While I will continue my weekly Friday blog on the local parks I thought I would also mention this is a great weekend to do some stuff in Wilton including the Minks to Sinks Sale (Saturday starting at 9) and the Wilton Go Green Festival (Sunday 11 - 4). The Y will have a booth at the Go Green Festival which will include some information on this very important grant.
This would also be a great weekend to get your kids out in the yard with you getting the garden ready, picking up twigs and branches from the winter, and just generally doing a clean up of the neighborhood - great exercise and you get things done!
This weeks featured park is the Grassi Property. The Grassi Property is a 71-acre parcel extending from Millstone Road to Whipstick Road for the entire length of Tito Lane. The property was preserved by the Town and the Grassi Family in 2001 when the town purchased a below market easement covering some 62 acres of the site. The property to many is known as the "Old Tito Farm", remembering that the property was a dairy farm up until the early 1970’s operated by the family of Vinnie Tito, former First Selectman of Wilton.
The property is situated on a drumlin, providing spectacular views to the southeast of Keeler’s Ridge. On-site, nearly half of the acreage is open fields with old stonewalls and hedgerows delineating their boundaries. The wooded portion is dominated by an expansive and impassable wetland that the trail skirts around. In sharp contrast to the broad flat wetland, the northwestern most portion of the site has striking undulations in the topography providing a clear indication of the glacial origins of our landscape configurations.
A reminder to users of this open space; the property is privately owned with the town having purchased an easement that ensures the site’s preservation and allows only limited access. Please stay on the marked trail. If you wish to use other areas of the property, you must secure permission from the owners.
Directions: From Wilton Center go north on Ridgefield Road (Rte 33). Turn right on to Nod Hill Rd. Follow Nod Hill approximately 2 miles to Whipstick Rd. Continue north on Whipstick for approximately 1/2 mile to Tito Lane. Turn left and head south onto Tito Lane. Trail head is 100 feet on the right.
Acreage: + 71.0
Parking: Along Tito Lane
Access: Northern end of Tito Lane
Trails: One marked trail. Secure permission from owners for use of other areas.
Ownership: Anthony P. & Sally P. Grassi with a conservation easement granted to the Town of Wilton and the Wilton Land Conservation Trust.
For more information on Grassi Property follow this link: http://www.wiltonct.org/PDFs/conservation/grassiproperty.pdf
Go take a hike!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Farm to Cafeteria
I started my garden this weekend - don't worry, I didn't do anything outside! I planted the seeds for my garden this weekend - beets, cilantro, cucumbers, green beans, yellow beans, squash - I'll buy some onion plants around Memorial Day and a tomato plant and I'll plant some lettuce because lettuce is easy to grow - and can be planted throughout the summer! What does this have to do with childhood obesity you ask? Well, there is a movement across the country to have children growing their own gardens at the schools which can then be turned over to the school for fresh meals! It's called Farm to Cafeteria (there's other codewords as well) and believe it or not there is a conference coming up in Detroit Michigan mid-May - yes Detroit Michigan!
"Farm to Cafeteria is TAKING ROOT all across the country. Entering its second decade, Farm to Cafeteria is becoming a permanent feature of school meals."
The healthy foods/nutrition committee met last week to discuss the idea of adding some school gardens in Wilton (Wilton already has a garden at the high school, I believe). There's no better way to get healthy food to your children than growing it themselves!
Stay tuned for more healthy eating initiatives.
"Farm to Cafeteria is TAKING ROOT all across the country. Entering its second decade, Farm to Cafeteria is becoming a permanent feature of school meals."
The healthy foods/nutrition committee met last week to discuss the idea of adding some school gardens in Wilton (Wilton already has a garden at the high school, I believe). There's no better way to get healthy food to your children than growing it themselves!
Stay tuned for more healthy eating initiatives.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Take a hike - Cherry Lane Park
The weather this weekend is 50/50 - great for outdoor activity on Saturday and not so good for outdoor activity on Sunday. Maybe Sunday will be a good day to plan your summer vegetable garden! In my continuing series on the town's parks - this week I cover Cherry Lane Park.
