[IndianaTrails] Trails coming to Henry County - eventually

[Randall Stegner]

But there's no need for Henry County trail enthusiasts to worry that the projects are taking too long. Lenette Freeman, executive director of the Cardinal Greenway in Muncie, told Healthy Communities volunteers Friday that it took five years of planning for the first leg of the trail in Muncie to open. 

"It may seem that now you will never see trail on the ground," Freeman said, but trails take time. Yes especially when you add INDOT & politicians.

I subscribed to this news letter for information on Henry Counties trail & so far I'll give it a -00 rating.Healthy Communities here in Henry County needs to work on communication here would really help. Helen Steussy had a phone number listed in the newsletter but not much else. No other mention of volunteers or any other info. Since this trail is going in behind some of my property I am very much interested in this project. I recently in the light rain no less walked with Jeff & an engineer named John Zant the proposed course the trail will take. My joy soon turned to "disbelief" on the proposed course running north of Garner Street especially the part veering off down the edge of a farmers field & trying to go underneath the railroad bridge crossing Big Blue River. In rainy weather if this route comes to pass I'd say bring your "hip waders" & wear a "life jacket" too, just to be on the safe side especially if the NWS has issued "flash flood warnings. Could get very interesting! Following the "true railroad bed" would be too expensive I was told. And it would be two more years "before" construction. Now does this mean it 08 or 09,etc? I have many questions but not finding any answers. I asked if they were having meetings on this yet & was told no. Then read an article in the paper where a meeting was held,etc. I have followed this since the state awarded a $950,000.00 grant in March of 2003 to Healthy Communities. I did see recently where $1,700.00 & some odd amount was paid for surveying & engineering fees. Quite sometime before that Healthy Communities gave $50,000.00 for work on a trail running east out of Ogden parallel to U.S.40. I know now why Indiana ranks "dead last" in a lot categories.  Cardinal Greenway people saying it took five years just for planning. Here it's going to be at least six years plus. At sixty years old I don't know how many "tomorrows" I have left. So this may end up being something I never see come to pass. And it's "MY"  2 cents worth of tax money too!
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