Letter: Salt Creek Trail president stepping down

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To the editor:

About 20-plus years ago, Chris and I made a major decision in our lives to move back home to Indiana. Because our two sons went to IU, we choose Nashville.

We had been visiting Nashville as tourists for many years. We literally fell in love with the area and its residents. Little did we know what a wonderful and beautiful town we were moving to.

Over the past 20 years I have been involved on many committees and/or projects in this community: Nashville Town Council, Brown County Solid Waste Management District Board, Brown County Community Corrections Advisory Board, Brown County Convention & Visitors Bureau board, Nashville Arts & Entertainment Commission, Nashville Redevelopment Commission, Nashville Main Street Committee, We Care Gang, Thrive Alliance board, CEO of the Brown County Community Foundation, Brown County Rotary, Brown County Board of Realtors, Brown County Historical Society, Courthouse Committee, Brown County Emergency Management Agency board, Brown County Playhouse board, Nashville United Methodist trustee, and last, the Salt Creek Trail. On these committees I have always tried to make Brown County a better place to live and visit.

After 15 years on the trail committee, I have recently resigned.

During the 15 years we have had 13-plus county commissioners, three school superintendents and two parks and recreation directors, with support from most if not all of them. We have had a lot of ups and downs on this project. I think it is time for someone else to the pick this ball up and roll with it.

For quality of life, trails are a very important part to all communities. There are communities all over the state of Indiana that are working on or would love to have a trail.

To date, we have received federal grants of $2,784,912 (money is from federal gas tax) and $900,000 from the DNR, plus the two bridges from INDOT.

The most important point is that (thanks to Tom Tuley and others) we have raised over $400,000 in match money from this great community. This should tell us there is a lot of support for the Salt Creek Trail.

My point is to please listen to the 25 to 30 percent of the people who are having problems with this project, but more important, please also listen to the other 70 percent that support the trail.

The community of Brown County must all work together and finish the Salt Creek Trail.

See you on the trail.

Bob Kirlin, Nashville

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