Friends of the Little Miami State Park recently initiated a trail sentinel program, enlisting volunteers to monitor trail safety conditions and provide selective assistance to trail users.  This program, the brainchild of Don Hahn (thanks, Don!), now includes 10 sentinels—that’s 20 eyes, 20 ears, 10 voices and 20 hands—devoted to trail safety, a significant commitment.  And yet, there’s no way that these 10 sentries can completely cover over 50 miles of trail 7 days-a-week.  That’s where you come in.

Currently, Trail Mail reaches 2,300 readers—that’s 4,600 eyes, 4,600 ears, 2,300 voices and 4,600 hands.  Here’s how you and the other 2,299 readers of Trail Mail can assist the Friends to keep the trail safe:

1.  Take the time to clear the trail of large sticks.  Before bending down to pick up a stick, scan the trail for fast approaching cyclists. Toss sticks well clear of the trail.

2.  Report downed trees and other hazards by calling or texting the Trail Hotline at (513) 212-6958.  Include a description, location (milepost number) and a picture (if appropriate).  Add the hotline to your mobile phone contacts list now.

3.  Model safe behavior including calling out “on your left” when passing, coming to a complete stop at intersections and slowing down in congested portions of the trail.

4.  Speak up to address unsafe behavior to the extent you feel comfortable.  I recently approached a woman walking a dog off leash.  After I had to nearly stop my bike to pass, I said “ma’am, trail regulations require that dogs be on leashes no more than six feet long.”  I have taken to calling out “on your right” to remind passing cyclists who don’t announce their presence of that need.  In any case, be courteous and respectful, since safety and not confrontation is the objective.

If you are interested in becoming a trail sentinel or simply learning more about the program, contact Don Hahn at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Trail sentry or not, you can contribute your eyes, your ears, your voice and your hands to help the Friends pursue its number one objective—providing a safe experience for all trail users.

by Erick Wikum
June 2019

A lifelong dream has come true for two local women. In June 2018 Elizabeth Wabnitz and her daughter Kelly Stahler completed the purchase of The Corwin Peddler located in Corwin, Ohio. It was a dream of theirs to one day open their own restaurant. Elizabeth, a retired nurse, and Kelly, who worked in the food industry for over 10 years, spent years searching for the perfect restaurant opportunity. They visited numerous properties, but The Corwin Peddler had the right amount of charm and opportunity. The pair were determined to offer the right food, at the right price, with the right atmosphere.

They spent the entire summer of 2018 cleaning the property, painting, and making several updates to the building. In October they were ready to open. The weather, however, turned quickly and by the end of the month, the restaurant was once again closed until the spring brought warmer weather. As of April 7^th, 2019, The Corwin Peddler is once again open.

The quaint restaurant features indoor as well as outdoor seating. The covered patio is perfect to sit and enjoy a break from the sun. The outdoor picnic tables provide ample seating for families. The Corwin Peddler went back to its roots and serves ice cream. The soft serve frozen treat is a creamy delicious staple of summer. On the menu are several sandwiches, burgers (angus beef as well as the vegan Impossible Burger), salads, a kids menu, and drinks. The owners pride themselves on having fresh, locally sourced food. A fan favorite is already emerging! The Rachel sandwich is crafted with sliced turkey, Swiss cheese and chipotle mayonnaise topped with creamy coleslaw piled on sourdough bread and toasted. Fans of ice cream can find endless topping combinations! The Corwin Peddler offers a wide array of toppings from the standard rainbow sprinkles to the delicious crushed Oreos and sauces such as peanut butter, hot fudge, marshmallow, and more!

Check out the Corwin Peddler at 69 Maple St. Corwin, Ohio 45068 located right on the Little Miami Bike Trail. It’s open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm but will be extending hours in the summer. You can follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thecorwinpeddler.

by Steve Murphy

In 2008, my bike favorite ride was from Morrow to Corwin. Once in Corwin I went straight to the Corwin Peddler to sit on the porch and watch the world go by.

At that time the Corwin Peddler was run by the Copples, Simeon and his wife Ann. Ann managed the “back of the house" (kitchen) and Simeon the “front of the house" (guests). With his British accent and easy manner Simeon was easy to engage in conversation, and because he was an aerospace engineer and world traveler the conversation was broad and stimulating.

However, Simeon’s favorite topic was the trail, and because he talked with so many people, Simeon represented a broad spectrum of ideas and opinions. But then in the fall of 2008 the subject matter of our conversation turned serious--there has been three serious accidents on the trail in 2008, i.e. broken tibia, broken pelvis, and partial paralysis, all because of one or more of 15 oaken trail bridges which would turn treacherous with any amount of moisture. And because the 50-mile trail was “use at your own risk,” these three people had no recourse to the State of Ohio.

Simeon and I and several others decided that something needed to be done, so we called a meeting for Saturday November 16, 2008. With Simeon’s broad network of trail users it was not difficult to assemble attendees--actually, we got 27. We gathered in a Caesar Creek lodge on this cold wintery night.

It was not difficult for those assembled to agree that we had a serious problem and needed to take action. We decided to form a non-profit group in support of the trail and call ourselves “The Friends of the Little Miami State Park," thereby joining the other 56 “Friends” groups in the State of Ohio. We elected officers--Simeon was elected founder and president. We scheduled a follow-up meeting for November 26 in order to get down to the basics of actually launching the non-profit. On March 9, 2009 we received our “Letter of determination” from the IRS that we were officially a non-profit. The rest they say is history: 

• We paved over 12 of the bridges in 2009 and the remaining 3 in 2010. We have not had a serious injury on the bridges since.
• For trail maintenance we initiated an Adopt-a-trail program, chainsaw “minuteman” teams, 3 tool caches, and a cadre of volunteers.
• More recently we have repaved 10 miles of the trail.
• This year we celebrate our 10th anniversary of the Friends group--Simeon would be proud.

Although Simeon monitored the Friends' efforts and successes over time, he had to resign from the Board in early 2015 for business and family reasons. Simeon was an aerospace engineer working for GE and Rolls-Royce which meant he would spend weeks at a time in Great Britain.

I have fond memories of sitting on the porch of the Corwin Peddler and chatting with the very congenial Simeon Copple with the British accent. And because of Simeon’s vision, we started something special that has stood the test of time--the Friends of the Little Miami State Park.

I miss him.

Simeon Copple passed away suddenly on April 23, 2019, just one day before his 63rd birthday.