Nominees were judged on Effectiveness, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Leadership and Sustainability.  Raleigh City Farm has proven its abilities in these areas.  Since inception, RCF has:

• Harvested over 2500 pounds of food, a portion of which is donated to Raleigh Rescue Mission and Inter-Faith Food Shuttle through Logan’s Plant-a-Row for the Hungry
• Engaged over 300 elementary, high school and university students with urban farming
• Operated a successful produce stand at the farm during summer Saturdays
• Sold produce to four restaurants in Raleigh, some delivered by bicycle by Oak City Cycles
• Won Green America’s first National Green Business national “People and Planet” Award

“We have a lot to celebrate,” said Ryan Finch, General Manager of Raleigh City Farm.  “Over the past year we have transformed a vacant lot into a productive space, where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to connect with healthy food. This award is icing on our first year in business birthday cake,” she added.

 About Raleigh City Farm

Raleigh City Farm is transforming an unexpected downtown space into beautiful and nourishing farmland.  The innovative urban farm, located on a highly-visible one-acre lot on the corner of Franklin and N. Blount Streets just blocks from the city center, provides access to local produce and engages city dwellers and visitors in the process of growing food in a hyper-local environment.  The farm serves as an educational tool to demonstrate responsible, intensive growing techniques with a focus on building a restorative, community-based food system.

Financial support to help offset the project’s start-up costs was approved by the Raleigh City Council on May 7. The $15,000 donation will come from Council’s Fiscal Year 2013 contingency fund.

Products are scheduled to be provided by members of a local nonprofit comprised of African-Americans and other farmers with limited resources. The location and start date of the market will be announced later.

The organizing effort was spearheaded by Raleigh City Council Member Eugene Weeks; Wallace O. Green, Raleigh Area Development Authority and Marrkens Development Center. The project will be managed by Marrkens Development Center; a local organization launched in 2009 by Margaret Rose Murray, to improve the health and well-being of the community and to provide job training.

For more information, contact Marrkens Development Center, 919-834-2206.

As with the Summit, information gathered at the Area Conversations will be used to create the Cary Community Plan, a document that will guide the long-range vision of Cary for the next 20-30 years. Sessions are from 6-8 pm (free) in several locations starting June 4; visit the Imagine Cary site for details

Photo credit: CaryCitzen.com

Celebrate 70 miles of greenways in the Town of Cary by running the 7 miles of Black Creek Greenway on National Trails Day, June 1! Registrants should average less than 10-minute miles to register for this event. Participation is limited to the first 70 registrants. Proceeds benefit the Scholarship Fund of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources. The fee is $7 and includes a t-shirt. Additional run information provided after registration.  

If you’re not running, join in the celebfation at the dedication ceremony at 8:30 a.m.

Schedule

6:15 am       Check-in at Bond Park Community Center Parking Lot
6:45 am       Buses depart for Black Creek Trailhead
7:00 am      Arrive at Trailhead/Warm-up
7:15 am       Start of Run
8:30 am       Finish at Bond Park & Greenway Dedication Ceremony

Register

Register at classweb.townofcary.org with class code 69518 or at any Town of Cary Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources facility. For more information, email dwayne.jones@townofcary.org  or call (919) 469-4064.

The Senate adjourned without taking up S 703 before cross-over, which is positive for opponents to this bill. Continue to advocate today and AHA will provide updates later. 

Original Article–May 15:

This article in the News & Observer today reports on an N.C. Senate bill to strike local ordinances such as the smoke-free policy for parks in Raleigh. S. 703 is moving quickly and would eliminate municipalities’ ability to restrict outdoor smoking in public spaces such as parks and sidewalks. As you may recall, AHA worked hard on the Raleigh ordinance for smoke-free parks, but this important health protection regulation is at risk. 

Please take action and contact your Senator before Thursday morning at 10 am.   This  NC Alliance for Health Legislative Action update provides more details and information on how to contact your Senator. This North Carolina Health News article includes more information and commentary.

Sheree Vodicka, AHA Director

My first post to you, our friends, volunteers, members and partners, was roughly one year ago in May after I joined Advocates for Health in Action as Director.

I was looking back at that post, in which I described my trip to Washington, DC, to the Weight of the Nation (WON) Conference. It’s funny to me that just last week we screened HBO’s The Weight of the Nation film with a small but engaged audience at the Cary Arts Center in honor of Fit Cary Month with our partner Town of Cary Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources. That film was introduced to the WON conference attendees this time last year as a way to get people together and talking about the problem of obesity and the ways we can work together to combat it.

