​St. John residents are noticing a big improvement along the busiest street in town — new sidewalks that run along eight blocks on First Street and one block north on Monroe, which will be completed by Aug. 19, just in time for school to start.

“The new sidewalk will provide a huge safety and accessibility benefit for community members of all ages. Residents will no longer be forced to walk, or use their strollers and motorized wheelchairs in the street right next to cars and other vehicles,” said Ashlee Bevan, program director for Stafford County Economic Development and Live Well Stafford County.

The Community Development Block Grant, received one year ago, funded 90 percent of the $220,400 project, with the city covering 10 percent of the expense. The city hired a local St. John company, Mansel Construction, for the project while keeping dollars within the community.

“We hope more children from the southeast side will start walking to school,” said Bevan. “The completion time for the project could not have happened at a better time of the year - just in time for the start of the school year.”

Live Well Stafford County is a volunteer-based health coalition dedicated to improving the health of all Stafford County residents by building local infrastructure that supports walking and biking to maximize safety, economic, accessibility and environmental benefits. LWSC is invested in community education to promote healthy lifestyles and improve the overall quality of life for all residents.

The Stafford County Economic Development Photo contest went well.  There were many great photos making the choice difficult!  The judges were Carolyn Dunn-Executive Director for EcoDevo, BreAnn Anshutz-summer Intern for EcoDevo, and Diane Johnson-Stafford County resident.  There were eight individuals who were awarded prize money.   You can see their photos here. Thank you to all who participated! Make sure you check out next year’s contest rules, as they will be changing!
Here are the winning photos from each category:

Below: "Live" - Jennifer Pfortmiller