The Town of Wilton acquired Cherry Lane Park in September of 1972. The Town Plan of Development of 1963 recommended the property for Town acquisition. However, the family owning the property, initially were not interested in selling the parcel. Fortunately for the Town, they decided to perpetuate the open space quality of the land and the Town was eventually able to purchase the property.
The trails at Cherry Lane Park are excellent for hiking; however, they are not suitable for either horseback riding or cross country skiing. and picnicking. The property also supports a sizable red maple swamp, which performs many valuable functions such as absorption of water during floods, maintenance of stream flow and provision of wildlife habitat.
There are several trails in Cherry Lane Park. The perimeter loop marked with orange blazes will lead visitors around the park, excluding the southernmost portion which contains a large swamp traversed via the red trail. This red trail loops around the swamp and proceeds upland through a fine stand of evergreens before descending to meet up again with the perimeter loop trail. The blue-blazed trail follows the margins of the pond and provides a very pleasant walk for visitors with limited time. The hill loop, marked with white blazes, passes by the pond before circling the ridge top.
Directions: From the junction of Routes 7 and 106, follow Rte. 106 east for 1 mile to Cherry Lane. Turn right (south) on to Cherry Lane; park entrance is 0.3 miles on the left (east side of the road).
Acreage: 50.557
Parking: Lot at Cherry Lane entrance
Access: Cherry Lane and Banks Drive
Trails: Perimeter Loop 0.84 miles orange
Pond Edge 0.25 miles blue
Hill Loop 0.45 miles white
Swamp Loop 0.25 miles yellow
Go take a hike!
The Town of Wilton acquired Cherry Lane Park in September of 1972. The Town Plan of Development of 1963 recommended the property for Town acquisition. However, the family owning the property, initially were not interested in selling the parcel. Fortunately for the Town, they decided to perpetuate the open space quality of the land and the Town was eventually able to purchase the property.
The trails at Cherry Lane Park are excellent for hiking; however, they are not suitable for either horseback riding or cross country skiing. and picnicking. The property also supports a sizable red maple swamp, which performs many valuable functions such as absorption of water during floods, maintenance of stream flow and provision of wildlife habitat.
There are several trails in Cherry Lane Park. The perimeter loop marked with orange blazes will lead visitors around the park, excluding the southernmost portion which contains a large swamp traversed via the red trail. This red trail loops around the swamp and proceeds upland through a fine stand of evergreens before descending to meet up again with the perimeter loop trail. The blue-blazed trail follows the margins of the pond and provides a very pleasant walk for visitors with limited time. The hill loop, marked with white blazes, passes by the pond before circling the ridge top.
Directions: From the junction of Routes 7 and 106, follow Rte. 106 east for 1 mile to Cherry Lane. Turn right (south) on to Cherry Lane; park entrance is 0.3 miles on the left (east side of the road).
Acreage: 50.557
Parking: Lot at Cherry Lane entrance
Access: Cherry Lane and Banks Drive
Trails: Perimeter Loop 0.84 miles orange
Pond Edge 0.25 miles blue
Hill Loop 0.45 miles white
Swamp Loop 0.25 miles yellow
Go take a hike!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Childhood Obesity Pedestrian Zone Goes to the Capital!
Our Wilton Wellness/Pedestrian Zone Board went to the Capital (Hartford that is) yesterday and got a great review from our area legislators! Senator Toni Boucher and Representatives John Hetherington and Peggy Reeves stopped by the Y booth and were quite impressed with our plans for the zone.
Now we just need to make them happen!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Healthy eating is easy when you grow it yourself!
As part of our overall plan to prevent childhood obesity, we’re going to recommend that people get more involved in gardening – whether it’s through a community garden, a CSA, a school garden or your own backyard garden – healthy foods are home grown!
As with my Friday “Take a hike” blog posting, I thought I’d do a Tuesday healthy foods blog posting starting with getting your garden ready now that it’s spring. My thanks to Stephanie Foster who runs a blog called http://vegetable-gardening-basics.blogspot.com for this info!
What to do now that Spring is in the air: Clean up your tools. Sharpen blades if they need it. Clean off old dirt and wipe with an oiled cloth to help prevent rusting.
