S.T.A.R.T. Submits Grant Application - County Chronicle

S.T.A.R.T. Submits Grant Application from the Saturday, July 10, 1999 issue of the County Chronicle

"The Cattaraugus County Rail-to-Trail project has been on the fast track since its inception," stated Rick LeFeber, executive director of the Cattaraugus Local Development Corporation. "A project of this magnitude usually takes seven years to complete. We expect to be completed in two, but we could never have gotten this far and as fast as we did without the support and tireless efforts of our County Legislators, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, the Development and Agricultural Committee, the Village of Little Valley, our Steering Committee (Southern Tier Association for Rails to Trails (S.T.A.R.T.) and all those who supported us through letters and in other ways. I would like to personally thank Elliott Ellis, Jim Ellis, Jim Snyder, Jess Fitzpatric, Pat McCrea, Bonnie Bigelow, John Sayegh, Terry Martin, Brad Walters, Tammy Buchhardt and the rest of our Steering Committee, without their support this project might never have gotten off the ground."

"The S.T.A.R.T. committee has just submitted its application for a $1.3 million grant in the form of TEA-21 money. The total cost for this project is $2.1 million. We expect to hear from the state early next year, but in the meantime we would like to continue with the momentum we have generated ad start by erecting a Friendship Arch at the lower end of Main Street in the Village of Little Valley. This will serve as the beginning of our demonstration project," continued LeFeber.

Brad Walters, chairman of the S.T.A.R.T. Steering Committee, added, "This has been an exceptional project. I have never seen a project move along as smoothly as this one has. I know for a fact that we are only here, at this point, because everyone has pulled together for a common goal. This project will benefit our county through increased tourism dollars, and public awareness as to what our county has to offer. I'm proud to have been a part of it, and of those who have contributed to its success.