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BOBICK’S & THE STAND PARTNER FOR WAYNEDALE TRAILS

Waynedale-Trails2Two popular local businesses will be hosting a joint fundraiser for the Waynedale Trails and Sidewalks Initiative on Sunday, June 22nd from Noon to 5 p.m.

Bobick’s has pledged l00% of the proceeds from the driving range to go to the fund as well as providing kid’s 12 or younger a free bucket of balls. The Stand will be donating $1.00 from each Coney dog sold to the Waynedale Trails and Sidewalks Initiative and will also serve free soft serve ice cream cones to children 12 or under accompanied by an adult. Both businesses are supporting a plan by the City of Fort Wayne to create both Trails and Sidewalks down Bluffton Road.

Waynedale Trails and Sidewalks committee chair, Camille Garrison explains the history of the group. “Our dedicated team has been working for almost three years on our original project, a safe pedestrian crossing over Lower Huntington Bridge that will connect us to the St. Mary’s Pathway coming from Foster Park. Currently, there is only a narrow sidewalk over the bridge and bicyclists, walkers and joggers have to travel Tillman or Fairfield to get to a Trailhead.”

Dawn Ritchie, Greenways Manager for the City of Fort Wayne, has stated that construction of this project is due to begin in late August and will be completed in the summer of 2015. The project includes road work and the installation of a 6′ sidewalk across the bridge with a ramp that will connect to the Pathway below.

Currently the The Waynedale Trails and Sidewalks Initiative account holds approximately $20,000 in its coffers from many fundraisers ranging from three Kingston Taste of Waynedale and Good Old Days events and benefits through Pizza Hut, Hair Affair and Curves. Since the City won’t require any of these funds for the Lower Huntington bridge project, the monies will be made available for design work for a second Waynedale project; adding both Trails on one side and Sidewalks on the other side of Bluffton Road from Lower Huntington to Winchester Road.

Drainage surveys have been conducted on this project and the next step will be the design work. Originally it was to be split into two parts, from Lower Huntington to Old Trail and the second part from Old Trail to Winchester Road with the trail connecting to West Foster Park and the Rivergreenway. It made good sense to combine the design work into one study. This is where the current funds will be helpful in offsetting the cost of the study. Ritchie projects that tentative construction on Bluffton Road will occur in two stages as early as 2016 -2017 if everything stays on course.

Owner of Bobick’s Golf, John Rang states “We are excited to participate in the opportunity to generate funds for the Waynedale trails project.  We encourage all to come out and enjoy the day with golf, hot dogs and ice cream all the while helping to make this community a safer and more enjoyable place to live in the near future.”

The Waynedale Trails and Sidewalks committee meets regularly and their goal is to hold monthly fundraisers to add to the fund to support Mayor Henry and the City of Fort Wayne in making the Bluffton Road project a reality. If you are interested in joining the committee, please contact Camille Garrison at cgarrison@kingstonhealthcare.com or call 415-7741.

The Waynedale News Staff
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