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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Things are going to be changing at Memorial Park in Ottumwa.

In the future, you are going to be able to walk, run and bike ride on a brand new trail system that will run throughout the park.

The first trail to be built will be a new mountain bike trail. The trail is going to cost little to nothing to construct, being that volunteers will be doing all of the work.

“The mountain bike trail at Memorial Park is going to be built by a small group of volunteers, and what they are going to do is clear a pathway throughout the park about two feet wide. In addition, they are going to clear the brush and the weeds. Then they are going to start riding on the trail. In the process of riding on the trail, it is going to compact the dirt, kill the weeds and growth, and that is what is going to create the trail once the brush is cleared,” said Gene Rathje, Ottumwa’s Parks Director.

Rathje told KTVO that putting the trail system in Memorial Park would attract more people to Ottumwa.

“Well I think it is very important because it is a very popular and growing sport, and this is a chance for Ottumwa to be on the cutting edge of something that is growing in popularity. It is going to attract more people to town. Our parks master plan calls for a series of trail systems in Memorial park, and that is one of the reasons why we are building this, is to get started on the trail system,” said Rathje.