Peebles Installs Crosswalk Signs for Added Safety

We want to give a huge thanks to the Village of Peebles as we worked together to perform a walk audit on South Main Street in September. The purpose of the walk audit was to identify any safety hazards relative to the sidewalks, street infrastructure and any other concerns that may arise as children and adults utilize this high traffic area. As a result of this walk audit, one intervention that was imposed was installing pedestrian crossing signs to bring awareness to the crosswalk at Steam Furnace and Main Streets. With children walking or biking to school, a safe crosswalk is imperative. We thank the Village of Peebles for their commitment to their community to ensure safe travels for all modes of transportation in their Village! Have you noticed the signs?? Check them out!! And thank your Village Council & staff!

 

  A $30,000+ project to construct a walk path in the village of Peebles is now complete. 

The Adams County Health & Wellness Coalition (ACHWC) was approached several years ago with an idea to construct a walking path somewhere in the village of Peebles. The Adams County Creating Healthy Communities (CHC) program had been working with the Peebles Youth Organization to improve the Park on Simmons Avenue, and through financial assistance from the CHC grant and other sources, and with the help of numerous volunteers from GE-Peebles Test Operation, members of the Peebles community, and the Peebles Youth Organization, improvements were made, adding a basketball court, a new baseball/softball field, a batting cage, a playset, new bleacher seating, new restroom facility and improvements to the concession stand, to name a few.

According to Debbie Ryan, Coordinator of the Adams County CHC Program, “During typical years, the Peebles Youth Organization, Inc. park is used very heavily for community sporting events and as a community playground, where families from all over the County and region congregate to enjoy youth sports team competitions. While we were working with them to develop their ball fields and park system, it quickly became apparent that using the perimeter of this property for a walking path would be ideal.” 

The search for funding for this walk path project began. Holly Johnson, Director of the Adams County Economic & Community Development Office, suggested pursuing a NatureWorks grant. Through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, NatureWorks projects are funded through the Ohio Parks and Natural Resources Bond Issue which was approved by Ohio voters in November 1993. The NatureWorks grant program provides up to 75% reimbursement assistance for local government subdivisions (townships, villages, cities, counties, park districts, joint recreation districts, and conservancy districts) for the acquisition, development, and rehabilitation of recreational areas.

Ms. Johnson and her staff successfully wrote the grant for the Village for the walk path and through this grant funding and a 25% match that was paid by the Adams County Health & Wellness Coalition, the Peebles walk path was completed at no cost to the Village or the taxpayers of Peebles. 

Construction of the walk path was done by Austin Concrete.

Many thanks to the officials of the Peebles Youth Organization, Inc. for their collaboration with the Adams County Creating Healthy Communities Program, the Adams County Health & Wellness Coalition and the Village of Peebles to develop a wonderful park for our community, and to the Peebles Village Mayor, Council and staff for managing the NatureWorks grant and construction process of this wonderful, new walk path.

Seen here, at the recent Peebles walk path ribbon-cutting and receiving the matching funds check from the Adams County Health & Wellness Coalition, are Peebles Mayor Wayne Setty, Peebles Council Members Jeanie Gordley, Tammy Crothers, Connie Kidder, Charlie Countryman and Norman Newman; Adams County Economic & Community Development Director, Holly Johnson and Assistant Director, Amanda Fraley;  GE-Peebles Volunteer Team Members, Mark Branscome, Jason Shriver and Casey Kirker (with daughters Riley and Reece); Brandon Carroll GE and community member; Peebles Youth Organization representatives Kyle Smalley and Adam Carroll (and daughter Amryn) and Leeann Puckett, Chairperson, Adams County Health & Wellness Coalition. Photo compliments of Debbie Ryan, Coordinator, Adams County Creating Healthy Communities Program and Adams County Health & Wellness Coalition Co-Chair.https://www.peoplesdefender.com/2018/12/21/adams-county-growing-in-health-and-wellness/

Have you seen containers with tomatoes growing in them dispersed throughout the County? How about a little herb container garden? These “gardens” are compliments of the Adams County Health & Wellness Coalition’s Food Council work group. Work by the Food Council will include increasing awareness and access to healthy foods. Container gardening is the first venture for this group in 2020.

