THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1979
Page 3
riendly cops lend
air of authenticity
to Safety City trip
By KAREN ROGERS
Battalion Staff
It could have been a Houston thoroughfare. Bewildered drivers
vere ignoring the traffic lights and signs and forgetting to signal their
(intent to turn.
But, unlike Houston, there was a policeman on hand.
The “violators” were third graders riding pedal-powered cars and
Ithe scene of the crimes was Safety City in College Station.
Safety City, located on Timber Street, is a miniature city complete
..ith regulation traffic lights and signs, streets lined with businesses
and a landscaped park.
The facility began operation in December and since then more
han 2,500 children are expected to participate in the 45-minute
Session where College Station police officers explain the meaning of
traffic signs, lights and the use of arm signals. They then guide the
bhildren through the course and point out their mistakes and how to
torrect them.
“We’ve seen a tremendous improvement in what they know and
how they react to it,” Glenn said. “The teachers and principals say
they’ve seen the kids using their arms signals when they ride their
jikes to school.”
Safety education units are taught in the classrooms with the trip to
safety City being the goal the kids work toward, Glenn said.
A curriculum guide for grades kindergarten through fourth was
drawn up by teachers with the aid of agencies such as the Texas Office
of Traffic Safety and the National Safety Council. Songs, puzzles,
plays and films are used to illustrate the safey rules.
Teachers have the option of inviting the two police officers to the
findividual classrooms or an assembly for the entire grade level to
explain the traffic laws, what Safety City is and what will be required
of them there.
At the city, the officers explain to the children through the use of
pictures what traffic signals and signs mean and how it affects drivers
and pedestrians.
There is obvious fidgeting in the audience as volunteers of the
Neighborhood Advisory Council ready the cars for the eager drivers.
Armed with whistles, Kapella and Kennedy stand on opposite sides
of the city and announce that when the children hear the whistle,
“the Gumball Rally begins.”
Kennedy warns the children that “every law you violate in Safety
]ity, you violate everyday when you ride you bicycle.”
Each time a child makes a mistake, one of the policemen blows his
vhistle and stops all traffic so that all the children will benefit.
“Use your left hand to signal,” Kennedy told one startled young
ster. “If you use your right hand, it would be inside the car.”
Few of the children got very far without being corrected. Some ran
red lights, a few went the wrong way down a one-way street and there
vere some close calls for pedestrians.
After a few minutes, traffic began running more smoothly. The
|“whistle-stops” were fewer and the children were making a concen-
[trated effort to obey the rules.
1 At the end of the session, Kennedy asked the children if they had
learned anything at Safety City and whether there were going to use
these rules when they rode their bicycles.
He was answered with a chorus of enthusiastic yeses.
Safety City was made possible by a combination of state and city
[grants.
I The College Station City Council appropriated $15,000 for the
[initial development of the facility and also supplied a part time Safety
Officer. There are also plans to install a flashing warning light, do
nated by the city.
The A&M Consolidated School Board donated the Timber Street
[property and the little red schoolhouse.
I The Texas Office of Traffic Safety provided $1,778 for the purchase
[of all the regulatory and traffic signs used in the facility.
I The Community Education Neighborhood Advisory Committee
[and the College Statiory Police Department were instrumental in
[getting the project off the ground, Glenn said. “Without them, there
[would have been no Safety City. The buildings and cars were donated
[by individual businesses. Each has an identifying placard.
[ The construction and landscaping were done by volunteers, from
[sororities and fraternities to the Retired Senior Volunteer Program,
[Glenn said.
“I also can’t say enough about the policemen we’ve worked with. I
|am happy to see the kids getting along with the police.” The police
have been more than cooperative, he added.
i He said that when a city hall is added to the facility, he hopes to
[have a policeman there after school to talk with the children and to
ans we r any questions they may have.
I m sure a lot of things will develop out of this program, ” he said.
Peace Lutheran Church
9:30 Study for all
10:45 Worship for all
meet at
A&M Cons. H.S.
Cafeteria,
F.M. 2818 South
Stan Sultemeier
846-6016, 693-1047
Studies of our Lord's Passion, prayer, song each evening at 7:30
Tuesday through Friday of this coming week. Meet at the Uni
versity Lutheran Chapel - 315 N. College Main, C.S. Join us Sun
day and each evening during Holy Week.
PEACE CORPS/VISTA REPS ON CAMPUS:
NEXT WEEK - MONDAY & TUESDAY
SENIORS/GRADS:Sign up NOW for an interview and pick
up an application packet at Career Planning and Placement,
10th floor Rudder Tower.
Learn about the unique and challenging ways you can use
your degree.
Peace Corps
A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY
volunteer8 ,N 8ERV1CE
TO AMERICA
Satellite finds
quasars; new
cosmic tale?
United Press International
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.- A
satellite has discovered quasars,
believed to be the most distant
objects in the universe, more
than 10 billion light years from
Earth, Cape Canaveral Air Sta
tion officials said Tuesday.
The quasars, starlike bodies
emitting X-rays with enough
energy output per second to
meet all of Earth’s energy needs
for a billion years, were detected
by the High Energy Astronomy
Observatory No. 2. It was put
into orbit around Earth last
November to seek X-ray sources
from deep space.
Scientists said the discovery
could have major implications for
theories of cosmic evolution.
FARMERS MARKET
Announces New
Weekend Hours!
Introductory Special
16 oz. Beer 25c
(with purchase of sandwich or sub)
OPEN Friday 'til 1 a.m.
Saturday 'til 2 a.m.
Laura Williams, front, and Clinton Van Etten of College
Hills Elementary School ride pedal-powered cars at Safety
City, on Timber Street in College Station. The miniature
city, complete with traffic lights and signs, enables students
to practice bicycle and pedestrian rules.
Battalion photo by Lynn Blanco
Special offer good
Fri. April 6 & Sat.
April 7 Only
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