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ERAU Sophomore Scott Nedrick is keen to contribute to the community. He and several dozen fellow ROTC cadets joined community die-hards and teens on probation for a four-hour cleaning spree that moved enough woody debris off the future Granite Creek Trail to fill a couple of downtown Victorians floor to ceiling.
The project, led by Prescott Parks and Trails Superintendent Eric Smith, has kicked into high gear ever since Smith and the City of Prescott obtained the necessary easements to build the creekside trail all the way from Prescott Mile High Middle School to Yavapai College. Though it’s long delayed, Smith says that he and the city are making up for six years of stalled efforts by rapidly putting the pieces in place to have the trail ready by next summer.
“It all came together,” Smith said. “I went to the city council and I said that I wanted bump up the time line and get as much done as possible, and they thought that was great.”
To date, much of the creekbed has already been a passageway for dog walkers and for homeless folk who leave behind the messy evidence of their overnight use of these areas. Prescott resident and local maven Tammy Lin, who arrived in a hot pink shirt advertising Sarah Palin in huge letters, said she was thrilled at the prospect of making the creek corridor less friendly for people whose drug and alcohol habits impact students attending the adjoining middle school. I pointed out that I'd stopped by to contribute to the effort in order to make Prescott more cyclist and pedestrian friendly.
Whatever the reason for coming out, Superintendent Smith says the project dearly needs many more helping hands in coming months. Volunteers meet at 8 am on the south side of the Goodwin Street Bridge over Granite Creek on the following Saturdays (weather allowing): October 25, November 8, November 22, January 10 and January 24. The city provides tools and refreshments and asks that volunteers bring work gloves, good shoes and plenty of enthusiasm. To learn more, call 777-1560, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Author: Erica Ryberg.
Prescott native Erica Ryberg has been writing narrative features on social issues,
adventure and conservation since 2003. Her work has appeared in regional publications as
well as in High Country News and Smithsonian; view it online at www.ericawriter.com.
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