Walk this way

HIGHLAND PARK - Gone are the days in Mifflin County when the majority of students walked to neighborhood schools.

However, for one day, a portion of that history will return. Beginning Wednesday and lasting through Oct. 15, students from Indian Valley High School will walk and ride bikes to school in observance of the national "Walking School Bus" event.

Beginning at 7:30 a.m., walkers, as well as bikers from Indian Valley High School physical education teacher Glenn Kyle's Bike Club, will make the trek to school from the Burnham Burger King. At 9 a.m., about 80 kindergarten through fifth-grade students from Sacred Heart School also will journey to the high school through the downtown Lewistown area. Drivers passing through these areas during the above times are reminded to keep a cautious eye out for increased foot traffic.

Sponsored by Indian Valley's Medical Careers Club, the Culinary Arts Department and supported by the Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity, the Walking School Bus promotes increased physical activity among Mifflin County's youth as well as the raising of awareness for safe walking routes to school.

The event's supporters include Linda Wilson, Indian Valley school nurse; Amy Houtz, Indian Valley Culinary Arts teacher; Glenn Kyle, Bike Club supervisor; and Lewistown Mayor Deb Bargo. These individuals urge local commuters to remember to share the road with students as Mifflin County and its citizens work toward a healthier, safer future.