We are at the point that we are counting down the months to winter. October is usually a beautiful month in Malad Cit y. We are joining with the Malad City/Oneida County Community Mental Health Council and inviting everyone to get out and walk for your physical and mental health! There are several activities being held during the month to help you do this.

• October 4 is National Walk and Roll to School Day. Kids are invited to walk or ride to school on wheeled devices, and parents are invited to join them!

• On Thursday, October 5, the Malad Elementary PTO Halloween Carnival will be held at the Oneida County Fairgrounds and Events Center from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Bring your kiddos, and you will get a lot of walking in that night as you participate in all the fun activities!

• October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Gabriel Lund is teaming up with the Oneida Crisis Center to complete her Senior Project with a “Walk Into Healthy Relationships” fun walk and activities at the Malad City Park Walking Path from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, October 9, 2023. Gabriel is planning booths with activities based on ways to strengthen relationships that will have fun interactions for family and friends. There will be a raffle, and a chili dinner will be sponsored by the Crisis Center. Come support Gabriel with her Senior Project!

• October 13-14 and October 20-21 is the Harvest Festival to be held at The Malad Valley Heritage Square in Samaria. You will get a lot of walking in as you participate in all the fun activities, visit the vendor booths and celebrate the harvest for 2023.

• For those of you that walk or use wheelchairs regularly on the city streets, the city is asking for help to assess their city sidewalks. Assessment forms can be picked up at City Hall. Bannock Street will not be included because those sidewalks will be replaced in the 2025 Bannock Street Reconstruction Project. If you are interested, contact City Hall, pick up an assessment and return it when it is completed. The assessments will all be compiled for the council to determine those areas of the city that need attention.

• Mayor Hawkins is competing with 66 other Idaho mayors in the annual Mayor’s Walking Challenge sponsored by Blue Cross of Idaho Health Foundation. Her commitment is to walk an average of 10,000 steps for the month of October. She will be at the Park Walking Path every Monday at 5:00 p.m. to make a few laps around the path, and you are welcome to join her!

• The AARP Walking Assessment suggested having monthly community walks for physical and mental health. We would like to know if there are businesses or organizations that would be interested in sponsoring a monthly Fun Walk. If you are interested, please email Mayor Hawkins at [email protected].

Contact John Christophersen for Malad City Code Enforcement at 208-915-2422 or email: [email protected]