West Tualatin View neighbors build a sidewalk

West Tualatin View students, parents and teachers walk past the wet cement of their new sidewalk

Joel Leonard was tired of watching his kids and their friends having to walk to school through the mud and on busy streets over the past nine years, so he decided to do something positive about it.

He gathered support from neighbors, Washington County and some generous companies and put some of his own money into the project, and on December 16, everyone got together to complete and celebrate a sidewalk that leads to West TV Elementary.

Washington County waived the normal permit fees, and provided other assistance before and during the process to help speed things up so the new sidewalk would be ready for use during the remainder of this school year.

One neighbor donated two dump trucks of dirt and gravel, and another business donated concrete and framing.

Local walk-to-school activist Ruth Deal has organized several Tualatin View Elementary "walking school buses" to improve safety and promote this healthy and sustainable activity. She noted that, "just having kids walk to school every day has inspired six homeowners to cut back or remove bushes and build paths to get kids off the street on SW88th."

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