Blog

Board Member Attendees: 

• In Attendance
  Barry Pinkowicz (President)
  Ira Josephs (Vice President)
  John Paulson (Treasurer)
  Janilyn Pinkowicz (Membership Director/Secretary)
  Glen Clark (Project Manager)
  Mike Penzone (Maintenance Director)
  Lathish Vellingiri (Website Director)
• Not In Attendance:
  Samantha Kelly (Social Media Director) Samantha recently gave birth to a
  baby girl!

T-shirts & Hats

T-shirts and hats were for sale prior to the meeting.

Meeting Called to Order:

The meeting was called to order at 7:07pm. Barry Pinkowicz provided the opening welcome to the annual meeting.

Meeting Minutes Approval:

Barry Pinkowicz requested approval of the minutes from the prior annual meeting on August 18, 2025. Glen Clark made a motion, which was seconded by John Paulson to approve the minutes. Minutes were approved unanimously.

Board Member Indroduction:

Barry Pinkowicz introduced our current FOCCB Board Members that are all in attendance and are on the ballot for re-election.

Election of the Officers:

Ira Josephs facilitated the “Election of Officers” for the FOCCB Board Members. The Board has a total of eight volunteer Board Members. Ira counted the proxy votes that were sent in via email (1) and the votes that were submitted during our annual meeting (16). All candidates on the slate were approved per the proxy votes.

Treasurer Report:

Financial Report was presented by Treasurer, John Paulson. Revenues and expenses were reviewed. This report is available upon request for review. Glen Clark made a motion to approve the Treasurer Report. Mike Penzone seconded the motion. Treasurer report was approved unanimously. Highlights below:

• Year-end balance as of July 31st was over 25,000.
• Revenues from dues and donations remain strong (over 5,000)
• Significant donation of roughly $5,000 received from Mike and Joanie
Lancellot for a 2026 flagpole project.
• Operating expenses were modest.

Accomplishments/Acknowledgements 2024/2025:

Barry Pinkowicz presented the accomplishments and the acknowledgements for August 2025 through August 2026. They are as follows:

• We will be re-doing the Lancellot sign near the Knowlton Road Trailhead, along with the Mile Marker sign at the Mount Alverno Trailhead this fall.
• The Nature Plant Project (sponsored by Michael and Joanie Lancellot):
  Some of these plants have died or were kicked out by deer. Barry Pinkowicz from FOCCB propagated approximately 100 plants and replanted them in containers until they take root. This has saved us hundreds of dollars from buying new plants. We are looking forward to planting these in the late fall.
• Thank you to Hollywood Landscaping for maintaining the Landscaped area at the Mount Alverno Trailhead. Three times a year, free of charge, they pull weeds, trim the bushes and trees, and mulch the area, keeping this area beautiful. We really appreciate their generosity and support over the years.
• Thank you to “Mulch Works” for donating mulch for the flower area next to the steps leading from the Mount Alverno parking area to the trail. This looks great!
• A special thanks to Delaware County Planning Department for having the parking lot expanded at the Knowlton Road Trailhead. This parking lot expansion doubled parking capacity for our trail users.
• I would like to give a big shout out to Delaware County Parks and Recreation for maintaining the trail, cutting the grass, taking care of fallen trees, and the trash and snow removal. They also supply the dog bags for the trail.
• Another big shout-out to Pam Boone for going around to all of the dog stations and replenishing the bags as needed. This is a tremendous help and we appreciate her efforts with the Chester Creek Trail.
• In regards to the brick fundraiser, we are looking to start this up in the fall. Prices have increased. There will be limited spaces available. We will post information once available.
• A huge thank you to Debra Paulson for always helping out at our annual meeting and special events. We appreciate all she does to help out the FOCCB Board Members.
• Special thanks to our guest Speakers:
  • Kelsey Stanton-Murphy (Trails & Open Space Planner-Delaware
    County Planning Dept.
  • James Bergman (BikeDelco Chair)
• We appreciate them taking the time out of their busy schedules to provide us with the important updates on the trail and other projects.
• We would also like to thank and acknowledge the people that could not attend the meeting today. We appreciate all they do for the Chester Creek Trail.
  • Lou Hufnagle (Delaware County Planning Dept-Manager of Infrastructure)
  • Jennifer Maull (Director of Parks & Recreation Middletown Twp)
• We would also like to thank and acknowledge the very generous support and large contributions from our “Sponsoring” and “Sustaining” Members. Their contributions help tremendously with all of the beautiful enhancements we are able to do on the trail.
  • Michael & Joanie Lancellot
  • Frank and Lorraine Lynn
  • Delaware Valley Bicycle Club
  • Middletown Township Land Conservancy
  • Pennoni Family Foundation
  • John & Jacque Baker
  • Randolph & Nancy Dole
  • Samantha Wildonger
  • Valerie Fusco
• A HUGE thank you to all of our members that have supported and contributed to the Friends of the Chester Creek for over 32 years. Without your support throughout the years, we would not be the trail we are today! We truly appreciate all that you do!
• This was not mentioned at our annual meeting but we wanted to mention the wonderful example of our trail community coming together:
  Many thanks to Eli St. Amour of Eli’s Honey Bees for his expertise and generosity.
  • Just before Christmas of 2025, a frequent trail user, Nicholas Penza, noticed that a fallen tree along the trail was home to a large bee hive. He quickly took the initiative to connect with fellow trail user and local beekeeper Eli St. Amour of Eli’s Honey Bees, who generously volunteered his time to safely remove and save the bees—at no cost.
  • Eli, Nick, and Don Dimutis from Delaware County Parks & Recreation worked together to successfully relocate an estimated 20,000 bees, which were re-hived in a safe location.

