Trails settles into its new digs
By Sarah Wright
Staff Writer
Syracuse-Wawasee Trails welcomed board members to its new location, 207 N. Huntington St., for its meeting Monday, Sept. 21.
Trails officially moved in Tuesday, Sept. 15, and shares the space with the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce. Trails Executive Director Erlene Yentes showed committee members the reception area, her office, the sitting area and the conference room before and after the meeting.
Of the move, Yentes shared, “My kudos go to Darin Lursen at the Syracuse Community Center because he helped move the office furniture and get everything out of the basement and to everyone else who assisted with the move.”
Updates were given on the Conklin Bay Boardwalk, with Yentes sharing the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation had approved certain trail amenities, including bike racks, dog waste stations and an overhead sign. Kay Young, Bob Smith and Yentes met Bob Fanning to mark locations where they could be placed.
“The other amenity we had talked about is the bollards to keep snowmobiles off. If we decide to do those, we will actually have to install them on the actual boardwalk,” Yentes said.
It was noted there have been issues with golf carts using the boardwalk. One solution mentioned was posting no motorized vehicle signs at Grandview Drive. Smith stated he would work on local connections to create bollards.
Yentes continues to work on several grants. She submitted a final grant report to Dekko Foundation Sept. 1, which was well received. A three-minute video of the Conklin Bay project was also submitted to Greenways Foundation Sept. 10. She noted she is currently working on Next Level reporting.
At the end of the meeting, Smith announced his resignation from the trails committee in order to spend more time with his family. “We have a good team going forward. You guys are fabulous,” he said, also praising Yentes’ work.
Several committee members praised Smith’s efforts for the trails, with Kay Young noting, “We could not have done this project without you. We will find you if we need you.”
Sherm Goldenberg also noted, “You’re not an easy guy to replace.”
In other trails news:
- The Conklin Bay section of the Syracuse-Wawasee Trails’ website has been completed.
- Tails and Trails has been moved to Nov. 14, and plans are being developed to decorate the gazebo at Lakeside Park to create a backdrop for Christmas card photos taken by a professional photographer.
- Trails committee members will be exploring maintenance policies.
- Committee members opted to purchase 1,000 note cards, which will feature a photo of the Conklin Bay Boardwalk and be packaged in quantities of 10 to be sold as a fundraiser. It is hoped to have them available in time for Christmas.
The next trails meeting will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 19 at 207 N. Huntington St.