Hallie Mottl, 4, runs ahead of her parents Kyrsten and D.J. and siblings Grayson and Kinley, 5 months, on a trail of the Franklin-Cotterell Arboretum. This trail is one of trails slated to be paved.

Cement, signage, more trees planned for arboretum

by Mary Le Arneal
Published 10/24/12

It’s time has come.

The community is enjoying the new library, and it is time the arboretum path, the Paving a Path for the Future project, to be in the limelight once again, so says Bob Feurer, curator of the Franklin-Cotterell Greens Arboretum.

Started in 1990, the arboretum has served the North Bend community as a showcase of adaptable landscape plants, a center for educational activities and a nice place to go for a walk.

The initial trail was made of wood chips. A cement loop connected to Birchwood Manor was built in 1991, making that section of the arboretum handicap accessible. In 2007 a straight piece of cement was paved connecting the North Bend Central football and track stadium to the parking lot. In 2009 a loop was paved around the football field. It was 0.4 miles long and weaved among trees on the south and north side of the football field.

Now it is time to complete the final loop, Feurer said.

Waiting for cement is the pathway that encircles the football practice field. Feurer figures it will cost $35 - $40,000 based on prices from the last pour. He has a goal of finishing the cement pathway next spring.

Feurer is in the process of seeking donations. He attended a grant writing class and is writing letters for donations. Feurer is also seeking community donations.

“We have resources to tap,” Feurer said. “There is already $3,000 in the flow through an account (with North Bend Area Community Foundation) in Fremont.”
Donations for the paving project can be sent to (and checks made out to) Paving a Path for the Future, c/o Platte Valley Bank, P.O. Box 500, North Bend, NE 68649.

Feurer said that the Tree Board is in the process of replacing the 20+ year old donor plaque by the entry way at field ticket office.

“The roof is about shot and we are running out of room without a complete re-do,” Feurer said. “Depending how the fund raising goes we were thinking about converting the old high jump area into a butterfly garden and then doing an arbor and incorporating the signage into that structure. We would recycle all the existing plaques into a new display. This is all very tentative.”

The new signage will be weatherproof and an improvement on the old structure, which is made from recycled grocery store doors and some lumber from the old visitor’s bleachers from the south side of the football field.

At the ReTree event Oct. 20 a variety of new trees were planted on the around the arboretum. Feurer said now that the cement is in the plans, it is time to add more trees to that area around the practice field.

Students gave strong support to the ReTree event held last Saturday. Those attending were Makayla O’Connel, Allison Hansen, Sivana and Mason Witt, Nick and Mike Virka, Alle and Livi Flamme, Cassidy Walla, Cody Thompson, Paul Reznicek, Faith Rickertsen, Tanner Byrd, Zana Rhynolds, Maddie, Cassidy and Mackenna Walla, Desirae Sindelar, Brett Juhl, Haleigh Cave, Morgan Haverluck and Luke Dolezal.

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