New B2B Trailhead to Honor Chelsea Native Joel Gentz

Photo: Capt. Joel C. Gentz. Photo provided by WCPARC

The City of Chelsea, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation, and Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative (HWPI) will dedicate the newest Border to Border (B2B) Trailhead located at TimberTown Park in Chelsea on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 1 pm.

The event honors Chelsea native Joel Gentz, who was killed in action, along with four other airmen, while assisting a wounded British soldier in Afghanistan.

Chelsea Councilman and Parks Commission Liaison George Merkel submitted Gentz’ name for this recognition.  “Naming the trailhead for Capt. Joel C. Gentz honors his legacy as a Chelsea resident who gave their life in service to our town, state, and country,” added Merkel.

The trailhead marks the completion of the TimberTown Reimagined project,

a 5-prong initiative to upgrade the entire Chelsea park.  The genesis was the selection of this portion of the B2B trail as the ideal trailhead location.

Planning for the project began in 2023, with 2024 seeing the opening of pickleball courts, followed by the complete renovation of the play structure by over 700 community volunteers. The final phases of the project were completed in 2025 and included infrastructure components (paving, curbs, lighting, drainage) and the repair and conservation of Chelsea’s first public art project, the Pathway to Renewal Mosaic.

Gentz’s parents, Steve and Judy, said that their son was a backpacker, hiker, runner, and swimmer. A 2002 Chelsea High School graduate, Gentz was also a Boy Scout, ran cross country, swam, and played tennis. He achieved a black belt in Tae-kwon do. 

Gentz graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering. After being commissioned to the Air Force in 2008, Joel became a Combat Rescue Officer, a member of an elite group of individuals, whose mission is to recover injured or downed troops from all branches, as well as civilians in the USA and abroad, and to provide emergency medical treatment to save lives.

Names for B2B trailheads are typically selected by the community where the trailhead is located, said Kiff Hamp, director of HWPI, the non-profit fundraising arm for the B2B. “The Chelsea community means a great deal to our organization, whose mission is to facilitate development and promote enjoyment of regional trails connecting people, communities, and nature. It’s where we started and where we have helped build many miles of trail. We are proud to have been able to support the tremendous community effort to reimagine TimberTown Park, and are excited to now have a dedicated B2B Trailhead within the city limits.”

The Joel C. Gentz Trailhead dedication will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 1 pm at TimberTown Park, just west of M52 and Sibley, in Chelsea, Michigan. For more information, visit www.city-chelsea.org.