The Daily Standard
Story Archive
CHICKASAW - Two local members of a committee working to extend the bike path from Maria Stein to Chickasaw and other communities briefed Chickasaw village councilors Wednesday on the focus of the project.
Julia Everman and Marianne Bruns, members of the Greenway Gala committee, met with the council in hopes of securing future cooperation on the recreation improvement proposal.
Everman said the emphasis of the plan to extend the bike path is on safety and bringing the Marion Local community closer.
"For us, this effort is about more than just adding pavement," Everman said. "It's about connecting people. Specifically, we first want to help connect Maria Stein and Chickasaw in a way that is safe, accessible and beneficial for families, kids and community members of all ages."
She said it is important for residents to enjoy the area parks, library and other features of the area safely, such as when her son and a friend ride their bikes over to the Marion Township Park to play disc golf. Everman said "as a parent, I don't love that there is a small stretch of State Route 716 they have to travel to get between each other's houses."
Village councilor Nick Thobe pointed out at a recent meeting that a section of State Route 716 with no sidewalks is traveled by 1,500 vehicles, including semitrailers, on a daily basis. Thobe said he gathered the information from the speed warning sign on State Route 716. Similar signs have been installed on State Route 274.
"The purpose of being here tonight is to extend our willingness to help and collaborate in any way we can," Everman said. "We would love to reopen the discussion about possible alternate routes or path options that could help extend the existing portion of the bike path into Chickasaw."
"It sounds good," councilor Wayne Hein said of the project. Council members agreed that there is a need to get bicyclists off the dangerous part of State Route 716.
"The village has limitations outside of the village," said council president Randy Liette. He explained the village could not play a part in a bike path extension that was not in the village limits. Liette noted that there has been some discussion of annexing the St. Francis housing development off State Route 716 just south of the village, which would then bring the area into village jurisdiction and enable the village to pursue state grants for the bike path extension.
Bruns agreed that there could be state grant funds available to help finance the bike path extension, which in the future could also include Osgood and other Marion Local communities.
Everman advised councilors that a Greenway Gala fundraiser will be held from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 12 at the Marion Heritage Park Woods in Maria Stein.
In other business, village works coordinator Kevin Droesch advised the council a suspected lightning strike knocked out a number of electrical connections at the sewage treatment plant. He said replacement parts have been ordered and it is hoped the town's insurance covers the expense.
Councilors also:
• heard Droesch remind residents that the fire department will be conducting fire hydrant flow testing 8-10:30 a.m. on Aug. 23 and Aug. 30. He said residents may notice low water pressure and discoloration during the testing. He said residents should call him if the discoloration continues after running the water for a few minutes.
• learned the asphalt rejuvenation was scheduled this week on Mill, Center and Catholic streets, along with the pickleball courts.
• learned from fiscal officer Kelley Poeppelman the village received a $3,688 payment for a hay-cutting on village-owned land at the water treatment plant. Hein suggested the crop payments be used to accumulate funds for the future purchase of a new village truck.
• voted to award a propane contract to Mercer Landmark at a rate of $1.79 per gallon with the village purchasing 2,500 gallons.
• heard Poeppelman report that decades-old village documents will be turned over to the Mercer County Historical Society as the first step in disposing of other papers that are no longer needed.
The next council meeting will be at 8 p.m. Sept. 9 at the village hall.
