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Work progresses on new Pumpkinvine section but final construction may be delayed until the end of June

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Work on closing the gap in the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail between County Road 33 and County Road 20 began at the end of July, 2018 and the bridge across  the south fork of Pine Creek was finished during the winter by Yoder Construction. Pulver Asphalt and Paving, Albion, Ind. has resumed construction on the remainder of the trail and expects to finish by the end of June.

“The bridge builders had other projects to work on and could not give the resources to building the bridge when they were needed,” said Bernie Cunningham, superintendent of Elkhart County Parks, the agency managing construction.

Frequent heavy rains slowed the construction after it resumed this spring.

Transitions can be opportunities

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In May 2018, I attended the Mid-America Trails and Greenway Conference in Columbus, Ohio and went to a workshop titled “Building and Maintaining Sustainable Organizations” led by the first onsultant the Friends of the Pumpkinvine ever had, Rory Robinson, from the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program in Cleveland, Ohio. One of the questions discussed in the workshop was, “How do trail groups remain viable for the long term and retain new younger members to continue to support the management and promotion of constructed trails?” That question brought forward in my thinking thoughts of retirement that I’d been considering for some time, and in January at our annual retreat, I told our board that 2019 would be my last year as president of the Friends of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, Inc.

While there is no perfect time to retire, I think January 2020 makes sense for me and the Friends organization. I would love to remain on the board until we close the three gaps in the trail, but we are close enough that I’m convinced they will be done soon. The gap in the trail between County Road 33 and County Road 20 will be completed in the next few months, the gap between County Road 20 and County Road 35 is in the final stages of negotiation, and the town of Shipshewana is working on closing the gap between County Road 850W and downtown.

As for the board, one way to remain a viable organization for the long term is to welcome new ideas, and those ideas frequently come from new board members and new leadership. That’s what I mean by a transition being an opportunity. So, taking that assumption to heart, our board has made a conscious effort in the past five years to recruit younger members. And on a regular basis, we’ve been asking ourselves: as the construction of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail comes to a conclusion, what direction will the Friends of the Pumpkinvine take?

Most critical for this transition is the fact that our board of directors includes many capable people who have a vision for building and maintaining the trail. And the board has a year to work on a plan for succession, a process they have already begun.

I look back on the past 30 years with great satisfaction at having been part of helping create the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. It’s been a wonderful experience to see the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail grow, phase by phase, between Goshen and Shipshewana, and then to see spurs branch off from it, e.g., the Abshire Trail, the Monroe St. Trail and the Ridge Run Trail. Through some engineering magic, it connected to Elkhart via the MapleHeart Trail.

I cherish the board members, supporters, trail users and friends who have encouraged us the past 30 years. In particular, I’m grateful for the support of my wife, June, and daughter, Mandy, who saw value in the trail for the community and made space for me to advocate for it. I’ll still be around to consult with the board as needed, but the time has come to let others take the reins. This change is an opportunity for the Friends of the Pumpkinvine to move in new directions. I look forward to seeing what the future will bring for the trails of our area.

Learning from three trail incidents

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In early August, a young male was observed riding back and forth on the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail between the State Road 13 and County Road 43 on a moped. Besides the illegality of riding a motorized vehicle on the trail, the person was also harassing other trail users. Those trail users called the police, and they arrested the person for riding a motorized vehicle on the trail.

Around the same time, two men set up a table at the County Road 37 parking lot to distribute religious materials to trail users, not understanding that it is illegal to sell or distribute literature in a public park. And I recently heard about a cyclist who was traveling at a high speed and ran into the side of a car crossing the trail at Sunrise Lane (where cars have the right of way) damaging the door of the car, and then somehow managed to speed away without taking responsibility for the damage he caused to the car–a thoughtless case of hitting and running.

These types of incidents are, fortunately, rare on the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. In the 18 years since the first 1.75 miles of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail opened in 2000, there have been very few illegal or anti-social activities reported. Indeed, the trail is one of the safest parks in the area. Most cyclists, walkers and runners are considerate of others and anti-social behavior is rare.

Yet, as these three incidents illustrate, there are a few people in our society who are inconsiderate of others (e.g., the speeding cyclist), unaware of trail rules (e.g., no solicitation or sales on trail property) or are acting illegally (e.g., riding a motorized vehicle on the trail). And even though park staff patrol the Pumpkinvine on a regular basis, it is important for all trail users to be alert to illegal or anti-social behavior.

