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PAGE 16A
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016
O
O
WORK AT FORT YARGO
Volunteers who participated in the August work session take a break from
work.
Volunteer group works to
maintain Fort Yargo trails
By Scott Thompson
News-Journal Reporter
Winder-Barrow High School science
teacher Brandon Mitchell can't think of
many days where he and his wife aren't
biking, hiking or walking along the trails
of Fort Yargo State Park.
A study by the University of Georgia
in recent years revealed that the majority
of park visitors use the more than 20-mile
trail network in some form or fashion.
Only three miles of that total was actu
ally created by park staff. The rest came
through volunteer work and volunteers
like Mitchell are responsible for main
taining it.
Mitchell has been a constant force the
last four years, volunteering hundreds of
hours of work.
But he came to realize he needed more
help and has started the Yargo Trail Crew,
a nonprofit dedicated to maintenance of
the trails. It is actively recruiting mem
bers and is already seeing some promis
ing growth in its early stages.
The group launched in August and had
six volunteers at its first monthly work
session. Twelve were at the Sept. 17 ses
sion, and 25 had signed up for the Oct. 22
one. Mitchell said last week.
“We’re on our way and getting start
ed pretty good,” Mitchell said. “We’ve
gotten a couple of big donations, and
businesses are starting to chip in. Every
little bit helps.”
The work isn’t exactly easy, Mitchell
said. Volunteers are required to work
a minimum of 25 hours on the trail
before becoming an official crew mem
ber, according to the group’s website.
“It's by far the hardest work I’ve
ever done,” Mitchell said. “And I was a
mechanic before. I've done flooring and
roofing work. Yes. roofing can get hot, but
when you get into full hours of working
on these trails, most people walk away.”
Work in the warmer months typically
consists of pulling back brush and sticks,
mitigating effects of rain washout and
slowing the water by re-routing the trails.
“In the last four years, I think I’ve done
two miles of re-routing,” Mitchell said.
“So you’ve got 20 miles of trail, and by
the time you get through working on it a
year later, there's another area that needs
attention. So it’s continuous work.”
Mitchell was formerly part of a group
of volunteers that worked on the trails,
but no longer does so. Still, he said he
“couldn't let the trails go” and has got
ten by mostly on borrowing tools and
doing enough to try to keep the trails
user-friendly.
But keeping the trails in good condi
tion will rely on dedicated and passion
ate volunteers, along with financial and
accessory contributions moving forward,
Mitchell said.
The group will host a 3.25-mile and
8.75-mile trail run at Fort Yargo on Oct. 8
beginning at 8:30 a.m. Registration is $2
per participant, and the proceeds will go
to the purchase of more tools.
The group is accepting donations of
equipment such as shovels, rakes, string
trimmers, wheelbarrows, chainsaws and
limb loppers as well as simple monetary
donations. The group is also under the
umbrella of the Friends of Fort Yargo
group, so tax-free donations can be made,
Mitchell said.
For more information on the group,
registering for the Oct. 8 race or dona
tions, go to yargotrailcrew.com or contact
Mitchell at bamitchell71@gmail.com.
WORKING ON THE TRAIL
The Yargo Trail Crew, a nonprofit dedicated to maintaining the trail network
at Fort Yargo State Park in Winder, is seeking more volunteers for its month
ly work sessions.
Southern Circuit Tour coming to Winder
The Southern Circuit
Tour of Independent Film
makers Fall 2016 Tour is
coming to Winder in Octo
ber and November.
On Sunday. Oct. 16, at 4
p.m. “Shu-De! (Let's Go)”
will be presented at the
Winder Cultural Arts Cen
ter Colleen O. Williams
Theater, 105 East Athens
Street, Winder. “Hotel Dal
las” will be presented at 7
p.m. on Nov. 18.
For more information
call 678-425-6836 or visit
the website windercultu-
alarts.com.
FRIENDS AT FALL FESTIVAL
Sydney Smalls and Erika Thomas were just a few of the many visitors at
the Hoschton Fall Festival Friday afternoon. Photos by Wesleigh Sagon
DIXIE DOCDOGS
Matthew Gyurgyik’s dog Alii Z, competed in the Extreme Vertical Dixie
Docdogs competition at the Hoschton Fall Festival Saturday. Gyurgyik is
from Knoxville, Tenn.
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