One of the segments of the film we showed was about Nashville, TN – a city that received funding from the Centers for Disease Control at the same time that North Carolina was awarded a large grant under the same program – Communities Putting Prevention to Work.

What impresses me most about Nashville’s approach is how it capitalized on the assets that the community has, rather than its problems. Their campaign, called NashVitality is probably one of the best I’ve seen centered on making a community healthy, active and green – and a desirable place to live and do business.

Real community members serve as spokespersons to describe how community gardens, mobile veggie markets and walk-able, bike-able communities are transforming people’s opportunity to do what they WANT TO DO ANYWAY – lead a healthy, active lifestyle.

It’s so easy to assume that people want to eat junk food and watch TV all the time. It’s not until you begin to make the environment safer and more enjoyable for getting outside and getting active that you see people voluntarily take to the streets for exercise and social interaction.

Same thing goes for healthy food. If more fresh, healthy food is available, visible and attractively displayed, people are inclined to choose to eat that fresh, healthy, colorful food rather than brown, unappetizing food.

It’s all in how you spin it, really. I hope that Wake County will continue to look at its assets with AHA’s help – and find ways to make our community VITAL and ALIVE with inviting environments and food options for our citizens.

As many of you know, my last day with AHA is fast approaching – May 24^th. I am moving on to a role where I will be working at the state level on these very same issues.

But I will be close by – and in contact, because we know all policy is local. And if we are to drive state level policy change, much of that will bubble up from local activity. And that’s what AHA is best at – bringing together partners with the will and the means to make great policy changes happen so we can bring lessons learned to scale.

I will be seeing you around, in other words. So we won’t say “goodbye” – only farewell until we meet again.

Two Town of Apex staff members participating in the recent walkability audit at an intersection in Apex…and discovering some challenges for anyone in a wheelchair trying to navigate this particular intersection.

Last month I had the opportunity to participate in a walkability audit in Apex, which examined one intersection specifically: Hunter St. and Laura Duncan Rd. It didn’t take long to see a multitude of issues for pedestrian safety at this intersection very near Apex Town Hall, the Apex Community Center, Apex High School and a shopping center with a Food Lion.

The audit was coordinated by the Wake County Child Pedestrian Safety Action Network (WakePedNet), which is comprised of a group of local, county and state stakeholders, including AHA, who are working to increase the awareness of the child pedestrian safety concerns in Wake County and to build greater capacity to prevent pedestrian accidents. Nationally, a pedestrian is hit every eight minutes, and in Wake County, since 2000, more than 650 children aged 18 and under have been involved in a pedestrian crash. These safety concerns, coupled with a renewed focus on moving people rather than vehicles in the interest of public health and the environment, have made injury prevention a high priority for state and local agencies. The network receives support from The UNC Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC), with its partner Toole Design Group, through a grant from the John Rex Endowment.

Apex Walkability Audit

WakePedNet is planning a series of walkability audits as a tool to communicate with decision-makers about pedestrian safety concerns, with the Apex audit serving as the first one. Laura Sandt, UNC HSRC Research Associate and the Associate Director for the Pedestrian & Bicycle Information Center led a meeting with several Town of Apex staff, including planners, engineers, police, fire safety and me, to discuss the purpose of the walkability audit and how we would proceed. Our goal was to see and discuss pedestrian safety issues and opportunities, and document the concerns through photos and videos so that we could later engage stakeholders and decision-makers in a conversation about pedestrian safety.

Auditors observed and discussed the intersection.

HSRC shared some background information about the intersection, provided by Reed Huegerich, a Transportation Planner for the Town of Apex. The Apex Police Department had reported five pedestrian crashed nearby since 2006: two pedestrian crashes on Hunter St. and three on Laura Duncan Rd., but none at the particular intersection we audited. HSRC indicates there have been very few child pedestrian crashes in Apex and a relatively low child crash rate, which is great news. In addition, the Villages of Apex is a mixed use development currently under construction near the intersection. The economy has slowed the development, and the area immediately adjacent to the intersection is unlikely to develop in the near future. Also Old Mill Village is a townhouse community whose development has been slowed by the recession. There are plans to build sidewalks on the southwest corner of the intersection, but that also is unlikely to happen soon.

As part of the audit process, photos and video were taken to document the problems.

Outfitted with safety vests and Reed riding in a wheelchair to experience the audit from that perspective, we took a short walk to the intersection to see for ourselves. We observed the intersection and answered questions on a Walkability Checklist, such as “Was it easy to cross streets?” The checklist offers possible issues, such as “road was too wide”, “traffic signals made us wait too long or did not give us enough time to cross,” “Trees or plants blocked our view of traffic,” etc.

