Saturday, November 15 was a busy morning for volunteers!Sidewalk Assessment: Twenty-five volunteers braved the cold to come to the GetAbout Columbia office and help with a sidewalk assessment. After a 30 minute review of how to conduct the assessments, volunteers were sent in groups to review sidewalks in an area east of downtown, around Stephens College and into the Benton-Stephens Neighborhood. They got 20 blocks reviewed Saturday morning, in spite of the cold and blustery conditions. (At least it was not snowing or raining!) The information collected will be used to help make decisions on how to improve our sidewalks, with special consideration to those who use wheelchairs.
Kristin Re, a Washington University student who led the project as part of an internship with GetAbout, shared a story about a woman killed by a driver in St. Louis. She used a wheel chair and was forced to ride in the street since there were not adequate sidewalks. This tragedy reminds us of the importance of good, usable sidewalks.
Thanks to the 25 volunteers who made the sidewalk assessment a success! Volunteers included several individuals from the community as well as a group of MU Engineering students who are members of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Fowl Shoot: Just a block away from the sidewalk project, six volunteers were helping with the Fowl Shoot at the Armory Sports Center. The Fowl Shoot, sponsored by Columbia Parks & Recreation, is a free-throw shooting contest with the winner in each age group receiving a coupon for a free turkey. The Columbia Channel has done a wonderful video promoting the event - I invite you to watch it - it's hilarious!
Thanks to the ladies of The Little Sisters of the Gold Rose, Mike McCarrick and Dayton Grover, Jr. for their help with this event. They all helped create memories for the participants at the Fowl Shoot!
Leigh Britt
