Day 60: Since discovering the new Bud Blancher bike path/walking trail, I have been wondering who Mr. Blancher was and why he got a trail named after him. Asking locals who were walking the trail got me nowhere, so I resolved to take the puzzle to the next level. I figured the newspaper office was a good place to start, but the receptionist said that she knew the story poorly and was reluctant to give out any information which might prove to be wrong. She suggested I call the town clerk. The town clerk referred me to the planner's office where I left a voice message. When Doug Beagle returned my call this afternoon, he gave me a brief history before we got sidetracked onto discussing future, larger plans for the trail system.
So who was Bud Blancher? Was he a former mayor or something? No, he was an aviator and an inventor, and made his fame and fortune by developing a shoulder harness for pilots. He was also an avid bicyclist who once spent 13 months riding around the periphery of the United States. When he passed away in 2007 at the age of 75, his family donated funds from his estate toward development of the trail which now bears his name. Now when I walk along this lovely path, if someone asks me if I know who Bud Blancher was, I'll be able to tell them, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."
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