Safe Routes to School Community Meeting

The Moose Lake Active Living Coalition and the Moose Lake School Wellness Committee are partnering with the Minnesota Department of Health, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, the State Safe Routes to School Network and local partners for a Safe routes to School (SRTS) planning workshop!

WHO: Parents, Teachers, Students, School Administration, City Public Works, City Planners, Community Members, etc.

WHAT: A meeting to develop expertise in SRTS planning, identify action steps for the next 12 months, and position Moose Lake to be competitive for funding to support SRTS (available June 2011!)

WHERE: Moose Lake School's Media Center

WHEN: Tuesday, May 3, 2011 from 4-7:30pm. Dinner is provided!

WHY: Last spring, the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission completed a SRTS Community Assessment. This assessment took feedback from parents, school administration, students, etc. about the walkability and bikeability to and from school, as well as the barriers. From the information and an 'on the ground assessment', they identified successes and barriers to walking and biking to school.

With this assessment completed, the school is in a very good position to receive grant money for the next round, which is scheduled for June 15th. At this point, this meeting will be the first of its kind in Moose Lake--besides the assessment, no prior work as been done with SRTS, so please come and help us with this great development opportunity!
RSVP by April 29th!
Ellen Pillsbury at 218.529.7554 or epillsbury@ardc.org

See you on the 3rd!

  

Upcoming Webinar Training (FREE!)

Please note a webinar training that are happening in early April--all you need is a computer and a phone! Since we have allotted funding for school patrol equipment for a program that will be starting soon at Moose Lake School, this webinar will be particularly helpful and interesting.

Date: April 12, 2011
Time: 12-1pm
Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/948654561

Description:
Adult school crossing guards play an important role in helping children cross streets safely at key locations on their way to school. Without the help of crossing guards, and without proper training, school children can be very vulnerable as pedestrians, for a number of reasons. In 1992, the Florida Legislature adopted the Ramon Turnquest School Crossing Guard Act in response to the fatality of a child at a guarded crossing. This law requires most local governmental entities that administer school crossing guard programs to train their guards according to guidelines adopted by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). To promote uniform, effective performance, Florida has established a train-the-trainer crossing guard program which has become a national model. This webinar will highlight Florida's program (see the website at: http://www2.dot.state.fl.us/CrossingGuard/index.aspx )

The webinar will begin with a brief history of the program's origins and updates. The presenters will explain how the state training program works. Their discussion will include an overview of the Florida School Crossing Guard Training Guidelines used in Florida, the training program framework, techniques used in school crossings and step-by-step procedures for crossing children at typical crosswalk configurations. It will also discuss the importance of teaching children how to cross the street. In addition, they will cover some aspects of program management for those new to the crossing guard community.

This webinar is part of the Safe Routes to School Webinar Series, developed by America Walks and the National Center for Safe Routes to School.

For more information, please contact Nicole Mogul at nmogul@americawalks.org

Walking/Biking Brochure Update

The Moose Lake Active Living Coalition is in the final stages of planning the walking/biking brochure before is sent to be designed and printed. The brochure will include a map of Moose Lake's bike trails/routes, as well as some designated walking loops with mileage. Also included will be website links to local resources, and a brief description of the area. This brochure will be a great piece for both residents and visitors. The Coalition will be paying for its development through a mini-grant from the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) Grant.

Some new developments seem very promising for a mountain bike park in Moose Lake. There are some great local resources for this, as well as potential land use possibilities. Please plan to attend the next meeting on March 1st from 5-6:30pm at the Council Chambers to find out more!

Also, this is short notice, but there will be a webinar titled "FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) Resources for Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals" on March 1st from 1-2:30pm CST. Please go to the following website to for a description of the webinar and to register:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/656793107