Friday, Dec. 21 2012 4:58PM

COMMENTARY

Serving a city that serves me well

By Mike Barnett

Guest columnist

So far I’ve been successful with my weight loss. I’ve lost 100 pounds and have maintained that for several months. I have about 30 more to go and will get serious about that after the holidays.The immediate benefits of my weight loss include feeling great and having more energy, and of course being smaller. There are real advantages of taking up less space.

I’ve also benefited socially and become more community minded. Getting out and walking and biking over the last year has made me grateful that I live in a city that provides safe and comfortable paths and lanes for people to exercise in. I’m also fortunate that the city’s parks department promotes outdoor exercise by organizing events like Tour de Lakes. So when I was approached about putting my name in to be a member of the city’s Livable Streets Advisory Board, I jumped at the opportunity.

The LSAB’s goals include encouraging people to get out and safely walk, run and bike. These are activities I’m enthusiastic about because they are an opportunity to meet people, not just within my neighborhood, but in my wider community. Originally, I walked and rode my bike to lose weight, but as far as my overall well-being is concerned, I’ve gained so much more than I’ve lost in pounds. My hope is that everyone in Lee’s Summit can enjoy our city trails and lanes as much as I have, and that they can benefit from it in as many ways as I have. That’s why I wanted to be a member of LSAB.

I’ve worked at Hy-Vee for the last nine years and because of that I get to talk to a lot of people. I get into a lot of discussions about our city and how much it’s growing. I’ve heard about the good jobs our city manager, mayor and city council are doing in handling that growth. The LSAB is an example of that. There is real value for a community that encourages citizens to walk, run and bike. When the frost thaws and spring rolls around, I hope you all take advantage of the wonderful walkways our city offers.

Mike Barnett has lived in Lee's Summit for 21 years. He is the backroom manager at HyVee East (Rice Road & Langsford). Barnett serves on the Livable Streets Advisory Board, a Mayor-appointed volunteer board whose goals include working to make our community and our streets more “livable,” safe and accessible to all citizens.