The Cincinnati Post from Cincinnati, Ohio • 2

H5SMI IB Ttwradr December 1 19S3 1 Trail may pave way to economic success '1 don't think it's as good as a railroad But I hope in time it will bring in small shops and tourists WeTe going to encourage it all we can? Morrow Council Member Gerald Mengle By Mika Agin ran Kifi Mponar The dream' was to hear once again the train whistle aounding over sleepy-looklng mall towns pastures and gravel-pit lakes That dream proved to be too expensive however and plane for a scenic railroad along the Little Miami River between Morrow and Loveland were replaced by those for a paved bike trail and a horse path Morrow and Loveland officials say a scenic railroad would have been best but nonetheless are predicting economic and recreational benefits as people come to the Little Miami Scenic Park to bike hike or ride horses don't think as good as a said Morrow Council Member Oerald Mengle I hope in time It will bring In mall shops and tourists going to encourage It all we The state owns 44 miles of railroad right-of-way from Spring Valley In Greene County 'ttrRroger Hills In Hamilton Copnty A contract was awarded this fall for $483402 to develop the 13-mlle section between Morrow and Loveland The bike trail and horse path will be Installed barricades and signs will be erected and the area along the trail will be cleaned up A historic business aone Is being planned to encourage restoration of old residences and proper business development along the trail think the trail Is going to be very Stewart offered generating all sorts of Development of the paved trail however has not been without problems The trail opened officially but the paved portion Is finished and already Is being used by bikers Since barricades have nbt been erected access by motor vehicles Is simple too had some aid OT Bishop trustee of Hamilton Township in Warren County where the majority of the new paved portion Is going to be a policing To restrict access by motor vehicles a barricade will be Most of the work will be done by Dec 31 The money comes from a 2 million half federal money and half state-established several years ago to purchase the railroad right-of-way and begin to protect the Little Miami scenic corridor Loveland believes the trail Is fantastic recreational facility and we anticipate the presence of the trail will have a positive economic Impact on our old business said Paul Stewart building Inspector who has been heavily Involved In the planning The railroad Idea died when studies showed It to be too expensive he said About $2(M)00 wtyl be spent on the three-quarters of a mile of trail through Loveland to add landscaping and pghta he said erected at each Intersection of the trail and another road he aid One portion of the barricade will have to be removable to allow access by vehicles and emergency squads he said Such barricades will restrict ajbout 80 percent of the motor traffic but those who are determined will get past anyway he said Enforcement and public education will be the keys In getting the remaining violators aid Ina Broils ranger coordinator or the 44-mlle park find she said end up In Also Bishop and officials from the Little Miami Scenic River Advisory Council Identified two other problem areas: Protecting private property along the river And adding rangers for only one ranger is available for the 44-mlle park want to develop the trail and then dump It on the local said Mark Kline state lands planner Ms Broils said she continues to meet with community groups to tell them about the 1 trail and Its purposes to get out the word that enforcement Is being carried out along the trail and to tell people they can call police Local police have authority to cite persons for state-code or local-ordinance violations she said A proposal Is being reviewed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to hire three people for the park: a ranger manager a full-time ranger and a maintenance person Signs and trail markings win be erected to help Identify where the state land ends and private property begins That Is designed to reduce trespassing he said': Kline also said that as more people use the trail vandalism and other abuse should begin to decrease as has happened in other state parks This Is only the second bikeway the state has developed he said It Is the first state park that Is long and -narrow and that runs adjacent to a designated scenic river he Mild V-Some Information about-managing this type of park has been received from other states going to be a learning Kline said the beginning we might not hit It right But sure things are going to Poet graphic by Barbara FBMk- The state owns 44 miles of railroad right-of-way from Spring Valley in Greene County to near Terrace Park in Hamilton County The paved bike trail extends from Morrow to Loveland paved bice trail now runs along the Little Miami River between Morrow arid Loveland Here at Foster in Warren County the US 22-Ohio 3 bridge crosses the river and the trail1 Mother wife tell jury of mans alleged drug use death of a Qlen Este tavern employee Lawrence Copher 28 of Batavia Russell already Is serving time for armed robbery and attempted murder The second part of hto current trial -to an attempt by defense lawyers to how Jurors that mitigating circumstances affected how Russell acted At the conclusion of the presentation of evidence Jurors will be asked to deliberate again cm whether Russell By Nancy Barliar MMHrportv BATAVIA The mother and wife of a Mt Carmel man convicted of aggravated took the witness stand Wednesday to testify about the troubled life of 25-year-old David Eugene RusaelL Russell was convicted Monday of aggravated murder and