Upgrades coming for Jackson's Safety City

Safety City in Jackson City Park, the brainchild of the Jackson Noon Optimists Club, now has a brand-new sign and upgrades are on order.

The miniature town with paved roads has been teaching traffic safety rules to young children since Safety City opened in 1992 — rules to be used whether on a bike, on a tricycle or on in-line skates and skateboards.

The hope is if kids learn the rules early, they’ll naturally transfer the knowledge to the real world when they come of age.

One of the rules children can learn well before they settle in behind the wheel of an automobile is always to wear a bicycle helmet.

“Originally on Saturdays, bicycle safety training classes for kindergarten through fourth-graders were held, teaching kids to stop and yield,” said Noon Optimist member Susan Hahs, who added that every child got a free helmet after completion of a two-hour class.

Those classes ended in 2010, but Hahs said she is amazed how many families continue to visit Safety City on their own.

“Even during COVID, we see toddlers in the morning and elementary-age kids in the afternoon after school lets out,” she added,

A welcome sign with a blue background and white letters was erected Oct. 5 but the “city” itself has a nearly three-decade history.

“When I was president of the club, one of my goals was to update Safety City,” said Hahs, who points out that every structure along the paved road through the town has been updated except for the school building.

“Repainting, new graphics, new signage — all of this has been done,” she said, noting an Eagle Scout project worked on a train depot.

Safety City has long had “stop” and “yield” signs but other Jackson-specific placards are on order.

“We’re getting a roundabout sign, a “do not enter” sign and a train crossing sign,” said Hahs, who gives the Jackson Parks and Recreation Department high marks for keeping the “town” maintained.

The backstory

“In 1991, Beverly Nelson was traveling and saw a miniature village and brought the idea back to the (Noon Optimists),” Hahs said.

Not long afterward, members of the service club heard a speech from Cape Girardeau’s community traffic safety officer.

Nelson later discussed the club’s plans for a small-scale road system to city employee Rodney Bollinger, who volunteered to sketch the miniature town.

Nelson also spoke to Bob Johnson of Lappe Construction, who insisted they should gather volunteers interested in helping with the project.

The Jackson Park Board agreed to donate land in the city park to the Safety City Committee.

By May 10, 1992, a concrete roadway, 1,300 feet long and 8 feet wide, had been constructed and the landscaping done with road markings and traffic signs, too.

That same year, the Jackson Noon Optimists were honored by Optimist International for having the best community project in the world.

In 1993, the club received one of 10 honor awards presented in the United States by the National Safety Council.