FOCCB Board Member Projects:

Several of the FOCCB Board Members discussed projects and updates throughout the year as well as current plans for future. Updates are listed below.

Glen Clark, Project Manager
Glen spoke in reference to the following projects:

• Three Rail Fence
  Eagle Scout Candidate Ben, along with his fellow scouts of Troop 225, sponsored by St Johns Fisher church, built a beautiful three-rail fence at the Mount Alverno Trailhead, helping protect newly planted greenery while enhancing the overall look and safety of the area. Some other fence repairs were completed as well in other areas that were damaged by recent storms.
• Placing of Geo Mesh for Bike Ramp at Mt Alverno Parking Lot:
  On Saturday, April 25th, 2026, Eagle Scout candidate Ben, along with his fellow scouts, leaders, and family members of Scout Troop 225 completed his Eagle Scout Project on the Chester Creek trail. Ben’s project involved clearing the area at the Mount Alverno Parking area steps, placing weed barrier down, anchoring down a Geo Mesh, and then filling the mesh with stone and topping it off with fines. This ramp will make it easier for cyclists to access the trail more easily without using the steps. This is currently under engineering. We need a better drainage system and the County gave us several opportunities. We will probably place a guardrail system from the top of the steps to the bottom of the steps so they can walk their bikes down and not ride them due to safety concerns.
• Lost & Found Boxes: (4) Constructed (3 were placed on trail)
  Eagle Scout AJ and 27 members and friends of Scout Troop 85, sponsored by Middletown Township Presbyterian Church, constructed and installed three lost & found boxes along the trail – also building a fourth for the future Aston section. Unfortunately, one box was vandalized at the Mount Alverno Trailhead. We have pulled this box out until we get the vandalism under control. We will fix this at a later date. The good news is that the lost and found boxes appear to be working.
• Rebuilding of the Little Library:
  In May of 2025, Glen Clark had refurbished our “Little Library” at the Mount Alverno Trailhead. We are sad to report that the “Little Library” was recently vandalized and totally destroyed. We are hoping to rebuild this at some point.
• New Flagpole at Mount Alverno Trailhead
  • We will be installing a beautiful flagpole at the Mount Alverno
  • Trailhead. Stainaitis Landscape Construction will be doing the installation. This will also include a solar light.
  • Michael and Joanie Lancellot have generously funded this project.
  • A small brick area will be constructed around the flagpole.
  • We would like to have a small ceremony on 9/11 to dedicate the flagpole. This has not been firmed up at this point. We will post details on our social media and website once we have any further information.
• Volunteer that donated hours pulling weeds
  Glen had a volunteer that went around and made sure that all of the benches on the trail were tightened. He also pulled out weeds around all of the benches and along the trail.
• Broken Fence on Bridge:
  The bridge near Mount Road was crushed some time ago by a fallen tree. The County is in the process of getting bids for this. This is not a cheap endeavor. They are looking into engineering it properly. Please don’t place zip-ties on it or try to fix it yourself – this is due to liability.

