Celebrating Champions of Area Trails and Greenways
- Editor
- Jun 15
- 2 min read
A resident of Franklin, PA and several agencies and non-profit organization in Crawford County took home the 2025 Annual Greenways Awards during a public ceremony held at Cochranton Lions Community Park this past Thursday afternoon.
The gathering was hosted by the Cochranton Borough and sponsored by Titusville Community Development Agencies. The Greenways Awards have been celebrated by the Council on Greenways and Trails (CGT) for 13 consecutive years (from the initial 2013 awards), throughout Crawford, Venango, and Clarion Counties. Items given to each award recipient were a framed certificate and a set of four ceramic coasters made by Vicki Kidder-Clark and Rick Clark, artists often participating in CGT’s annual Nature Art Showcase each February in Franklin.
The James E. Holden Greenways Volunteer of the Year for 2025 was presented this week to Susan M. Hilton who resides in Franklin, as did the namesake for this program recognizing activities and projects accomplished during the prior five-year period. In her acceptance remarks, Hilton pointed out that volunteering was encouraged and practiced by her parents and extended family for as long as she can remember. Since retiring from the faculty of Clarion University of PA, Hilton has focused on groups undertaking gardening, protection of the area’s natural resources, and expansion/operation of public outdoor recreational trails.
Non-profit corporation Cochranton Area Greenways Effort (CARE) was selected by CGT for the Richard M. Garrard Greenways Neighbor of the Year for 2025. The Greenways Trail which is owned by CARE is literally a next-door neighbor along residential and business properties, linking Cochranton Landing, Cochranton Fairgrounds, and Cochranton Lions Community Park. CARE participated actively in recent boro-wide Comprehensive Recreational Planning, furnished private sector matching funds to augment several public grants received by Cochranton Borough, and coordinating numerous free public musical performances and heritage events in the park. Jesse McCullough, President of CARE, received the award items from CGT President, Kristin Hauser.
DCNR Western State Parks Supervisor Daniel Bickel described the complex project involving the removal of an 1876 metal truss bridge from its eastern Crawford County constructed site, its rehab, positioning the restored structure across another stream in western Crawford County, and then new paving to link the Messerall Bridge as a new segment of hike/bike trail. Bickel exclaimed, “It’s amazing to realize that the bowstring truss bridge that during the oil boom era carried nitrogen-laden wagons on Messerall Road over Pine Creek today carries bicyclists across Linesville Creek as they glide along Spillway Trail within Pymatuning State Park!” The six agencies recognized as recipients of the 2025 Thomas J. Allen Greenways Partners Award are as follows: County of Crawford; PennDOT District #1, PA DCNR – Pymatuning State Park, Pa. Fish and Boat Commission, Pa, Game Commission, and Pine Township.
Sponsors for the specific 2025 awards are as follows: Volunteer Award – The Holden Fmily and friends; Neighbor – friends of CGT; and Partner – Franklin Industrial and Commercial Development Authority.
Nominations for next year’s Greenways Awards are now being accepted on line at www.councilongreenwaystrails.org.
