To the editor:

I regularly exercise along the Naismith Valley Park trail. After every significant rainfall, a low area of the trail just east of 27th Street fills with mud (possibly due to the poorly contained runoff from the new construction at 27th and Ousdahl Road). This muddy area is inconvenient to me as a runner and for the numerous bicyclists that use the path daily. But it must be more of a barrier to the wheelchair users whom I regularly see along the trail.

A city maintenance crew cut the grass in the park this morning, actually driving the riding lawn mowers through the mud on the trail. It would be very simple to have a shovel onboard and take the 30 seconds to clear the mud that accumulates. It also would be a good use of the gasoline it takes to drive the crew to the park to consolidate the tasks into fewer trips. And those of us who use the trail would appreciate not having to slog through the mud.

Edwin Rothrock,

Lawrence