Safety City gets a facelift

Tuesday, July 6, 2004
Steve Moyer/Herald Above, pre-kindergarten students show off some of the new pedal cars Safety City is getting for future use. Nine more cars will be arriving in the coming days. Myles McNeley is riding the pedal tractor donated by Deems Farm Equipment of Nevada, Grace McKenzie is driving the black hot rod, Britney Campbell drives the yellow convertible, and Ivorie Dickenson rides the tow truck. At left, Nevada Police Officer Mike Galimberto gives some tips to Myles McNeley on proper use of traffic lanes and stop lights during Safety City.

By Steve Moyer

Nevada Daily Mail

Safety City has been a feature of summer sessions at Bryan School for at least 20 years according to Debbie Spaur, principal. For all that time the standard transportation was big wheel trikes.

Preschoolers learn traffic and pedestrian safety during the class, with some students in pedal vehicles while others are pedestrians.

The cafeteria is converted into a few blocks of mock city with an electric stop light, stop signs, yield signs, railroad crossings and pedestrian walkways.

The class is divided into four groups -- two in the mock city, one group in a classroom getting instruction and one doing other activities. At intervals, the groups switch places so each child gets to do everything in rotation.

This year Safety City is getting in some replacements, pedal cars in different models, and Spaur said it's not a moment too soon.

The 20-year-old trikes the students have been using are starting to show their age, with some being held together with duct tape and hope. "I think this is going to be a big improvement," Spaur said. "The pedal cars look like the real thing and I think the children will like them."

Local farm equipment dealer Deem's Farm Equipment donated a pedal John Deere tractor to the program and Spaur would like to see more businesses involved.

"The Nevada Police Department as well as the Fire Department are donating a police car and a fire truck respectively. One of the taxi services is donating a taxi pedal car," Spaur said. "We'd like to see individuals and businesses help out with other cars."

Altogether there will be 13 pedal cars and Spaur is hoping the buildings will get facelifts as well.

"The fire department refurbished and painted the fire station inside and out two years ago and now it's the students favorite building," Spaur said. "We need to fix up the other buildings and paint them as well."

All of the buildings and big wheels are the originals from Safety City's inception. Some of the buildings bear the names of businesses long gone from Nevada; Farm and Home Savings and Boatmen's Bank for two.

To sponsor a pedal car or building, call Spaur at Bryan School, (417) 448-2060 or at (417) 667-2396.

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