MIDDLEBURY — By using an old fashioned measuring wheel, new-fangled GPS, and a pedometer, residents at the EastView at Middlebury retirement community last month measured a wide variety of walkways and trails in Middlebury.
They started by measuring the long hallways in the part of the facility called the “Inn,” so that residents who cannot get outside in bad weather can still get walking exercise. Then they measured the streets and pathways on the EastView campus. Then, since so many of the residents walk into town, members of the Health and Wellness Committee measured the distance to the Main Street traffic circle, Ilsley Library, etc.
“Part of the Trail Around Middlebury is not very far from EastView, so we measured part of that,” said EastView representative Sherry Klinck.
The Health and Wellness Committee has met with very positive response from the facility’s Long Range Planning Landscape Committee, which has agreed to connect some existing walkways so they will have “loops” where residents can take a pleasant stroll. They will be wheelchair accessible.
The committee is unsure how many miles of walkways, sidewalks and trails they have cataloged.
“Lots and lots,” Klinck said.
“Our goal is to encourage our residents at all levels to get exercise and get it outside as much as possible,” she added. “It is not a competition, just an opportunity, and one in which many residents are involved.”