Charlestown Gives $3,000 to Catonsville Rails to Trails

Charlestown retirement community has given  $3,000 to Catonsville Rails to Trails (www.catonsvillerailstotrails.org) to support the nonprofit organization's mission to convert abandoned rail lines into bike/hike trails and preserve the history of Catonsville’s transportation routes with plaques and wayside exhibits.

The Charlestown donation will help Catonsville Rails to Trails develop a portion of the Short Line Trail behind Spring Grove Hospital. When complete, the 2.2-mile Short Line Trail will extend from the rear of Charlestown to the middle of Catonsville near the firehouse, the original route of the 1884 railroad. The money will specifically be used to rent dumpsters, rent chippers, purchase landscaping materials, and hire a contractor to lay the surface.

Catonsville Rails to Trails in 2008 completed the #8 Streetcar Path in west Catonsville and last November held a ribbon cutting on the Short Line Trail (east of Beltway).

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Caption for above photo: Charlestown Executive Director Clara Parker (R) presents $3,000 check in support of Catonsville Rails to Trails to Maureen Sweeney Smith, the nonprofit organization's fundraiser (photo by Mel Tansill).