Walking to school - a step closer to safety (news article)

Clemson walkers a step closer to safety
Pedestrian bridge will ease concerns on Berkeley Drive

By John C. Stevenson • Pickens County News • Published: December 14. 2010 2:00AM

Plans for a pedestrian bridge over busy U.S. 123 at Berkeley Drive in Clemson is one step closer to fruition.

The City Council has decided to hire Florence & Hutcheson Consulting Engineers for about $69,000 to design a pedestrian bridge that would resolve a decades-old safety concern.

The narrow, two-lane Berkeley Drive overpass is a concern because Clemson Elementary School is on Berkeley Drive, and the road connects the school to local neighborhoods.

“If I was one of the parents, I would not let my children walk across it,” Clemson Elementary principal Ken Weichel said. “This will open up several neighborhoods, and be the safe way for kids to get to school.”

Clemson administrator Rick Cotton said safety has been an issue at the overpass since the elementary school opened 20 years ago. The city has considered various options, including tearing down the existing bridge and constructing a new one at a cost of about $2 million, and connecting sidewalk to the bridge, restriping the bridge and adding a fence to separate pedestrians from vehicles, at a cost of about $80,000.

Cotton said the existing Berkeley Drive bridge is in otherwise good condition, and does not need to be replaced, while the plan to restripe and add sidewalk and a fence “does not improve safety.”

“You've got a school there that's going to be there for another 40 or 50 years, let's build a 40- or 50-year solution,” Cotton said. “Council's decided we need to find a way to get this done.”

Florence & Hutcheson will be tasked not only with designing a pedestrian bridge, but also with “bidding and construction management” for the project, which Cotton said could cost as much as $700,000.

He said by May, the city “will have a project that's designed and built and ready to bid.”

At the same time, Cotton said, the city will work to find the money needed to build the pedestrian bridge. A Transportation Enhancement Program grant through the state Department of Transportation is a possible source, he said.

Eunice Lehmacher, a Clemson Elementary parent who has long lobbied for improvements to the overpass, said the pedestrian bridge will have benefits for the community in addition to pedestrian safety.

“My philosophy is walking is better than driving — for kids, for the environment, for all kinds of reasons,” she said. “I have friends who run across that bridge or walk across that bridge and cars don't slow down for them. They say it's kind of scary for them — for adults.”

Oct 1st, 2010 - Fall Walk to School Day

We had a very successful walk to school day on Friday! More than 585 of us walked! Hurray for all of us! Come, see more pictures on Flickr!

Anderson Independent even wrote an article about how our school and other schools walk for safe routes to school! Read more!

Why walk to school?

There are sooooo many reasons-

• Walking and biking to school provide opportunities for children and families to reduce their carbon usage and contribute to the health of the environment.
  
• If a family chooses to walk to school (rather than drive a personal vehicle)
  they can reduce their carbon use by .164 metric tons annually.
  
• If half of the students at an average size elementary school choose to walk to school their impact could be a savings of over 39 tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year. This is the equivalent of the carbon-removing abilities of 1,000 trees.
  
• Leaving the car at home just two days a week will reduce greenhouse gas
  emissions by an average of 1,600 pounds per year.
  
• Private vehicle emissions contribute to air pollution and global climate
  change, both of which threaten human and environmental health.
  
• Passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, and SUVs together account for 62 percent of transportation related greenhouse gas emissions. The transportation sector is responsible for one-third of all carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. Air pollutants can be especially harmful to children because their respiratory systems are still developing.
  
• Air pollution has negative effects on lung development in children and can reduce lung function, increase respiratory infection, and aggravate asthma symptoms.
  
• Childhood asthma rates more than doubled from 1980 to the mid-1990s and they remain at historically high rates today. Presently, asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic childhood diseases and is a major cause of childhood disability. At least 14 million school days are missed annually due to asthma.
  
• Exposure to nature and time for free outdoor play can have multiple health benefits including stress reduction, relief ofADHD symptoms in children, and increased cognitive and motor functioning.
  

Berkeley Bridge on News Channel 4

WALK TO SCHOOL is making a difference!

Look at this news bit that aired yesterday on News Channel 4!http://www.wyff4.com/video/24946286/index.html

Plans are in the works to build a pedestrial bridge next to the existing bridge!!! Walking and biking is going to get much safer! I'm so excited!!!

Walk to School at CES - October 1st

Let's walk again!!!
Let's get healthy!
Let's help clean the air!
Let's create safe routes to our school!

Clemson Elementary will join the International Walk to School Event on Friday, October 1st. (To see more on International Walk to School Day see: http://www.walktoschool.org/)

We'll be getting together for a"walking schoolbus" again! Here's the map for the walking schoolbus, which shows you where the "walking schoolbus" has stops. You can "hop on" at any stop. See the green footprints for locations and the time for the arrival of the walkers.