At this time you can also start planning your next garden. You can figure out what you want to grow and how you're going to lay that garden out. Planning ahead can help you make the most of your garden. Getting things started at the right time for each type of plant will help your garden succeed.If you want an early start, get some planters and sun lamps and start your seeds indoors. If you get sufficient sunlight, placing the boxes in windows can help you get that early start too.
This is a great time for looking back at how your garden did last year and your goals for this year. Obviously, factors that are out of your control you can't do anything about. Heat waves cannot be avoided and neighbors can be unpredictable (for example, when they cut down that tree you were counting on for shade). Some years insects are more problematic than others.
In those cases you need to have plans for how to handle it. Keep an eye on what the sun is doing to your plants during a heat wave and ensure they have enough water. Know what pest control steps you are willing to take.
Planning and preparing to plant your garden before you can actually start planting gives you a lot of advantages when it's time to really work your garden. It gets some of the chores out of the way and leaves you prepared for a great start to your vegetable garden.
Take it from me - home gardening is a labor of love but when you bite into your first home grown vegetable or herb - you'll be rewarded for sure!
As with my Friday “Take a hike” blog posting, I thought I’d do a Tuesday healthy foods blog posting starting with getting your garden ready now that it’s spring. My thanks to Stephanie Foster who runs a blog called http://vegetable-gardening-basics.blogspot.com for this info!
What to do now that Spring is in the air: Clean up your tools. Sharpen blades if they need it. Clean off old dirt and wipe with an oiled cloth to help prevent rusting.
At this time you can also start planning your next garden. You can figure out what you want to grow and how you're going to lay that garden out. Planning ahead can help you make the most of your garden. Getting things started at the right time for each type of plant will help your garden succeed.If you want an early start, get some planters and sun lamps and start your seeds indoors. If you get sufficient sunlight, placing the boxes in windows can help you get that early start too.
This is a great time for looking back at how your garden did last year and your goals for this year. Obviously, factors that are out of your control you can't do anything about. Heat waves cannot be avoided and neighbors can be unpredictable (for example, when they cut down that tree you were counting on for shade). Some years insects are more problematic than others.
In those cases you need to have plans for how to handle it. Keep an eye on what the sun is doing to your plants during a heat wave and ensure they have enough water. Know what pest control steps you are willing to take.
Planning and preparing to plant your garden before you can actually start planting gives you a lot of advantages when it's time to really work your garden. It gets some of the chores out of the way and leaves you prepared for a great start to your vegetable garden.
Take it from me - home gardening is a labor of love but when you bite into your first home grown vegetable or herb - you'll be rewarded for sure!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Go take a hike - Bradley Park!
Some Wilton residents may remember this park as Belden Hill Park. It was renamed Leonard J. Bradley Park in 1972 as a tribute to one of Wilton’s outstanding citizens, Leonard J. Bradley. A lifelong resident of the Town, he devoted his energies to the study and understanding of the natural world and contributed much of his time in community service to the Town of Wilton.
Bradley Park was acquired by the Town in 1968 and 1969 as a result of a recommendation made by the Allen Organization in the Comprehensive Plan for Recreation, Conservation, and Open Space prepared in 1967. Previous plans for the area included a golf course, skating pond and ski slope. For both economical and aesthetic reasons, these plans were not implemented. Today the park remains in a natural state with hiking trails and a short section of an equestrian trail.
A major feature of Bradley Park is the boardwalk trail which allows visitors to walk into the heart of a red maple swamp. A variety of ferns and shrubs including tall cinnamon fern, fragrant sweet pepperbush and showy swamp azalea can be readily observed.
Other trails pass through various woodland communities ranging from swampland to a dry ridge top. The arboretum trail is the longest and roughly follows the perimeter of the park. From the Oak Ledge Lane entrance, the trail heads westward. Following the topography, the trail rises sharply up and then quickly decends down. Oaks dominate the uplands whereas more moisture tolerant species such as maples and tulip poplar occur in the lowland areas.
Directions: From Wilton Center go south on Route 7 for 1.1 miles to Wolfpit Road for 0.6 miles to Oak Ledge Lane. Park entrance is at the end of Oak Ledge Lane on the west side.
Acreage: 82.634
Parking: Adjacent to main entrance.
