Hultgren Visits Storm School in Support of Fit for Kids Initiative

Tuesday was no ordinary school day for H.C. Storm School in Batavia.

U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14) visited to show his support for the Fit for Kids initiative, an ongoing drive by Kane County to reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity.

In October, H.C. Storm celebrated its fifth Walk to School week to promote good health.

“It grew from one day to a weeklong celebration,” said Principal Cynthia Sikorski.

Hultgren also got to hear that H.C. Storm School is the recipient of a $10,000 Fit Kids 2020 Grant to install new playground equipment.

Sikorski said it will replace the current equipment which has “outlived its time.”
Hultgren was not the only politico in attendance Wednesday. He was joined by Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay, Batavia Mayor Jeffrey Schielke and Batavia School Superintendent Jack Barshinger, who all got to glimpse Batavia’s newly developed plans for Safe Routes to School throughout the city.

Safe Routes to School is a federally funded program which was established in 2005 and is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. SRTS uses a multidisciplinary approach to improve conditions for students who walk or bike to school.

Batavia’s Travel Plan Committee evaluated the needs for each school and came up with a detailed list of sidewalk gaps, signage and miscellaneous needs within the community.

Karen Young, assistant city engineer, said several projects are slated to begin in 2012.

“Specifically at Rotolo Middle School,” she said. “There are some gaps in the sidewalk that go up to the front of the school.”

Also at Rotolo, plans call for installing a Hart Road pedestrian bridge at the Illinois Prairie Path.

Other Safe Routes to School plans for Batavia include the installation of sidewalk along Wintergreen Terrace from Violet Lane to Woodland Hills Road, which will benefit the students at both J.B. Nelson School and Rotolo, and the replacement of the sidewalk and upgrading ADA accessibility at the intersection of College Street and Cleveland Avenue and along College Street, including the area along the bus drop off at J.B. Nelson School. That project will benefit the students at both schools.

At Alice Gustafson Elementary School, plans call for the installation of sidewalk from Bernadette Lane to Carlise Road along the existing footpath and the installation of sidewalk from Danforth Drive to Garfield Street along the existing footpath.

Hultgren, a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said it was a privilege to visit H.C. Storm.

“I encourage you to keep up the great work,” he said. “And I look forward to working closely with you to have good things happen. This is what it’s all about—passing along something better to our kids and grandkids. If we can do that, we’re doing something right.”

McConnaughay thanked Hultgren for visiting.

“We can’t do these kinds of projects without the support of our congressmen,” she said.