NEIGHBORS SHARING

This is a great site that I visit often.  My husband and I were on Monte Sano recently and we could not find the old 
carved rock sign with Monte Sano on it.  I have older photos of my grandparents and parents by it.  Is is on the old 
road that was closed off or did we just pass it by?  Thanks......

Have a wonderful Spring.  We hope to be in Huntsville again soon.  We bought several jars of Charlie's Honey on 
Berry Hollow Rd. in Hurricane Creek Valley...

In Christ...Sherrell

Carved Stone Sign

The stone sign was probably one of several hand-chiseled by the C.C.C. men who built Monte Sano State Park. One is in the C.C.C. Memorial Garden on the road to the office.  The back-side has the original lettering the front-side has the memorial to the C.C.C. There is another on the right-side of the entrance to the Lodge. It is interesting to feel the letters. The original hand-made go at an angle, due to the chisel used.  The later letters were made by computer, template and sandblasting. They go straight in.

Open Park Road

I am a native of Huntsville and for the last 48 years have lived on Monte Sano. In my youth, I saw two fires on Monte Sano. 
If the number of cigarette butts that I pick up beside the road in front of my house is an indication of the number of 
cigarettes thrown out of cars all across the Mountain, there's going to be a fire soon or later. It has happened before, 
and can happen again.  It has been over 50 years since there has been a major fire on the Mountain, so there are 50 years 
of leaves, limbs and dead trees in the woods. Suppose there should be a fire in the Fall, when all the leaves on the trees 
are dry, the school is in session and the State Park Trailer Park's 88 spaces are mostly full. Plus there are a few hikers, 
and some tent campers. Parking spaces at the TV stations are nearly always full. To this add approximately 600 houses with 
an average of two cars at each house. Can one imagine parents picking up children at the school, trailers leaving the park, 
and everyone who lives on the mountain all trying to leave the mountain at the same time?

A worse scenario would be having a fire during the Annual Fall Art Show, when visitors to the mountain are present in 
hundreds of cars. It is true that the closed section of the road is a another place where one can ocasionally hike. 
However, there is not a lack of abundant hiking trails available on the mountain, without using the closed section of road, 
needed for access.  The numbers of visitors using this URBAN park are ever increasing, acccoding to statistics of park 
management. Visitors will continue to increase at an increasing rate, due to area growth, and especially, with the impact 
of the BRAC jobs coming here fully felt. 

It would be logical, and prudent for safety reasons to REOPEN the section of Bankhead Parkway, as originally designed. 
Access and exit through a wooded green area is specified for State Parks, rather than through a residential neighborhood.  
This is described in a book of park specifications, located in the Park office.

George Savas

Dark Sky Project

The Monte Sano State Park is attempting to earn the Dark Sky Park status.  There are numerous ways that folks can help the park achieve this goal by helping to eliminate light pollution around the park and throughout Madison County.

The National Park Service and the International Dark-Sky Association created the Dark Sky Park program to help raise awareness that light pollution is threatening the natural habitat of nocturnal wildlife, and the natural beauty of the night sky even in remote parks. There are three levels; Gold, Silver, and Bronze.  Gold is the best with almost no light pollution.

Monte Sano State Park had Gold level skies at one time, and that is why the observatory was built there in the 1950's.  The sky quality has deteriorated to the point that qualifying for the Bronze level will be difficult.  The good news is that light pollution can be corrected. With the support of the community we might even regain silver status.

If you would like to help with the Dark Sky Park project, please visit the VBAS Dark Sky Web Page for more details on the various ways to help reclaim our night skies and save energy at the same time!

Trough Spring Trail

 Regarding the Trough Spring Trail marker on Monte Sano installed by the Huntsville Land Trust, not the Monte Sano Historical Association,  with the parking facility on Monte Sano State Park property. The Trough Spring marker reads “Col. Johnston surrendered to Col Givens at Trough Spring.”   According to our maps, the diary of Mrs. Chadick written during the Civil War and Col. Meade’s biography provided by Charles S . Rice of Huntsville,  Col. Meade and Col. Johnson were encamped in Maysville.  Col. Meade refused demands for his surrender.  The war was over and “he saw no military necessity to do so.”  Col. Johnson came with his men into Huntsville, probably along the Maysville Pike north of Monte Sano, and May 11, 1865 surrendered to Col. Givens.  Perhaps the  Trough Spring “historical marker” could be removed. Since our Natural Well Trail, in Monte Sano State Park  is blocked by a land slide the positive side of the nearby Trough Spring Trail is that it encourages the public to hike around our beautiful mountain; however, when they get to Trough  Spring there is no water, only a bench.  Jane J.  Barr, President, Monte Sano Historical Association.  

