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Maybe I’m just getting older or maybe these times really are unique, but I find myself thinking a lot more about everything going on down at the Statehouse than I have in years past. And recently, I find myself disagreeing with policies and politicians.
On one hand, we have a new superintendent of public instruction who has passed a mandate regarding the school calendar that will likely force many schools to do away with parent-teacher conferences and teacher in-services at a time when communication and further education are key. We support the idea of keeping kids in the class for 180 days, but additional funding should be in place to back up such a mandate that will in essence do away with important policies already in place.
On the other hand, there is a push to amend the state constitution to include permanent property tax caps before we have even had a chance to see the full impact on schools and local units of government. The short-term effect has been daunting, and it just seems that the common-sense approach is to slow down until we can digest the long-term implications.
There is much to be concerned about, but not all of the news is bad.
We came across a story earlier this month that highlighted one of the best initiatives now under way across Indiana — a plan that Bluffton put into place some 20 years ago.
During Gov. Mitch Daniels’ first administration, officials unveiled a plan called “Hoosiers on the Move: The Indiana State Trails, Greenways and Bikeways Plan.”
Basically, the initiative seeks to establish 2,200 miles of greenways, trails and bike paths across the Hoosier state.
Today, Indiana is home to about 350 miles of trails, and the goal is to make sure every Hoosier home is within a 15-minute drive of a trail by 2016.
For those of us who live in Bluffton, we have for nearly two decades been within 15 minutes of a trail thanks to the addition of the Rivergreenway along the Wabash River.
You might recall the October 1987 Bluffton Revitalization goal to make a “better Bluffton.” It took the Bluffton community less than four months to raise more than $1 million for the Rivergreenway “health trail.” Officials back then knew of no other community of our size in Indiana or across the United States that had ever raised more than $1 million in one compact fund-raising campaign in only a few months. What a community in which we live!
From this viewpoint, Bluffton’s Rivergreenway has been and still is one of the best features of this community, and one of the most consistently visited places. The paved jogging, walking, skating and bicycling trail that runs 21⁄2 miles to the White Bridge and then eastward from the bridge into Ouabache State Park for another couple of miles is used year round, but especially from April to early November.
We’re fortunate our community leaders began planning in the late 1980s to create what has become one of Bluffton’s most frequently visited and aesthetically pleasing locations.
Future plans are to extend the Rivergreenway west to Markle, a plan we hope to see sooner rather than later and by the 2016 state goal deadline.
Extending the trail would not only help with the goal of having every Hoosier household within 71⁄2 miles of a trail, but it would also allow for longer bike rides and runs on safe paths instead of roads and highways.
At the same time, we hope the additional trail and easier access would encourage more Wells residents to get off the couch and get outside.
In 2002, 37.2 percent of Hoosiers were considered overweight, and 24.1 percent of Indiana residents were obese, the Indianapolis Star reported. Equally alarming is the fact that 25.3 percent of Hoosiers in 2004 reported having no physical activity in the previous month.
The creation of more greenways, however, provides easier access for Hoosiers, which we hope will increase outdoor activity. It seems to have worked in Bluffton, as evidenced by the often busy Rivergreenway.
Because of its proximity to so many people, Bluffton’s Rivergreenway continues to be a smashing success. During the summer months, this writer likes to either bike or run every day, usually in the evenings, and the Rivergreenway is always full — a welcome sight to these eyes.
We believe the installation of more trails across the state will have a similar effect, and we hope to see Wells County’s network of trails expanded as part of the state’s initiative.
Perhaps it’s time for a jog down the Rivergreenway now before we return to trying to find solutions to the many obstacles facing our state.
--JUSTIN PEEPER
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