Trail-A-Thon planned to benefit Lake Koronis trail

This article submitted by the Press staff on 9/15/99.

The Paynesville Area Jaycees are organizing a first annual Trail-A-Thon to increase awareness and raise funds for a proposed pedestrian trail around Lake Koronis.

On Saturday, Oct. 9, participants in the Trail-A-Thon can bike, run, walk, or rollerblade from the Gazebo Park in Paynesville to VeteranŐs Memorial Park on the northeast shore of Lake Koronis.

Preregistration will cost $5 per person and will include a T-shirt and lunch. Interested people can pick up registration forms at local businesses after Saturday, Sept. 18. Participants will need to gather pledges before the event, and collect donations afterward.

The plan is to construct an eight-foot wide pedestrian trail that would encircle Lake Koronis. The Jaycees estimate the project could take five years and cost $2 million.

The project would be done in steps, coordinating with the respective government branch in charge of each segment of road. The entire project includes state highways, Meeker and Stearns county roads, and Paynesville Township roads.

A feasibility study will be done, which should help in qualifying for grants and donations.

The first segment of the road is expected to be County Road 124. Stearns County still is considering doing some dirt work on that road to expand the road area to accommodate an additional eight feet of road.

According to the Stearns County Highway Engineer's office, two other possibilities are being discussed: turning the road over to Paynesville Township with a cash payout for maintenance, or moving the road up on the county's construction schedule so that the road would be rebuilt next summer instead of in 2001.

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