Service Leaders Really Dig it
By Rose Kelter

Eight high school seniors and various adult volunteers spent May 13th and 14th installing a section of drainage on the Indian Creek trail. The students are members of the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce's (HRCCC) Leaders for Tomorrow second year program. After a year of planning, the new drainage system was successfully installed ahead of schedule.

The goal of the drainage project was to clean up a sixty-foot section of muddy trail in order to make it a more pleasant place for walking and jogging. The volunteers dug four trenches, laid one hundred feet of drainage pipe, and shoveled and hauled eight yards of river rock to complete the drainage system. Topping it all off, a nice, clean layer of gravel that should keep feet out of the mud for years to come. Along with the drainage project the group has also developed a hiking map of the trail, which includes a tree guide to help walkers identify the trees located along Indian Creek. The map will be distributed to businesses around Hood River in the next couple of months.

HRCCC's Leaders for Tomorrow is a two-year program for local high school students. The program offers students a chance to discover what it means to build a community. The first year offers a glimpse into various businesses and industries in the community. The second year allows students to design and carry out a project that will benefit the community.

After hours of hard work the students left the trail with sore muscles, blistered hands, muddy clothes and a great sense of accomplishment of a job well done. A special thank you goes out to Hood River Valley Parks and Rec. and SOLV's Down by the Riverside for helping fund this project.

From: Hood River County Chamber of Commerce
405 Portway Ave., Hood River, OR 97031
541.386.2000