Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
IRONWOOD MAYOR Kim Corcoran cuts the ribbon on the new Western Gateway walking-biking trail near the Ironwood Depot on Monday afternoon. Among others attending were project contractor Ross Peterson, of Hurley, left; city manager Scott Erickson, second from left; Jeff Gaertner, of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, third from left, and Dennis Hewitt, city assessor-building inspector, holding the ribbon at the right.
By RALPH ANSAMI
Ironwood - There were two developments on Monday regarding the non-motorized Iron Belle trail from Detroit to Ironwood.
The Ironwood stretch, called the Western Gateway trail, was dedicated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony near Depot Park in the afternoon, attended by about 50 people. The city commission later agreed to transfer $10,000 in Bridge the Gap funds to the city of Hurley. That will allow Hurley to extend the trail from the Montreal River Bridge to U.S. 51.
At the ribbon-cutting for the 2.5-mile stretch of the trail in Ironwood, community development director Michael Brown said the developments don't happen overnight. He praised the Western Upper Peninsula Visitors and Convention Bureau and John and LeeAnn Garske for their roles in making the trail a reality.
Next year, trail work will be funded from Ironwood to Bessemer.
Ironwood Mayor Kim Corcoran said it's part of Gov. Rick Snyder's vision to make Michigan the "Trail State." She said planning the walking-biking trail with the nearby motorized trail has brought members of divergent groups together here.
Corcoran said around 500 people are already using the paved new trail daily.
Ross Peterson, of Hurley, contractor for the new stretch of the blacktopped trail, said the fact it is so flat makes it accessible to people of all physical abilities.
Jeff Gaertner, of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said the $225,000 funding from the DNR for the trail project here came from a trust fund that has provided many grants to Gogebic County.
On Monday evening, Hurley Mayor Joe Pinardi and Will Andresen, of the University of Wisconsin-Extension's Iron County office in Hurley, attended the Ironwood City Commission meeting.
Corcoran and Andresen said it was fitting that Hurley received $10,000 for the trail work because so many Hurley businesses contributed to the special Bridge the Gap local fund.
Commissioners learned the work in Hurley will be completed this fall.