On South side of school:
7:20 - departure from intersection of Berkeley and Issaquena
7:22 - departure from Camelot (E. Anderson park)
7:30 - departure from intersection of Berkeley and Rock Creek Rd.
7:35 - departure from intersection of Berkeley and Evergereen
Country Walk walkers walk on their nature path to the bridge area
7:42 - join up with folks from Clarendon
7:45 - cross the bridge (closed on both sides by Clemson police)

On North side of school :
7:30 - Berkeley Village
7:35 - Village Walk North entrance
7:40 - Village Walk South entrance
7:45 - Pleasant View Drive

Those coming from further:
feel free to park near the walking schoolbus stops and walk with your child to school and back to your car.

Please, make sure that there is a responsible adult accompanying each child on the way to school!

The way home is not part of the fun, so just use your usual method of transortation home.

Sprout's Summer 2010

Summer went by way too fast! Share with Sprout the green things you have seen or done for the environment this summer!

WALK TO SCHOOL - JUNE 4th, 2010

We have some pictures for you to see!
Here's our chance to WALK TO SCHOOL again!!! Hurray!!! We'll be fresh at school and we help our air stay clean!!! Get on your feet and join the walk!

We'll be getting together for a"walking schoolbus" again! We will be together so that we can enjoy the company - just as we would on schoolbuses. But we won't pollute our air, because this "walking schoolbus" moves by our feet!

Here's a map I made for you to see, where this "walking schoolbus" has stops. You can "hop on" at any stop. See the green footprints for locations and the time for the arrival of the walkers.

On South side of school:

7:20 - departure from intersection of Berkeley and Issaquena
7:22 - departure from Camelot (E. Anderson park)
7:30 - departure from intersection of Berkeley and Rock Creek Rd.
7:35 - departure from intersection of Berkeley and Evergereen
Country Walk walkers walk on their nature path to the bridge area
7:42 - join up with folks from Clarendon
7:45 - cross the bridge (closed on both sides by Clemson police)

On North side of school :
7:30 - Berkeley Village
7:35 - Village Walk North entrance
7:40 - Village Walk South entrance
7:45 - Pleasant View Drive

Those coming from further:
feel free to park near the walking schoolbus stops and walk with your child to school and back to your car.

Please, make sure that there is a responsible adult accomanying each child on the way to school!

The way home is not part of the fun, so just use your usual method of transortation home.

THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING EARTH DAY!!!

Dear Friends!!! Thank you to every student, teacher and parent volunteer for celebrating Earth Day! It was a super cool, super green, super fun, super - super day!!!

We cleaned:

2nd grade, Ms Bartley's class, with help from GoGreen's Cheryl DeSellier

We planted:

4th grade, Mr Hooker's class

We weighed our trash:

All 4th grade classes weighed their trash after lunch.

We collected compost:

Our GoGreen volunteers helped students to collect vegetables and fruits for compost.

We played with Sprout's toys during recess:

The first graders played with Sprout's recycled toys with help from Ms Ward, GoGreen volunteer.

Check out more pictures and stories at the SproutPictures Gallery!

EARTH DAY - sign up your class for a program!

Sprout and the GoGreen team is eager to help you celebrate the 40th Earth Day on April 22nd, Thursday!

Our volunteers are offering a variety of ideas (click here to see a list) to make this day memorable. Pick your favorite idea and contact us by e-mail (gogreence@gmail.com)! We'll either help you to realize the idea, or if you wish, we connect you to a green volunteer who'll lead the program.

Here you can see a list of project ideas that the GoGreen team can help you with. Schedule your Earth Day celebration NOW!

Green Science Fair Projects

Congratulations to everyone who thought of me, Sprout, when doing a science fair project. Everyone with a green angle to their project can pick up a suprise from me in the library. The present I made for you will allow you to see another scientific wonder: the sprouting of wheat seeds! Hope you'll enjoy!

If you would like to see who all was a green scientist, click on the comment!

POSTER AND ESSAY CONTEST

Here’s an opportunity for Pickens County students to show what they know! This year’s Pickens County Soil Conservation Essay and Poster Contest is based on the theme Conservation Habits = Healthy Habitats.

Poster Contest
K5 through fourth grade classes may submit a poster. First place winners at each grade level will win a smoothie party for the entire class.
Each poster must be a class project of one class with only one entry per class. Posters must be postmarked by March 1st and received in the Pickens Soil & Water Conservation District office by March 5th. Please read Poster Guidelines carefully before submitting a poster.

Essay Contest
Students in fifth through eighth grades may submit essays for the contest. Cash awards at each grade level will be $40 for first place; $30 for second place; and $20 for third place.
An essay should be 300 to 500 words for 5th and 6th graders or 500 to 700 words for 7th and 8th graders. Teachers should submit only two or three essays per class. The deadline for essay entry is March 5th, postmarked by March 1st. A drop-off box is available at the PSWCD office. You may also practice your conservation habits and save paper by sending the essays electronically to mailto:PSWCD@innova.net?subject=Essay%20Contest. Please read all Essay Guidelines carefully before submitting.