As part of the audit, we recorded several videos to document the process. This one intersection actually had a variety of problems:  there were sidewalks and ramps on only two of the four sides of the intersection, the signal changed too quickly to enable our wheelchair auditor to safely cross the intersection, and there were no striped crosswalks or pedestrian heads to support pedestrians, for example. During our 15 minutes or so at the intersection, there was not significant pedestrian traffic, which could be in part because of the lack of connected sidewalks, but we did observe a group of high school students crossing and navigating the lack of connected sidewalks.

After the audit, the group discussed some possible short-term solutions to address some issues at the intersection and where there might be funds available to support such changes.

What’s Next?

WakePedNet’s next meeting is May 16, and the group will continue planning walkability audits in the county, among other projects. The group is also focusing on pedestrian safety around schools. Documents and presentations from past meetings and the work plan are all available at www.WakePedNet.org.

“The Losers”–one of two winning ERC teams among all four winners of the WE Choose 2 Lose Challenge.

It’s not often that strategic planning leads to a weight loss challenge, but that was indeed the impetus for a recent series of wellness efforts aimed at supporting employees at Wake County Human Services’ (WCHS) three regional centers.  Working together as teams, 47 employees at the Eastern Regional Center in Zebulon, the Northern Center in Wake Forest and the Southern Regional Center in Fuquay-Varina recently lost a total of 239 pounds, along with inches and some unhealthy habits during the WE Choose 2 Lose Weight Loss Challenge. This was the third wellness initiative employees participated in since last fall.

Employees at the regional centers cannot easily join in activities at the WCHS Sunnybrook and Swinburne offices in Raleigh, according to Sonya Reid, program manager for WCHS Health Promotion Chronic Disease Prevention Section. “They were interested in wellness support in their own offices. Couple that desire with a love for competition among the regional centers, and the challenge was born,” Reid said.

The 4-month program kicked off Jan. 14 after employees signed up based on information from this flier.  In addition to weight loss, the Health Promotion team also measured BMI, BFA and waist circumference. Teams were assessed at the start of the challenge for a baseline, mid-way and on the final day of the challenge. Each week, the Health Promotion team sent participants emails with tips and other support, like  this Food Diary Log. Some teams asked for—and received—additional support from Health Promotion staff in planning healthy meals as well types of exercises to achieve different desired outcomes. Prizes were offered as an added incentive, but Reid said that being healthier was what drove most to participate.

“The Slim Silhouettes”–another Eastern Regional Center winning team.

AHA joins WCHS in congratulating four winning teams that had the highest percentage of weight loss: The Losers and The Slim Silhouettes from the Eastern Regional Center, the Sassy Dames from the Southern Regional Center and Gemini from the Northern Regional Center. (Reid said the two teams from the ERC were so close in the percentage of weight loss that two teams were recognized.) Each team won prizes generously donated by area businesses, including Massage Envy Spa North Hills and others. The ERC also has the honor of having the most participants, and Reid said they plan to continue their healthy habits and weight loss goals even without the incentive of prizes. Health Promotion staff will continue to visit the ERC for assessments and support.

The Results: What’s Gained Is More Than Pounds Lost

While the pounds and inches lost were certainly a cause for celebration, employees learned that the team approach was so valuable in helping them reach their goals. Last September employees had participated in a “Five a Day Challenge” to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and in October they participated in the “Pink Bag” Challenge when they were encouraged to bring their healthy lunches in pink bags in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Both of those challenges were popular, but they were individual challenges, Reid said, and employees expressed interest in a team-supported challenge for the weight loss effort to help motivate each other. Next up for the regional centers employees: which center can assemble the largest Race for the Cure team for this annual event in June. Reid said they resume activities again in the fall after the June challenge.

Installations of these re-purposed tires are becoming part of more outdoor school learning and play areas.

I am excited to be part of a growing movement occurring in Wake County Public Schools to transform school grounds to be places where students can be active and learn. As a project manager and landscape designer for CLH Design designing schools sites throughout the state, I have worked with several parent-teacher organizations (PTOs) that want to invest in their school grounds. Like me, they are concerned with health risks associated with the sedentary lifestyles of today’s children and troubled by the fact that school grounds provide little incentive to go outdoors except at recess. They are unsure how to develop a design that meets approval of the school administrators, the school district and the local municipality.

I have been helping these groups by creating master plans for the school grounds that diversify play and offer opportunities for teachers to take the curriculum outdoors. This master plan document is often the missing link to gaining consensus among the stakeholders and moving forward with the improvement project. 

Why Does Design Matter on School Playgrounds?