Access: Main entrance on Oak Ledge Lane; also from Woodchuck Lane, Old Farm Road, Graenest Ridge Road and River Road.
Trails: Arboretum 1.16 miles orange
Cross 0.30 miles blue
Nature 0.36 miles white
Bridle 0.65 miles white
Viewpoint 0.05 miles red
Access trails / yellow
For more information including a trail map: http://www.wiltonct.org/PDFs/conservation/bradleypark.pdf
Have a great, free range weekend!
Bradley Park was acquired by the Town in 1968 and 1969 as a result of a recommendation made by the Allen Organization in the Comprehensive Plan for Recreation, Conservation, and Open Space prepared in 1967. Previous plans for the area included a golf course, skating pond and ski slope. For both economical and aesthetic reasons, these plans were not implemented. Today the park remains in a natural state with hiking trails and a short section of an equestrian trail.
A major feature of Bradley Park is the boardwalk trail which allows visitors to walk into the heart of a red maple swamp. A variety of ferns and shrubs including tall cinnamon fern, fragrant sweet pepperbush and showy swamp azalea can be readily observed.
Other trails pass through various woodland communities ranging from swampland to a dry ridge top. The arboretum trail is the longest and roughly follows the perimeter of the park. From the Oak Ledge Lane entrance, the trail heads westward. Following the topography, the trail rises sharply up and then quickly decends down. Oaks dominate the uplands whereas more moisture tolerant species such as maples and tulip poplar occur in the lowland areas.
Directions: From Wilton Center go south on Route 7 for 1.1 miles to Wolfpit Road for 0.6 miles to Oak Ledge Lane. Park entrance is at the end of Oak Ledge Lane on the west side.
Acreage: 82.634
Parking: Adjacent to main entrance.
Access: Main entrance on Oak Ledge Lane; also from Woodchuck Lane, Old Farm Road, Graenest Ridge Road and River Road.
Trails: Arboretum 1.16 miles orange
Cross 0.30 miles blue
Nature 0.36 miles white
Bridle 0.65 miles white
Viewpoint 0.05 miles red
Access trails / yellow
For more information including a trail map: http://www.wiltonct.org/PDFs/conservation/bradleypark.pdf
Have a great, free range weekend!
Monday, April 12, 2010
National Park Week
National Park Week, the nation's annual celebration of its magnificent natural landscapes and diverse cultural heritage, will be observed Saturday, April 17 through Sunday, April 25. Admission to all U.S. parks is free during this period.
Weir Farm National Historic Site, Connecticut's only national park and the only national park in the country dedicated to American painting, joins in the celebration by offering a wide variety of programs and activities for adults, families and children.
For more information on National Park Week check out this link: http://www.nps.gov/npweek/
Let's move!
Weir Farm National Historic Site, Connecticut's only national park and the only national park in the country dedicated to American painting, joins in the celebration by offering a wide variety of programs and activities for adults, families and children.
For more information on National Park Week check out this link: http://www.nps.gov/npweek/
Let's move!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Go take a hike!
This weekend's weather sounds perfect for getting out and enjoying a hike in one of Wilton's recreational parks. Bring the whole family, pack some healthy snacks (nuts, fruit, water) and head out to nature. As a regular feature, I thought it would be fun to highlight a park a week so, in alphabetical order, here's the first highlighted park!
The Town of Wilton purchased the Belknap Preserve in November 1999 from the Belknap family. Thirty-seven acres of open woodlands were purchased on the corner of Wampum Hill Road and Honey Hill Road in northeast Wilton. Keen to preserve this track of land as it stands, the Town of Wilton also granted a Conservation Easement to the Wilton Land Trust for this property that will keep the Preserve open for many generations. Additionally, the Town purchased an overlying Conservation Easement on 8.63 acres directly south of the Preserve, which, while not open to the public, will insure this land retains its open rural character.
Directions: From wilton center, take route 7 north for 2.6 Miles to Honey Hill Road on the right (east). Follow Honey Hill Road 0.7 Miles to Wampum Hill Road. Turn right (south) and entrance is 200’ south on the right.
Acreage: 37 acres
Parking: Adjacent to entrance on Wampum Hill Road.
