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Barricades Trouble ERTS
March 16 2021

Spring has arrived in Clayberry and so have the ERTS users. Tuesday afternoon several walkers and bikers were on the Lower section of Elk River Trail System (ERTS). Temps were near 70 degrees and we had bright blue skies. What could possibly screw up such a beautiful day?

Sometime during the last few days, concrete barriers were erected on ERTS between Hartland and mile post 61 which is the Dundon neighborhood. More barriers may be placed on the middle and upper section of the pathway, we just, were not up that far to check those out.
Our best guess, some good intentioned person was responding to complaints of four wheelers roaring up and down ERTS. But those good intentions went amuck big time.

Good intentions or not, with the barriers in place, ERTS is off limits for those pulling strollers behind their bikes, for those pushing wheelchairs, and horses pulling buggies. There are at least five such barriers in this short stretch of ERTS. With the obstructions in place, the whole idea of gliding along, it's gone because every few minutes, bikers have to dismount , walking around the obstacle, and this get started again.
The barriers were placed without any announcements to the county's local newspaper, The Communicator. No notice was tacked up around the parking lots.
Here it is a new season just getting underway and this pee poor experience is what users come across. On Tuesday March 16th, at least a dozen people were using ERTS. Each one asked, what is this crap????? And, at least one group said, we ain't comin back.
If these tank traps are permanent, ERTS is dead in the water. Only hikers can get thru the restrictions. And even for those hikers, ERTS is too dangerous to use. Dangerous? Read on.

   Let's give Elk River Railroad, the land owners, the benefit of the doubt and say, maybe, maybe, just maybe, these ugly barriers are just temporary obstructions.
   If that's the case, that should make everyone even more peed off! They weren't thinking!
   No one knew what was coming. It gets worse readers.
With these things in place, when Uncle Bubba strokes out, Aunt Ethel breaks her ankle, there is no way an ambulance can get on ERTS. Same thing for fire crews during this fire season. Ditto for Badges trying to patrol the place.
When minutes are critical to save a life, it would take some real time to get the heavy things out of the way so an ambulance could get thru.
Just think last Summer when every rescue agency in the region was on this section of ERTS looking for what they thought was a youngster lost in the Elk River. There could not have been a river bank search performed!
This is a real problem for Clayberry's tourism future. Everyone using ERTS and trying to negotiate thru the restrictions will be thinking, saying to others, I ain't coming back to this place!!!
If the problem is ATV's tearing up the top coat, write the turds a bunch of tickets. Word will get out quickly when those several hundred dollar citations are handed out. Top that off with those $164.25 court cost fees.
   The even bigger problem, a problem that has haunted Clayberry since the beginning of time, no communications existed. Nothing to alert and inform the public!
Right now, as often is the case, the bad guys have won. ERTS is pretty much closed down and without a Badge presence on ERTS, the four wheelers have complete run of the place.
It's not a good time in County Clay

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