An alternative way

RONAN — Close to 300 kids, parents and people on their way to work participated in Ronan’s slice of International Walk to School Day last Wednesday, city parks director Jennifer Rolfsness said.

“We had a fantastic turnout,” she said. “It was just such a cool community collaboration.”

That turnout happened to be a good combination of children and adults, Rolfsness said, proving Ronan is serious about living a healthy lifestyle and helping the environment.

“We participated [in the event] in 2008 and took last year off,” she said. “But we would like to keep it going as an annual event and make it reservation-wide next year.”

According to the International Walk to School in the USA website, obesity rates among children have doubled in the last 20 years, while only about 10 percent of children nationwide walk to school on a regular basis.

Community events such as these can only improve these sorts of statistics, Rolfsness said. Donations of fruit and juice by local organizations and free pedometers to measure steps along the way gave kids extra incentive and helped them get a good start to their day. A speed trailer donated by the Lake County Office of Emergency Management allowed participants to get a taste of how fast they could make it to school by bicycle.

“It’s good to do for the environment and has positive health benefits for the participants,” Rolfsness said. “Lots of parents said it’s great, now my kid wants to walk to school everyday, which is cool.”

While the direct beneficiaries may have been the walkers and bikers, Rolfsness said the high pedestrian traffic might have helped bring awareness to people in vehicles as well.

“It was really noticeable for the folks who were driving because they realize there are kids that want to walk and bike to school so the drivers know they need to drive safely,” she said.

Part of the safety issue has been addressed by “Safe Routes to School” grants Rolfsness has applied for and received. The money has allowed the parks director to add bike paths in town with the hope of connecting many city streets directly to the school. Just last week, Rolfsness said a 600-foot section of path along Eisenhower had been excavated and was almost ready to be paved.

“What I’m really focused on is connecting, and getting all sides of the town and neighborhoods interconnectivity so somebody could jump on the path over here and make it all the way to school,” Rolfsness said last December.

It looks like her bike/pedestrian path plan is getting in full gear, and if the turnout was any indication, it seems like it will get plenty of use all year round.