Get with the program and 'get fit'

Governor's orders: Get off your duff and get healthy.

Perham couch potatoes are on notice. They'll be saddled with a serious guilt trip if they don't get with the program.

Perham is now an officially proclaimed a Fit City by Governor Pawlenty's Health Cabinet.

Presentation of a plaque was made to city staff, mayor and councilmembers July 7 at city hall.

Perham is one of only about a dozen communities to earn the designation, and the first city in the region.

"We commend the leaders of Perham for their commitment to promote activity in their community," said Kevin Goodno, commissioner of the Department of Human Services and member of the governor's Health Cabinet.

In accepting the award, Mayor Vince Pankonin said the city's attributes are evident everywhere--from sports facilities to park and green space, to recreational trails.

One of the community's centerpieces of heath and fitness is the Perham Area Community Center. PACC director Kevin Nelson, who was instrumental in applying for the Fit City designation, said that Perham is "a progressive community...a place where people want to live, work and play."

"We're blessed to life in a community that encourages and promotes active an d healthy lifestyles," said Nelson.

PACC's membership outnumbers town's population

The PACC is a key component for Perham as a "Fit City." Mayor Pankonin noted that the PACC has a membership of 3,000--in a town with a population of only 2,700. These membership numbers indicate that the PACC is important not only to Perham, but to the surrounding area, said Pankonin.

315 acre Arvig Park, 27-hole golf course key to 'Fit City'

Also crucial to the city's overall health and wellness is the parks and recreation department, represented at the presentation by Dave Neisen.

Perham's 315 acre Arvig Park is a hub for outdoor activity, said Neisen, with its baseball-softball complex, 2.5 miles of recreational trail, soccer filed and other amenities. Nearby is the 27-hole Perham Lakeside Golf Course and Paul Miller Park, on the shore of Little Pine Lake.

Future plans include cross country ski trails, a youth hockey and general skating facility, and a skateboard park, noted Neisen.