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M I N U T E S Safe Routes to School Committee Meeting October 10, 2013 3:30 P.M. The Safe Routes to School Committee met during a regular meeting on October 10, 2013 at 3:30 p.m. at McKinley Elementary School, 1201 North Butler Avenue, Farmington, New Mexico. Present: Coordinator: Anngela Wakan MPO & City of Farmington Staff Joe Delmagori June Markle Duane Wakan Steve Krest Attendees: Marilee Dexel, McKinley Principal Deanna Maurer, Mesa Verde Leslie Nord, McKinley Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m. by Anngela Wakan and the following proceedings were duly had and taken. Mr. Delmagori moved to approve the minutes from the September 12, 2013 meeting. Mr. Wakan seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously. EDUCATION & ENCOURAGEMENT Walk to School Day Follow-up Mrs. Wakan asked for reports from each of the schools on the Walk to School Day event on October 9: Mr. Krest reported that he, Mr. Bill Young, Officer McGaha, and Juan Heart (mascot for San Juan Regional Medical Center) handed out 105 bracelets. Mr. Krest said they ran out of bracelets and needed another 10-15. Mrs. Wakan said that, although Animas Elementary is not yet a participating SRTS school, she delivered 150 bracelets and 50 reflectors to the school to hand out to their students who walked or biked to school on October 9. She has not yet received a headcount from the school on how many students walked to school that day. Mrs. Maurer reported that Mesa Verde handed out 350 bracelets. They had the school buses stop at San Juan College and, with the help of many of the Mesa Verde teachers and the Piedra Vista High School “panther”, all those bus students walked from the College to Mesa Verde. Mrs. Maurer said they also ran out of bracelets and will need more prizes next year. She reported that several children had their bracelets taken away during the school day for playing with them. Mrs. Maurer and Mr. Treat both suggested that future prizes be less noisy and disruptive. ---PAGE BREAK--- Mr. Delmagori reported on Ladera’s Walk to School Day. He and Ms. Markle handed out almost all of the 300 bracelets they were given plus a few reflectors. The crossing guard helped hand out prizes at 38th and Dustin, and SRO Derek Booker handed out prizes with Ms. Markle at 35th and Dustin. There was a great turnout of walkers, but Eddie Eagle was not present and, due to a miscommunication between the school and School Board Member Mrs. Schumaker, she was not there either. Mr. and Mrs. Wakan reported on Walk to School Day events at McKinley. Along with Mayor Tommy Roberts, who also walked with a walking school bus that morning, members of the Farmington High School baseball team, and the Farmington High School “scorpion”, all 250 slap bracelets were handed out to walkers and bikers at McKinley. Mrs. Wakan reported that she had ordered 1200 slap bracelets for the event and all but a handful were distributed to the students who walked and biked to school that day. All the volunteers said the event was well-received by the students and everyone was thrilled with the prizes. Ms. Nord and Ms. Dexel noted that there are several traffic issues at McKinley. One is that students are dropped off where the buses stop and children are crossing in front of or behind the school buses. It was recommended that they contact their SRO and ask her to take some action to enforce the drop off area. It was also suggested that Officer DeLese could help with this issue. Ms. Dexel also commented on the new bus stop for Tibbetts Junior High School that is located on the corner of Monterey and 15th Street. She commented that there is not enough room for the students to wait at the corner and they are frequently in the street either by roughhousing and having been pushed into the road by another student or inadvertently stepping out in front of vehicles. Mr. Krest said he would contact Mr. Billy Huish with Farmington Schools to see if a better bus waiting area could be constructed for the students. Mr. Krest suggested putting one of the Walk to School Day yard signs in front of City Hall. Mr. Delmagori also suggested having the date of the International Walk to School Day printed larger on all the signage. Bike Rodeo Follow-up Mrs. Wakan said the bike rodeo was held on September 27 and had about 15 children participate. She thanked the volunteers from Target, Cottonwood Cycles, Sycamore Park Community Center staff, Jeff Treat, Steve Krest, and Duane Wakan for their assistance and participation in making this a fun event for the children. Mrs. Wakan said it was good they had borrowed bikes from Juvenile Probation and Parole because only one of the children brought a bike to the rodeo. Natalie Spruell, the Sycamore Park Community Center Manager, suggested that SRTS should partner with the Road Apple Rally next October. Mrs. Wakan thought this would be a great idea and will plan a bike rodeo for Lions Wilderness Park next year the first weekend in October. Mrs. Wakan also suggested holding another community bike rodeo in the spring. She noted