Jackson's walk program 'rocks' on

The inaugural Walk Jackson program has been declared a success by Jackson public works director Kent Peetz, although he wonders why so few of the special rocks he hid throughout the town have been turned in for prizes.

The program, which kicked off in May as part of Public Works Week, was intended to enlist the help of Jackson residents to identify various public works issues while at the same time encouraging them to get out and walk in their neighborhoods.

“We had some calls and emails from folks who found some things while they were walking,” Peetz said, “but what I need help with now is getting the word out about the rocks.”

Dozens of special rocks, each about the size of an egg, were “hidden in plain sight” along city streets and walking paths, under park benches and in other public areas. Each was painted red, numbered and labeled “Walk Jackson.” People who found them could bring them to the Jackson Public Works Department and exchange them for prizes such as water bottles and passes to the Jackson Civic Center Swimming Pool.

“There were initially 20 rocks that I tried to hide where you couldn’t see them from the road but you could see them if you were walking,” Peetz said. Most, if not all, of those initial 20 rocks were found, but only seven or eight were turned in for prizes, he reported.

“I put another 20 out a week-and-a-half ago and we haven’t had any of those turned in yet,” he said. “We were hoping that 40 people would find all the rocks and would find public works to collect their prizes.”

While there haven’t been many rocks exchanged for prizes so far, Peetz said additional prizes and certificates would be presented to registered Walk Jackson participants Saturday night at Jackson Homecomers.

“We had a number of walking mileage sheets turned in by last Wednesday’s deadline,” he said. A “grand prize” winner of a two-hour swim party at the Jackson Swimming Pool will be drawn from among the registered participants and will be announced at Homecomers on Saturday night.