CLARA CITY -- A journey of a thousand miles may start with one step, but a 4.2-mile walking and bicycle trail in Clara City is beginning with a $50,000 donation.
That's the amount that the BNSF Railway Foundation donated to Clara City in a presentation at the community center Thursday.
The donation is one way the railroad can say "we're sorry'' for the derailment accident that forced the evacuation of 350 to 400 people from their homes in the predawn hours on Monday, according to Mark Bruce, general manager of the Twin Cities division of BNSF Railway.
The donation is also the railroad's means of saying "thank you'' to Clara City for how well it responded to the accident and worked to avert problems. "We just want to acknowledge that,'' said Bruce during a brief ceremony. He was joined by Brian Sweeney from the company's St. Paul office.
Both he and Sweeney said the railroad wanted to emphasize how much it appreciated the cooperation it received from Clara City and other public agencies responding to the accident.
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The funds are provided by the railroad's philanthropic foundation and come with one stipulation: They must be used for a community project.
Clara City is working on developing a bituminous trail that will link the schools, city parks, nursing home and residential areas of the community.
The railroad foundation's donation will help a project that will benefit many in the community, according to Bruce Berghuis, a member of the Clara City Walking Path Committee. ""It's a big benefit to the community,'' he said of the trail. "Everyone can utilize it.''
Berghuis was joined by Mayor Kurt Koenen and City Administrator Sara Folsted in accepting the donation. The mayor said the funds are greatly appreciated. He took the occasion to offer appreciation to all of those who responded to the emergency. "Everybody worked together well,'' Koenen said.
The city estimates it will cost $800,000 to develop the trail. It is seeking $400,000 in state bonding and $225,000 in federal transportation enhancement funds for the project. It will need to provide a local match of $175,000, according to Folsted.
She said that the city has received private donations of more than $45,000 toward the project. The railroad's contribution is the first major donation in-hand for the project. It represents an important step forward for the project, Folsted said.
Along with helping move the project forward, she and the mayor said that donations help the city in its efforts to undertake the project without a tax burden.