Access: Entrance 200’ south of intersection of Honey Hill and Wampum Hill Roads. Also from trails within the Gregg Preserve to the west.
Trails: Loop Trail 1.5 Miles (Blue)
Access Trails 0.6 Miles (Orange)
Cut-Across Trail 0.25 Miles (Yellow)
For more info: http://www.wiltonct.org/PDFs/conservation/belknap%20preserve.pdf
This looks like a good short hike for those who haven't been very physically active this past winter so get out and enjoy some "free range" time!
The Town of Wilton purchased the Belknap Preserve in November 1999 from the Belknap family. Thirty-seven acres of open woodlands were purchased on the corner of Wampum Hill Road and Honey Hill Road in northeast Wilton. Keen to preserve this track of land as it stands, the Town of Wilton also granted a Conservation Easement to the Wilton Land Trust for this property that will keep the Preserve open for many generations. Additionally, the Town purchased an overlying Conservation Easement on 8.63 acres directly south of the Preserve, which, while not open to the public, will insure this land retains its open rural character.
Directions: From wilton center, take route 7 north for 2.6 Miles to Honey Hill Road on the right (east). Follow Honey Hill Road 0.7 Miles to Wampum Hill Road. Turn right (south) and entrance is 200’ south on the right.
Acreage: 37 acres
Parking: Adjacent to entrance on Wampum Hill Road.
Access: Entrance 200’ south of intersection of Honey Hill and Wampum Hill Roads. Also from trails within the Gregg Preserve to the west.
Trails: Loop Trail 1.5 Miles (Blue)
Access Trails 0.6 Miles (Orange)
Cut-Across Trail 0.25 Miles (Yellow)
For more info: http://www.wiltonct.org/PDFs/conservation/belknap%20preserve.pdf
This looks like a good short hike for those who haven't been very physically active this past winter so get out and enjoy some "free range" time!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Taxing Soft Drinks, restricting access to vending machines?
Karen's been away playing grandma to her grandson in Oregon so I've been slacking on my childhood obesity team duties! But thanks to Russ Robbins for sending me an interesting article on a study done through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (the same RWJF that is supporting our grant project).
The authors set out to study whether taxing soft drinks or restricting access to vending machines made any difference in the childhood obesity epidemic. Here's their basic conclusion:
"One of the largest drivers of the current obesity epidemic is thought to be excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. Some have proposed vending machine restrictions and taxing soft drinks to curb children’s consumption of soft drinks; to a large extent, these policies have not been evaluated empirically.We examine these policies using two nationally representative data sets and find no evidence that, as currently practiced, either is effective at reducing children’s weight. We conclude by outlining changes that may increase their effectiveness, such as implementing comprehensive restrictions on access to soft drinks in schools and imposing higher tax rates than are currently in place in many jurisdictions."
If you'd like to read the full article e-mail me at wiltoncoc@snet.net and I will happily send it along!
Get out and enjoy a local park today - it's the perfect day for that!
The authors set out to study whether taxing soft drinks or restricting access to vending machines made any difference in the childhood obesity epidemic. Here's their basic conclusion:
"One of the largest drivers of the current obesity epidemic is thought to be excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. Some have proposed vending machine restrictions and taxing soft drinks to curb children’s consumption of soft drinks; to a large extent, these policies have not been evaluated empirically.We examine these policies using two nationally representative data sets and find no evidence that, as currently practiced, either is effective at reducing children’s weight. We conclude by outlining changes that may increase their effectiveness, such as implementing comprehensive restrictions on access to soft drinks in schools and imposing higher tax rates than are currently in place in many jurisdictions."
If you'd like to read the full article e-mail me at wiltoncoc@snet.net and I will happily send it along!
Get out and enjoy a local park today - it's the perfect day for that!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Subcommittees, top two choices and upcoming meetings
I hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend by avoiding chocolate bunnies and getting out to take a walk! The PHC Steering Committee has decided to break our three areas of focus – increased physical activity; awareness of health promoting foods; and policies and long term initiatives into 4 subcommittees! Increased physical activity; health promoting foods/nutrition; policy/long term initiatives; and infrastructure.
