Local residents may not pay much attention to the Arkansas River boarding Derby’s west side, but they should as it could be useful not just for additional recreational activities but as a economic development tool.
That’s just one of the many points Hannes Zacharias made during a recent visit to Derby. He spoke Friday before the Derby Rotary club about his kayaking trip on the river from Colorado to its end in New Orleans as part of the Mississippi River.
A native Kansan, Zacharias was the long-time manager of Johnson County and is now professor at the University of Kansas.
At times, people view the river as “a dumping ground,” as opposed as a life blood for a community, according to Zacharias.
“Why aren’t there paths along the river?” Zacharias asked.
(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)