Several volunteers have come out to pick up trash at the softball and soccer fields, as well as the ditches between Central States and the Hartford Township maintenance building.  Left to right: Kenzie Meyer, Dani Meyer, Brooklyn Roberts and Levi Meyer. (Photo submitted/Troy Larson)

Melissa Voss | Editor

With summer weather comes plenty of outdoor activities for locals in Hartford and the surrounding area, one being the use of the bike trails.  For Hartford resident and Hartford Area Bike & Rec committee member Troy Larson, the addition to the bike trails have been a noteworthy addition to the community. 

The Hartford Area Bike & Rec Trails Committee organized an annual bike cleanup around twelve years ago in hopes of helping city staff keep the trails clean for its users.  Larson joined as one of the committee organizers and has been chaired on the committee for all but the first year. 

Larson became involved with the committee from his love of biking, which he shared with fellow Hartford local Warren DeCou, who chaired the committee for the first year.

“Warren and I both love bike riding, which is how we came to be involved.  The trails have been an incredible quality of life addition to our community that are heavily used year round.”

This year’s volunteers for the bike clean up not only helped clean the bike trails, but the softball and soccer fields as well as the ditches between Central States and the Hartford Township maintenance building.

Larson also thanks those who helped him with the clean up this year, making it the biggest group the cleanup has ever seen.

“Thank you to everyone who helped!  For several years we’ve held the trail clean-up the weekend before Jamboree Days.  Even though Jamboree Days has been cancelled, we still felt it was important to do this for our community.” 

Although this was an annual cleanup, Larson also asks that the local community and trail users actively partake in keeping the trails clean year round.

“We just want to play a small role by trying to keep them clean.  We kindly ask those using the trails also help keep them clean by using the pet waste stations and garbage cans.”

Those who have helped in the trash cleanup were Kari Borns, Warren DeCou, Kevin Eidness, Alexa Larson, Rachel Lorang, Curtis Froke, Blair Bathke, Jenna Bathke, Brooke Bathke, Ellee Bathke, Marcy Maras, April Mulder, Mark Sebert, Dave Larson, Luke Larson, Angie Meyer, Kenzie Meyer, Dani Meyer and Levi Meyer.