as I have ever known."

Northeast Service Center Shawn DeRosa, Esq. Regional Director 590 Washington Street, 3d Flr. Lynn, MA 01901 Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone] Toll Free: 800-293-5385 [e-mail]