Note: The public is invited to a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for the Lions Way Bike and Pedestrian Pathway in Bluffton at 4 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 21. The event takes place at Comfort Inn, 117 Commerce Lane, at the eastern entrance of the pathway. Here’s a brief history of Bluffton’s bike and pedestrian pathways.
When the Lions Way Bike and Pedestrian Pathway opens on Oct. 21 it is not the first step nor last in creating a bike and walking path that encircles Bluffton.
The first step started in the late 1970s and it took over 10 years to complete. That first step is today the Triplett Bike Path.
The original promoters of the idea, the late Ropp and Mary Em Triplett, learned that the Bluffton park board wanted to have a bike and walking path to the village park that would keep youth off County Line Road.
A COMPLETE LIST OF DONORS FOR LIONS WAY
IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS STORY.
The Tripletts launched an effort to create a pathway that went under Interstate 75. They raised $29,480 from 61 donors in the community to get the spec work for the project underway. The entire project cost much more than that, however.
Mary Em Triplett was on the Village Cultural Affairs Committee at the time. A letter from the committee to Bluffton council in May 1980 stated its dream of having a "foot path and bicycle trail from Harmon Field to the village park."
"This would be a great community asset," the letter stated. "The group decided to pursue the idea and see if this could be accomplished by a concerted effort of the private sector, with the backing of the public sector."
Citizens working with village government
And so, the project became just that: An effort from Bluffton residents and organizations with the Bluffton council's backing.
The path starts at the Buckeye, crosses Main Street and goes to the County Line Road. At that point, a dedicated bike-walking path continues the route. It connects Lake Street with Jefferson Street.
The bike path then uses village streets from Jefferson to Mound to East College. At East College, the path turns east, where just beyond Albert Street it becomes a dedicated bike-walking path. That path goes behind properties on Albert Street to Riley Creek and under the interstate bridge.
On the south side of the interstate the path travels through the village park until it ends at the large shelter house near the high school baseball field.
On Aug. 18, 1990, the Triplett Bike Path dedication took place.
Quarter-century later
Now, a one-quarter century later, a new bike-pedestrian path opens. It connects with the Triplett Bike Path near Tower Automotive.
The Bluffton Lions Club and Bluffton Lions Club Foundation spearheaded this project, in cooperation with the Village of Bluffton.
Bluffton Pedestrian and Bike Pathway Steering Committee oversees the project. Members are Richard Ramseyer, Laura Voth, Greg Denecker, James Harder, John Rich, Dima Snyder and Fred Steiner. Village liaisons are Mitch Kingsley, Everett Collier and Jamie Mehaffie.
This path, named Lions Way, follows the abandoned Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad from Comfort Inn to its western entrance near Tower Automotive.
The bike and pedestrian pathway project measures seven-tens of a mile and was built at a cost of approximately $123,000. The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation provided one-half of the funding of the project thanks to a grant for the project.
Riverbend-Maple Crest path next
Lions Way is also not the end of this story.
The pathway vision is to create a bike and pedestrian pathway connecting Bluffton to Riverbend and Maple Crest on the west side of Bluffton. Funding for that project is nearly complete and construction is anticipated to take place in 2016.
The impetus launching Lions Way and Riverbend-Maple Crest bikeway began with a challenge picked up by Dick Ramseyer, president of the Bluffton Lions Club from 2008-10.
"The Lions District Governor challenged the Bluffton Lions Club to initiate a community project," said Ramseyer. That challenge, now five years later, will be answered with a ribbon cutting on Oct. 21.
The Lions Way Bike and Pedestrian Pathway is made possible by donations from several area businesses, organizations and individuals. Two anonymous gifts also are among donations to this project.
Major project donors:
• The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation
• Norfolk Southern Railway Co.
• Don Snyder Excavating, LLC, Don and Dima Snyder
• Comfort Inn Bluffton, Jamila Noor
• George Kentris, Ann Kentris Arthur, Matthew Arthur and Emily Kentris Coleman
• Citizens National Bank
• Bluffton Hospital
• DTR Industries
• Lewis Family McDonald’s
• Tower Automotive
• Bluffton Lions Foundation
• Hancock Handlebars Bike Club
• Chase Bank
• First National Bank
• Bob Rhodes Co., Bluffton Arby’s
• Tom and Jan Langhals, Diamond Manufacturing of Bluffton
• Ken and Diana Lugibihl
• Dick and Elfrieda Ramseyer
• Springfield Fireworks, Bill and Carol Huff
• Tommy Tire Sales and Tommy’s Trailer Sales
• U.A.W. Local 1327
• Masterpiece Signs and Graphics
Additional donors:
• The Barnett family memorial
• Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce
• Marathon Petroleum Co.
• Subway
• Laura B. Voth
• American Legion Post 382
• Mitchell L. Kingsley
• Cooper Tire and Rubber Co.
• Bluffton Veterinary Hospital and Pet Care Center
• Bluffton Icon, Fred and Mary Pannabecker Steiner
• James M. and Karen Klassen Harder
• Gregory Denecker