that more advertising needs to be done to publicize the event. ---PAGE BREAK--- Mrs. Maurer mentioned that Mesa Verde will be having a bike rodeo in cooperation with Big Brothers/Big Sisters on October 11. REPORTS FROM PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS Apache There was no information to report on trying to reopen the pathway behind Apache Elementary. Mr. Krest has not spoken with City of Farmington officials about the easement along this path. It is hoped to have an update on this potential project soon. Apache Elementary will participate in the Walk Across America program and has already begun punching cards for students. They have decided to allow their students to earn points during recess time since most do not walk to school. Mrs. Wakan said she needs to get the charms and Frisbees ordered as Apache Elementary already has students with fully completed punch cards. Ladera Ladera has already begun the Walk Across America program. They are having students from the 5th grade leadership group punch cards for those students who walk to school. They have decided to only punch cards once per day in the mornings. Mrs. Wakan commented that she has a friend that lives a mile from the school whose child insists on walking to school for the Walk Across America program. Mesa Verde Mesa Verde will begin their participation in the Walk Across America program next week. Mrs. Maurer said they will allow up to two punches per day. Mrs. Maurer will encourage the students to participate, but will also try to ensure that only those who do plan on participating take a punch card. It was suggested that the walking school bus leaders could punch the cards for those students in their school bus. Mrs. Wakan said there will be a walking school bus starting at Mesa Verde next week. It will use two leaders who are available on two different days. Mrs. Wakan suggested giving t-shirts to those leading and participating in the walking school buses. Mr. Krest said he thought that was a great idea and asked Mrs. Wakan to get some t-shirts ordered. McKinley Principal Dexel said McKinley would definitely be participating in the Walk Across America program. She said they would need about 200 punch cards and two punches to start with and would enlist the help of Ms. Nord and their student ambassadors to punch the cards. She decided they would punch the cards only in the morning. Mrs. Wakan said McKinley had the first walking school bus that started on Monday. Mrs. Wakan had trained two new walking school bus leaders earlier in the day and would be training two more on Friday. She expects to have three or four walking school bus routes at McKinley in the next week As mentioned earlier, Mrs. Wakan will be ordering the Walk Across America prizes. One of the special charms will be a turkey for those who participate in the Turkey Trot/Gobble ---PAGE BREAK--- Wobble in November. This is a five-mile run and a one-mile walk around downtown Farmington. Mrs. Wakan asked for everyone to get the word out about the event since SRTS will receive all the proceeds raised. The group also discussed having a competition among the SRTS schools to help advertise and encourage participation in the Turkey Trot. One possible challenge would be to see who could get the most runners and walkers signed up to race. Any children participating in the race would receive a turkey charm for their Walk Across America bracelet. Mrs. Wakan also suggested a “golden sneaker” award that could be presented to the school with the most students/parents participating in the Turkey Trot. This “golden sneaker” could travel each year to the school with the most participation. The group will continue to brainstorm other ideas that could be used to encourage participation in the Turkey Trot by the SRTS schools. ENGINEERING: Mr. Krest had no engineering update. The parental survey forms will be sent home with students this month. ENFORCEMENT: Officer DeLese was not present at the meeting. EVALUATION: Mr. Wakan showed the walking distance map compiled by MPO staff for the four SRTS schools and Animas Elementary. The maps illustrate the percentage of the school’s student population that live within a one-quarter and one-half mile buffer of the school. Since there are no addresses on the maps, the schools can post them in their school. Mr. Wakan suggested laminating the maps and perhaps encouraging the students to find their house on the map. Mr. Wakan said MPO staff had calculated the number of students at each school within a one-half mile walkable distance to the school. These numbers can provide a goal for SRTS for the number of students from each school that could easily be walking to school: Animas 258 (this school has only one bus) Apache 132 Ladera 229 McKinley 234 Mesa Verde 177 There were no additional concerns or topics for discussion. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, November 12 at 3:30 p.m. at Apache Elementary; the December meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 12 at 3:30 p.m. at Ladera Elementary. The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.