WORKSHOP OFFERING

Laura Gates will conduct a workshop entitled: "Working with the Body in a Somatic Way" on Saturday, Sept 30, 12:30-2:30 PM, at Community Ballet, located at Regal  Drive and L & N Rd. 

The 2 hour session will introduce participants to Hanna Somatic Education (HSE), a gentle, slow motion
movement practice based on sound principles of neuroscience. Effective self care methods will be presented to address postural issues, chronic pain, and range of motion. HSE was created by the late neuromuscular pioneer, Thomas Hanna. Illustrated material with content of the class will be available to take home. These techniques will be of particular interest to athletes, dancers, actors, singers, or anyone wishing to increase physical intelligence, and is also safe for older adults or people recovering from traumas or surgery.  

Cost of the workshop is $20. Call Community Ballet to register at 256 539 0961. Questions may be directed to Laura Gates at 718 350 0637  or Lmgates@peoplepc.com

I have been concerned about recent changes to some of the trails in the park. On one of the trails going down behind the cabins a large area has been cleared of trees. This has turned this once shaded and cool refuge into a miserably hot, dry, sunny spot. Granted, this is only a small part of the much larger trail, but why ruin any part? Ordinarily , this wouldn't be such a worry, but these woods are made up of a precious climax stage forest. There aren't enough lovely forest areas already, so we don't need to go messing up the few that we have.

Another concern that I have is the overly-zealous weedeating used to keep the trails clean. I understand the need to maintain decent, family-friendly paths, but the paths lately have been cleared of all undergrowth for 2 and sometimes 3 yards. Many of the flowers that we are used to visiting during their blooming seasons year after year are now reduced to stubble.

There can be no excuse for this sanctioned vandalism to our park. If it is not protected from well-meaning but misguided managers now, it will eventually become just another ordinary park with sidewalks criss-crossing amongst a few trees, but nary a natural spot at all. Roberta Freeman

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE MONTE SANO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY,
or the SAVE THE MONTE SANO GREENWAY

After the article in the Huntsville Times of December 2004 appeared, many users of the Monte Sano State Park, especially those who particularly are fond of the abandoned portion of the Upper Bankhead Road now used as a walkway, a runners¹ practice and race way, bikers path, and the connecting
juncture of several of the dirt trails in the whole park, were upset that they would lose their favorite outing spot. Sporadic opposition started to be heard until enough began to sense that an organization was needed to challenge the proposed plan to rebuild the old road and allow motorized vehicles to traverse their new walkway. Several formed the group, now casually named the Monte Sano Greenway Conservancy, or to some, the Protect the Monte Sano Greenway organization. Soon petitions were circulated in a limited manner, calls were made to some of those who might be responsible for deciding the issue, and meetings were called to discuss how they could create an awareness of the needs and wishes of the people who use and pay for the parks.

One of their first major tasks was to challenge the limited survey that was the basis of the Monte Sano Civic Association¹s claim to support the road rebuilding. The MSCA survey did not seem to represent the number of friends and acquaintances we know who live "up there," since most all our Monte Sano
friends expressed strong concern that they want the area to remain natural and to continue to be used as a walkway and bike way. Also many people felt that the overall opinion regarding the use of the parks should come from everywhere in the state and from visitors to the state parks and other
natural lands. Many of those who live "down below" the mountain and as far away as Birmingham should have some say in such a decision, since it would change the entire complexion of the state park. It was also agreed that a more thorough survey of those who live close to the park should be taken to
get a truer sense how they feel.
 
Thus, a survey of Monte Sano residents was taken to find out their opinions concerning the protection of the new Greenway in Monte Sano State Park.

RESULTS OF THE MONTE SANO RESIDENTIAL SURVEY
BY THE MONTE SANO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY

Individual volunteers of the Monte Sano Greenway Conservancy went house-to-house in June and July of 2005. Residents of 34 streets on the Monte Sano plateau were asked to answer four concise questions. The group that sponsored the few who walked many hours to obtain responses is the Save the Monte Sano Greenway organization.

Each household was given one vote. The survey included 34 streets on the Monte Sano main plateau. The first guideline was that should no one answer the door, that house would not be recalled for survey. The second guideline used was that no surveyor¹s opinions would be expressed until after the survey was completed and then offered only if any of those surveyed were open to and wished to discuss the issues. (The people of Monte Sano were very friendly to the surveyors and often eager to chat. But no matter their seriousness in the questioning, the surveyors held firm to wait for discussion afterwards.)

The survey was conducted as objectively as possible and each surveyor held firmly to the method and rules decided beforehand. The times when the surveyors participated usually fell on the weekend or after work hours, the same busy times when a number of residents had other commitments or chores,
away from their homes, or simply out of pocket and thus were not surveyed. There were 241 door responses from 439 households, still a creditable number of respondents.

