MOUNT VERNON — With good weather just around the corner, the Knox County Park District continues to move forward with spruce-up activities to get county parks and trails ready for the summer season.
Director Lori Totman told the Knox County Commissioners that she has contacted a surveyor to do a survey of the Knox/Licking county line on the Heart of Ohio Trail. She plans a volunteer day to clear brush on the untamed HOOT section between Huffman Road and the county line.
“Then we can start mowing and at least people will be able to walk [on that section,]” she said.
Totman said she also plans to survey a curved area of the trail near North Clayton Street in Centerburg, behind the mill and Pizza Burg.
“If there’s enough room, we’d like to put some kind of structure there,” she explained. “Definitely a kiosk to direct people into the Village of Centerburg.”
Tree removal is complete along the trail between Huffman Road and Johnsville Road (Ohio 314). Trees were cleared back from the trail as a maintenance measure to reduce root upheaval under the trail. Dead ash trees were also removed.
On Saturday, the Heart of Ohio Trail Board will host a day of activities for Opening Day Rails to Trails. Opening Day is a nationwide celebration of local rail trails sponsored by The Rails to Trails Conservancy. Activities run from 9 am to 4 pm and include naturists, a historical walk along the trail, and cycling.
Totman said the park district helped the Kokosing Gap Trail Board with removal of illegally dumped concrete and steel culverts on Lower Gambier Road.
“The board was also successful in receiving not one but three grants for equipment,” she told the commissioners. The Community Foundation of Mount Vernon and Knox County provided two grants; the Ariel Foundation provided the other. Equipment the board will buy includes a mower and asphalt grinder.
The district is taking steps to deal with manure dumps on the Mohican Valley Trail. The Knox County Soil & Water Conservation District discovered the problem. Totman said that signs have been posted with directions for cleaning out horse trailers.
Totman reported that she wrote a grant requesting funding to help with repaving the Mohican Valley Trail. The district will access Ohio Department of Transportation funds to help with grading and adding gravel to a parking lot on Pipesville Road near the Howard ball fields and the Hope Landing canoe access. The park district has already replaced catch basin covers in the lot.
The district continues to be involved with the natural resources area at the Knox County Fairgrounds, the Heart of Ohio Tour planning committee, and the 50th anniversary of the scenic river program. Local scenic river celebrations include a river float in June and a river cleanup in September.
The commissioners discussed what Commissioner Roger Reed called a “borderline ridiculous” situation involving a proposed Eagle Scout project. The initial project was constructing an open, roofed structure on a concrete pad. The Scout was stymied by the red tape of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and the cost skyrocketed to a $10,000 price tag. Totman said that, at best, what will now be installed is the concrete pad.
Commissioner Thom Collier said the Scout might be able to do the project through the health department rather than OEPA. If that doesn’t pan out, Commissioner Teresa Bemiller said she thought the excessive red tape for a Scout project should be brought to Rep. Rick Carfagna’s attention.
