Lee Frantz (right) receives the 2018 Walker of the Year Award
Our annual meeting and dinner was held Saturday, January 19th at Valentino’s Pizza south of 108th and L Streets in Omaha. The 2019 Officers were installed and the Walker of the Year award was given to Lee Frantz, club president in 2017 and recently installed as president for 2019.
From l to r: Jill Champley, Lee Frantz, Jeanne Miller, Tricia Abel
In order to print the booklet as it was designed, you’ll need a duplex printer. Open the booklet in Adobe Acrobat. Choose “Print”. Choose “Print on both sides of paper” and then “Flip on short edge”. See below for a screenshot of how this was done on a sample printer.
We’ll be adding more information on upcoming “Meet and Eats” as those walks are adopted and then scheduled, but the next one is coming up at Westroads Mall on Saturday, January 26th at 8:30. More information is available at https://www.nebraskatrailblazers.com/happy-new-year-of-walking/
Be sure to SAVE THE DATE for our Winter 2019 Spectacular, scheduled for Saturday, December 7th. We’ll be sure to let you know when and where!
When you do our walks, do you stamp your book(s) for credit? If you do, you’re going to LOVE our 2019 Walker Incentive Program. Details below:
Request a card at any club meeting or traditional walk event. The card can be carried with your AVA book. You can earn up to four free walks per year. Walk nine unique walks, either traditional events or year round events for CREDIT (do not repeat any of the walks) in your home club-NWFT or Greater Des Moines Volkssport Association (GDMVA). Mark off the nine events you have done and you will get the 10th walk free. The walk must be redeemed at a traditional event or bring the card to a club meeting to redeem for a YRE. After you redeem your first walk, you can walk nine more unique events (not repeating any of the walks). You can now get credit for any events that are sanctioned by NWFT, GDMVA or the Lincoln Volkssport Club. Bonus credit for walking Ogallala or North Platte-these two walks count as two walks each. Drive a little and get double credit! You can receive another free walk from NWFT or GDMVA by showing your card with the walks crossed off as you do them. The card can be used four times. If you walk any qualifying walks prior to receiving a card, you can cross them off of the card after you receive it by showing your AVA book entry. If you do an event at one of the other clubs prior to completing your first 9 walks, you can cross them off your card when you do them but cannot redeem them until you complete the first 9 events at your home club.
Not a book stamper? Consider our New Walker Program. For only $5, you get a Distance and an Event Book, coupons for 3 free walks, a patch and an issue of The American Wanderer, our national organization’s bi-monthly publication – all included! Keep a record of all the great walks you’ve been on and log those kilometers as you walk them.
We just finished our Pie Walk on November 3rd and are getting ready for our Night of Lights Walk on December 2nd. We’re busy at work planning our 2019 walks, starting in March with our annual Soup Walk at Children’s Square in Council Bluffs – more info coming in January about our 2019 season!
In the meantime, we have theNovember-December 2018 newsletteravailable. Remember that club members receive the full newsletter directly as an email.
Our next walk is a Meet and Eat (group walk) on Friday, November 23rd at 10 a.m., starting from the Lansky’s at 1131 N Broadway, Council Bluffs, IA 51503. The plan is to #OptOutside and walk the 5k, then return to Lansky’s for lunch. Lansky’s is the Start Point for our Council Bluffs Year Round Event and specializes in pizza, cheese steaks and pasta.
Our November club meeting featured a speaker from the Omaha Bee Club, a short business meeting and was followed by refreshments. We do provide an orientation to visitors and new club members during the refreshments. Here are scenes from that meeting. [rl_gallery id=”1456″]
Our April club meeting featured an engaging speaker on the topic of blacksmithing, club business and tasty treats. Our next club meeting is May 7th at 7 p.m. at Morning Star Lutheran Church, in the preschool room at 331 S 85th Ave, Omaha, NE 68114.
