Meadowlark Hills

Paving the way

Tue Oct 27, 11:04 PM

Residents’ donation bringing new sidewalk to campus.

With safety on their minds and generosity in their hearts, a Meadowlark couple has donated the money necessary to construct a sidewalk on the east side of Meadowlark Road. The concrete pathway will stretch from the south side of Meadowlark Valley to the north side of Kimball Avenue, connecting to the existing sidewalks on both roads.

Robert “Bob” and Evelyn Hawley, 2012 Meadowlark Road, said they anxiously watch as residents and visitors share the street with fast-moving vehicles in an effort to stretch their legs on the Kimball sidewalk or reach the Community Center.
“A high priority for people our age is safety,” Evelyn said. “Sometimes we don’t have acute enough faculties to watch out for ourselves.”

Hedke Construction of Manhattan will begin creating the sidewalk on Oct. 19, weather permitting, said Director of Environmental Services Mike Davis. The walkway will be 6-feet wide, offering plenty of room for residents with scooters and walkers as well as Meadowlark’s snow removal equipment. (As a comparison, the widths of the sidewalks in Prairie Star courtyard are also about 6-feet wide.) The sidewalk will curve around the parking area, saving people from walking into the street to dodge vehicles that may be parked there.

No trees will be removed to make way for the sidewalk, and Mark Morton, our groundskeeper, believes he’ll be able to recycle the sod that must come up, to the relief of the Meadowlark Thinks Green committee.

The Hawleys said they asked Meadowlark CEO Steve Shields about the possibility of a sidewalk several months ago. He replied that the project was on a capital improvement wish list but that Meadowlark was probably two to three years away from being able to fund it.

“What if we paid for the sidewalk?” the Hawleys asked themselves, taking their idea to Shields. “We asked for an amount, and then we’d decide if we could be helpful or not,” Evelyn added. Because Meadowlark is a not-for-profit organization, gifts such as this are especially welcome, agreed Shields and Thom Jackson, executive director of the Meadowlark Foundation.

“This sidewalk will have an immediate positive impact and will enhance our campus for years to come,” Jackson said. “I think I speak for many when I say we’re grateful the Hawleys took the initiative to meet this need.”

Residents who have suggestions regarding improvement projects or who would like to help fund an improvement are encouraged to contact Thom Jackson by calling 785-323-3801.