Lewis County offers ATV safety training to kids

LOWVILLE — Lewis County officials, using 4-H funding, plan to offer basic all-terrain vehicle safety presentations to elementary pupils in the fall.

Lewis County 4-H has been awarded $2,000 through the 4-H ATV Safety Grant Program to help implement the program in the county's schools.

"Education is part of our countywide trail plan," Lewis County Trail Coordinator Robert C. Diehl said. "This grant really gives us a jump start in our education program."

"Youth safety is of primary importance to 4-H," Penny L. Rowsam, 4-H youth educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County, said in a release.

The grant program also will cover the cost of sending two people — Mrs. Rowsam and Deputy Michael K. Leviker, the parks and recreation officer at the Lewis County Sheriff's Department — to a four-day training session next month at national 4-H headquarters near Washington, D.C., Mr. Diehl said.

The tentative plan is to offer the safety sessions during third- and fourth-grade gym classes, but that could change if Mrs. Rowsam and Mr. Leviker learn of a more appropriate age group to target, he said.

The presentations, to be given to each class once in the fall and, possibly, another time in the spring, likely will feature different activities and provide informational materials that the children will be able to take with them, Mr. Diehl said.

"It can't just be a lecture," he said.

ATVs also may be brought to the schools to demonstrate how to select the correct size machine, Mr. Diehl said.

Officials in the Lowville, Beaver River and South Lewis school districts already have been contacted and expressed interest in the program, and the Copenhagen and Harrisville districts likely will be invited to participate as well, he said.

The grant program stipulates that at least 200 children participate by the end of the year.

Mr. Diehl said that he and other local officials also are looking to promote basic ATV safety at other youth events, like the upcoming Farm Safety Day and at summer recreation programs.