The Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park awarded the 2017 Tom Conklin Service Award to Chris Roe of Grafton, New York on November 2 during their Annual Dinner Meeting.
Grafton Lakes State Park needs helping hands to create events that serve thousands of Capital Region visitors annually and maintain trails that extend over twenty-five miles. The Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park are lucky to have many special members who contribute, but the Tom Conklin Service Award has highlighted the service of a particularly deserving member annually since 2008.
Each year, the acting President of the Friends and the Park Manager Melissa Miller select a member whose exemplary service to the park furthers the longstanding motto of former Manager Tom Conklin, that “Parks are for people.” This year, Friends President Dorothy Surprise and Manager Melissa Miller gave the award to Chris Roe, whose tireless efforts to maintain and grow the trail system at Grafton Lakes State Park have led to miles of new trails for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy.
An engineer who normally works on highways with the Department of Transportation, Chris Roe enjoys applying his design skills to paths in the hemlocks and hardwoods of Grafton. His background as a mountain biker makes for intriguing routes that are far more than just straight lines for those who journey onto Grafton’s trails. The park would like to thank Chris, and we encourage the public to enjoy the his trail efforts in all seasons.