First-graders Callaway Waldo, left, and Brailyn Sheetz were partners for sit-ups in Alysha Wachtmann’s physical education class at Mentone Elementary School. PE classes will be able to use a new trail, possibly as early as next spring, on school property.

MENTONE — Stand alone trails or trail systems are mushrooming locally and elsewhere. They provide a safe place to walk, jog or ride bicycles and promote exercise, fitness and getting off the couch or easy chair.

And trails can also improve the quality of life in the area and make it more attractive for companies looking for a place to do business or for families looking to relocate.

Some parts of Kosciusko County, though, have limited or no access to any type of trail. In Mentone, with the exception of an unpaved trail in Mentzer Park, there are no trails.

That will change, however, in 2018 thanks to the generosity of the K21 Health Foundation and the Kosciusko REMC Operation Roundup fund. K21 provided a grant in the amount of $84,230 and KREMC provided $3,500 to fund a half-mile paved walking and bike path on Mentone Elementary School property. It will be located to the east of the playground. The Tippecanoe Valley school board approved the grants at its Oct. 9 board meeting.

Depending on the weather and availability of contractors, work will begin on the trail either in the spring or summer of 2018. Exact placement of the trail has not been determined yet.

A trail can be beneficial to both the school and the community, noted Randy Dahms, principal of Mentone Elementary. “Mentone Elementary has a running club that meets in the spring and this club will make good use of the trail,” he said. “At Mentone we are thinking about more and more ways to promote fitness. With childhood obesity rates at all-time highs, our school is beginning to experiment with giving students time to exercise. Even a few minutes of jogging a day could really benefit the individual health of our students.”

Staff and students would be able to use the trail during the school day in a variety of ways, Dahms noted. “It will go a long way in promoting fitness for members both inside and outside of our school community,” he added.

He is aware the town of Mentone, with the exception of the Mentzer Park trail, has nothing like what will be built at the school. “It is likely that this trail will be utilized by a number of community members who would like a safe place to get some exercise,” he said. “There are a lot of benefits to having a paved trail in a community. Things like pushing a stroller for a quick walk, or having a safe place to ride a bike. These kinds of activities will be available to people living in the Mentone community.”

Dahms said the paved trail is considered a stand-alone project. He said in the future, it would be possible for local businesses to do something like donate a bench to the side of the trail and advertise their business. “I could also see different memorials commemorating different students and staff set up along the trail,” he added.

Mentone In The Overall Picture

Greg Demopoulos of the Ride+Walk Committee said Mentone is part of the committee’s long term plans, as well as the long term plans of the Michiana Area Council of Governments. “We do have county bike routes in that direction, but long term we would like to connect to Mentone with a greenway and eventually on to Rochester to give people access to the Nickel Plate Greenway,” he said.

There are currently signed county bike routes along CR 950W and CR 1000W near Mentone, for example.

Shelly Krueger of the Mentone Town Board said a few years ago the board did discuss paving the trail in the park and a public survey was done, but it was not pursued any further. She said she would like to see a paved trail in the park that would connect to the cemetery. “It is something I would like to pursue and may need to apply for a grant,” she said.

The paved walking trail to be built on Mentone Elementary School property will be located near the playground, shown here.