Posted: 3/7/06
Houston receives ëFit Cityí award
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
A bicycle trail, three parks, a fitness and community center, community education, and open school buildings.
Those are some of the things that make Houston a ìfit city,î Mayor Connie Krenzke said on February 28.
Krenzke spoke to about 20 people during a presentation of the ìGovernorís Fit Cityî award at Houston City Hall.
Minnesota Health Commissioner Dianne Mandernach and Human Services Commissioner Kevin Goodno came from St. Paul for the program.
And donít forget the annual triathalon that the Houston Lions put on, Krenzke added. ìWouldnít it be great if Houston was known as a fitness city,î she said. ìNow we are known for our health.î
Karla Kinstler, director of the Houston Nature Center, agreed with Krenzke. Kinstler spoke with her trusty friend, Alice the Owl, on her arm. Alice added a few comments too, and flapped her wings in a manner befitting an owl during mating season.
ìItís fun to see so many different people using the trails,î Kinstler said. People of all abilities use it, she said, from marathon trainers to people recovering from heart attacks.
ìPhysical activity improves nearly every aspect of a personís health,î Mandernach said. ìIt also contributes to better overall health for the entire communityñthatís why we encourage all cities to become Governorís Fit Cities.î
Goodno said his department is involved because it deals with peopleís health through programs like Minnesota Care.
About the award
Houston achieved its Fit City designation by completing an application with the Minnesota Department of Health. The application asks cities to indicate their commitment to promoting physical activity, according to several criteria. Those criteria include whether a city has adopted a value statement affirming the importance of fitness; whether a city has created inviting places to walk; whether a city has sponsored at least one fitness activity; and whether a city has developed recreation areas that encourage fitness.
Houston has implemented a number of strategies for promoting physical activity, including:
ï Developing a cohesive system of three parks and bike trails, incorporating accessible neighborhood parks;
ï Establishing processes to assess and improve existing local active living infrastructure;
ï Requiring neighborhood streets to be designed with pedestrians and bicyclists in mind;
ï Requiring new subdivisions to have connections to existing trail systems;
ï Increasing pedestrian and bicyclist safety;
ï Creating walkable routes to schools;
ï Supporting recreation programs that encourage active living.
The ìGovernorís Fit Cityî initiative is part of an overall push by Governor Pawlenty to encourage fitness.
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