The focus of each committee will generally be as follows:
Physical activity:
1. Increase awareness of outdoor activities
2. Micro-grants for ideas that will increase physical activity
3. Recreation loops in our pedestrian/wellness zone
4. Incentives to increase activity
5. Etc.
Colleen Fawcett has agreed to spearhead the physical activity area.
Health/Nutrion
1. Explore food options and before and after school programs
2. Menu labeling at local restaurants/stores
3. Getting collaborative partners in the wellness zone to offer health/nutrition programs
4. Sitting in, when possible, on school wellness committee meetings
5. Etc.
Carol Johnson has agreed to spearhead the health/nutrition area.
Long term initiatives/policy
1. Complete Streets
2. Greenway
3. Wellness Commission
4. Pedestrian links in the wellness zone
5. What’s going to happen to property at corner of School Road and Route 7
6. Etc.
Bob McDowell and Lisa Bogan have agreed to spearhead the long term initiatives area.
Infrastructure
1. Bike racks at key locations/yellow bike program
2. Wellness wall at the high school tennis courts
3. Crosswalk markings, etc
4. Branded distance markers/signage on trails
5. Playground at Schencks Island
6. Etc.
Carol Kennedy has agreed to spearhead the infrastructure area.
As you can see, we will need to divide the interested committee members into these 4 subcommittees. So, Karen and I are asking you to give us your top two choices so we can assure balanced groups. Can you please e-mail me back with those top two choices by the end of this week?
Also, if your top two choices happen to be physical activity and/or health/nutrition – we have set the first subcommittee meeting dates as follows: Physical Activity – Wednesday, April 14, noon time at Comstock; Health/Nutrition – Thursday, April 15, noon at Comstock.
But please, before you plan to show up to either of those meetings, give me a heads up on your top two committee choices!
The focus of each committee will generally be as follows:
Physical activity:
1. Increase awareness of outdoor activities
2. Micro-grants for ideas that will increase physical activity
3. Recreation loops in our pedestrian/wellness zone
4. Incentives to increase activity
5. Etc.
Colleen Fawcett has agreed to spearhead the physical activity area.
Health/Nutrion
1. Explore food options and before and after school programs
2. Menu labeling at local restaurants/stores
3. Getting collaborative partners in the wellness zone to offer health/nutrition programs
4. Sitting in, when possible, on school wellness committee meetings
5. Etc.
Carol Johnson has agreed to spearhead the health/nutrition area.
Long term initiatives/policy
1. Complete Streets
2. Greenway
3. Wellness Commission
4. Pedestrian links in the wellness zone
5. What’s going to happen to property at corner of School Road and Route 7
6. Etc.
Bob McDowell and Lisa Bogan have agreed to spearhead the long term initiatives area.
Infrastructure
1. Bike racks at key locations/yellow bike program
2. Wellness wall at the high school tennis courts
3. Crosswalk markings, etc
4. Branded distance markers/signage on trails
5. Playground at Schencks Island
6. Etc.
Carol Kennedy has agreed to spearhead the infrastructure area.
As you can see, we will need to divide the interested committee members into these 4 subcommittees. So, Karen and I are asking you to give us your top two choices so we can assure balanced groups. Can you please e-mail me back with those top two choices by the end of this week?
Also, if your top two choices happen to be physical activity and/or health/nutrition – we have set the first subcommittee meeting dates as follows: Physical Activity – Wednesday, April 14, noon time at Comstock; Health/Nutrition – Thursday, April 15, noon at Comstock.
But please, before you plan to show up to either of those meetings, give me a heads up on your top two committee choices!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Read Jennifer Crystal's article on the March 24th mtg
The Wilton Community Collaboration to Prevent Childhood Obesity is off to a running start.
Following several meetings of the 12-member Steering Committee, the full Home Team of 30 met last week to outline its mission and goals and to begin to create a written action plan for submission to the YMCA of the USA by late May. The team has the benefit of a $52,000 grant, received by the Wilton YMCA from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, for the purpose of preventing childhood obesity in the local community.
"I'm inspired to reclaim our community, at both the grassroots level and policy level, to recreate environments that are more supportive of healthy lifestyles," said Wilton Youth Services Director Colleen Fawcett. "The Y has pulled together a terrific team of people…and Wilton is fortunate to have so much in place to already build upon."