Twenty garden containers were purchased through funds received by the Adams County Creating Healthy Communities Program, a grant administered through the Adams County Health Department and the Ohio Department of Health and were “adopted” by various individuals/groups throughout Adams County. Each garden container contains a tomato plant/plants. Three herb containers were also purchased and placed in various areas. The idea is to introduce free, fresh tomatoes and various herbs to community residents as they are harvested from each of the containers. The Food Council hopes to introduce gardening, and more specifically the concept that you don’t have to have a large plot of land to grow your own vegetables or herbs.

Tomatoes and herbs from each of these containers are free to the community, and in some instances, will be provided to local veteran’s homes and other residential housing. 

Look for these containers around the County and when you see a ripe tomato, help yourself! Fresh tomatoes are great for slicing, putting in a salad, or adding to a sandwich! Also look for the fresh herb containers! Adding fresh herbs to your diet is a great way to boost your meal’s vitamin value! Adding herbs can make an old recipe taste like a whole new meal!

The ACHWC thanks all who were willing to adopt a container garden. They are located at the following locations:

The Adams County Health Department, Adams County Economic & Community Development Office, Richmond Insurance, Winchester Police Department, Peebles Life Squad, Church 180, Seaman Presbyterian Church, Manchester School Based Health Center, SOMC-West Union, West Union Church of Christ, Ohio Valley Schools District Office, Adams County Senior Citizens, Family Recovery Services, Adams County Child & Family Health Clinic (WIC office) and the Puckett Family, who plans to disperse the tomatoes to a local veteran’s home. Herb containers are located at the Adams County Health Department, Adams County Economic & Community Development Office and West Union Church of Christ.

Ultimately, we hope this will encourage folks to consider gardening. Growing your own vegetables is really satisfying! Get your kids involved and let them start with their favorite vegetable! There is nothing like the taste of fresh vegetables! Look for one of these signs and enjoy a ripe tomato or fresh herbs from one of our garden containers this summer!

Adams County CHC recognizes Coalition members for their hard work and dedication to Adams County's health & wellness in 2018. 

https://www.peoplesdefender.com/2018/12/21/adams-county-growing-in-health-and-wellness/

Peebles Youth Sports Organization partners with many community volunteers and Adams County Creating Healthy Communities Program to keep building park.

https://www.peoplesdefender.com/2018/11/30/peebles-sports-park-continues-to-expand/

The Adams County Health & Wellness Coalition and Manchester Local School District (MLSD) have partnered for the past five years to bring the Adams County Creating Healthy Communities* (CHC) grant program to Adams County. Through this partnership, great changes that impact health and wellness for families in our county have been accomplished.

The success of a coalition depends on collaboration and partnerships, and the partnership between CHC and Manchester Local School District has been outstanding. MLSD understands and supports the concept that healthy students are better learners and that their staff must be good mentors and role models to their students and therefore have embraced the overall wellness concept. 

In 2018, one focus of the CHC work plan was to promote physical activity strategies that would help to reduce obesity and its risk factors in Adams County. MLSD has been a model collaborative agency to support and provide access to opportunities for active living. 

Jacie Simon, Director of the Manchester Education and Activity Center, stated “Collaboration is the quiet force behind fruition.  We are grateful for the ongoing work by the Adams County CHC program and numerous individuals, in turn helping to better our communities.  When we come together, cool things can happen.” Through the 2018 collaboration between CHC and MLSD, CHC grant monies purchased a new, secured storage building for the grounds of the MLSD campus that will be used to house equipment to maintain the grounds of the MLSD campus, as well as a safe place to store outdoor activity supplies and equipment.

Debbie Ryan, Coordinator for the Adams County Creating Healthy Communities Program, reports that the collaboration with the MLSD Board of Education and MLSD staff has been extraordinary. According to Ryan, “Collaboration is the ability to work together toward a common goal, and the strong CHC and MLSD partnership has been very successful over the course of this grant. MLSD is very progressive and anxious to help make Adams County a healthier place to live, learn, work, worship and play, and I can’t thank them enough for their partnership.”