Now’s the time to get involved
You may have noticed a growing sense of excitement in the community surrounding the development of trails in our community generally and for the completion of the T-Bone trail specifically.
What a great thing that is! A lot of people who have been working for a long time in near obscurity on the issue are now seeing a renewed interest in the project and are hopeful that, if not the end at least the beginning of the end, is in sight. Renewed interest is popping up everywhere and there is no doubt the public supports the project.
There are probably a number of reasons for this, but the completion of the Audubon County leg of the T-Bone trail and the pending change in Atlantic City government are certainly at the top of those.
Last week nearly 30 people attended a meeting of the Trails group charged with developing a route from the end of the current T-Boine trail-head three miles north of town, into Atlantic. The remarkable thing about that was the meeting had almost no publicity with word spreading via email and word of mouth. And then on Thursday night around 20 people attended a meeting of the Nishna Vally Trails and Friends group at the Methodist Church where attendees were asked to dream big - to think about the big picture and what type of trail systems they would like to see throughout the community and how it would interact with the community.
But there is no doubt that the first step is completing the T-Bone trail and there are still a number of issues to work out. The large Trails Group is being pared down to a more manageable size consisting of representatives from the County, County Conservation Board, City, City Parks and Rec Department and Nishna Valley Trails group. The new streamlined group will be in charge of selecting the final route of the trail into the community along with spear-heading the project and working with government entities on funding, acquiring right-of-way and all the other issues that go into a project of this size.
The group is considering a number or possible routes to connect the end of the trail with the trail system at the new Schildberg Recreation area, each with their own pros and cons. They hope to begin meeting in the next couple of weeks to begin working out the details.
But the most encouraging thing is that the attitude seems to have changed. The sentiment is no long IF the trial will get to town but WHEN.
It’s difficult to pin down how long the process might take and that’s frustrating. But it is what it is. I’s must be dotted and T’s must crossed.
Another positive sign is commitment from Mayor Elect Dave Jones earlier this week. Jones, who has always supported trails, came and said he wanted to move ahead with Schildberg project, and included the possibility of bonding to provide funding and approaching the Vision Iowa people to see if there might be a way to reapply for a new grant.
There’s a lot of baggage that comes with the word “bond” and at least one councilman is already making noises about his objection to the project.
But I applaud Jones, it’s a discussion that needs to be held, and he is absolutely right in asking if not now, when?
There is also support on the county level county with supervisor Dave Dunfee on board along as are other board members. Micah Lee, the County Conservation Director and members of the Conservation board also support the project. Along with many others.
The fact is that this project cannot be done without government participation and it’s heartening to see not just support and enthusiasm, but action from our government representatives.
But the truth is this project needs public involvement, government alone cannot, and will not get the trail into town. Government officials are representatives. The react to wishes of those who elected them. They need to know that the public considers this project important. Without the public outcry it’s all too easy to move on to less complicated or controversial issues.
The good news is that the public is responding. People are turning out to meetings, ideas are being shared and plans are being made. But help is always needed. If you have any interest at all I urge you to get involved. Contact a member of the Nishna Valley Trails Group for more information or to find out how you can help. A good place to start would be contacting Rosie Jones, who works at the Nishna Valley YMCA, she’s a wealth of information and an enthusiastic supporter of trails in general. In future columns I’ll run more contact information and hopefully projects you can help with.
There is no disputing that trails and recreational areas are vital to a community’s overall health. Literally. Their popularity is evident across the state and it’s a rare day you don’t see someone out using the T-Bone trail between the interstate and Audubon.
People will travel to use a quality trail. Thousands during the summer attend the “Taco Ride” every Thursday from Council Bluffs to Mineola. That ride has inspired a local group to ride the T-Bone trail every Thursday and stop for dinner in Brayton. Groups from Des Moines and other communities have come to ride the T-Bone trail, again stopping in Brayton or other communities along the way to eat, drink and rest.
Soon, I hope, groups will be able to start or stop their outing from Chestnut street after eating at one of our downtown establishments. All we need is the will to do it and the determination to carry through.
Join us, and together we can make this project a reality. All you need to do is bring your dreams.
