A new hope in the Wintergreen wilderness – The Daily Gazette


The parks and recreation committee was reborn in the village of Canajoharie last year.

It began when JoAnn Douglass spoke up at a Village Board meeting. Soon, the group of nine was forming with JoAnn among them, and her husband Peter at the helm.

JoAnn Douglass had a project in mind when she spoke that first time: Wintergreen Park.

Darkness and pain had emanated from a 433-foot-deep gorge at the center of the 72-acre green space for the last decade. That was when the fourth life was taken by a tragedy at the gully in the first 12 years of the millennium. Since then, maintenance had seemingly slowed to a halt.

Well, the new parks committee has gotten to work on changing that.

Daily Gazette reporter Andrew Waite and photographer Erica Miller met the Douglass’s and fellow committee member Gregory Leary out at a Wintergreen Thursday, along with 15-year-old Boy Scout Brady Toher, who is working on his Eagle Scout project at the park, and his parents, Chris and Andrea. The Gazette got to speak with them all, and see the new cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking trails recently reopened to the public.

Here is Andrew’s story

And now, take a work in Wintergreen Park with Erica through the lens:

ERICA MILLER/THE DAILY GAZETTE
From left, Park Chair Peter Douglass, Chris and Andrea Toher, Boy Scout Brady Toher 15, and JoAnn Douglass, all of Canajoharie, walk the cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking trails at Wintergreen Park.
ERICA MILLER/THE DAILY GAZETTE
New cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking trails are seen on Thursday at Canajoharie’s Wintergreen Park, which recently re-opened to the public.

ERICA MILLER/THE DAILY GAZETTE
Park Chair Peter Douglass beside wife JoAnn, both of Canajoharie and members of the parks committee, stand at the fire pit on the cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking trails at Wintergreen Park.
ERICA MILLER/THE DAILY GAZETTE
Views from Wintergreen Park’s hiking trails, recently re-opened to the public.

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ERICA MILLER/ERICA MILLER/THE DAILY GAZETTE
Wintergreen Park committee member Gregory Leary of Canajoharie tours one of the park’s hiking trails along Canajoharie Creek in Canajoharie on Thursday.

ERICA MILLER/THE DAILY GAZETTE
View of Canajoharie Creek from Wintergreen Park’s hiking trails.

ERICA MILLER/THE DAILY GAZETTE
Boy Scout Brady Toher, 15, of Canajoharie stands with his custom-built map/guide stand at the cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking trails at Wintergreen Park.
ERICA MILLER/THE DAILY GAZETTE
Views from Wintergreen Park’s hiking trails.

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Categories: Fulton Montgomery Schoharie





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