May 1, 2008
Safe Routes takes first steps
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More eager than beavers the walkers they came,
Some ran and some biked and some rollered by blade.
There were students and parents, plus admin and teachers
On, scooters, on skateboards, and even on creatures!
To the doors of South School, and then back home again,
What a way, what a way for Safe Routes to begin!
‘Twas the night before the Safe Routes to School kick-off event, and not even its primary organizer, Senior Engineer Tiger Mann, knew what a success it would be.
“I didn’t think I’d get 50 percent, to be honest.”
But, he said, New Canaan’s official foray into the international effort to provide safe walking routes to school, “was huge.”
Huge, indeed. Of 510 South School students present Friday, 389 — 76 percent — participated, arriving as early as 7:40 a.m. by foot or any manner of man-powered wheel via $30,000 worth of newly-installed sidewalks along Farm Road.
“Safe Routes to School Day was an overwhelming success,” conferred First Selectman Jeb Walker, who said he especially enjoyed seeing so many fathers accompanying their children that bright spring morning.
“Every street that was leading to South School was crowded with big groups of families with kids walking together, and everybody was happy and smiling. There was just a great sense of community spirit and a real festive attitude outside that morning,” said South School Principal Joanne Rocco, whom many students enjoyed seeing on her bike during the event.
“It was fun,” third grader Kate Kushner said of her biking principal. “I think she brought it special for that day.”
As to why students should continue walking to school, Kate said, “If you always go on a car or bus it pollutes the air with the gas, so if you just walk it’s less pollution and you have more air to breathe. And also you get a lot of exercise.”
Mr. Mann agreed with Kate, and said he was already looking forward to another Safe Routes event in October, International Safe Routes to School Month. If possible, he said, he’ll aim for 100 percent participation.
Further into the future, he said, perhaps by October 2009, all three elementary schools may have the infrastructure to participate.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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