Dr. Dan Schumaier, chairman of the Rails-to-Trails task force, is convinced everyone is getting excited about the 10-mile recreational trail between Johnson City and Elizabethton called the Tweetsie Trail.After a recent trash cleanup from Carter County jail inmates where over a ton of garbage was removed by Sheriff Chris Mathes’ crews, one incarcerated man told Schumaier how surprised he was at the beauty of the trail, set to be completed by Labor Day in early September.Schumaier asked the man when he was set to be released, and naturally, he said he’d be free in early September.“As soon as I get out, my wife and I are going to walk the entire trail,” the inmate told Schumaier.One thing in common between bikers, runners, walkers and other recreational types is the need to replenish burned calories, which excites restaurant owners up and along the trail. This upcoming Tuesday and Wednesday are the designated Tweetsie Trail Dine-Around days, where all participating restaurants have offered to give 10 percent of their daily profits to the Tweetsie Trail’s coffers.Jennifer Greenwell, director of sales for the Convention and Visitors Bureau in Johnson City, said the event will both raise funds for the project in showing what an “economic engine” the Tweetsie Trail will be and also highlight some of the great food in Johnson City and Elizabethton along the trail.Of the 21 participating restaurants, Greenwell says she hopes to eat three square meals each of the two days at a different restaurant on the Dine-Around’s list. Though she hasn’t yet picked which yet, she says she’s up to the challenge.“We’re really excited about the trail,” Greenwell said. “I’ve already got my bike in my office, ready for use.”The task force usually meets on the first Tuesday of every month at the Administrative Conference Room of the Municipal and Safety Building in Johnson City, but will be putting their money where their mouths are Tuesday, the first night of the Dine-Around event. They will be meeting at The Smokehouse BBQ Company on Milligan Highway, one of the eight businesses on the Elizabethton side of the trail. Another restaurant farther down the trail near the downtown area of Elizabethton is Dino’s Restaurant. Co-owner John Williams said he’s been excited about the trail for a few years now, both from the business side of things and for the convenience of having such an attractive and functional recreational trail so close to his place of work.“We’re absolutely excited about this,” Williams said. “I don’t see how the increase in traffic around the downtown area could be be bad for us.”He said he’s often in competition with the chain restaurants near Wal-Mart and the busy main roads in Elizabethton and can’t wait to see such an emphasis on the trail, which runs right through downtown. He’s been increasing a push for his everyday customers to come in specifically on those two days, wanting to give as much money as he can to the project.On the other side of the trail is Buffalo Street Downtown Deli, which sits less than a mile from the start of the trail and is in a fine position to do well with an increased tourism to the area. Tim Swinehart, owner and chef, wants the two days of the charity to put as many people through his doors as possible.“I would love to see us jammed for those days,” says Swinehart, who boasts about his roasting and cutting of his own deli meats, something he says you can’t find anywhere else in the downtown Johnson City area.Swinehart says he’s an avid biker and often makes trips up to the Virginia Creeper Trail, after which he will frequent restaurants in Abingdon, Va., to replenish lost calories and support their local businesses. He hopes Johnson City will see a similar boom with the Tweetsie and sees room for new businesses, which might include bike shops, apparel stores and more.“This is something I’ve been completely supportive of,” Swinehart said. “This is such a beautiful part of the state, there’s no place like it and this trail will show it all off.”To take part in the Dine-Around fundraiser, all one needs to do is eat at one of the participating restaurants Tuesday and Wednesday, and a portion of their money will go to the Tweetsie Trail project. For more information about the trail, check out the website at http://bit.ly/1kyTUn7, where donations can be made, or the project’s Facebook page.
from Johnson City Press Latest News Feed
To read more visit: http://bit.ly/1mlbfNf
This share sponsored by East Coast Wings Johnson City
from Tumblr http://bit.ly/1jMnYeR
via This share sponsored by East Coast Wings Johnson City
No comments:
Post a Comment