The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News - Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties

Members of the Hartley Recreational Trail Committee received a pleasant surprise last week.

Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority announced Oct. 6 that Hartley was included in over $450,000 awarded to communities across the state as part of the Empower Rural Iowa Grant Program. Hartley netted $20,000, which will be used by the trail committee to purchase and install a system using Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) to cross Highway 18.

"We were shocked," said committee member Dave Vander Broek. "We were looking like we weren't going to get it, so we didn't expect this."

The committee has spearheaded efforts over the past year to raise funds for the construction of a paved recreation trail around Hartley. The 14-foot wide trail would encompass Hartley starting at Neebel Park for total distance of approximately four miles. It would be paved with cement and ideally have a gravel shoulder for joggers.

The route would take it across the highway, which will necessitate the installation of RRFBs. Vander Broek said the crossing will likely be located somewhere by the school so students can utilize it as well.

"I have heard about getting past Highway 18 for years, so I think it will be good for us to get across there," Vander Broek said. "It's an important barrier to find a safe way to get across."

Vander Broek noted previous fundraising efforts helped the committee's chances at obtaining the grant. Applicants needed at least $10,000 on hand, which the Hartley group had thanks to the generosity of the community and previous grant awards.

"That's why fundraising is so important," Vander Broek said. "If we didn't have 10K on hand, we couldn't have even applied."

Only 11 of the 58 Empower Rural Iowa Grant Program applicants were funded. The grant awards will support rural initiatives spanning from childcare and housing to workforce attraction and leadership development in communities across the state.

Hartley's $20,000 allotment must be spent by the summer of 2024. Vander Broek said the committee would like the RRFBs to be installed by the end of 2023 to avoid any issues. Committee members plan to work with school officials and the Iowa Department of Transportation on the project.

While obtaining big grants is important, the rec trail committee has a steady stream of income these days.

The group took over operation of the can donation bin in downtown Hartley earlier this spring. The bin had previously been used to raise money for the city's new pool.

Vander Broek said the bin remains popular, and the committee nets around $1,000 each time it brings a haul to the redemption center.

"It's amazing how many containers we get," he said. "It's certainly well utilized by the community."