The April 7th Pete Dowling Memorial “Spyngo” Walk features two 5k loops, one of which overlaps with a run that morning, so folks are being asked not to use that loop until 10 a.m. Luckily, Claudia Dowling and friends will have treats for walkers and a display showing Pete’s contributions to the club over his nearly 35 years of association.
Plans for the 4 County Walks the first weekend of October are in place. We’ve decided to call it “Discover Small Town Nebraska 2018” and you can read all about it here.Sandy Spaulding and the Coordinating Committee have put together 4 walks, 2 dinners, wine tastings and entertainment over 3 days and 2 nights.
Looking for a walking partner to do our club’s Year Round Events? Contact Sandy (or send us an email at netrailblazers@gmail.com) and she will put you on the list of walking partners. A Year Round Event (YRE) is a self-registered walk that you can do any day of the year. It is not staffed and the trail is not marked, but good maps and directions are included in every Walk Box that contains all the info you need to walk a YRE.
Our next club event is the April 21st “Meet and Eat” in Shelby, Iowa. Meet at The Corn Crib (right off I-80, on the northwest side of the off-ramp) at 9:15 to do paperwork and use bathrooms. After the walk at 9:30, come back for lunch with the group at The Corn Crib.
Happy New Year! Was one of your resolutions to do more walking? Our national organization, AVA: America’s Walking Club, has been promoting an online challenge called. “Invest in Your Health: 401k”. Look for more details atAVA.
Locally, you can join one of our Meet and Eats in January indoors at the Westroads Mall at 8 a.m. on January 20th. Walk 5k or 10k – then join the group for a Food Court late breakfast, early lunch or brunch!
Later that day, the NWFT holds its Annual Meeting and Dinner at 5:30 p.m. (social time for the first 1/2 hour – don’t miss it!) at Valentino’s Pizza at 5022 S 108th St, Omaha, NE 68137. Members pay only $12, non-members pay $17. Reservations are due to Butch Spaulding by January 12th, so make your reservation today! Enjoy a lovely evening with friends, celebrate with our 2017 Walker of the Year and close out last year’s business with the installation of our slate of club officers for 2018.
Members should be looking in the mail for their 20 page booklet full of walks and activities for 2018. What’s a non-member to do? Wait for an email – or better yet, join today! A membership form is availablehere.
#OptOutside is the hashtag, or identifier, used on Twitter to make a term searchable by other social media users. This one refers specifically to the idea of walking, hiking or enjoying the great outdoors on the Friday after Thanksgiving, rather than giving the day over to shopping. Our club and other walking clubs across the U.S. are organizing to offer #OptOutside events.
Our event will be a group walk of the Hanscom Park/Ford Birthsite Year Round Walk, either the 5k or the 10k. Folks will meet at the Hanscom Park Pavilion at 9:45 a.m. on Friday, November 24th to sign paperwork and pay fees. ($1.50 Fun Walkers, $3.00 AVA/IVV credit, exact change much appreciated.) Groups will set out at 10 a.m. to work off some of that Thanksgiving turkey. Lunch together is a possibility – the Greek Islands or the 11-Worth Café are both nearby and local favorites.
Can’t make it to our event because you will be out of town? Try locating a walk near where you will be by searching the AVA’s website for walks all across the United States: OptOutside – AVA website link There are some fabulous walks out there. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to #OptOutside with the Trailblazers or with the AVA!
Our Breakfast Walk is coming up on September 9th in Plattsmouth’s Memorial Park. The Harvest Festival will be happening at the same time, so an exciting atmosphere will surround our walkers on that day. Remember that it starts at 8 a.m., registration runs until 11 a.m. and to bring a pre-cooked breakfast item to share, plus $3 for Credit Walkers, $1.50 for Fun Walkers. Breakfast available at the Volunteer Fire Department Pancake Feed from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. plus many food vendors.
What if you’ve volunteered to work the walk on September 9th or can’t make it that day? Well, the Workers’ Walk on Saturday, August 26th at 9 a.m. is for you! Leave the breakfast items at home, but come 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork and to pay.
