Like a nice throw rug can really tie a room together, sidewalks can make a collection of houses and roads feel like a community.

For the neighborhood around Armin Jahr Elementary School, which was awarded a $216,000 grant to build sidewalks, the first beneficiaries are the kids.

At present, where the dirt paths end, kids on their way to and from school wander into the street, and to the chagrin of neighbors, onto lawns.

It’s a safety issue first, but even more so, it has a public relations element.

“That isn’t real conducive to great community relations,” Armin Jahr Principal Mike Sellers told the Bremerton Patriot. “People don’t like that kids are all over their lawn.”

It’s a concern for the school, it’s worrisome for parents and building more sidewalks has been a topic of City Council conversation for years.

The grant comes from the federal government via the Puget Sound Regional Council and requires a small investment of city dollars.

And though it benefits kids, it also helps neighbors stay fit and get to know each other.

That’s the miracle of sidewalks, they can really tie a community together.