Barrington opening Dreamway Trail with ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday

A ribbon-cutting and community walk will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, to celebrate the newly refurbished "Joe Kelsch Sr. Dreamway Trail," a bike and pedestrian path that runs alongside the restored Flint Creek from Langendorf Park to Barrington High School.

The project recently was chosen to receive the prestigious Governor's Hometown Award as well as an American Public Works Association Award due to the collaborative and partnership efforts of the Village of Barrington, the Barrington Park District, the Barrington Community Unit School School District 220, and area conservation-oriented nonprofits and volunteers.

The gathering will begin at 10 a.m. near the Langendorf Park Splash Pad, where representatives from the involved governments and organizations as well as volunteers will honor the family of the late Joe Kelsch Sr., for whom the trail is named.

Following the ribbon-cutting, the community is invited to walk the 1.5-mile trail.

The trail is named in Kelsch's honor to memorialize his persistent vision within the Flint Creek Watershed. More than 25 volunteers gave 1,250 hours of their time to support the project. It also was supported by a $516,000 Illinois Environmental Protection Agency grant.

"This project truly highlights what can be accomplished through the hard work and passion of dedicated volunteers and also illustrates the tremendous value of intergovernmental partnerships, Village President Karen Darch said. "We are very grateful and honored to have been chosen for this award, and we thank all those volunteers who have worked so hard to see this project come to fruition."