What should you do if you see such activities on the Pumpkinvine?
1. First, do not attempt to be the police. It is not your job to enforce trail rules. If you observe illegal activity on the trail, you should call 911, report what you saw, and give them the time and location of the incident.
2. If you see someone breaking the posted park rules (like putting up a sign advertising a house for sale, handing out literature or riding over 15 mph or recklessly), report the incident to the appropriate managing agency with as much detail as possible. A list of agencies and their contact information is found on page 5 of this newsletter. It would help to take a photo of the incident as well.

Finally, the best way for us to keep the Pumpkinvine safe is to use it often and demonstrate good walking and cycling behavior. Cyclists should alert walkers to their presence with a bell (a legal requirement for cyclists in Indiana) and announcing that they are “passing on the left.” Walkers can be considerate by not walking three abreast, blocking the trail and turning down their music so they can hear a cyclist’s bell and their words, “passing on the left.” Together we can keep the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail a safe place to exercise and enjoy nature.

Bontrager Family Foundation invests in completion of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail

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The Bontrager Family Foundation has awarded the Friends of the Pumpkinvine a $25,000 matching grant toward the cost of construction of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail between County Road 20 and County Road 35. In other words, the Family Foundation will match other trail-development donations – dollar for dollar – up to a total of $25,000. “Via this grant, the Bontrager Family Foundation has offered a powerful incentive to other prospective donors to invest in the closure of this remaining ‘gap’ in the Trail between Middlebury and Goshen,” said John Ferguson, Friends board member. The estimated cost for this .5-mile segment is $600,000, with all but approximately $55,000 of this amount having been already pledged or received.

“We as a family appreciate the Pumpkinvine Trail as it offers recreation opportunities for the community and transportation routes for Jayco’s and other’s employees,” said Wilbur Bontrager, Jayco chairman. It enhance safety for those that otherwise would ride on our roadways. We as a family feel it’s become a valued community asset and
also needs to be completed through several more critical areas.” Jayco, Inc. founders, Lloyd and Bertha Bontrager,
had committed themselves to supporting local causes even before founding the company in 1968. Sons Wilbur and Derald, with other Bontrager family members and their Jayco colleagues, continued their generous support of numerous causes through the years. The Bontrager Family Foundation was launched following the sale of Jayco to Thor Industries. “We wanted to continue our ability to support charities as we have in the past,” said Wilbur Bontrager, a member of the second of three generations of Bontragers now involved with the Family Foundation.

“Personally, I love the Pumpkinvine Trail,” said Jason Bontrager, a third generation Bontrager family member. “I use it on average two-three times a week for biking, running, and walking during all four seasons. The Ridge Run Trail and the Essenhaus connector have been great additions, too, and I and many others are very grateful for them. It is such a great benefit to the communities of Middlebury and Goshen, not just for exercise but also as a much safer alternative to riding on roadways. I plan to bike even more on the Middlebury-to-Goshen route once the ‘gap’ is completed. In the future, I look forward to helping make our area safer for cyclists whether commuters or recreational riders. I hope other area trails, like the Friends of Quaker Trace Trail, can find ways to further connect our community by developing more trails like the Pumpkinvine!”

This donation from the Bontrager Family Foundation is a tangible way the family has chosen to express their appreciation for the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail as it is and to help close the gaps in the trail. The Friends of the Pumpkinvine are very grateful for their vision and community spirit.

Trail construction on CR 33 to CR 20 is underway

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Photo of trail construction in the GAPThe long awaited, much anticipated construction that will close the gap in the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail between County Road 20 and County Road 33 has started. All the permits from the relevant environmental agencies have been obtained and the contract for construction has been signed with the Pulver Asphalt Paving Inc., Albion, Ind., the same company that built the last section of the Pumpkinvine between County Road 35 and County Road 37. The Timber Bridge over Pine Creek will be done by R. Yoder Construction of Nappanee Ind.Map showing the route for trail construction in spring of 2018

After five years of negotiating, the Friends of the Pumpkinvine purchased the land for the trail route from five families on June 26, 2017 and donated it to Elkhart County Parks in April 2018. In those 10 months, the Friends of the Pumpkinvine and Elkhart County Parks worked out the details of the trail’s route, the location of vegetation screening, fencing for horses, water access for livestock and easements for the landowners to cross the completed trail. In addition, because the trail is to be built close to the south fork of Pine Creek, it was necessary to obtain environmental permits from the Elkhart County drainage board, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Army Corp of Engineers – a process that took almost nine months.

