Decatur Active Living’s Cheryl Burnette sent along this announcement…

Oakhurst Elementary School was selected as the 2015 Georgia Safe Routes to School Resource Center’s Partner of the Year for the Metro Atlanta Area. Winners of this award are chosen based on the progress of their SRTS programs during the past year in getting more students to walk and bike to school and increasing the awareness of SRTS within its community. The Georgia Safe Routes to School Resource Center has recognized outstanding partners with the Partner of the Year Award since 2011. Clairemont Elementary won the award in 2013 and Renfroe Middle School won in 2014.

Under the leadership of Parent Champion Heather Tell, Oakhurst Elementary students, staff, teachers, and parents have embraced the Safe Routes to School program as part of the core culture of the school. Over 60% of students regularly walk and bike to school—the highest percentage of any City of Decatur school—and they constantly strive to improve that number. The school sponsors a monthly Walk and Roll to School Day celebration, with fun themes and prizes to encourage participation, donations from local businesses, and bicycle bells for kids. Safety tips are included in the school’s weekly newsletter, and all 450 students learn basic bike safety at the annual Fall Health and Wellness Festival. With a strong School Leadership Team and the support of the City of Decatur Active Living, the Decatur Police Department, the Georgia SRTS Outreach Coordinator, and City of Decatur schools, Oakhurst is an enthusiastic and highly successful Partner in the SRTS program.

For more information on the City of Decatur Safe Routes to School program visit www.decaturga.com/srts.

Photo courtesy of Decatur Active Living

This is a “nice to know” if you’re regularly traveling around Decatur on your bike.

The Be Active Decatur blog reports that the city has installed its first bike repair station outside the Decatur Recreation Center on Sycamore Street.

Heads up all. From Patti Garrett’s blog…

Join Decatur Active Living on Saturday, March 8^th from 10am -1pm for the annual Touch-a-Truck Event. The City of Decatur and DeKalb County dump trucks, fire trucks, tractors, police cars and motorcycles and many other types of vehicles will be on display.

NEW! Decatur Active Living is celebrating National Nutrition Month at this annual event. When you come to Touch-A-Truck, join in the effort by bringing any canned or non-perishable food item. 

Asst. Director of Decatur Active Living Cheryl Burnette sends in this announcement…

Decatur Active Living is partnering with Licensed Cycling Instructor Neil Walker to offer Traffic Skills 101 this coming Saturday at the Decatur Recreation Center. This class is designed to teach adult cyclists how to use a bicycle with confidence and competence for pleasure, utility and sport under various highway, climate, terrain, and traffic conditions.  The class is organized into three levels: The Basics, Bicycling in Traffic, and Enjoying the Ride. Participants should bring their bicycle and helmet.

The class meets Saturday, July 20 from 10 am until 4 pm and is recommended for adults or children over 14 years of age. Cost is $50 and registration is at http://cyclesandchange.org/programs/class-registration/.

Do you walk like you mean it?  Do you talk about walking at parties?  While trying to speak over your (or other people’s) children at dinner?  While walking?  Well then Decatur has the Advisory Committee for YOU!

From the city’s Linda Harris….

Decatur has made great strides in creating a walkable community and received the 2011 Silver Level Walk Friendly Community Designation from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center.   The Active Living Advisory Board is taking another important step by forming a new Pedestrian Advisory Committee.  This new subcommittee of the Active Living Board will focus on pedestrian safety, encourage walking for exercise and transportation, and promote a walk-friendly community for people of all ages and abilities aligning with Decatur’s Strategic and Community Transportation plans.  The Pedestrian Advisory Committee will work with Decatur’s bike community along with city engineering and police department staff liaisons to create and achieve its initiatives.

The Pedestrian Advisory Committee will meet on the first Friday of every month from 8 – 9 a.m. and will have an expected workload of about four hours per month including meeting times.  If you are interested in joining the committee, please email [email protected]  with a brief statement describing your interest in the Committee’s work.  For more information about Walk Friendly Communities visit www.walkfriendly.org.

Pic of Active Living Director Greg White courtesy of the city’s website

Decatur Active Living’s Cheryl Burnette sends along this notice…

This Saturday, the annual Tour deCatur Run/Walk will be occurring in downtown Decatur. Due to the storm water construction in front of Decatur High School, the route will vary from past years. The new route begins on Commerce in back of the high school, then turns right on Trinity. The one mile Fun Run will begin on N McDonough next to Chick-Fil-A and turn right on Trinity as well. The new starts will result in a temporary road closure on East Trinity Place.

There will also be short road closures on N. McDonough from West Howard to Trinity Place and on Commerce from West Howard to West Trinity Place.

Please be patient with the race and consider taking a which works to help Decatur youth realize their full potential, not only in the classroom but also through learning experiences that contribute to personal development.

Asst. Director of Decatur Active Living Cheryl Burnette sent out a note on Friday announcing that Active Living staff were moving back in the newly renovated Decatur Recreation Center and the front desk at the facility would be open for registrations and payments on January 7th.  Programming will commence at the Rec on February 4th, according to the note.  There’s also a bit more info on the move over on Active Living’s blog.

What’s new at the Rec?  The email showed off a few new features…