On the surface, my role could be defined as the landscape designer, but I consider my true role to be an advocate of play and getting children outside. A 1993 study revealed that simply “being outdoors is the strongest correlate to physical activity” (Salis, et. al).  We also know that being outdoors in nature is calming, restful and restorative for all children, but it has significant benefits for children with attention disorders. With all that in mind, I push myself to cram a master plan full of possibilities to take children outside for educational purposes and to elevate the play value of the outdoor space. 

The life-sized “Candyland” game painted on the pavement and giant spinner are an example of play destination on school grounds that promotes active learning and play.

The most frequent request I have is to help restore a worn out grass area or provide a running track for the children because after a rainfall, they can’t go in the mud area that was once their grass. In the first draft of the master plan, I address the client’s original wish, but at the same time, I show them how adding other simple and fairly inexpensive (compared to the cost of an irrigation system or running track) play destinations will diversify play opportunities to alleviate the overuse of the grass area to increase its longevity. An example of this might be a life size “candy land” game striped on the pavement with a child sized spinner. The hidden advocacy component here is providing play opportunities for all students, particularly the girls.

A typical playground provides opportunities for active play, team sports and gross motor skill development; the kind of activity that boys stereotypically engage in with the obligatory set of monkey bars for the girls. More often than not, when I tour a site, the boys are all happily playing sports on the fields or basketball court while the girls are huddled under the one tree on the playground engaged in their imaginary play. Imaginary play, which falls under the passive play category, has many benefits of its own in terms of social and cognitive development for both genders. Therefore, it is important to increase opportunities to engage in passive play to reach out to girls, but often what happens is the play patterns become more fluid.  As boys gravitate to passive play places, which they will, the girls seize their chance to engage in gymnastics on the grass without fear of getting hit by a ball.  Now, the real beauty of a passive play spaces such as a storyteller chair, a stage or an outdoor chalkboard, is that they double as curriculum support spaces outside of recess time. 

Creating the Master Plan

How does the planning process work? To create the master plan, I sit down with the PTO and school administrators to listen to their needs and concerns. Second, I assess the campus, paying particular attention to the “problem” areas, but also looking carefully for educational and other opportunities on the site. From there, I go to the drawing board and develop the first draft of the master plan. Once the final version is agreed upon by the school’s committee, it is sent to the school district for approval and the local municipality to determine any permitting needs for the improvements. An opinion of probable costs is also developed to help the group plan phases for implementation. 

A master plan is not meant to be installed at one time, but it maps out the potential for the site and the steps to making the improvements. From there, the PTO has all the information needed to proceed with improvements and a district-approved plan that will withstand the changes in personnel in the PTO or school administration.  The master plan also is a very helpful fundraising tool when applying for grants or appealing to school parents. 

Investing in Children’s Health

I understand that not every school is going to be able to provide or love every item in the master plan, but as an advocate, I need to put it on paper to start a dialog.  

Probably the most valuable lesson we were taught in design school is that our work is not ours; we relinquish all sense of propriety once we pin something up for others to view.  I feel success not if my designs get built as drawn, but if in some way I have influenced the group to change their thinking of the school grounds not as “recess” or “P.E.” space, but a space to be used every day, throughout the day as an easy way to promote physical fitness and invest in the health of our children in school.

Editor’s Note:

With more than nine years experience in site design of commercial, institutional and civic projects, Ms. Reese’s expertise is in the areas of children’s learning environments and playground design. To ensure her designs meet national standards for playground safety, Ms. Reese has obtained certification as a Playground Safety Inspector from the Consumer Product and Safety Commission. Ms. Reese has made it her mission to incorporate dynamic spaces on public schools grounds at the on-set of design for the new sites and to enliven the grounds at existing schools where bare minimum programming elements have been provided. 

Ms. Reese’s notable projects showcasing children’s play and environmental awareness include: Partnership Elementary School, Southern Pines Elementary, Hemby-Bridge Elementary School Garden, Knightdale Historic Downtown Park Playground, and Weatherstone and Laurel Park Elementary School’s Master Plans for outdoor education and natural play. Ms. Reese spoke at AHA’s Brains and Bodies Workshop “Physical Activity Rocks!” in March 2013.

Assisted by Christy Shi, a food planner working at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), work group members have been meeting to discuss strategy and goals for developing a council. The project is still in early stages, but the mission is to bring government, private enterprise, public interest and non-profits together, along with representation of all sectors of the local food system, into a self-defined council that helps steer our local food system policies towards a shared vision of prosperity, health, equity, and economic opportunity.

This project coincides with the forthcoming release of the new Wake County Agriculture Economic Development Plan, which may provide an important starting point for council work. Any questions or expressions of interest can be directed to Erin White.