The team is comprised of local residents, health care professionals, school officials, town directors, parents and students; among them are Officer Eva Zimnoch, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Arlene Gottesman and nurse Tonya Morrow, whose children attend Our Lady of Fatima School. The team members hail from all different walks of the community but share a common mission: to improve health and wellness in Wilton youth through lasting initiatives that increase physical activity and encourage good nutrition. The group's vision is that the Wilton community will be a leader in promoting healthier lifestyles and lessening the risk of children becoming overweight.
The team plans to manifest its goals through three areas of focus: increased physical activity, increased access to healthy foods, and policy/long-term initiatives. Subcommittees for each project will work to implement specific changes such as establishing a safe "Pedestrian/Wellness Zone" which takes advantage of sidewalks and trails that are already in place; establishing a centrally located "Wellness Wall" that will display directions to parks, walking distances to key locations, and exercise and healthy eating information; placing bike racks at key locations; encouraging consumption of fresh produce available at local farm stands, farmers' markets and community gardens; and talking with local restaurants about highlighting healthy menu options and listing calorie counts.
"We're looking at where we can have the greatest impact right away," said Stephanie Barksdale, Executive Director of the Wilton Chamber of Commerce and co-leader of the initiative. She and fellow leader Karen Strickland, Development Director of the Wilton Family YMCA, have outlined a "pedestrian zone" that follows the new sidewalk system and existing trails as the geographic focus for increasing walking versus driving. The route, which includes four schools, all of Wilton Center, Trackside Teen Center, Comstock Community Center, Merwin Meadows and the high school athletic fields, reaches from Olmstead Hill at the north, the Wilton YMCA at the east, Wolfpit Road at the south and Middlebrook School at the west. The team hopes to collaborate with partners in local businesses and youth organizations to help create safe walking links and coordinated youth program activities within these parameters. "In the future, we hope a Town Wellness Commission can be established to expand on this plan," said Barksdale, who wants the changes made possible by this two-year grant to have long-lasting effects on the community.
The epidemic of childhood obesity is getting national attention, as evidenced by First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign, the new federal law included in the health care bill mandating national food chains to post calorie counts on menus and a potential tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, and by Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, the new reality series about changing the lifestyles of the unhealthiest community in America. According the Center for Disease control in Atlanta, approximately 400,000 people die each year as a result of sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition, and taxpayers foot a $40,000,000,000 annual medical bill for complications of obesity including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Here in Wilton, the problem is not so much obesity as it is kids who are unfit or somewhat overweight. "Being thin doesn't necessarily mean a person is healthy," said Strickland. In fact, many Wilton children do not meet the national physical fitness test standards. Team members note that kids who do not wish to participate in organized sports don't have many options for physical activity. There are several reasons for this deficit: the town's streetscape does not include walking and biking trails; many people are simply unaware of the trails and other recreational assets that do exist; driving is the default mode of transportation in town; and children spend more time in front of screens than they do playing outside.
"Many of our communities have changed dramatically since the 1970s in terms of how the environment is set up to encourage physical activity among children. Children used to be 'free range,' outside playing for hours on end. [They] spent much less time in front of televisions, cell phones, computers and video gaming consoles. Today it takes a different kind of effort to live and teach children active and healthy lifestyles," said Fawcett.
The Wilton Community Collaboration to Prevent Childhood Obesity plans to address these issues in ways that will affect positive change on the lifestyles and mindsets of not only children but of the community at large. "We're so lucky to live here," said Wilton parent Cathy Reif. "Let's make it the best we can. Everybody needs to pitch in!" To get involved with the initiative, please contact Karen Strickland at 203-762-8384 x 279 or kstrick@wiltonymca.org or Stephanie Barksdale at 203-762-0567 or wiltoncoc@snet.net. Additionally, you can track the initiative's progress at www.wiltonwellness.blogspot.com.
Following several meetings of the 12-member Steering Committee, the full Home Team of 30 met last week to outline its mission and goals and to begin to create a written action plan for submission to the YMCA of the USA by late May. The team has the benefit of a $52,000 grant, received by the Wilton YMCA from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, for the purpose of preventing childhood obesity in the local community.
