JACKSON OPTIMISTS WILL DEDICATE SAFETY CITY USA SATURDAY

JACKSON -- A ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday will mark the dedication and grand opening of the Jackson Noon Optimist Club's Safety City USA in the Jackson City Park.

The miniature city, complete with streets and traffic signs, will be used to give bicycle and traffic safety instruction to young children.

Larry Ream, lieutenant governor of Optimist International, will be the keynote speaker for the 10 a.m. dedication program, which will be held on the west side of Rotary Lake, near Shelter No. 4.

Boy Scout Troop 212 will conduct the opening flag ceremony and help dedicate a new flag pole and flag presented to Safety City by the Altenthal-Joerns American Legion Post 158 in Jackson.

Saturday's grand opening coincides with a nationwide "Optimists in Action" campaign to recognize community service and support of American youths.

Following the ribbon-cutting and dedication program, the Noon Optimists and Senior Girl Scout Troop 241 will sponsor a Safety Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Jackson Elks Lodge on the north side of Route D just north of Safety City USA.

The Safety Fair will include appearances by Vince and Larry, the crash dummies, the Missouri Highway Patrol's Buckle Bear, Smiley the Clown and others who will meet the children and talk to them about safety.

Various groups and service organizations will have booths, giving away safety information and balloons.

Beverly Nelson, vice president of the Jackson Noon Optimists and chairperson of the Safety City project, said it is similar to one in Cape Girardeau except Jackson's Safety City USA will have miniature buildings along the miniature concrete streets and intersections.

"Right now only the streets and traffic signs are in," said Nelson. "The miniature buildings will be constructed later this fall."

Nelson said Safety City USA will teach children ages 6-10 bicycle and pedestrian safety and rules of the road during the three, two-and-one-half-hour sessions that will be held each day on June 6, 13, 20, and 27 at Safety City USA.

"The curriculum will focus on traffic safety in the areas of bicycle, pedestrian, school bus, seat belts, and railroad crossings," she said. "There will also be one hour of classroom instruction on fire, poison, and water safety and emergency response on how to use the 911 system."

Advanced registration for Safety City USA was held last weekend. Nelson said: "We're tickled to death with the pre-registration. We had a good response from parents who came in to register last week or have called this week to register their child."

Nelson said registration for the 12 sessions is limited to 200 children. "Right now we only have 40 openings left, so parents should call (243-4404 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 243-8859) now to make sure their child is registered for one of the sessions," she said. There is no charge for any of the sessions.

Nelson said Traffic Safety USA will use children's bicycles and Big Wheel tricycles to teach children how to ride safely.

"Each child who participates in one of the sessions will receive a bicycle helmet, which they can take home with them and use when they ride their own bikes," Nelson said.

After the final session in June, Nelson said Safety City USA will be open to the public the rest of the summer. "On any day of the week parents can take their children to the park so they can go through Safety City USA. Rules of the road will be posted so parents can go over them with their children."

She said Safety City USA will also be an ideal place for parents to teach their children how to ride a bike safely because they will not have to ride in a city street.

Nelson said the cost of constructing and equipping Safety City USA is about $20,000. "It's hard to give an exact amount because all of the donated labor by area craftsmen and contractors was performed on weekends," she said. "All of the building materials, including concrete streets, were donated to Safety City USA. The city of Jackson donated the traffic signs and put them up for us."

Nelson said the bicycles, Big Wheel tricycles, safety helmets and other materials that will be used in the sessions were donated to or purchased for Safety City by area businesses, clubs, organizations and individuals.

Nelson said other Safety City USA sessions will be held each year in June. "The only other annual expense in operating Safety City USA will be the purchase of 200 bike helmets for children who attend the safety sessions each summer," Nelson said.