Streator Parks Board suggests Hopalong Cassidy as name of new trail

The Streator Parks Board has a new plan for a permanent name for the temporarily named Greenway Trail, pending its presentation to the City Council.

The 1.47-mile trail, completed in August 2018, starts at the trailhead park at the corner of Broadway Street and Madison Street and ends near the Vermilion River at the end of West First Street.

The Parks Board had deferred discussion of the trail’s name from its Jan. 9 meeting but has decided to keep with the city’s Hopalong Cassidy tradition in trail naming.

“I was watching (Hopalong Cassidy) on one of the old channels the other night, and he’d always have an uplifting message for the kids at the end,” said Parks Board member Steve Broadus. “We could have a bunch of little signs for the kids saying things like ‘Be sure to wear your raincoat.’ ”

The board has recommended Twister Hill Park as the new name for the trailhead park.

The motion to officially rename the trail the Hopalong Cassidy Trail will be brought to the City Council at its Feb. 20 meeting, and plans to connect the new Hopalong Cassidy Trail to the existing Hopalong Cassidy Trail will be discussed in the future. The board also discussed opening more canoe launches, along with reopening ones no longer in use.

“The river is so highly unused, and canoe launches and takeout areas could fix that,” said City Councilman Ed Brozak. “A launch on the north side of town would make for a nice family trip and it would draw people. People will come from out of town and have a meal and get gas, and we don’t want them just starting in the middle of nowhere.”

The Sandy Ford Bridge canoe launch was one such launch suggested for reopening. The launch was closed to the public in 2012.

Final discussions surrounded issues with some signs of deterioration at Marilla Park pavilions, some of which are starting to lean.

City Manager Scot Wrighton said the biggest hurdle in replacing the shelters is that even small shelters could cost $30,000.

“We could have the public works department do an analysis and provide a multiyear plan, but right now it’s not practical with the budget,” Wrighton said. “If we had a recommendation that was manageable within the budget like we had with the City Park, we could do more.”