Efforts to construct recreational trails in Elk Horn and Kimballton received a big boost from local and state officials, last week. Several members of the Little Mermaid Trail Committee were joined last Friday at the offices of Marne Elk Horn Telephone Company (METC) by Rod Rowland, President of Landmands Bank of Kimballton, and Sue Cosner, Vice President of Iowa Area Development Group, in Des Moines, to receive a total of $15,000 in donations for the projects.

Rowland pledged $10,000 over a period of three-years. The funds will be shared by the trail project and the Danish Immigrant Museum’s Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park. Cosner presented the Iowa Network Services Ripple Effect check in the amount of $5,000 for the trail project, to be matched by METC.  The group is also receiving an INS Charity grant of $1,000, also to be matched by METC.

L-R Sue Cosner, Glennda Mortenson, Janell Hansen, Terri Johnson, Jill Madsen, Bob Mortenson, Rod Rowland.

The Little Mermaid Trail is designed to be built in phases. Thanks to the mentioned recent gifts and grants, including $75,000 from Iowa Great Places and $25,000 from Lynette Rasmussen/The Rasmussen Group in Des Moines, officials say “Phase One” will be completed by June, 2012.

That means that by summer of next year, there will be a recreational trail ready for use in Kimballton, from the Little Mermaid Statue to just past the ball fields, with further expansion planned, and, in Elk Horn, from College & Union Streets to The Danish Immigrant Museum (currently known as the Atlantic Friends of the Museum Friendship Walk).