By: Diana Johnsen
djohnsen@kcautv.com
It is a work in progress.
This past May, Spencer, Iowa became a "Blue Zones Demonstration Site" which means the community has been chosen by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield as a model of a healthy community.
And now that it is "Demonstration Sight", people are paying a little more attention to their health.
"I think it's going to get people thinking through the years, maybe walking a little bit more instead of hoping in that car," said Pat McGee of Spencer.
But the journey does not stop here.
The town wants to become a certified "Blue Zones Project Community".
On Thursday, it hosted a number of events to help make healthier changes.
Those events included a community "Walk Audit" that helped give insight on how Spencer can change its streets and sidewalks to make them safer and ultimately get more people out walking.
"A lot of people cannot walk or will not walk until they see other people walking. You have to have a certain threshold before a lot of folks come out and walk naturally," said Dan Burden, a national expert on walkable and liveable communities.
One of the suggestions was using the large space of Grand Avenue for bike lanes and safer crosswalks.
"You work with them you bring them in, really have them understand what you're trying to achieve, so you can create a safer, more productive street. One that will pump the life and activity," added Burden.
Blue Zone representatives in Spencer said over the next year, they expect more feedback from other experts as to how the town can become a healthier and safer place.
