Ever wondered if you live in a walkable neighborhood, if you’ll be moving into one or if the city planners did a good job when they designed your neck of the woods? Or ponder what exactly you can do in your neighborhood? Well there’s a new tool online that can help you find out. It’s called Walk Score and you can try it out at: www.walkscore.com

Although this tool is not perfect yet and the designers will even admit to it too. It is a neat way to learn about some of the resources in your neighborhood that you can reach on foot. We invite you to take a walk this summer and meet a few of your neighbors while you’re at it! You may just end up saving your gas money, making the air cleaner, getting some exercise, supporting your local economy and making a few new close friends!

They also have a new widget that can be downloaded from:
www.widgetbox.com/widget/walkscore-badge

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October is International Walk to School Month where thousands of students will walk or cycle to school with parents, school staff and community leaders. They learn safe routes to school, and safe pedestrian and cycling skills – all while having lots of fun!!

Kids need to move

Obesity rates among children have more than doubled in the past twenty years, according to the National Longitudinal Study of Youth. Even worse, rates of obesity are much higher among minority children than among white youth, suggesting a grave social inequity in the availability of safe, healthy recreational opportunities.

Add walking to the mix. Physical activity recommendations for children suggest that they need a variety of activities each day-some intense, some less-so, some informal, some structured. Walking or cycling to and from school is an ideal way to get some of that activity at no extra cost to the child or family.

Walking to school is a missed opportunity. Roughly 10% of children nationwide walk to school regularly. Even among those kids living within a mile of their school, only 25% are regular walkers.

Parents who walk or bike to school with their kids get to be sociable. Nearly nine out ten parents who walk their children to school see it as an ideal way to meet new people, according to a survey in the UK. Many said that the school gate was a better place to meet new people than pubs, clubs, evening classes or the supermarket.

Originally a one-day celebration, the initiative has grown to International Walk to School Week and then this year into International Walk to School Month. Schools can choose the day or week to participate, or they can celebrate a whole month of walking to school. Last year, 40 countries took part in the event.

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Dear Friends,

I have just read and signed the petition: “Support the Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act”

Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference. We are trying to reach 10,000 signatures - please sign here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/949005429

Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and family to sign as well.

Thank you!

Jodi Reichenberger

http://www.thePetitionSite.com

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