To the editor:

The city of Fort Dodge, Webster County Conservation, and trails maintenance personnel (especially Kyle), have done an excellent job with bike trail maintenance.

When part of the Orchard Glen gravel trail was washed out by a rainstorm, it was repaired quickly. When the 15th street bike trail was completed to connect Snell Crawford Park and the Kennedy trail, someone trimmed the bushes by the bridge to make it safer. That section of trail was critically needed for safety from cars and the road conditions.

There were limbs of trees by the soccer field that were trimmed so that they would not have to be dodged by bicycle riders. Last summer, it was awesome to have the mowers pause, to let bikers safely pass. The bike paths were neatly edged to eliminate weeds on the trail and trees trimmed in the fall to make a clear path for trail users for the next season.

Some of the trails had snow removed so walkers could continue to use them. The maintenance crew filled in cracks before winter to maintain great trails.

We can do our part to help keep the bike trails safe for bikers, walkers, skaters, and dogs. On numerous occasions, I picked up glass and swept off gravel to make the trails safer. A person thanked me by commenting that the glass could get into his dog’s paws.

When you walk your dog, you can use your “pooper scooper” as it was intended and for glass. A number of members of the Dodger Cyclist have cleared branches and debris off the bike trails, helped improve trails with bridges, and removed trash from the trails and parks.

You can help too. The Dodgers Cyclist Club are celebrating Earth Day by picking up trash along the trails on April 22 at 5 p.m. Meet us at the Snell Crawford parking lot with gloves and trash bags. Show your appreciation for the trails by taking the responsibility to help keep them glass and litter free, even if that means cleaning up someone’s mess. Thank you for the wonderful trail system we have in Webster County and let’s take the responsibility to keep it safe and hazard free. Again, a big shout out for Kyle for trail maintenance well done.

Marianne Kesten

Fort Dodge