Some Summer Safety Tips From The Longmeadow Police And The Longmeadow Parks And Recreation Department - submitted by Office Mike Kirby

The Longmeadow Parks and Recreation Department and the Longmeadow Police Department will once again be providing crossing guards for youngsters patronizing Reynolds Pool at Bliss Park. As with past years, the crossing guards will assist pedestrians and bicyclists across Laurel Street at the intersection with Westmoreland Avenue. The guards will be on duty during the pool’s peak swimming hours from 12:45 PM - 4:45 PM, Monday through Friday. The guards will begin their assigned duties starting on the day AFTER the last day of school for the Longmeadow Public Schools and ending on Friday, August 29, 2008 at 4:45 PM.

Concerning pools and water, no one and especially children should ever swim alone. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s 2005 Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, more children between the ages of one to fourteen years died from drowning than from firearms, fires and bicycle accidents combined! To prevent such a tragedy, the Longmeadow Parks and Recreation has trained lifeguards, supervisors and strict rules governing swimmers’ behavior at both its pools. Owners of private “backyard” pools would be wise to adopt the Parks and Recreation’s practices as there own!

Some other safety ideas to keep in mind:

• With school being “out” motorists need to keep alert for children in the roadways at all times and not just during the morning and traditional school dismissal times.

• Bicyclists should always wear a bike helmet, Massachusetts law requires all children, 16 years of age and younger to wear a bike helmet.

• Bike riders should ride on the sidewalks but keep alert for pedestrians.

• If bicyclists choose to ride in the street they should keep to the right shoulder and ride with the traffic.

• Make sure your bikes are in good condition, you wouldn’t let your child ride in a car with faulty brakes so why would you let them ride a bike without brakes?

• Children should not be playing in the roads, although it’s tempting to setup basketball hoops, street hockey goals and skateboard ramps in the street, it is a violation of town by-laws.

• Make sure you know where your child will be when they begin their daily summer time “adventures”. Have them tell you where they’ll be and when you expect them home and to contact you on any change of plans.

• Make sure your child has some form of identification on their person (but not visible on an outer garment) and emergency contact phone numbers if they need to call you.

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