Veterans' Pathway open to pedestrians following Friday ribbon-cutting ceremony
A mixture of local dignitaries, military veterans, engineering and construction professionals, Chamber representatives and local business owners and operators, as well as others, gathered Friday, May 24, in Flat Rock Park for a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the Veterans' Pathway.
More than 4 years in the making, the project is complete and establishes a smoothly paved, wheelchair-accessible pedestrian route from the Kerrville VA Medical Center, across the now improved crossing at TX-27 and down into Flat Rock Park or alongside Riverside Drive to a connection with the Kerrville River Trail.
The quarter-mile Veterans' Pathway was the brainchild of then Kerr County Commissioner (Pct. 2) Tom Moser, who pursued its completion even after he had left office.
"What I would like to say is 'Mission Accomplished!'," said the former county official who worked for decades with NASA. "This took a lot of people -- so many people within the county to make it happen."
Moser pinpointed the county commissioners' court, Kerr County Engineer Charlie Hastings, the City of Kerrville, TxDOT, the Kerrville VA Medical Center, Maldonado Nursery and Landscape, Mendez Engineering, M&C Fonseca Construction,
Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. who had been sworn in just days earlier jested with the crowd: "Two historic events today -- the opening of the pathway and the first time many of you will have heard a politician not take credit for something -- because I had nothing to do with it."
"All I can do is say, 'Thank you, thank you' to everyone who worked on it...because it will benefit not only the veterans, but our entire community. " Herring continued.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly took the microphone to explain a little more about the project's history. "Funding on this was not an easy task," he said. Ultimately, what paid the near $370,000 price tag for the project -- in its entirety -- was ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds and not local taxpayer money.
When Moser left his commissioner's post due to a precinct change in his residence, Beck Gipson was appointed to that position. "He jumped right on it," Kelly noted, adding that the grant funding came through mere days before Gipson finished his term. "I cannot express the gratitude I have for the efforts he did," the judge said.
He too recognized a few individuals for their part in the project. In addition to thanking Hastings, he lauded Kerr County Veterans Service Officer Jenna Sanchez. And, he praised Kerr County Grants Administrator Noel Putnam, who helped navigate the federal funding, any strings related to it and making sure the county was doing everything correctly.
"So, we have successfully taken the ARPA funds, which were controversial to begin with, and transformed them into what you see today," Kelly said.
Closing out the occasion were two ribbon cuttings -- one with county and city officials, plus those who had a hand in the making of the project and another where local dignitaries were joined by ambassadors from the Kerrville Area Chamber of Commerce.