Write a commentOn Sunday, June 9, Mexico Point State Park debuted a brand new accessible trail leading along the edge of Lake Ontario.
Grant funding was received in 2022; after DEC approval in January 2023, work was begun almost immediately by local landscaper Jared Raffa.
President of the Board for the Friends of Mexico Point State Park Diane Chepko-Sade described the lengthy process for the trail’s completion, made all the more complicated by its overlap with her own battle with cancer. The last signs were installed and the last flowers planted just weeks after doctors at her treatment center in California declared her cancer to be in remission—a personal connection that made the ribbon cutting that much more meaningful to those in attendance.
“I was declared in remission May 6,” Chepko-Sade said with emotion, “I got home [from the treatment center] on May 11, and Alicia had already arranged with the Scouts to come on May 24th… and on the 31st of May we installed our final sign, honoring Pirates Cove.”
The project was made possible by a $33,000 grant as part of a NY Parks and Trails grant program aimed at improving the accessibility of New York State Parks. The scope of work included laying out the new trail, as well as creating new signage to promote appreciation of the park’s history and natural resources. Topics of the signs vary from the role that the park played in Prohibition-era smuggling operations and the French and Indian War to the health and future of Lake Ontario and the types of native species that can be observed in the park.
Friends of Mexico Point State Park Board Member Alicia Archer put accessibility front and center by placing QR codes on each sign that lead users to audio recordings of the sign’s contents. This helps visitors with vision impairments, dyslexia, intellectual disabilities, those who struggle with literacy, and those who are unable to stop to read each sign, giving them the ability to enjoy learning about the park’s history and plant life. Amazingly, Archer was also able to find voice actors who donated their time to make the recordings.
In all, donations and volunteer hours helped the park complete 25% more work than if they had relied on grant dollars alone.
The park’s volunteer organization Friends of Mexico Point State Park, as well as the wider community throughout Oswego County, worked together for such a fantastic outcome.
“I will confess, I have a bias,” Archer admitted. “My favorite volunteers were the local Boy Scouts [Troop 825].” Under the guidance of Scout Leader Chuck Parker, the troop dug post holes and installed all of the park’s new signs—nearly two dozen in total. Their work was the final piece of a project that has been over 2 years in the making.
Volunteerism started from the very beginning, with Board President Diane Chepko-Sade donating her time to write the grant application which resulted in the project’s funding. Then, Friend Karen Ringwald reached out to Karen Noyce, who agreed to design the map of the park that is proudly displayed near the trail entrance. Dick Dross of Great Bear Recreational Area in Phoenix, NY connected the Friends of Mexico Point State Park with a reputable outdoor sign company located in NYS.
Community member Terry Clarcq, a friend of Chepko-Sade’s, volunteered to build a butterfly garden at the terminus of the new trail. Clarcq sourced new materials through donations and at-cost discounts, and relocated native plants from other parts of the park to build out the garden. His design is currently exclusively made up of plants native to the area, including several types of black-eyed susans, milkweed, and various types of flowers that will erupt in shades of purple, yellow, and orange by the end of July.
Other projects still ongoing at the park include the restoration of the Park People who illustrate many points in the park’s illustrious history, and upkeep and restoration work on two additional trails.
Be sure to visit this hidden gem, located off of 104B in Mexico. Plan your visit and learn more about joining the Friends of Mexico Point State Park at mexicopointpark.com.
