Participants in a recent Moving Matters “Planning Thru Play Potluck” at the Grand Marais Art Colony consider what a walkable/bikeable community would look like.
Although there was some controversy in December 2013 regarding one potential funding source for Cook County’s active living initiatives, the people working to make
Cook County a healthier place to live were not deterred and promised to continue to seek other ways to fund programming such as Moving Matters,
Safe Routes to School and more. Their efforts were rewarded on December n10, 2013, when the Center for Prevention at Blue
Cross and Blue Shield of yMinnesota announced the most recent recipients of its “Active Living for All” technical assistance funding. Maren Webb, assistant coordinator for Moving Matters, said the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic in Grand Marais is one of the nine organizations to share the $1 million earmarked by Blue Cross and Blue Shield to advance active living. Webb is working on this project with Moving Matters Coordinator Kristin DeArruda Wharton, and Media Coordinator Patrick Knight.
According to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota announcement, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic will receive funding “to identify short-term and long-term opportunities that make it safe and pleasant for community members in Cook County to bike and walk.” The clinic has received $150,000 for the first of three years of funding for its Moving Matters project.
Active Living for All funding recipients were selected through a competitive review process which included an initial application, followed by a formal
RFP and site visits. Funding will be awarded over the next two to three years depending on the scope of each initiative.
“Where we live or work is one of the most important factors in determining whether we are healthy or not,” said Janelle Waldock, director of the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross. “This funding supports community organizations in the vital role they play to improve public spaces and allow all Minnesotans to maintain their health and quality of life.”
In December 2013, Cook County commissioners turned down an opportunity to apply for separate funding for a Complete Streets community planning workshop offered by Smart Growth America because of some commissioners’ concerns about possible loss of local control and negative impact on personal property rights. The county board’s decision sparked debate—and concern— about current active living initiatives. While Smart Growth America will not be leading a Complete Streets workshop in Cook County, a similar workshop may still be held.
Webb said one of the recent efforts of the Moving Matters initiative was a “Planning Thru Play Potluck” on December 17. About 20 community members gathered at the Grand Marais Art Colony. Webb explained, “Each person was asked to build their response to the question: ‘What does a walkable/ bikeable community look like?’ They were able to build on an 8.5 x 11-inch piece of paper with objects like Legos, small toys, found objects, and more. No drawing allowed! After building, each person had the opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts.”
An interesting video was made of the community session, which can be seen online along with more information about the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic Moving Matters project at www.becausemovingmatters.org.
Webb said Moving Matters will continue to gather community input and ideas about walking and biking in Cook County through community events, surveys, and conversations. The next event will be at the Birch Grove Community Center “Second Sunday Funday” on January 12, 2014. Moving Matters will be leading a “Planning Thru Play” activity, followed by pizza. “All are welcome to attend,” said Webb.
Moving Matters will be hosting several more “Planning Thru Play” events in 2014, so Webb added, “Stay tuned!”
Local leaders will also begin meeting in January to discuss how local policies can support Active Living in Cook County and Grand Portage.
Other Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota grantees are the City of Minneapolis in support of planning a greenway through north Minneapolis; St. Paul Smart Trips and Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center Frogtown Initiative to implement a youth-led outreach engaging residents to identify opportunities to make it safer to walk and bike in Frogtown; Live Healthy Red Wing to strengthen city transportation policies and to make active transportation and connectivity for bikers and pedestrians an integral part of Red Wing; City of St. Louis Park to advance Health in the Park; Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition to support Bikeways for Everyone, a collaborative campaign to create a network of safe and attractive bikeways; District Council Collaborative of St. Paul and Minneapolis to support demonstration projects that encourage walking near two stops along the Central Corridor; St. Paul Smart Trips Women on Bikes Initiative to make it safe and easy to bicycle in St. Paul through a women led coalition; and Get Fit Itasca, Itasca County to promote active transportation infrastructure that will better connect the Itasca Community College with surrounding communities.
Information on these programs and their accomplishments will be updated periodically on www.preventionminnesota.com.
Leave a Reply