Mary Ptacek of Tater Tours is bring 51 walkers to walk the Downtown Omaha walk on Monday, September 11th, scheduled to arrive at 11 a.m. Would you be willing to walk with these out-of-towners that day and give them a warm welcome to Omaha? 5k and 10k walkers are both welcome. Like being an ambassador? Tater Tours will be in Lincoln the next day (Tuesday, Sept. 12th) to start the walk around 8 to 8:15 a.m. and off the trail by 11 a.m.
Speaking of September 11th, that’s the date that club meetings resume. 84th Street is STILL not open from Methodist Hospital south to Pacific Street, so plan your route in advance to arrive by 7 p.m. at Morning Star Lutheran Church at 331 S 85th Ave, Omaha, NE 68114.
Saturday, January 28 – group walk of Historic Fremont. Bundle up and meet at Hy-Vee, 840 E 23rd St. at 9:45, ready to walk at 10 a.m. Plan to enjoy Hy-Vee’s great salad bar or buffet after.
Saturday, Feb. 4 – annual Shelby Soup Cook Off. Always a great event (see https://www.nebraskatrailblazers.com/the-return-of-the-unlimited-soup/ ). If you would like to carpool/tandem drive, meet at the old Mall of the Bluffs parking lot by 4:15 (Madison Ave. exit, turn left, at light turn right between Bucky’s and Hy-Vee, go through the stop sign. We will be on the right in the first parking lot). If anyone would like to set up another carpool location, let me Sandy Spaulding know. The location in Shelby is at the Cardinal Lofts gym, 304 Western St.
Monday, Feb. 6 – monthly meeting at Morningstar Lutheran Church, on the lower level. Our speaker will be from The Wild Bird Habitat Store. Join us at 7 p.m. for this interesting program and information on our 2017 walks. Treats to follow!
Saturday, Feb. 11 – Des Moines Skywalk – this will be a carpool event. If you would like to ride or drive, let Sandy Spaulding know. We will be leaving from the old Mall of the Bluffs – see directions above. If anyone would like to set up another carpool location, also let Sandy know. If you are driving yourself, note the change of the start point – CAPITAL SQUARE, 400 LOCUST ST, MAIN FLOOR. More information from AVA’s website at: Des Moines Skywalk.
Congratulations to our 2017 slate of officers and committee chairs:
President – Lee Frantz
Vice President – Larry Boehm
Secretary – Tricia Abel
Treasurer – Butch Spaulding
Historian – Diane Fenlon
“The Committee” Chair – Sandy Spaulding
Newletter Chair – Julie Brown
Come visit with them and other friends at the Annual Meeting and Dinner, to be held Saturday, January 21st at the Valentino’s at 5022 S 108th St, Omaha, NE 68137. Social time begins at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m. Cost is $15 for members and $18 for non-members and includes buffet, soft drink and tip. Come find out who our 2016 Walker of the Year is!
Our next “Meet and Eat” will take place the following Saturday, January 28th, at 10 a.m. starting from the dining area in the Fremont Hy-Vee, 840 E 23rd St, Fremont, NE 68025. 5k walkers will register and then drive to the May Museum at 17th and Nye Avenue to begin their walk; 10k walkers start from the Hy-Vee. Lunch afterwards will take place at Hy-Vee’s restaurant there. The 5k and 10k routes have been changed a bit from 2016, so be sure to stay when walking with someone who has the new map!
February 11th is Des Moines’ annual SkyWalk and is expected to be the site of our next “Meet and Eat” – look for more details coming soon.
Our January – February 2017 newsletter is attached. January – February 2017 Newsletter This is not the full version of the newsletter, as we’ve noticed that this website has been attracting a number of . . . overseas . . .visitors to the site. Club members will still receive the full versions that they’ve come to know and love. Want to be a member? It’s only $10 a year for membership ($15 for a family) and supports all of the great activities that you’ve come to expect from us.
