Article in the Chapel Hill News

When Mayor Foy proclaimed October to be "Go! Chapel Hill" month in Chapel Hill, in honor of the organization I've recently started volunteering with, I thought it would be a great opportunity for the local newspapers to run articles on the importance of physical activity and having a healthy lifestyle. When I suggested this to the Chapel Hill News they offered to have me write 4 short weekly columns during the month of October. I've written newspaper columns before for the politicians I've interned with, but this is the first time I'm publishing under my own name. It's pretty fun.

Here's the article published in last weekend's Chapel Hill News (circulation 22,000). This week I'll be writing about the relationship between physical activity, the economy and the environment.

In case you can't read that, here's the full text:

Mayor Foy recently proclaimed October “Go! Chapel Hill Month” and encouraged everyone to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines.

Go! Chapel Hill is an organization formed with a 5 year grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to promote ways to do this. As a jogger who has had his share of near-misses, I know that being active has wonderful health benefits, but isn’t always safe. Although Chapel Hill has many beautiful greenways and sidewalks, many improvements are still needed.

One example is how difficult it is for pedestrians to cross Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Bus stops, businesses and apartments are often far from nearby intersections, prompting many to brave four lanes of traffic every day. The Town recently announced that new crosswalks will be built on MLK, such as one connecting the Shadowood Apartments to the bus stop across the street. This is a great step.

Building crosswalks is simple and relatively inexpensive, and more are needed on Chapel Hill’s busiest streets. In a month devoted to active living, this is particularly important, as few things encourage physical activity more than making sure it’s safe.