Sometimes thinking outside of the box can make all the difference. City of Medford officials disparaged for years building a pedestrian bridge over Barnett Road, partially due to its intrusion into the City’s dog park property, which they might like to sell someday. Their concerns prompted Jenna Stanke, Jackson County Greenway Coordinator, to suggest building the bridge’s ramp at a 90 degree angle, avoiding the dog park almost all together. City officials endorsed her idea of building the bridge with a 90 degree bend for the ramp on the north side of Barnett January 8, 2008.

Bear Creek Greenway Foundation members and others have pressed for the overcrossing bridge for at least two years. Lee Mills advised the Council January 8^th that the underpass proposal presented safety concerns. Research shows that crime increases in tunnels and other light-restricted areas. Indeed, Portland< style=""> In addition, amid floods, the underpass floor would lie below the high water line, endangering bikers, pedestrians and marine life impacted by the compromised asphalt surface.

Councilman Al Densmore, a past Greenway Foundation Board member, stated that the bridge would be a signature project that states, “The Greenway is complete.” Now we need to raise the 1.5 million dollars to finish the project. The Greenway connects five communities, and we envision connecting with the Rogue River Greenway trail in the near future. With fuel and sundry energy and economic concerns, the Greenway presents an environmentally neutral route, mode of transportation, and place for recreation.

Support the Build the Bridge project. Donate to the Greenway. 100% of your donations will go directly to building the bridge over Barnett Road. Mail your donations to Bear Creek Greenway Foundation, P.O. Box 4561,Medford, OR 97501, and Federal tax ID: 93-0907054.

Jenna Stanke to Work with Jackson County Greenways

August 1, 2008

We are pleased to announce that Jenna Stanke is the newly appointed Special Projects Manager for Jackson County Roads and Parks, replacing 30-year Jackson County staff member Karen Smith, and she will represent Jackson County to the Bear Creek Greenway Foundation. Jenna brings an excellent background in parks and recreation, grant writing, and landscape architecture. We at the Bear Creek Greenway Foundation look forward to working with Jenna!

The primary responsibilities of Jenna’s new position include Jackson County’s greenways. She also will serve as staff to the newly formed Joint Powers Committee, helping the five constituent cities and Jackson County identify, pool resources for, and prioritize the major maintenance needs of the county greenways and thus wisely spend the financial contributions of each constituent.

She will work with these five cities on various and ongoing greenway concerns, such as the Barnett crossing, and she will oversee those greenway areas that reside outside of a municipality. In addition, she serves on several local bike and traffic safety committees and will undertake public relations work for the Jackson County Roads Department and perform various tasks as assigned for the Jackson County Parks Department.

A native Midwesterner, Jenna came to the Rogue Valley in 2001 as an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Regional Ecosystems Applied Corps (REAL Corps). In that capacity, she worked on various forest service initiatives and projects such as: Salmon Watch, fish habitat construction, trail building, fuels reduction, and she even helped mark a timber sale. Her favorite memory of that position was the lower Rogue River trail construction project out of Mariel Lodge from Trucker Flat to Panther Ridge. That project sealed her commitment to staying in Jackson County.

Holding a degree in landscape architecture upon graduation from the Iowa State University, Jenna landed an internship, leading into a full time position with the Iowa State Parks department. Her work in Iowa’s state park system led her to the AmeriCorps work, as Iowa had a great AmeriCorps trail crew working in the state park system that inspired her to do something similar as a way to relocate to the Northwest.

Prior to her current position, Jenna worked locally as a Parks and Recreation Planner for the RVCOG, where she conducted formal planning for pieces of the Rogue River Greenway. She worked closely with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, ODOT, and the Rogue River Greenway foundation to secure grant monies for the Rogue River Greenway.

Jenna cares deeply about our greenway; she is an avid biker and hiker who reports biking the BCG at least twice a week. Jenna has a great relationship with the state parks department, according to her supervisor J Domis, who describes Jenna as an “excellent collaborator.” Jenna has been consulting with her predecessor, Karen Smith, whenever questions about the BCG arise. She brings enthusiasm, an optimistic “can-do” attitude, and creative expertise to our foundation. Jenna says, “I’m looking forward to working with the Bear Creek Greenway foundation and working through some of the challenges the BCG faces in becoming the best that it can be.” We welcome you, Jenna!