Ike Lantz, 4, and his grandfather Dave Lantz used the 40-plus degree weather Wednesday afternoon, January 5, to go for a ride and walk on the Raccoon River Valley Trail in Redfield. “We’re headed up to the Post Office, and so we take the trail part of the way,” said Dave Lantz, who lives adjacent to the trail in the southeast part of town. “I’ll tell you, when they first announced they were going to build this trail a long time ago, I thought that was the silliest waste of money I’d ever heard of. But now I’m just amazed at how many people are on the trail all year long, and especially in the summer. My wife and I really enjoy visiting with the people. We take our turns volunteering at the depot here in Redfield, too.” The local development group staffs the renovated depot on weekends in warm-weather, offering cold drinks and snacks. “The people on the trail all say they really appreciate it when the depot is open,” he said. “Not all the towns on the trail have something like this.”