Comprised of Villagers passionate about the Village trail system, the Hot Springs Village Trails Committee assists and advises managing staff in planning, promoting, and developing events for the Hot Springs Village trail system. Additionally, this committee works closely with staff to help identify trail areas needing maintenance and assists with some of the trail area maintenance. They are each assigned a section of trail that they walk monthly and report safety issues to staff and the committee.
The committee met on February 20, 2024. Villager David Blankenship attended the meeting to investigate possible membership. Bob Mcleod, HSV Board Member and Committee Liaison, was not present.
A committee member reported an uprooted tree on the trail he is responsible for. Norman Meredith, HSVPOA Recreation Maintenance Supervisor, will handle this issue.
The January inclement weather events led to many downed trees in the Village, and another committee member reported downed trees on the Cooper Trail and the need for a bridge. Meredith said he would look at these issues.
A committee member said she noticed a local company driving a work truck on a trail. Meredith said that sometimes when a company cuts trees in a backyard, they may drive on the trail. Meredith said, “We don’t encourage this.”
There was a possibility of combining the Trails Committee with Parks and Recreation, but a decision was made to keep the two committees separate.
Buzz Carpenter, Trails Committee Chair, said we need more parking at the Cedar Creek Trail. An area used for staff access could be made into an official trail. He said a lot of people already use the unofficial trail and like it. Carpenter suggested the addition of a sign that says, “No unauthorized vehicles.” Meredith said they did not budget to build a new trail at this location, and if you build a parking lot at this spot, you will have to build a trail.
The committee planned a cleanup workday on February 28 at Magellan Beaver Dam Trail.
Upcoming activities
Carpenter proposed the committee focus on the Coronado Boat Launch Trail for the March workday. The chair said he wanted to invite the whole Village to help. The Friends of the Trails will receive an email about this event. Stay tuned for more details in the Village Digest.
The Dam-to-Dam / Grove-to-Cove Hike will be in April. This hike will have a five-mile and ten-mile option. The hike can be started from the Balboa Dam or Grove Park and runs to DeSoto Beach. The committee and possibly other volunteers will man water stations, and transportation to the starting points will be provided at the end of the hike. Details coming soon.
The Trails Committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. at the Coronado Community Center. The next meeting will be at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at the Coronado Community Center.
By Cheryl Dowden
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