The groundbreaking ceremony for Vernon’s Next Level Trails project was held on Friday afternoon. Pictured from left to right: John Roberson (Vernon), Colby King (FPBH, Inc.), Ron Hendershot (Vernon), Erika Siebenthal (DNR), Gary Shultz (DNR), Kristen Wiley (Vernon Trail Committee), Roger Taylor (Vernon Township Trustee), Josh Shaw (Boy Scouts of America), Lola Post (Vernon), Bobby Burns (Vernon Trail Committee), Matthew Robinson (Vernon Trail Committee), Brad Bender (Vernon Trail Committee), Kelly Kent (Jennings County Community Foundation), David Boswell (Dave O’Mara Contractor, Inc.), Jeff Fuller (Dave O’Mara Contractor, Inc.), Mayor Wayne Zamora (Vernon), Wayne Fletcher (Vernon) and Emily Robinson (Vernon).
Jared Reedy | The Tribune
From the left: Erika Siebenthal, Gary Shultz, David Boswell, Jeff Fuller and Mayor Wayne Zamora breaking ground for the Vernon’s Next Level Trails project.
Jared Reedy | The Tribune
From the left: Kristen Wiley, Erika Siebnethal, Gary Schultz, Kelly Kent and Mayor Wayne Zamora.
Jared Reedy | The Tribune
From the left: Colby King, David Boswell, Jeff Fuller and Mayor Wayne Zamora.
Jared Reedy | The Tribune
In addition to improving your physical health, walking and spending time outside is a sure way to improve your mental and social well-being, according to Family and Consumer Sciences Program Assistant Morgan Roth of the University of Florida.
Within the next year, citizens of the Town of Vernon will have an extra reason to go outside and revel in nature and the comradery of others.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday afternoon for Vernon’s Next Level Trails project.
The town was awarded roughly $1.1 million through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ Next Level Trails grant program in 2021.
The trail will connect to the county’s Muscatatuck Park near the historic Vinegar Mill and continue for nearly 1.5 miles along the river and through the town of Vernon, ending at the state’s first public park, the Vernon Commons. The trail will feature trailhead parking, an overlook of the river near the town’s gymnasium and sports complex and a new restroom at the Commons.
According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ website, Next Level Trails has invested $180 million — the largest infusion of state trail funding in Indiana history — toward the development of regionally and locally significant trails throughout Indiana, all as part of Governor Holcomb’s broader Next Level Connections infrastructure program.
The first round of Next Level Trail awards was announced in May 2019. Vernon had initially submitted a grant application to Next Level Trails in 2019; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the announcement of round 2 awards was delayed significantly. In March 2021, former Mayor Dan Wright received an e-mail informing him the town’s project was one of 18 selected out of 62 projects submitted for consideration for round 2.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Mayor Wayne Zamora spoke about the history of Vernon and emphasized how the trail project is a landmark event for the town.
“This is probably the biggest project in Vernon in 100 or more years,” Zamora said. “There’s a lot of discussion these days about quality of life and mental health. There’s plenty of statistics about connectivity and the fact that so many people feel lonely … A project like this solves some of those problems. This is an immediate connection to nature; it’s an immediate connection to Muscatatuck Park; it’s an immediate connection from one neighbor to another because this trail literally crosses the span of east-west of town.”
Erika Siebenthal, grant coordinator at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, thanked everyone involved in getting the Vernon project up and running.
“Governor Holcomb started the Next Level Trail program in 2018 with the goal to make connections both within communities and between communities,” Siebenthal said. “Today, I believe this project we are breaking ground on is a perfect example of working to make connections and our team is looking forward to coming back in the future for the ribbon cutting ceremony. So, thank you for everyone who has been involved.”
Project construction is expected to take approximately one year. A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled at the town’s annual Sassafras Tea Festival in April 2025.
Information about the trail project can be accessed at vernonindiana.org.