Trail-blazing volunteers needed for weekend Jaycee Park project

Hitting the trail this weekend, an enthusiastic group of local volunteers aims to revitalize the pathways at Jaycee Park for a myriad of recreational uses.

Clearing tangled underbrush and relocating downed timber will require some manpower, so organizers are seeking volunteers to assist them this Saturday and Sunday at the secluded park off Airport Road in Greencastle.

Volunteers are needed anytime from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days (rain date is June 8).

Project spokesman Tom Standers, who was one of the leaders in bringing the idea to the attention of the Greencastle Park Board last winter, is asking those planning to volunteer to RSVP by calling 812-240-5870. That way organizers will know how many people are coming, how best to deploy them and how many mouths to feed.

While strong backs are a definitely a pluss, anyone who can use a rake or shovel is welcome. Bringing along work gloves is a good idea, Standers noted.

"Dress for being in the woods," he advised.

Volunteers will move fallen trees or limbs, only as necessary, relocating them to the side of the trail.

"Removal of standing trees and vegetation will not be necessary," Standers added.

Led by Standers and local mountain biker Ted Kissel, the Jaycee Park Trail Committee approached the City Park Board earlier this year with the idea of reactivating the Jaycee Park trails for multi-use purposes.

The volunteer group suggested that improvement would help promote greater public use of Jaycee Park, provide a local venue for trail enthusiasts and possibly even make the site an event destination that would benefit the Park Department in the future.

Where the Jaycee Park trails were once actively used by riders and hikers in the 1980s and 1990s, they were subsequently neglected and have become overgrown to the point they are barely recognizable, Standers said.

He and three other volunteers spent three hours at the park earlier this week, doing some prep work that should make the weekend workdays a little easier.

"A multi-use trail is what we're looking at," Standers said in receiving approval to revitalize about a mile-long trail at the local park, which lies tucked into the countryside adjacent to the southwest side of Putnam County Airport property.

The committee has suggested the site could be a trail mix of uses, such as mountain biking, trail running, walking and hiking. No motorized vehicles will be allowed on the pathway.

Once the trail is ready for public use, the group intends to present the Park Board with a proposed set of rules for safe trail use.

"I think it's a fabulous idea," Park Board President John Hennette commented in January. "I applaud you for bringing this together."

Greencastle Parks and Recreation Director Rod Weinschenk was equally enthused, noting that greater use of Jaycee Park has long been one of his department goals.

"It's a start," Weinschenk said. "I've been telling people for years that Jaycee Park is a hidden jewel."