News release from the City of Fort Wayne:
Resting on the Greenway Rises to the Top
City Residents Show Leadership with Trail Enhancement(February 25, 2015) – Five Fort Wayne residents working as a team in the Leadership Fort Wayne program have been chosen as “Outstanding Trail Group” by the Greenways Foundation of Indiana. The group received the honor for the rest node project located in front of the water filtration plant near where the St. Marys and Maumee Pathways come together.
The Greenways Foundation noted the outstanding efforts of the group because it represents citizens embracing the trail network and taking ownership by enhancing the trail network.
Team member, Kim Sabrosky an employee at American Electric Power, accepted the award this afternoon in Indianapolis on behalf of the Leadership Team. Other team members included Kim Fuhrmann of Fort Wayne International Airport, Matthew Wirtz of City Utilities, Shawna Squibb of IPFW, and Chad Tranter of Wells Fargo.
Leadership Fort Wayne is a leadership development program for adult citizens who have made a personal commitment to community service.
“This team truly accomplished the goals of Leadership Fort Wayne by building something that will be enjoyed for generations to come,” said Dawn Ritchie, Greenways Manager for the City of Fort Wayne.
The team reached out to vendors who do business with their employers to secure construction materials, engineering services, design work, labor, and, in some cases, financial support to complete a project that adds significant value to our Rivergreenway. Their project includes a rare, rest node along the trail, near the Maumee River.
The completed rest node has a park-like setting with landscaping and a rain garden, informational signage, benches, a drinking fountain, a faucet for filling water bottles and even a drinking fountain/dish for dogs.
This community-minded team also seized this unique opportunity to tie into the “Sculpture with Purpose” project, organized by Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) as part of its 50th anniversary celebration. The sculpture titled “Flow” also serves as a bike rack and was designed and constructed by Alec Johnson of the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department and represents flowing water from the filtration plant, the river and the flow of the trails through our community. The leadership team asked a local artist to construct a sculpture called “Flow” at the rest node.
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