The Fall River Mass In Motion (MIM) project sponsored three workshops in collaboration with Healthy City Fall River and Children In Balance covering the development of community gardens and open spaces on April 21 2010, in the hearing room of Fall River's Government Center. Representatives of the Urban Park Advocates, including Groundwork Lawrence, Lowell Parks and Land Trust and The Greater Worcester Land Trust, described their work over the past decade in creating community gardens, farmers’ markets, parks and open spaces, often in former industrial brown fields. The purpose of these projects is to create sustainable systems that will improve the local food supply and create improved opportunities for active living. Other workshop speakers included Derek Christianson of Brix Bounty Farm in Dartmouth talking about the nutrient value of locally-grown foods and Al Lima of Green Futures who described bicycle route development in the City. Mayor Will Flanagan stopped by to express his support for the work of MIM in organizing the event and the importance of working to improve public health in the City. MIM also hosted a luncheon at McGovern's Restaurant and a bus tour of the City earlier in the day. Participants were to help develop community gardens by getting in touch with Community Garden Coordinator Nicole Fortier at 508-679-6841 or to help with the newly-formed Parks Advocacy Network by calling Sandy Dennis at 508-673-2939. Click here for the Herald News article. To see a ten-minute video of the event, click here. For more information about the workshops, contact Mass In Motion coordinator Julie Kelly at 508-324-2411.  

(Top row) Lisa Alves and Coleen Kenyan of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program approach the registration table as Health Department employee Brenda Ritz talks with Eileen Raposa. (Top row, center) Marcia Picard of the Children In Balance project welcomes participants to the workshops. (Top row, right) Janel Wright, Community Programs Manager for Groundwork Lawrence, talks about the establishment of community gardens in Lawrence. (Middle row, left) Ray Gordon of SSTAR and former City Councilor Steve Camara examine some of the literature provided by the presenters. (Middle row, center) Derek Christianson of Brix Bounty Farm in Dartmouth describes the decline in the nutrient value of produce sold in grocery stores over the past thirty years. (Middle row, right) Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan talks about the importance of changing the environment to support healthy lifestyles. (Bottom row, left) Megan Lapointe of Fall River talks with her friend Beth Ann Henrigues and Andrea Freeman of The Trustees of Reservations after the presentations. (Bottom row, center) Al Lima of Green Futures goes over his recommendations for the development of bicycle routes throughout the city. (Bottom row, right) Daniel Barbone, general manager of Allied Waste Management, talks with Mary Ann Wordell of the Fall River Street Tree Planting program as John Sylvia looks on.