SAFE BETS: PROJECT WINS INTERNATIONAL AWARD

JACKSON -- The Jackson Noon Optimist Club is getting attention on the international level for its cyclist-friendly section of Jackson Park known as Safety City.

The paved mock-neighborhood located west of Rotary Lake on Optimist Hill was created in 1992. The club recently won top honors in the best safety project category in an international Optimist competition.

President-elect Beverly Nelson said this isn't the first time Safety City has been recognized internationally. In 1993, only one year after its creation, Safety City won a first-place award for best safety project and the best overall project award in an international Optimist competition.

The $27,000 project was created by club and community members interested in providing a safe environment for children to ride their bikes. Nelson said club members developed the idea after hearing a safety presentation. "We started talking about it and decided to build a safety village that would provide a safe environment for children to learn bicycle safety."

Nelson said the idea became a reality because community volunteers got involved. Contractors, craftsmen, engineers and other members of the community donated supplies and services, she said, and within a few short hours one Saturday, the village was designed and paved.

"I still get goose bumps when I think of that day," she said.

Not only has the project gotten the nod from judges during competitions, it's also been recognized by other Optimist clubs and organizations. Since the 1993 international competition, Nelson said, groups have written the Noon Optimists requesting information, pictures and blueprints on Safety City.

Similar projects have been developed in Nebraska, Alabama, Indiana and Florida, she said.

The Noon Optimists dedicate considerable time and resources to teaching children how to ride their bikes and use Safety City safely. Members teach three two-hour classes each Saturday during the month of May. Each graduate receives a bicycle helmet, flag and packet of other safety paraphernalia.

"A lot of these kids are just learning to ride a bike, and we want to make sure they know how to do it safely," Nelson said. "The park superintendent said he guesses that at least 25 kids are up there every day during the summer. It's a super place for families to picnic and for parents to teach their kids how to ride their bikes."

Maintenance hasn't been a problem for the organization. The threat of vandalism was an initial fear, Nelson said, but the community respects the area, and very few problems have occurred. Members of other organizations, including Eagle Scouts and Girl Scouts, also help with the upkeep of Safety City.

"I think the citizens and everybody are almost as proud of it as we are," she said. "They help us take care of it."