Since April, there have been further discussions about the construction documents with JPR, the firm hired for engineering, the easements across the trail, the details of a proposed overpass and the requirements of a conservation easement that was a part of the grant the Friends of the Pumpkinvine received from the Bicentennial Nature Trust of Indiana Department of Natural Resources to help pay for the purchase of the land.

New location, new supporters

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On April 24, 2018, the Friends of the Pumpkinvine held our annual dinner in Elkhart for the first time. Our previous 16 dinners had been in the Pumpkinvine towns of Goshen, Middlebury or Shipshewana, and although we have many supporters in Elkhart, we weren’t sure if people from the three main towns identified with the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail would travel to Elkhart for this dinner. We also had avoided Elkhart because we had trouble finding a suitable venue for 250 people, i.e., one with good food, good sight lines to the stage and a great sound system. But the renovation of the Lerner Theater and Crystal Ballroom created an outstanding venue, and thanks to the persistence of Brittany Short, the annual dinner’s chair, we decided to give the Elkhart a try, and the results were very gratifying. The room was full (260 registered) and the three screens made it possible for everyone to see what was projected.

My theme for the evening was the incredible patience our supporters have shown in supporting the Friends of the Pumpkinvine over the last three decades, even when there was little tangible progress to show for their financial support. Still they were faithful.

More recently it was the Community Foundation of Elkhart County that has been patient with the slow progress we’ve made in closing two gaps in the Pumpkinvine in Elkhart County. They understand that it takes time to negotiate a route through the land of five rural landowners.

I also reviewed some of the highlights of the year on the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail and for our organization, the Friends of the Pumpkinvine. These include the covered picnic table between CR 35 and CR 37, the repairs to the bridge over the Little Elkhart River in Middlebury, redecking of bridges over Rock Run Creek in Goshen and Mather Ditch in Middlebury. A major event was the opening of the Ridge Run Trail in Middlebury connecting the Pumpkinvine with the Essenhaus, Greencroft Middlebury and North Ridge High School. The Friends of the Pumpkinvine were not directly responsible for this one-mile spur off the Pumpkinvine, but we claim it as a child that wouldn’t exist without the Pumpkinvine.

Another theme of the evening was how the Amish community in Elkhart County responded to an appeal for contributions to close the gap in the trail between CR 20 and CR 35. For some time, we have recognized that our Amish neighbors are some of the heaviest users of the Pumpkinvine, yet only one or two have become members. We thought that the community that used the trail the most would contribute toward its expansion or upkeep, if we found the right approach. We consulted with Junior and Mary Schlabach, two Amish friends, and they suggested we send a letter, authorize by the bishops, to be read in the churches. We did that in November 2017 and the response was very gratifying. As I said at the dinner, the Schlabachs ask that we not publish the total raised, but what I can say is that the Amish churches would be eligible to have their name placed on the recognition rocks we have promised to individuals and organizations that gave $10,000 toward closing the gaps in the trail more than once.

I left the annual dinner with renewed appreciation for our supporters who have waited patiently as the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail came together like a giant jig saw puzzle over 25 years.

Pumpkinvine Nature Trail now on Street View in Google maps

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In 2016, the Goshen Park department used the Goggle Trekker to map the major trails in Goshen, including all of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. The results are available for use in Google Maps. Google Trekker allows you to see any part of the trail you choose. You can move the "trail view" along the trail by manipulating an arrow.  Follow these steps to see any portion of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail.

  1. In your browser, type maps.google.com
  2. In either the road view or satellite view (which you can toggle with the little box in the bottom left side of the screen), move the map, using your cursor, to the portion of the Pumpkinvine you want to look at. (The Pumpkinvine shows up as a green dotted line on the map.)
  3. Then click on the location on the Pumpkinvine you want to look at. A box opens at the bottom of the map with a photo of that location.
  4. Click on the photo and the "trail view" will open. You may need to rotate the map to see the trail by grabbing the map and turning it left or right.
  5. You can move down the trail by clicking on the ^ arrow.
  6. Hit Escape to exit Street View.

