Keep Carter County Beautiful, KCCB, hosted the third annual Beautification Project along the Tweetsie Trail in Elizabethton this past Saturday.

KCCB partnered with Elizabethton Parks and Recreation for the event. Those in attendance helped plant trees, including Evergreen, Dogwood and Maple, shrubs and aided with mulching at three locations on the trail.

“It’s a great partnership,” said Mike Mains, Parks and Recreation Director. “When you look at Parks and Recreation, it is such a good match for us to partner with them. Ed Jordan’s leadership and the volunteers are a great group of individuals that care about their community, so it’s a pleasure to work with them.”

Ed Jordan, president of KCCB, said the event is to enhance the trail and beautify the community.

“The Tweetsie Trail is a beautiful trail, but we want to enhance it,” said Jordan, “so people can sit in the shade in the summertime and the other thing is it beautifies the community. It shows the people who come to our community, and the people who live here, that the community has pride.”

Ken Gough, chairman of the Carter County Parks and Recreation Board, said the trail is one of the best things to ever happen in this area.

“I actually had a hand in building the trail and was a representative on the Elizabethton Tweetsie Trail Task Force,” he said. “The Tweetsie Trail is one of the best things that ever happened to Johnson City and Elizabethton. We knew the trail was going to be successful, but we had no idea it was going to be as successful as it has been. This trail is used by hundreds of people every day and thousands every week. So, what could be better? It’s a fantastic resource for both communities.”

Gough said that the more that is done to the trail, the more it will attract people.

“The way I look at it, the Tweetsie Trail has become sort of a main street,” he said. “It gives people the opportunity to get out, get some exercise and see their friends. The prettier it is, the more people it will attract.”

Like Gough, Mains also said the beautification will attract more people and will ultimately last for years to come. He is also thankful for the Street Department for keeping the trail clear.

Jordan said those wishing to volunteer on future KCCB projects can do so by simply showing up. To keep up with future Keep Carter County Beautiful events, you can check out their Facebook page.

“A project like this, when you look at it in the scope of it, provides just tremendous rewards,” said Mains.