Mike Penzone, Maintenance Director

• One of the largest maintenance issues that we run into are the swales that help direct storm water off the trail.
• In November of 2025 we cleared the swales between Mount Alverno and the Little League Baseball Field.
• One area that needs help is near the Mike Fusco memorial. We are trying to keep this area clear and keep it working properly.
• In the spring of 2026, we had a cleanup where we cleared out additional swales along the trail.
• We will have another cleanup on November 21st at 9am. We will be completing additional swale cleanup between Mount Alverno and Knowlton Rd.
• We will post future trail maintenance date

Samantha Kelly, Social Media Director

• Samantha was unable to attend the annual meeting due to recently giving birth to a baby girl. Congratulations Samantha!
• Samantha will continue to post events and future information regarding the trail on social media. This includes maintenance and cleanup events, projects, annual meetings, etc.

Lathish Vellingiri, Website Director

• Lathish manages our website, chestercreektrail.org. Lathish advised that if you have any comments, updates, feedback, etc. for our website to please let us know. You can reach out to us at info@chestercreektrail.org
• Lathish will post the annual meeting minutes, events,

Ira Josephs, Vice President

• In addition to being Vice President of the FOCCB, Ira has been a key participating member and representative of the FOCCB on steering committee for the feasibility study of the Chester Creek Trail Phase IV.

Guest Speakers:

Jennifer Maull (Director of Parks & Recreation Middletown Twp – Not in
Attendance):

• Jennifer was unable to attend the meeting due to unforeseen circumstances. However, Barry Pinkowicz spoke on her behalf regarding the speaking points for discussion.
• In regard to the extension from Lenni Road to the Septa station – their engineer is working on a design plan which is about a $300,000 commitment from the township of Middletown.
• Engineering is due to start by September of this year.
• They still have not acquired the two properties needed for this extension but they are working on it. They are confident that they will be able to acquire them.
• They have grants to purchase the properties but Jennifer believes that we still need to acquire additional grants to build the extension of the trail.

Kelsey Stanton-Murphy (Trails & Open Space Planner – Delaware County):

• Knowlton Road Trailhead Expansion
  • Delaware County Planning Department, Public Works, and Parks & Recreation held a Ribbon cutting ceremony on 7/21/26.
  • Expanded parking lot from 11 to 39* parking spaces. This has more than doubled parking capacity, increased ADA accessibility, and improved drainage infrastructure.
  • $378,960 funding from a Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Local Share Account Grant. We also extend our sincere thanks to State Representative Leanne Krueger and State Senator John Kane for their leadership in securing funding for this project.
  • Project substantially completed, wrapping up planting in the fall.
  • FOCCB advocacy and stewardship have been instrumental throughout the project.
• Phase 2
  • 1.3-mile-long trail extension south from Phase 1 to Bridgewater Road
  • Project will include 2 new trailheads with 37 total parking spaces as well as 2 at-grade crossings (Dutton Mill Road and Bridgewater Road)
  • $9,750,000 is on the PA TIP for the project Consultant: Wilson Consulting Group
  • Status: PennDOT review & permitting – final PS&E anticipated October 2026 / construction in 2027
• Phase 4:
  • Feasibility Study underway by consultant NV5
  • Funded by a $115,000 PA DCED Local Share Account grant
  • Status: Community engagement has concluded and a conceptual alignment is proposed
    • 1.9-mile trail loop from Aston Township border to Crozer Trail including 2 community greenways in Upland Borough and 1 new bridge crossing
    • Connections to Upland Borough neighborhoods, Upland County Park, and Historic Caleb Pusey House
    • Thanks to FOCCB members for helping to shape the project via Steering Committee participation!
• Next step: Final public meeting to present the final report anticipated soon; FOCCB will be notified of the meeting, and the final report will be posted on the planning department’s website when published.
• Please visit DCPD’s Current Projects webpage for project updates and for a link to the planning department’s Primary Trail Network

