So, just checking in ... How are those New Year's Resolutions coming along? I asked that question in early January when I'm sure it was met with retorts of mighty motivation. Now that it's six weeks later, where are you at?

A storage facility in Portland, Conn., is helping people keep a popular pledgegetting back in shape. A story in today's Hartford Courant (alas, my sweet home newspaper!) applauds Stor-U-Self of Burlington, Mass., for opening its doors to walkers as of Jan. 1.

This is a smart move on behalf of resident manager Mike Elliott, who remembered how much his mother used to enjoy mall walking. He worked with the local senior services director to get the word out to seniors and churches in the area. More than 200 walkers have signed up to use the site.

This is pretty cool: One of the local Boy Scout Troops is using the place to prepare for long hikes. Local police use it to train their sniffing dogs. And the senior center is incorporating it into a formal walking program.

Now, that's good marketing! The participants use the site for free, and the facility has has a whole new pool of future prospects. And talk about community service ... Offering a clean, warm, dry walk spot during those cold, slushy winter months should earn the business some kudos too.

I've never heard of another facility doing anything like this. Do you know of one? If so, please share. And if you're interested in pursuing something similar at your own storage site and would like more info, you can contact Brandon Kelly from the Stor-U-Self corporate headquarters at [email protected].