Go Green Clemson Students!!! (Feel free to use my image!!!)

Let's celebrate Earth Day! - idea list

This year we'll celebrate the 4oth Earth Day! Clemson Elementary is planning to involve parents in the fun. If you would like to help contact us (send and e-mail to gogreence@gmail.com)

Read bellow for what you can volunteer to do. These all the ideas we've had so far, but feel free to come up with your own ideas as well!

• Guided walk in the path behind the school.
• Craft from recycled products (for example: Gobblet from lids, fish from 2L bottles, collages from paper and cloth).
• Invited local expert visits class to talk about caring for the earth
• Give a quiz on decay/recycling
• Teach a science lesson: decay, worm decomposition, etc.
• Plant something outside your classroom door or in the square gardens by 3rd grade playground.
• Read your class a book about the environment and/or earth day.
• Collect compost and recylables at lunch and/or snack and take them to the outdoorbins (behind the barn for compost, behind the cafeteria for plastic, glass, and metal).
• Empty the two school recycle bins with your class (in teacher’s lounge and cafeteria, items emptied into bin behind the cafeteria).
• Help kids write a letter to the local or national government asking to protect the environment.
• Read about/study current legislation that affects the environment.
• Have the classdebate the benefits/disadvantages of the legislation.
• Encourage kids who bring lunch to bring a waste-free lunch.
• Start a scratch paper pile that kids can use in your room fordrawing/calculating/notes etc.
• Assign all homework on one day to be written on re-used paper that is blank on one side.
• Take your class on a green field trip to the recycle center and landfill in Pickens (followed by a trip to the playground in pickens and a picnic lunch).
• Have Sprout visit your class and watch regular class room activities.
• Make a display in the CES hallway (near the cafeteria) on some Green Earth Day theme for the whole school to see.
• Have children write a story or draw a picture about how they will care for the Earth.
• Have the CES worm bin visit your classroom and learn how it works. (Ideal if done after lunch and kids can add their compost to the worm bin, but not required.)
• Do a math lesson with green facts (e.g. how much money could this class earn if theycollected aluminum cans and each one was worth 2 cents.)
• Have a contest to see how many re-used and/or recycled items the class can bring in one day (e.g. fleece shirt, recycled stationary, etc.)
• Have the class collect some item that often gets thrown out during the week.
• Take the item to the recycling center (e.g. batteries, computers, plastics #3-7, …) . GoGreen members will be happy to drop off items that were collected.
• Collect children’s size plastic hangers and thin cardboard. Make hang tags for cars that ride in the pick up line (blank for distribution next fall).
• Pull weeds in a school flower bed and put the compost in our compost bins by the 5th grade hall. Plant new plants if desired.
• Start a new recycle bucket in your classroom for plastics, glass, and cans.
• Develop a way with your class to empty this regularly (e.g. take it to the cafeteria bucket once a week or empty it into the recycle container behind the cafeteria).
• Collect recyclables and let the kids invent crafts with them (Go Green can supply samples. Consider collecting mesh bags, lids, cloth scraps, buttons, etc.)
• Make a sculpture from (clean) trash items for your room or grade level. Allow each child to glue on one small item to the structure.
• Post your class doing a Green activity on the school web pages.
• Write a script for Sprout to use in a future morning announcement.
• Have older kids find a green activity in their science books (using the index) and allow them to set it up for your class or a younger children’s class.
• Encourage your children to walk, bike, or bus to school. Recognize those who do. Calculate how much your class saved in gas this week because of bus, bike andwalkers.
• Ask kids to bring in pictures of themselves doing something green at home or in the neighborhood and post these in the classroom or hallway.
• Encourage kids to be more green at home. Brainstorm ways for them to do this as aclass. At the end of the week allow them to report their success to the class. (Doing something green could include: plant something, re-use something, startcollecting some recycling that you don’t do now, turn off some lights, walk to friend’s houses instead of driving, car pool, use the back of a blank piece of paper, etc.)
• Allow your class to pick up trash in areas around the school including the path behind the school.

Tell your parents! Tell Congress you want real food at school!

There is a national campaign "to GIVE KIDS the SCHOOL FOOD THEY DESERVE" Do you know about this? Here is a link with more information and a petition that can be signed if you want to eat food that is better for you and for the environment. 

Clemson Architecture Students receive an international prize for the design of a SELF-SUFFICIENT CITY!

Some of you saw the project when you visited the Picture Green event at Clemson University. 

The students competed with 708 other people from 118 countries and received the fifth prize for their big idea to make our cities better! Their project is a recycling project, where everything is constantly recycled into something usable. Little pods for living and working move while collecting urban waste to turn it into materials that are usable in cities.  The city works like a perfect cycle!

What do you think SELF-SUFFICIENT means? 

Links: SELF-SUFFICIENT City Competition, Clemson University School of Architecture

Credits: Clemson University Architecture Students Jason Butz, Frank D'Andrea and Carla Landa from GoGreen parent and assistant professor at Clemson University Martha Skinner's class.