Kodiak Strong Planning Day Leads to Two Community Goals

Kayla Desroches/KMXT

This last Saturday, the 2016 Kodiak Strong Planning Day gathered community members together to decide on goals it can complete in a year’s time.

Event organizer and Healthy Tomorrows coordinator, Merissa Koller Williams, says the event was small, but constructive.

“This year, we had about half as many participants as we had last year. Last year, we had about 30 people, but we held the event [on] a weekday, so lots of people were there as a part of their jobs. So, they were wearing their organizational hats if you will. This year, we held it on a weekend so we could catch the people who [wouldn’t necessarily] be paid to be there, but were still very dedicated to health and wellness in our community, which is exactly what we got.”

She says last year there was a tie so the groups settled on three goals, and this year they ended with two.

“We chose a shorter term goal to put up a large scale hydroponic growing facility that is hydro-powered or sustainably powered, and we also chose a community wellness center, which will be open to the public and a safe place for everyone to be and to exercise and stay healthy.”

Koller Williams says the center could include a number of different features, like a running track or a daycare.

Community members can share what they imagine the wellness center should look like at a meeting tentatively set for December 15 at 6:30 p.m. The location has not yet been announced.