James Bergman – Bike Delco (Chair)

• Bike Delco is a community group focused on making biking more accessible across Delaware County, PA
• Our mission is to make Delaware County one of the best places in the USA to get around by bike.
• Bike Delco is working with groups like Bicycle Collation, Transition Town Great Media, and many other local groups, to stitch together community events, local town groups, and bike interest clubs into a county-wide effort to make biking safe, effective, cheap and beloved way to get around Delaware County.
• We believe that making Delaware County more bike friendly will make our county more vibrant, get kids outdoors, and connect people. At the same time, it will reduce the traffic that jams the gridlock and the isolation so many people acknowledge is an issue in our area.
• For our membership, see the map on the link I listed further down in the minutes for the presentation that was shared at the FOCCB annual meeting.
• There is quite a lot more biking in Delaware County and it is difficult to find parking for bikes.
• We are seeing more community bike services such as:
  • Youth Bike ‘n Bite: An all-ages, “no-drop” (nobody gets left behind) community ride along the Main Line Greenway designed to encourage families and young riders to explore safe cycling.
  • Bike Rodeos: Youth-focused safety clinics held in areas like the Chester Waterfront, where volunteers teach kids safe riding skills, hand signals, and helmet coordination.
  • Explore the Circuit Series: Free community bike-and-hike events hosted on regional pathways, such as the Chester Creek Trail, to promote active lifestyles and outdoor recreation.
  • Complimentary Bike Valets: Collaborates with environmental groups like Transition Town Greater Media to provide secure, free bike parking services at high-traffic municipal events, such as
    Media’s Dining Under the Stars.
• The Circuit is Greater Philadelphia’s multi-use trail network connecting people to jobs, communities, parks, and waterways.
  • Geography:
    Nine-County Delaware Valley Region, comprised of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania, and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer counties in New Jersey.
  • Regional Circuit Trails Status:
    Existing: 420 Miles; In Progress: 92 Miles (59 miles fully funded); Pipeline: 111 Miles, Planned: 249 Miles; Total 872 Miles
• Get involved-sign up to be a Circuit Citizen.
• Circuit Trails is connecting to the East Coast Greenway
  • The East Coast Greenway starts at the Canadian border in Calais, Maine, and ends in Key West, Florida.
  • The total length is about 3,000 miles.
  • States Connected: 15 states from north to south.
  • Route Status: It is a still-developing trail system using both offroad paths and connected roadways.
• Circuit Trails is also connecting to Chester, Brandywine, and eventually West Chester (a new multi-use Trail /Rail with Trail. There has been a grant application for a feasibility study).
• Website coming soon: Bicylecoalition.org/bikedelco
• For more information, email: bikedelco@gmail.com
• Click here for the presentation that BikeDelco shared at our annual meeting.
• BikeDelco provided the following information after our FOCCB annual meeting in case you are interested:
  • First is a brand new coalition, the Coalition for Active Mobility in PA (CAMP), that has a form for organizations (such as FOCCB)
    to apply for membership and an interest form for individuals who wish to get involved. They also have a Google Group you can sign up for.
  • Second is the upcoming Eastern PA Greenways & Trail Summit 2026, happening from September 16 to 18 in Bethlehem, PA. I have included information on this event at the end of the minutes.

Questions from the audience:

Time was provided for question-and-answer period. The guest speakers answered any questions from the audience regarding the trail time-line, parking, circuit trails, etc.

Meeting Adjourned:
Barry Pinkowicz thanked everyone for coming out. Meeting was adjourned at  8:29pm. John Paulson made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Ira Josephs seconded the motion.