A great deal of progress was made this year on the “Let’s Connect” project in Dallas County. With phase one now complete, Dallas County Conservation wanted to do a bit of celebrating, so they’ll be holding a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Friday.

The event will be held at noon on 18th Street in Perry, just north of the high school, where the beginning of the trail has been finished. A mile-and-a-half of the nine-mile connector between the Raccoon River Valley Trail in Perry and High Trestle Trail in Woodward was included in phase one. Phase two will be a similar stretch starting from Woodward and moving west, with construction beginning next spring. The middle section will then be completed in phase three, which is expected to commence in 2020. More than half of the $5 million needed to finish the project has been raised, and Conservation reminds people they’re always looking for donations.

The ribbon cutting event on Friday will include speeches from the Conservation Board, City of Perry, Perry Community School District, Hotel Pattee, and special guest Kirk VanKirk. The Perry High School Band will provide music for the festivities, and Hotel Pattee will offer a complimentary light lunch for attendees. The event is free to attend and open to the public. For more information, call Forest Park Museum at 515-465-3577.