Remember Paul Harvey’s popular “The Rest of the Story” radio program? Fact is, there are times when we hear the start of a story, get whiffs of possible solutions and then the flow of information ends.

I thought I’d use this opportunity to give you the next chapter in a couple of stories related to trails and parks.

Threatened trees in North Cheyenne Canon Park made news in the spring. A couple of types of pesky insects were damaging pine needles, and the size of the infestation put trees at risk in 4,000 acres that included city parks, open spaces, national forest and private property.

The good news is that aerial spraying appears to have worked against the tussock moth. However, the spruce budworm survived the assault. Parks is asking for 2017 funding for an additional application if needed. City foresters say it looks good overall for trees in city parks.

If the sought-after funding is not used to save trees, it might be used for hazard tree removal. When city residents call to request that a tree be removed or pruned to protect property, they are put on a waiting list. The current list is 922 citizens, who are facing wait times of two to three years. Additional general funding for parks could shorten that.

Here’s some more good news: After years of trying to connect Rock Island Trail to Pikes Peak Greenway, it looks like there’s finally a solution for fixing the last gap.

The American Numismatic Association owns a warehouse along the railroad, and parks officials have been talking to AMA about a potential sale after previously securing property east of the warehouse. With the purchase of the warehouse and adjacent property, the final gap disappears.

The new stretch of trail would link Rock Island Trail to Shooks Run and greatly improve connectivity in the city. The Trails, Open Space and Parks tax will allow the city to purchase the property, keep the trail away from the tracks and possibly offer a local nonprofit or trail-compatible business with building space at a fair price.

The proposal only needs a City Council vote to go forward. And we could be very close to writing the rest of the story for Rock Island Trail.

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Davies is executive director of the Trails and Open Space Coalition. Read her columns on the fourth Thursday of each month in Out There.