The final results of the Survey are that 40.7 percent were against rebuilding the road, 37.3 percent wanted the road to be reopened, and 22 percent were undecided or did not know about the issues. Only about half of the Monte Sano residents who responded had ever used or walked on the greenway, the abandoned roadway.

Thus among Monte Sano residents there is a close split with about 2/5ths wanting the road to remain closed and kept as a natural path and 2/5ths want the road to be rebuilt and opened to motorized vehicles. A surprising 1/5th didn¹t know about the issues or seemed not to be interested in the decision. Such a definitive view of people who use the park and who live off the mountain nearby or far away has not been determined by survey, although a general sense of their feelings has been expressed.

Endnotes:

1. They were asked:

1) if they ever used the Monte Sano State Park;
2) if they ever walked or rode bicycle on the caved-in Upper
Bankhead Road in Monte Sano State Park;
3) if they knew of the plans to rebuild the old roadway; and,
4) if they approved or disapproved of the plan to rebuild the former
roadway or to leave the area natural as a Greenway.

2. Various frequent users of Monte Sano State Park from across Alabama were
contacted and a number of them have become involved in efforts to maintain
the Upper Bankhead in its new natural state and to prevent the opening and
rebuilding of the abandoned roadway. State officials stated that they
received many emails about the issue.

In Support of Keeping the Bankhead Parkway Entrance to the State Park Closed
The old North Entrance to Monte Sano State Park should remain closed. Here’s why:
1) As we have seen in the landslides of recent years, the slopes of Monte Sano are unstable, and the extent of site prep to make that roadbed suitable for today’s big RV’s is likely to be very costly. I’d readily trade that budget for more maintenance in the Park proper.
2) The bulk of the traffic in and out of the Park will continue to use the East entrance anyway, which is more directly accessible from Governors Drive.
3) The camping area of the Park has been greatly expanded since the old road was closed, and the primitive camping area lies directly above the old road. Tent campers there are far more sensitive to noise than RV campers, and I can imagine their displeasure in listening to a motorhome laboring up that road. It would likely discourage repeat business.
4) Do you really want to face the prospect of following an RV up EITHER approach to Monte Sano?
5) If the old road is opened, Huntsville’s stop sign-happy traffic engineer will undoubtedly install one or two at Fearn and Bankhead. We don’t need another impediment to our goings and comings.
 Finally, there’s an aesthetic reason to keep the road closed. In getting all worked up about the practical aspects of the problem, it’s easy to lose sight of this: As the years go by, the interest in this old road will increase, just as interest in the old railroad bed. There’s something fascinating about works of man that have fallen into ruin. Observing them puts one in mind of earlier times, and those who have gone before - not a bad thing. With the reconstruction of the Lodge, we’ve lost an instance of that phenomenon. That was a good trade – not so this one. David Harris, Resident of Monte Sano since 1971

In Support on Two Monte Sano Entrances
I do not live on the mountain now, but did not too long ago (at the corner of Cooper and Nolen) and my thought is that anyone who thinks one entrance to the park is sufficient ought to try living on "the main drag".

There's nothing wrong with the traffic on Nolen going to the park, especially if you enjoy the rush that comes from spending your entire weekend wondering if your kids and your pets are out of the way of the cars. Nothing against those that use the park, I've spent a great deal of time there myself. It's just that the current arrangement sent an awful lot of traffic through our NEIGHBORHOOD, especially on the weekends. And I'll only mention in passing the fact that every time something turned up "missing" from our yard (a child's bike, the family's hammock) was on a Saturday or Sunday night, after the park's visitors had time to peruse what was available for their picking.

Growing up in Huntsville, I remember clearly the times my parents drove our family up Bankhead Parkway to Monte Sano State Park. I remember it as quite a beautiful drive. And as a former park user, I remember as well how beautiful it was to walk down Bankhead from the park to Fearn and back again. But I would think that if it is possible to open Bankhead back up, that would be an advantage for all involved. The mountain and Governors Drive traffic would still come down Nolen, but the Bankhead Parkway traffic could continue into the park without detour. And perhaps a walking/hiking/biking path could be included in the renovation for those who enjoyed that particular view of the mountain.

As I'm living out of the country at the present, I have no grasp of the economics of the state of Alabama and how that factors in. But I still pay US taxes and IF I was a resident of Alabama, based on my personal experience, I would definitely support the allocation of funds to study the feasibility of reopening of Bankhead and would gladly support such a project, if it should come to pass. Wes Emanuel


STOP ATTEMPT TO REBUILD CLOSED ROAD IN MONTE SANO STATE PARK
Printed in The Huntsville Times on the opinion page "letters to the editor" on March 7, 2005
The closed upper Bankhead Parkway has been a blessing to Monte Sano Park and to the many users who love the outdoors. On any given day there you will find strollers, hikers, runners, bike riders, birdwatchers, photographers, newcomers to the city, and those simply seeking a nice, quiet day in the outdoors.

