JACKSON'S SAFETY CITY EARNS RECOGNITION; COMMUNITY JOINS NOON OPTIMISTS TO BUILD PROGRAM

JACKSON -- To the untrained eye, Safety City, U.S.A. in Jackson, looks like a maze of sidewalks supplanted in a field of street signs, sprinkled with miniature buildings.

But for the children of Jackson and surrounding areas, it is a kid-sized city, where they are the motorists following the rules of the road.

This little city was created through the work of the Jackson Noon Optimist Club and several businesses, contractors and volunteers.

Recently, the 2-year-old club was awarded the Best Overall award and took first in the safety project category at the annual Optimists International Convention in Louisville, Ky., for their work with Safety City.

"We were elated," said Beverly Nelson, a member of the Noon Optimists Club and chairman of the Safety City, U.S.A. project. "We really never dreamed we would do it we're such a new club."

Safety City fits in with the fundamental goals which the Jackson Noon Optimists work to achieve. Their motto is "Working with today's youth to build a better tomorrow," which is exemplified in the safety virtues extolled through Safety City.

"We had decided from the outset that the main focus of our group would be the youth of the area," Nelson said. "We were just looking for a way to convey our concern to the community; Safety City was it."

The Safety City project was adopted by the Noon Optimist Club, after a presentation by Sharee Galnore on Cape Girardeau's Safety Village, a bicycle safety course built atop an abandoned tennis court.

The Noon Optimists took the Cape Girardeau's idea a step further, creating their own "city" atop Optimist Hill in the Jackson City Park.

Engineers, drafters, construction workers and other professionals pooled their time and efforts in the design and construction of the bicycle course.

"It turned out that all we had to do was put the word out and volunteers came from all directions," Nelson said. "I was shocked; we couldn't have done this without everyone's generosity and consideration."

Bob Johnson and Glen Fronabarger served as project foremen, executing the plans drawn by Rodney Bollinger.

Then Lone Star Cement Co., Penzel Construction Co., and SEMO Ready Mix Co., pooled their resources, hauling in tons of cement, sand and gravel.

The Cement Masons Local 908 and Labor Local 1104 donated their time on a Saturday, to lay the course and supervise the pouring of the concrete.

Residents like Ken and Doug Spooler came out to volunteer their time. The Spoolers built the little red schoolhouse which sits at the head of the course.

Area businesses even donated money for the purchase of bicycles and Big Wheels for the children to use during the classes on the course.

This summer, the Noon Optimists taught 250 area children the rules of the road and the basics of bicycle safety. Each child who took the class was given a safety helmet to wear while riding the bikes.

Nelson said that a Jackson police officer recently told the group that they have seen a 200 percent increase in cyclists' use of safety helmets since Safety City was implemented in the city.

"The whole club earned the awards," said Nelson. "Like the project itself, it takes the whole community working together to achieve something like this.

"Safety City has been a lot of hard work but very rewarding in many ways," Nelson said. "But if through our efforts at Safety City we are able to save even one's child's life, it all will have been worth it."