robbery charges In the June 8 1882 shooting up with their bills and thought she might be able to get welfare or move Into her house she said She said she visited him In hto garage where he was working on a motorcycle and noticed that he was taking Quaaludes mother Margaret testified that she also saw her son take some-pills and once saw him so that he get out of hto truck ed In water Into hto bloodstream after being laid off from a welding Job In January 1882 the woman testified He also had used LSD and marijuana she told Jurors Just before Christmas 1881 Mrs Russell said she and her husband bought furniture a sewing machine and a truck on credit Ruseell moved out of their apartment in the last week of May 1882 because he keep should be sentenced to die In electric chair or to life In prison The Jury will make a recommendation to Clermont County Common Pleas Judge John Watson 28-year-old wife Kim told Jurors Wednesday that her husband was using a lot of drugs during the two weeks before Copher was killed Russell began taking Quaaludes and Injecting amphetamine tablets dtosolv- Regional briefs Arguments canceled made Tuesday prohibits -the transfer of any persons from Orient for at least two weeks UR District Judge Joseph Kinlieary-handed down the order following receipt of a report Issued last week by a committee appointed to look Into the emptying of Orient The state had announced plans to close Orient by Dec 31 The group making the request In court has alleged In Its complaint that New Horizons Inc which was awarded a contract on Nov 1 to manage the Batavia center has no experience In operating a certified In termed late-care facility for the mentally retarded and did not submit the low bid on the contract BATAVIA A federal court ruling In Columbus temporarily blocking the transfer of mentally handicapped persons out of the Orient Developmental Center has led a Clermont County Common Pleas Court Judge to cancel arguments In a separate case Judge Robert Rlngland canceled arguments that had been scheduled for Wednesday Locally the Citizens Advisory Board of the Southwest Ohio Development Center to asking for a temporary Injunction to keep New Horizons Inc of Toledo Ohio from operating a new residential center for the mentally retarded In Batavia Meanwhile the federal court ruling Intersection to be improved FAIRFIELD Bids for the Improvement of Pleasant Avenue- (UR 127) and John Gray Road (the Butler-Ham 11 ton county line) could be advertised for In January The Improvements to the Intersection will include turn lanes on both streets and the installation of a traffic signal A large hump on the west side of John Gray Road will be removed Council Member Donald Hassler said the federal government will pay for 80 percent of the cost of the road improvement estimated at more than It to hoped Hassler said that the project can be completed In the spring The 10 percent local cost will be shared by Fairfield and Hamilton County Hassler said the city to negotiating with owners of five pieces of property where easements are needed for construc- Armco recalling 81 employees MIDDLETOWN With the recall of 81 workers effective Sunday Middletown works will operate at full strength said Barbara Hamilton company spokeswoman With the latest recall more than 1000 workers laid off since December 1881 will have been called back bringing the labor force at the plant to about 5800 Because of retirements and changes In plant operation that to lower than the number working for the steel company when the layoffs began Ma Hamilton said The company to unsure how many of the 81 being recalled will return but most have Indicated they will be back on the Job Ma Hamilton said Coordinator appointed at hospital HAMILTON Anita Junker has been appointed aftercare coordinator for the Horizon Center at Ft Hamllton-Hughes Memorial Jean Glowka executive pro-' gram director for the center said Ma Junker will be responsible for the after-care part of the program for patients who are being treated for alcohol or drug abuse 1 Council discussing power contract HAMILTON city council meeting In executive session Wednesday evening was expected to discuss the city's contract with the city of Vanceburg Ky for the purchase of hydroelectric power The city may seek to renegotiate that 1879 contract City officials say the output of power from the Vanceburg plant has been below expectatlona Sources Indicated that If council decides to take action to alter the contract it probably would not be done until mid-January Bank money taken in threat The bids will be advertised for by the Ohio Department of Transportation Also the Fairfield council has awarded a contract to VIP Development Co to make drainage Improvements In the Sherry Lane-Tallawanda Drive neighborhood at a cost of $58483 The engineer's estimate was $77189 charge of the Cincinnati FBI office said on Wednesday that the money was dropped off near the Holiday Inn Eastgate Dlnan refused to disclose the amount that was dropped off or whether FBI agents or other law-enforcement authorities were present at the time Police found a brown attache case at -the bank with a device Inside but a bomb specialist from the Hamilton County Sheriffs Department concluded that It was not an explosive MT CARMEL Although authorities would not reveal how much was Involved 'the FBI said Wednesday that money was extorted from the Central Trust Bank branch near Eastgate Mall (m Monday Union Township police In Clermont County said the Central Trust Bank branch at 4579 Eastgate Blvd received a call about 2 pm Monday from someone who said he would blow up the building unless he was paid money Terence Dlnan special agent In Boschert 4 'f.