Letters to the editor

School should do more to ensure safety

I am a Winter Park High School student. In my opinion your article on the Winter Park High School roads (“Officials: WPHS feeder roads are safe” published Feb. 23) was lacking. I feel like the only people interviewed for this article were adults and the school administers who only use cars to get to school. They do not know anything about the students. And yes, the school is right the roads are safer, but what happened to the students that walk or ride their bikes to school? Did they get safer routes? The article also doesn't cover the students or their tales of woe. Many stories were not told and the readers did not get the entire story.

For instance, I ride my bike to school and for the first half of the school year, I rode my bike down Woodcrest and entered by way of the Bellwood Drive entrance. Everything was fine, there was no news about accidents or possible accidents happening this year, or ever. Now that the entrance has been closed off, I leave my house 10 minutes earlier and go through the Summerfield Road entrance and through the bus loop, which is much more dangerous because I am in the road all the time with cars and buses because there are no sidewalks. Another tale of woe is that of my friend. She lives on Woodcrest Drive, which one would think would allow her to easily get to school. However, in reality she must get a ride from her mom, go all the way around to the Summerfield entrance and wait in the impossibly long line of cars before arriving at school. Also, I have heard of stories about kids jumping fences to get to school or, in one case, a student who cut the fence to avoid going around to an open entrance. Yes, people have begun to plan ahead for the new policy, but there are still people who put themselves in the way of danger for the easier route.

What irritates me the most is that the school only blocked entrances. The statement, "We're always doing all that we can to ensure student safety," is not completely true. OK, so the school blocked off potentially dangerous entrances. What else did they do? Did they try putting in sidewalks to keep students off the road? No. Did they try giving pedestrians and bike riders new and safer entrances? No. The school did not try and help the students find other ways to enter the school nor did they petition the city of Winter Park to put in sidewalks for the safety of the students. If the school really wanted to do all they could, I think they could have done more than block entrances.

—Ainsley Shallcross Winter Park High School senior

When gearing up to participate in a walk, keep in mind these healthful tips from physical therapist, Patty Bobryk, at MS Comprehensive Care Center of Central Florida. 1) Look for opportunities to be more active throughout your day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park at the far end of the parking lot. Walk the dog. Small changes will add up. 2) Drink plenty of water. Hydrate before, during and after your workout. A dehydrated body is unable to cool itself, which can cause heat exhaustion or heat stroke. It can also cause muscle fatigue. To get the most of your walk, stay well hydrated. 3) Stretch before and after your walk. Stretching before you exercise warms up your body and helps prevent injuries. Slow walking or stretching after you walk allows your heart rate and blood pressure to return to pre-exercise levels.

Put a spring in your step this month with Walk MS: Orlando

With the coming of spring, we all look forward to enjoying the outdoors — the mild, but sunny weather, the aroma of blossoming flowers and green all around us.

Spring is also an opportune time to fine-tune our bodies after a sedentary winter and holiday feasting. What better way to get in shape and enjoy the new season than to participate in the plethora of outdoor charity walks available every spring to help those in our community who are in need?

One such walk is in our backyard — Walk MS: Orlando to benefit the Mid Florida Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, is 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 10, at Lake Eola at Thornton Park. Walk MS is one of the National MS Society’s signature fundraising events, drawing hundreds of thousands of participants each year to nearly 600 sites throughout the United States. The family-friendly event includes 1- and 2.34-mile routes and is open to anyone — families, teams or individuals.

Participants in Walk MS: Orlando help raise funds for close to 73,000 people locally who are affected by this chronic disease, offering support services including educational programs, self-help groups, research, medical equipment and more. MS attacks the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.

Walk MS is our rallying point to help raise critical funds that support cutting-edge research and services to help people with MS move their lives forward.

The MS Society’s call-to-action, “Join the Movement,” is a reminder of the fact that MS robs people of the ability to move, disabling some and that action is needed to raise funds for research while improving the quality of life and independence of those living with MS.

Join the movement toward a world free of MS by making donations or participating in one of the Walk MS events or Bike MS: The Citrus Tour 2012.

There is no cost to register for Walk MS, although a minimum $20 donation is requested. Those who raise at least $125 receive a T-shirt. For details, visit MidFloridaMSWalks.org or call 407-478-8882, extension 28.

—Gaby Casado

Development manager

National Multiple Sclerosis Society,

Mid Florida Chapter