by Mindy Aguon

Guam - With more and more island residents being diagnosed with obesity, heart disease and other ailments related to being overweight, the Department of Parks & Recreation is teaming up with island mayors to reclaim and revitalize more than 49 neighborhood parks around the island. By doing so, officials hope that people utilize the parks to exercise and play and it will also serve as a crime deterrent.

DPR director Pete Calvo says this is a team effort that will change the way residents look at neighborhood parks and have safe passage to schools. "We hope that by connecting these parks to the school that people can use it to bring their kids through the school and create a healthy lifestyle of walking to school and biking to school and having safe passage to the parks is going to help them realize that," he said.

The project is starting in Liguan Terrace in Dededo where more than 2,000 families reside. The government has requested $3.4 million from the Department of the Interior to help with this new initiative.

To join and lend a hand in reclaiming a neighborhood park, you are asked to contact your mayor's office or call Parks & Rec at 475-6288.