Changing the Rules

Members of the Columbia City Council are expected tonight to adopt two ordinances which will enable City staff to make a number of changes in parks & recreation procedures recommended by the Play Commission:

• Expand rental of park facilities to include Metter Memorial Park;
• Revise the park pavilion application to add new facilities and expand periods of use;
• Create an application for athletic areas;
• Create a new special event permits; and
• Revise posted park rules.

One of the proposed changes will allow rental of park pavilions for two periods each day--from opening until 2:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. until closing.  Play Commission members argue that this change will provide more turnover at pavilions and, hence, allow more use of the facilities.  Local residents may still use the pavilions, free of charge, if no one has reserved them during any given rental period.  A placard system will be used to help manage reservations over the weekends.

Columbia Kids Keeping on the Move

Columbia Mayor Kevin Hutchinson served as a crossing guard for students and parents walking or riding bicycles to school today as part of the third annual "Walk & Roll to School Day" locally.  Columbia's celebration was one of more than 3,200 events staged today to mark International Walk to School Day.

The Mayor's service was part of the local community's Safe Routes to School program, an ongoing effort to encourage and enable more children to walk and bicycle to school.  To support safe travel, special crossing guards were on duty along Main St. at Temple Ave., near Ron’s Pharmacy and near The Lantern Restaurant between 7:15 and 8:00 in the morning and between 2:30 and 3:30 in the afternoon. The crossing guard at Immaculate Conception School was on duty regular hours, as always.

Safe Routes to School provides grants each year for local communities to make infrastructure improvements such as adding sidewalks or trails as well as non-infrastructure projects like funding more crossing guards.  Last year, Columbia received a $70,000 grant for fixed speed feedback signs which will be installed within the next few months.

First Lady Obama Urges National Action on Childhod Obesity

First lady Michelle Obama appealed to the nation's governors today for help in reducing childhood obesity, telling them that they have a moral and financial imperative to act.  Obama seeks support from leaders of both parties and expressed respect for the influence of the states.

The first lady has chosen what she hopes will be her legacy for the nation--the "Let's Move" campaign to curb childhood obesity. About two-thirds of American adults, and about a third of American children, are overweight or obese.

As articulated over the past several months, the first lady's campaign has four parts:

1. Helping parents make better food choices;
2. Serving healthier food in school vending machines and lunch lines;
3. Making healthy food more available and affordable; and
4. Encouraging children to exercise more.

The National Campaign for Play, organized by national non-profit KaBoom! and supported by the Columbia Play Commission, has been endorsed by Obama as a partner dedicated to bringing play back into the lives of America's children. Play makes children happier, fitter, smarter, and more socially adept and creative both here and now and in the future.