SYRACUSE — The Eli Lilly trail widening project will start Monday, July 11, the Syracuse-Wawasee Trail Committee heard at the Monday, June 20, meeting.
The project is expected to take six to eight weeks. Pulver Asphalt and Paving will do a directional boring and cut and pour curb. Letters will be sent to homeowners this week about the project.
Megan McClellan, executive director, gave an update on other trail projects, such as Conklin Bay. She met with Earth Source to discuss progress on the Conklin Bay project May 19. She will be meeting with Earth Source and IDNR at the site Thursday, June 30, and she has been working on a fundraising plan.
McClellan attended a Regional Cities meeting of trails advocates, who have trails in northeast Indiana that qualify for money from the Road to One Million Initiative. The Conklin Bay Boardwalk and Trail qualifies and once 60 percent of the funds are raised McClellan can apply for up to 20 percent of the trail funds from this organization. She is writing seven grants, too.
There was some concern that part of the SR 13 crossing project would be in the floodplain, but this has been resolved.
New signs have been installed. Plaques are larger than originally planned and will be installed soon. The kiosk at the athletics complex needs some maintenance. Still no word on when the kiosk at the other trailhead will be completed but gravel has been laid.
McClellan said everyone loves the promotional items, especially the water bottle and dog bag dispenser, and she will order more before Tour des Lakes July 9.
The committee is still open for sponsors for Tour des Lakes at the $100, $250 and $500 levels. The last day to be included on the T-shirt is Wednesday, June 22. As of Monday, there are 119 people pre-registered for Tour des Lakes. The next Tour des Lakes meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 23, at the trail office (108 Main St).
McClellan went to one of several community meetings about branding for trails in northeast Indiana. She voted on her favorite options and brought three examples to the meeting.
She attended a Bicycle and Pedestrian Community Summit in Warsaw, hosted by Kosciusko County Velo Bicycle Club, adding, “There were a lot of great presentations.”
The committee discussed insurance for the trails. Bids have been requested from three insurance companies.
The Campfire Walk was well attended. Participants walked around Syracuse Lake, stopping along the way to read and discuss poems. Upon returning to Lakeside Park, there was dinner while participants listened to a reading of excerpts from several different texts.
The Lakes Festival was a very productive event, with lines of people waiting to ask questions about the trails and Tour des Lakes. “A lot of people didn’t even know we had trails,” she said.
In other news:
• McClellan was given permission to attend a Walk and Bike Summit Aug. 29-31 in Indianapolis.
• Twenty Wawasee High School ECO students will help volunteer along the trails July 11 and 13.
• Dr. Tom Edington gave the treasurer’s report. Volunteer of the Month is Kay Young.
Upcoming events:
• Mudtastic is at 8:30 a.m. June 25, at WACF.
• Tour des Lakes is July 9; registration is 7-9:30 a.m., at Syracuse Community Center.
• A Classic Car Show is July 24 at Oakwood Inn.
The next meeting is at 6 p.m. July 18.