A walking trail in Winchester

By Sherry Larson

People’s Defender

Creating a walking trail in Winchester is the aim of the Creating Healthy Communities Grant in partnership with W3CU Church. The church allows the community to use a piece of their land to build the walking path slated for completion in three phases.

Deb Ryan from Adams County’s Creating Healthy Communities explains that the grant will achieve Phase One, which includes forming the trail with pressure-run gravel. The group hopes to obtain donations from businesses, churches, and corporate sponsorships and additional grant funding to complete Phases Two and Three.

Phases Two and Three will include flowers, lights, picnic tables, and other fixtures. Ryan said, “This will be a beautiful addition.” Joyce Porter of Winchester said, “We want to return to native flowers and bog preservation – anything that will enhance the trail.” Winchester has a couple of walking groups, and Porter noted that this trail would be a safe path for them.

Porter explained that much like the Storybook Trail at Adams Lake, they would like to set up a Bible story trail in the project’s later phases to reflect the church property. All churches could use the trail as a place of learning or a gathering space for Bible studies. The involvement and contributions from other churches and faith organizations would help facilitate this portion of the walking path. Additionally, there could be special events on holidays like Christmas and Easter.

The future walking path in Winchester will offer a safe alternative for pedestrians who don’t want the interference of other traffic. A Bible story trail adds to the richness of the faith-based community in Adams County and provides a space for learning and leisure.