Judge it when it’s finished

We are glad that Jeremy Lange took the time to bike the open sections of the ATT and to reveal the trail to Indy readers (“Not AT(T) all,” Summer Guide, May 20). However, we feel that it is unfair to judge a project before it is complete.

It has taken a long time to complete the trail, and no one wants it finished more than the members and volunteers of our organization. Since the trail’s conception, we have helped to open and maintain available sections of the trail, advocate for its completion and publicize the remaining gaps. An up-to-date map of the trail is on our Web site, www.triangletrails.org.

The Chatham County bridges you mentioned will be complete by end of this summer, enabling an off-road bike ride of 14 miles, the longest in N.C. The Interstate 40 gap in Durham should be completed by 2011. We hope the Independent will check in on the trail as it nears completion. We are confident that it will be worth the wait.

The completed sections provide a pleasant recreational experience for bicyclists, equestrians, walkers and runners. In addition, the Durham section north of I-40 serves as an excellent bike commuter route between the city and RTP.

Daniel Clever
Durham

The writer is the president of the Triangle Rails to Trails Conservancy.

Summer day trippin’

I just want to thank you for the articles on “Exploring the Triangle from land, water and air” (Summer Guide, May 20). I read the Indy every week to find the fun things to do in the Triangle, and I really like the concept of the day trip. I appreciate your writing about interesting local destinations within driving distance of Raleigh/ Durham. Great job.

Doug Ens
Pittsboro

Stirring the air

Lisa Sorg’s “Find your inner cool,” in your Living Green section (May 13), is a great wake-up call to all of us to be mindful of our excessive use and dependence upon air conditioners in the summertime. I especially appreciate her suggestion of closing the shades and windows during the day and throwing them open at night when the temperatures are cooler outside than inside.

However, Sorg states that “ceiling fans can cool a room several degrees” and this is simply not true. Fans circulate air; they do not have the capacity to cool air. As a matter of fact, the operation of a fan or any motorized contraption will generate heat and make the room warmer with its use. I suggest that fans be used only when you are in the room and are able to enjoy the effects of evaporative cooling as they blow air over your body. When you walk out of the room, turn the fan off so as to not create additional heat.

Matthew Arnsberger
Carrboro