Exploration Trails

Goal: $10,000.00

Specific Need

Clay Center Exploration Trails will be a comprehensive trail system in Clay Center, Kansas, to help promote the health and well-being of its citizens and economy, encourage walkability, and connect people to the amenities in our area.  Phase one of this project was paid for by an anonymous donation to CCCIF and a grant from the Sunflower Foundation.   To continue the work and expand the trails across Clay Center, we are seeking donations.

Profile

The Clay Center Community Improvement Foundation received a gift last fall of $150,000 with instructions to “Go do good.”  

The Improvement Foundation became aware of a possible grant from the Sunflower Foundation for trails, but the time frame necessary to meet the deadlines for the grant was tight.   The Improvement Foundation formed a subcommittee including board members of Morree Floersch, Karli Hubka, and Jill Mugler.  In addition, they asked Bill Oetinger, Marlin Mugler, Kyle Bauer, Scott Glaves, Natalie Muruato, Shannon Stark, and Taylor Mall to join the committee.

The Clay Center Public Utilities Department had developed a significant trail in Utility Park and, over the past few years, had bought and cleared acreage on the west side of Huntress Creek.   A trail on the west side could come within a block of Huntress Park, where additional trails might be built, but it required a walking bridge over the creek.  In addition, walking to Utility Park required walking on Fourth Street, which has no sidewalks and is a narrow traffic area.    The plan called for a new walking trail entrance south of the corner of 3^rd and Grant.   Because there is no sidewalk on 3^rd street, the grant application called for a 6 ft sidewalk from the corner of 3^rd and Court at Garfield School and south two blocks to the new walking entrance of Utility Park.  This sidewalk also provided a conduit on the Murals Trail to the Murals in Utility Park.

The Sunflower grant also allowed for wayfinding signs in the community to direct visitors to the  Murals, Zoo, Trails, and other points of interest in Clay Center.

Ultimately this is the first of several trail projects over the next five years which involve grants and donations from many sources.  As envisioned, there will be a designated trail around the entire town which will provide for safe travel of school children to school and recreation, safe walking routes for older citizens to and from shopping and parks, recreation for families, an attraction to regional day travels to bike or hike the town, an attraction to families to locate to Clay Center and the development of a healthy living lifestyle in the community. If you wish to donate to the Clay Center Exploration Trails, please visit www.claycentercif.org or mail it to 432 Court Street, Clay Center, KS  67432.