By Suzanne Buck, CAN Newsletter editor and Marina Hajek, CAN resident

On Saturday, January 16th, the course “Traffic Skills 101 for Parents and Children”, will be held at McCornack Elementary School (1968 Brittany Street, Eugene) from noon – 3 pm; registration is required.  This bicycle safety course is directed at students living in the 4J school district and will be connected with the Safe Routes to School Kidicalmass event on that same day.  Class attendees will not only learn about basic traffic skills but also learn how to perform a bicycle safety check, how to properly fit a helmet, how to size a bicycle for a child, and how to properly carry things on a bicycle. Information will also be provided about gear and clothing, proper lighting, use of reflectors, and locking a bike.  The majority of the course will be conducted indoors but the last portion will be held in the parking lot where drills and a final ride on neighborhood streets will be conducted.

Parents and children who arrived before 12:00 noon will enjoy a light lunch of pizza and fruit. After coming back from the Kidicalmass ride there will be hot soup and bread, and the opportunity to see a McCormack unicycle team show.  We want to keep on schedule with the events, so if you plan to enjoy the pizza, please plan to arrive thirty minutes before noon.

Class participants are asked to bring a bicycle and a helmet with them to class. Some reduced cost helmets will be available. Anyone requiring a loaner bicycle for the class is asked to state that in the comments section of the registration form. This class is geared towards children ages 5 – 13, and is free and open to all 4J families but registration is required by January 11th. 
To register for the class, visit the website: http://eugenesrts.org/events/trafficskills101