By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
Members of the Let’s Move steering committee were in attendance at the Jan. 9 Caribou City Council meeting along with eight student members of the Caribou Middle School Developmental Asset Team, encouraging councilors to continue with their support of the Let’s Move initiative, a program championed by health care providers, educators, fitness specialists and community members to reduce levels of childhood obesity.
Aroostook Republican photo/Barb Scott
Caribou Middle School students made a surprise guest appearance at the Jan. 9 city council meeting. The group entered the council chambers singing their own version of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” The appearance was part of the “Let’s Move” initiative that is based on reducing childhood obesity. Students, all members of the CMS Developmental Asset Team are from left: Nick Sleeper, Kate Finnemore, Megan Theriault, Anna Soderberg, Kelsey Kiehn, Connor Spencer, Ben Ezzy and Noah Heidorn. Council members from left are Bryan Thompson, Jon Boone, David Martin, Mayor Kenneth Murchison, Mary Kate Barbosa, Philip McDonough and Gary Aiken.
“Our goal is to move Caribou toward becoming one of the healthiest communities in Aroostook County,” stated Kathy Mazzuchelli, Caribou Parks and Recreation supervisor. “We felt that having the city council involved in a leadership role would be important and we will attempt to have the council convey a healthy message at each council meeting,” she added.
“At this particular meeting, the Let’s Move steering committee felt that it was extremely important to get the message across from a youth’s perspective so we picked a pretty powerful song, ‘The Man in the Mirror,’ and put words to it to express our belief that in order to reduce childhood obesity and improve the health of your youth, we as adults have to lead by example,” said Mazzuchelli.
According to Mazzuchelli, Caribou is the first community in Aroostook County and the second in the state to become an official registered Let’s Move Community. In July of last year Mayor Kenneth Murchison signed a proclamation signifying the city’s endorsement of the “Let’s Move” campaign, citing continuous efforts in helping parents make healthy choices; support creation of healthy schools; promote physical activity and encourage access to healthy and affordable foods.
Members of the steering committee who addressed the council included Jenny Coon, Caribou Area Chamber of Commerce director who spoke on the benefits and success of the Farmer’s Market which began last spring; Pam Buck, representing the Loring Job Corps Center, which through the “Let’s Move Cities and Towns” has partnered with the local Let’s Move campaign; Kim Jones, representing Cary Medical Center and Pines Health Services, spoke about the numerous programs that are sponsored for the community by these facilities and Alison Heidorn, a very active member of the CADET and Developmental Asset teams, which strive to keep Caribou’s youth educated about the destruction caused by drug/alcohol addiction along with other youth programs.
The CMS students, following their vocal presentation presented each of the city council members with a Let’s Move T-shirt.
