To the Editor:
There once was a flea who lived in a jar. The jar had a lid on it. Every day the flea would jump and he would hit his poor little head on the lid. One day the lid was removed and as the story goes, the flea only jumped to where the lid used to be. The flea’s habits never changed and it never left the jar even though its constraints were removed.
Chester has a new front door. State Route 10 or West Hundred Road used to be a barrier for people who wanted to walk across the street or people to bike to shops, restaurants, school, church, or a friend’s house. There are so many great offerings in Chester. Recently, a series of improvements have added high visibility crosswalks, pedestrian countdown signals, bike lanes, and still enough space for traffic. The Virginia Department of Transportation partnered with Chesterfield County and the Chester Community Association to move forward with these important safety and operational improvements using a complete streets approach.
So here is the challenge. When you leave your front door, ask yourself whether you can walk or bike using Chester’s new front door.
You could even join your neighbors in Chester’s Front Door Challenge every Saturday morning from sunrise to noon. You could walk or bike to the Village Grill for breakfast or shop local at the Lazy Daisy, or pick up the Village News or check out a library book or just be seen as part of this great community. Starting on Saturday, April 16, you could even visit the Chester Farmers’ Market!
It is good not to be a flea stuck in a jar. Join us this spring and be part of Chester’s newest tradition.
Mike Sawyer