To rebuild the road so that it is safe for cars would be very expensive. It would require destroying part of the old growth forest and essentially leave an open scar along both sides of the road. Rebuilding the road would encourage vastly increased traffic and noise throughout the park and cause loss of natural habitat for over a mile of Parkland.

Presently the main Nolen Road only needs repaving to serve very well as the only entrance to the park. The present alternate way up the mountain from the existing Bankhead Road and onto Fearn has been a satisfactory secondary way to reach Monte Sano Boulevard and then on to the Park entrance.

It would be highly irresponsible for our state legislators and officials to push through a money grant of $100,000 for a so-called "feasibility study" through the state transportation department at this time of severe state budget crunch. It would be even more drastic to spend millions of dollars for such an unnecessary project.

Rebuilding the road has never been fully discussed publicly and democratically. The Alabama government should not force a project on the people until the public has a say.

Thus, I publicly request of the appropriate state authorities that they authorize and set up several public hearings. There are concerned park users in all corners of our state, especially here in Huntsville, in Birmingham, in Montgomery, and in Mobile that would address their viewpoints about such a park and conservation issue as this. Tom A. Brindley, Huntsville, AL 35802

PARK ROAD - OPEN OR KEEP CLOSED?
In a recent letter to the Times, my friend Tom Brindley made a case for not repairing the upper portion of Bankhead Parkway on Monte Sano. He said that pedestrians like using it the way it is now, and that to repair it would be wasting money.

Since Tom doesn't live on the mountain and I do, I want to rebut his case. Last summer, the Monte Sano Civic Association invited mountain residents to respond to a survey, which asked their opinions on several issues, including Bankhead. Respondents voted overwhelmingly to repair and reopen Bankhead.

Many mountain residents, including me, enjoy hiking on the closed road now. However, we know that this road was the original entrance to the State Park and should be again. With the road closed, all park traffic is diverted through Monte Sano neighborhoods. Further, the park is at risk with only one entrance, should there be a forest fire, or other emergency.

State Sen. Jeff Enfinger told us last spring that he was willing to proceed with a feasibility study on the repair of Bankhead, but not before we decided amongst ourselves that we wanted this done. We have, and we do. John H. Allen

CONTRACTOR FEEDBACK COMMENTS
For those that might consider dealing with septic tank pumping / sand-gravel filling and connecting to grinder pump, they can purchase a permit for $10.00 from the city. I've just purchased a permit and from what I've heard, pumping septic tank amounts to something like $200.00 or so. Not sure about cost of sand or gravel to fill but I can't believe it is costly. Another point one should consider after having septic tank pumped. Hole must be punched in bottom of tank so that rain water can move out rather than filling tank and causing water damage later.

Hi:
   I can't believe that our newsletter isn't passing along feedback on the contractors being used by our residents for hookup to the new sewer.  Cost?  Quality of work?  On schedule performance? Condition of grounds at job conclusion?  Can we initiate such a service?  I think it might be the most valuable service the Civic Association can provide to the residents at this point in time.  After all, what is the biggest deal happening on our mountain right now? --- the sewer.  How about it?  Jim Bathurst
3514 Wildwood Drive

In answer, I'd be happy to post any feedback from neighbors here regarding their experience in hooking up or any other sewer related comments. Delia, Webmaster

Curious phenomenon on Monte Sano
As a boy in the 60's, while visiting relatives in Huntsville, we frequently took drives up Monte Santo mountain. During the drive up, we were driving up and down
hills on the roadway/ After coming over a certain hill,my uncle stopped on the road at the base of the hill and put the car in neutral. Lo and behold the car began to back itself up the hill!
All these years I wondered about this phenomena. If anyone out there knows anything about this please E-mail me. Thanks, Ruben buster5127 at yahoo.com

The phenomenon the gentleman is inquiring about is most likely the "Upside-down Hill" in the 1700 - 1800 blocks of Big Cove Road.  Years ago the hill did function quite well but after many layers of pavement and other road work it seems to have lost its magic.  It was quite famous and even now occasionally people will stop in that neighborhood and ask about it. Carol Blair

I grew up in Huntsville and remember my dad taking us to the "Upside Down Hill". Obviously, entertainment choices were slightly more limited than today :-)
But I remember it as being somewhere over on Big Cove Road... probably on a part towards the upper end of the street. I also remember it as being "cool". Wes Emanuel