The Walking Example Group's supports children walking to school.

The many benefits include: great physical activity, a safer, cleaner environment, reduced stress on parents, generally saner mornings and minimized gridlock in front of schools (hmm... rushed, often impatient people in cars in a restricted area and hundreds of school children milling about... what a combination!)

Due to the persistent efforts of Cooperstown residents Sarah Stewart, Karen Katz and Kate Leonardo, and with an impressive outpouring of support from a mixed group of Cooperstown citizens, the routes to our local schools will soon be noticeably safer.

The two new stop signs, more speed enforcement and better caution signs resulting from their efforts, coupled with the positive response from the Board of Trustees, are in the best interest of all pedestrians, adults and children alike.

Democracy in action is a beautiful thing.

Beyond the tangible benefits, walking to school gives children intrinsic rewards, the value too often overlooked in our hurry-up world; it provides a treasure trove of childhood memories, builds a child's confidence and creates safer, more tightly knit neighborhoods.

Beginning in kindergarten, the many journeys between home and my elementary school introduced me to the big world beyond my backyard.

Grown-ups trusted me to go to school on my own. I learned the six-block route and the shortcuts; the journey to and from school was as important as the destination. It was fun. What could now be construed as child endangerment was simply how it was done in the early sixties. Almost all the kids in the neighborhood walked to school and our parents bade us a loving farewell. We usually walked with our friends or siblings, we knew the houses and the churches and the shops where we were welcome and we knew whose lawns we didn't dare cut through. Well... we might on a double dare.

The two common reasons parents give for not allowing their children to walk to school is fear of stranger abduction and unsafe traffic conditions. According to the New York State statistics, there is no more danger of child abduction by a stranger now than there was in 1958, despite media sensationalism that keeps parents petrified. Knowing your neighbors and your neighborhood increases everyone's safety and provides an invaluable sense of community.

Encouraging more people on the street - walking their dogs, shopping, riding a bike, walking nowhere in particular - is the linchpin that makes a safe, livable neighborhood.

Unsafe traffic is by far the more present danger and, thanks to the Mesdames Stewart, Katz and Leonardo, strides have been made to improve the situation around the Cooperstown Central Schools. As was acknowledged by all at the public hearing, there is more to do. For the moment, however, congratulations to these women for taking steps in the right direction.

Brenda Berstler is the founder of the Walking Example Group (WE-GO) a non-profit organization encouraging walking and walkable communities. Visit their website at www.we-go.org.