 

Smart phone and tablet, too

You can also see a Pumpkinvine Nature Trail "trail view"  in Google Maps on your smart phone or tablet.

  1. Download Google Maps from Google Play (Android) or Apple App store.
  2. In the Google Maps app, navigate to or search for the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail.
  3. Once you see the trail, hold your finger on the location you want to see until a small picture frame of that location opens.
  4. Tap on the picture and a view of the trail will open.
  5. You may need to rotate the image to see the trail.

The Pumpkinvine Nature Trail effect

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I’ve lost track of the number of community meetings I’ve attended where the speakers praised trails like the Pumpkinvine as an important element in improving the quality of life in a community, along with good schools, meaningful jobs and a strong business community. One such meeting was at the Lerner Theatre several years ago when the president of the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, Pete McCowen, was promoting the Vibrant Communities initiative. In explaining the kind of initiatives the foundation was interested in promoting, he gave three examples of projects the Community Foundation had supported that had made a significant difference in our community’s quality of life: The Lerner Theater renovation and the creation of the Wellfield Botanical Garden in Elkhart and the birth of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail.

I was pleased that the Pumpkinvine was on his list, but not really surprised because I’d heard the same comments in numerous other meetings about what factors make a town a desirable place to live. Surveys that measure what communities want put accessible places to walk and bike – what trails provide – near the top of the list. That’s where people want to live. One such ranking that uses these criteria is the annual “Best Places to Live” article in Money magazine.

Now our community has an opportunity to make our trails into an even better trail system. The story on page 10 of this newsletter introduces the Quaker Trace Trail, an off-road trail that supporters would like to see connect Elkhart, Bristol and Middlebury. If they are successful it would connect with the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail in Middlebury and (with the MapleHeart Trail from Goshen to Elkhart, form a 40+ mile, off-road loop around Elkhart County.

This loop promises to enhance the trail system in Elkhart County just as other additions to the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail have done, e.g., the MapleHeart connecting Goshen to Ox Bow County Park and Elkhart, the Abshire Trail and Monroe Street trails connecting the Pumpkinvine to the Elkhart County fair grounds and the Ridge Run Trail connecting the Pumpkinvine with Greencroft Middlebury, the Essenhaus and Northridge schools.

It is worth noting that trails have the support of many rural residents, as well as city folk. Last fall when the Friends of the Pumpkinvine contacted area Amish churches and asked for donations to support construction of the Pumpkinvine between County Road 20 and County Road 35, the Amish community responded with a generous contribution – a tangible way of saying that they support this extension of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. This community, which uses bicycles more than any other group for transportation, recognizes that the Pumpkinvine improves the quality of rural as well as urban life. 

Amish Directory now includes the Pumpkinvine

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From the president

Recently I purchased a copy of the Indiana Amish Directory 2017: Elkhart, LaGrange, and Noble Counties, a 1090-page volume edited by Joas and Freda Miller from Middlebury, Ind. In the forward, the editors say: “Our goal for the Directory is to make it a reliable source of birth, marriage, and death date information. Also we try to provide accurate addresses, church district maps, and locations of Amish homes, schools, and cemeteries.” And they have succeeded in a grand way: the book is a combination of genealogy, atlas, church history and labor statistics – a comprehensive overview of the Old Order Amish community in northern Indiana.

The book is organized by church districts, and each district includes a map showing the county roads, with numbers keyed to a list of names on the opposite page that indicates where families live. The map also shows the location of the Amish schoolsA map of an Amish district copied from the Amish Directory. and a few stores relevant to the Amish community.

I wanted a copy of the directory because I’d heard a rumor that for the first time the maps of church districts would also include the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. To me that seemed significant: if the directory included the Pumpkinvine, it would indicate that the Pumpkinvine had become an important for the Amish community. And a map showing where the Pumpkinvine was in relation to homes would help anyone who wanted to purchase property know where that property was in relationship to the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail.

How times have changed. I can’t help recalling the beginnings of our efforts to convert the abandoned Penn Central railroad into a multi-use trail in the early 1990s when people told me that the Amish community would be solidly against a bike trail due to concerns about privacy and vandalism. In other words, they wouldn’t want a bike trail anywhere near where they lived.

This map sends the opposite message: it helps people know where to buy property, if they want to be close to the trail.

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