"I'm inspired to reclaim our community, at both the grassroots level and policy level, to recreate environments that are more supportive of healthy lifestyles," said Wilton Youth Services Director Colleen Fawcett. "The Y has pulled together a terrific team of people…and Wilton is fortunate to have so much in place to already build upon."
The team is comprised of local residents, health care professionals, school officials, town directors, parents and students; among them are Officer Eva Zimnoch, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Arlene Gottesman and nurse Tonya Morrow, whose children attend Our Lady of Fatima School. The team members hail from all different walks of the community but share a common mission: to improve health and wellness in Wilton youth through lasting initiatives that increase physical activity and encourage good nutrition. The group's vision is that the Wilton community will be a leader in promoting healthier lifestyles and lessening the risk of children becoming overweight.
The team plans to manifest its goals through three areas of focus: increased physical activity, increased access to healthy foods, and policy/long-term initiatives. Subcommittees for each project will work to implement specific changes such as establishing a safe "Pedestrian/Wellness Zone" which takes advantage of sidewalks and trails that are already in place; establishing a centrally located "Wellness Wall" that will display directions to parks, walking distances to key locations, and exercise and healthy eating information; placing bike racks at key locations; encouraging consumption of fresh produce available at local farm stands, farmers' markets and community gardens; and talking with local restaurants about highlighting healthy menu options and listing calorie counts.
"We're looking at where we can have the greatest impact right away," said Stephanie Barksdale, Executive Director of the Wilton Chamber of Commerce and co-leader of the initiative. She and fellow leader Karen Strickland, Development Director of the Wilton Family YMCA, have outlined a "pedestrian zone" that follows the new sidewalk system and existing trails as the geographic focus for increasing walking versus driving. The route, which includes four schools, all of Wilton Center, Trackside Teen Center, Comstock Community Center, Merwin Meadows and the high school athletic fields, reaches from Olmstead Hill at the north, the Wilton YMCA at the east, Wolfpit Road at the south and Middlebrook School at the west. The team hopes to collaborate with partners in local businesses and youth organizations to help create safe walking links and coordinated youth program activities within these parameters. "In the future, we hope a Town Wellness Commission can be established to expand on this plan," said Barksdale, who wants the changes made possible by this two-year grant to have long-lasting effects on the community.
The epidemic of childhood obesity is getting national attention, as evidenced by First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign, the new federal law included in the health care bill mandating national food chains to post calorie counts on menus and a potential tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, and by Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, the new reality series about changing the lifestyles of the unhealthiest community in America. According the Center for Disease control in Atlanta, approximately 400,000 people die each year as a result of sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition, and taxpayers foot a $40,000,000,000 annual medical bill for complications of obesity including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Here in Wilton, the problem is not so much obesity as it is kids who are unfit or somewhat overweight. "Being thin doesn't necessarily mean a person is healthy," said Strickland. In fact, many Wilton children do not meet the national physical fitness test standards. Team members note that kids who do not wish to participate in organized sports don't have many options for physical activity. There are several reasons for this deficit: the town's streetscape does not include walking and biking trails; many people are simply unaware of the trails and other recreational assets that do exist; driving is the default mode of transportation in town; and children spend more time in front of screens than they do playing outside.
"Many of our communities have changed dramatically since the 1970s in terms of how the environment is set up to encourage physical activity among children. Children used to be 'free range,' outside playing for hours on end. [They] spent much less time in front of televisions, cell phones, computers and video gaming consoles. Today it takes a different kind of effort to live and teach children active and healthy lifestyles," said Fawcett.
The Wilton Community Collaboration to Prevent Childhood Obesity plans to address these issues in ways that will affect positive change on the lifestyles and mindsets of not only children but of the community at large. "We're so lucky to live here," said Wilton parent Cathy Reif. "Let's make it the best we can. Everybody needs to pitch in!" To get involved with the initiative, please contact Karen Strickland at 203-762-8384 x 279 or kstrick@wiltonymca.org or Stephanie Barksdale at 203-762-0567 or wiltoncoc@snet.net. Additionally, you can track the initiative's progress at www.wiltonwellness.blogspot.com.
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