By By SPIROS GALLOS / Niles Daily Star
BUCHANAN - Through generous donations from the Niles-Buchanan Rotary Club and Berrien County Resource Recovery, the City of Buchanan now has a large piece of its recreational trail project in place.
The city recently completed construction of an observation deck in Schirmer Park, which will be part of the city's McCoy's Creek Trail Project, Buchanan City Manager Michael Hughes said.
The deck, which was made possible by $2,000 from the Rotary Club and Berrien County Resource Recovery, overlooks a tributary of McCoy's Creek which runs through E.B. Clark Woods.
The trail will split into two distinct paths through the woods, one asphalt path for rollerbladers and bicyclists, and a woodchip-lined walking path which will run close to the tributary, then merge back with the asphalt path.
The deck is part of the first of three phases for the trail project, Hughes said. The trail will run along McCoy's Creek through the woods, then along Third Street into downtown Buchanan.
When the project is completed, the trail will run from E.B. Clark Woods to downtown Buchanan, with signage highlighting areas of historical significance to the city.
Hughes said the Friends of the Trail Group has been integral in making much of the project happen.
The friends group has been busy working on different projects from designing the signage which will guide visitors along the trail to acquiring donations for amenities for the trail such as benches and trash cans, Hughes said.
The Friends of the Trail construction coordinator Reed Mann, owner of Mann's Custom Milling in Buchanan, organized the group of volunteers who helped build the new observation deck.
Consumer's Concrete, of Benton Harbor, donated the concrete for the deck's support structure, while RMC Quality Construction donated materials for the deck to be built.
The deck surface is constructed from composite boards made of recycled materials.
In the future, after the asphalt path is laid, the observation deck will be wheelchair accessible, Hughes said.
As the path runs along McCoy's Creek through the woods, visitors will be able to watch trout swim up stream in the summer time.
In an effort to help the trout swim upstream, the City of Buchanan, in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources and the St. Joe Valley Fly-fishing association, will construct a natural fish ladder.
Near the fish ladder, a second observation deck will be built for visitors to watch the trout swim up the ladder.
No city dollars were spent in building the deck, Hughes said. The friends group has been raising money for the project through selling sponsorship of the signs which will be located along the trail.
The trail project has drawn on the talents of multiple people throughout the entire community, Hughes said.
Local artist Shirley Roti Roti painted a series of water color paintings of various locations throughout Buchanan as part of a promotion program for the trail project.