Westport in Brief!
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Saturday, June 12, 2010
Quick Article Index . . .
Expired
safety seats are no bargain.
Friday
Night Lights, Whites and Westport Brut at the Vineyard.
|
Expired safety seats are no
bargain. EverythingWestport.com Saturday, June 12, 2009
“Plus, bicycle helmet use can reduce the risk of head injury by as
much as 88%,” according to Westport Reserve Officer Michael Roussel, who has
spearheaded the Safety Day effort for the last three years. “That’s why our
officers are giving out free helmets and providing instruction in the proper
adjustment and use.” Left: Riley, 6 ½ and his sister
Lexie, 4 ½ of Westport get their safety seats checked out by Westport reserve
police officer Mike Roussel. Related stories. ●
Click here to read about the 2008 event. ●
Click here to read about the 2009 event. ● Click here to read about Child Passenger
Safety on Mass.Gov Bike and Car Seat Safety Day once more brought out long lines and
concerned residents who sought the proper use of safety items, and have a
good time doing it. People lined up at the Westport Family Medicine Center’s entranceway
and waiting room. But it wasn’t the sick and infirm that needed care, but
rather Westport residents who received care of another kind – lifesaving
safety tips for themselves and their children. “We had a lot of people come by on Saturday,” reported Donna Beaulieu,
event organizer. “Last year we ran out of helmets by late morning. Our grant
this year doubled to 150 helmets. It was barely enough.” “People came in droves to participate
in face painting, get grab bags, balloons, refreshments and listen to the
police officers talk about bike safety. Then they received their certificate
of safety,” Ms. Beaulieu said. Following up on last year’s highly successful program, the Westport
Family Medicine Center on 829 Main Road in Westport had agreed to again
sponsor this year’s Bike And Car
Seat Safety Day. Westport residents received first-hand safety information on child car seats and bike safety from a certified child
passenger safety specialist and his assistants from the Westport Police
Department.
Left: Police officers Scott Davis (left) and Fernando Goncalves adjust
helmets while Westport Medicine’s Donna Beaulieu (left) and Vera Baldwin look
on. Right: Dr. Scott Lauermann
of the Westport Family Medicine Center explains to an unidentified mom and
daughter the importance of their bicycle helmets and summer safety while
riding their bikes. Lauermann doctor distributed safety grab bags and safety
certificates. “Helmet use can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 88%,”
according to Westport Police Safety Officer Michael Roussel. “That’s why our
officers are giving out free helmets and providing instruction in the proper
adjustment and use.” According to Safety Kids USA® “Bicycles are associated with more
childhood injuries than any other consumer product except the automobile.
More than 70 percent of children ages 5 to 14 (27.7 million) ride
bicycles. This age group rides 50 percent more than the average
bicyclist and accounts for approximately 21 percent of all bicycle-related
deaths and nearly half of all bicycle-related injuries.” They went on to say that “head injury is the leading cause of death in
bicycle crashes and is the most important determinant of bicycle-related
death and permanent disability. Head injuries account for more than 60
percent of bicycle-related deaths, more than two-thirds of bicycle-related
hospital admissions and about one-third of hospital emergency room visits for
bicycling injuries. The single most effective safety device available
to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes is a helmet.
Helmet use reduces the risk of bicycle-related death and injury and the
severity of head injury when a crash occurs. Unfortunately,
national estimates report that bicycle helmet use among child bicyclists
ranges only from 15 to 25 percent.” “It was great to
see the smiles on the children and parents’ faces,” Ms. Beaulieu said. “It
was a fun day for the staff and our visitors. Our physicians had a great
time. We are so proud! It was such a
positive event filled with laughter and smiles. It was non-stop from (9:10 a.m. - to 12:00
noon) with people actually standing in line and not minding it.” “Westport Family
Medicine grabs bags consisted of: a bike reflector that blinks when riding
their bikes at dusk, parent information on how to buy a bicycle for their
child, bicycle registration card, tips for safe bicycle riding, bike
stickers, pencil and magnets. The
police department also gave out grab bags.” “I want to thank
the police officers that did the helmets – Scott Davis and Fernando
Goncalves. They were terrific.” Child safety seats didn’t take a back seat during Safety Day!
“The wide range of temperature changes in a
vehicle, and UV deterioration of a seat’s materials when installed in a
vehicle come into play after several years of child safety seat use,” officer
Roussel said. “Stress points may develop from constant seat belt tension. The
expiration date insures these environmental issues don’t become a factor in
child seat safety use.” “You should avoid buying child safety seats at
yard sales or flea markets,” officer Roussel said. The Westport Police Department
received grant money from the State’s Executive Office of Public Safety and
Security (EOPSS) which enabled them to procure a trailer, truck, tent, safety
cones, and noodles (used to adjust seat position) and other equipment to
conduct these safety inspections. Car
crashes are the leading cause of death of young children. Inspection checks revealed car seats past their
expiration dates, and some seats had been incorrectly installed. “It’s not as
simple as just placing the seat in the vehicle and strapping it in,” officer
Roussel said. “A child’s age, weight and size are taken into consideration
when positioning the seat (see chart below). The recently expanded safety seat law
now requires a booster seat/safety belt combination for children who
have outgrown a child safety seat - typically when they are above age five
or 40 pounds - until they are 8 years old or over 57" tall. The Massachusetts Safety Belt Law requires safety belt use by
those 13 years of age and older. “The angle of the seat more often than not needs
to be adjusted with the help of a noodle,” Officer Roussel said. “A lot of
the seats are quite complex, and need appropriate installation attention. We
want every child to leave these inspections safe, and installation is a big
part of that promise,” he said. Before
buying a second-hand child safety seat
at a yard, garage or flea market sale, be sure to check out the following
points as suggested by SafetyBeltSafe
USA: ·
Identify
the seat by exact model name. ·
Get a
copy of the manufacturer’s instruction booklet, and read and follow the
instructions carefully. ·
Check
all parts that are present, including hardware, straps, shields and plastic
clips. Don’t use the seat until everything is in place as shown in the
instructions. ·
Find
the individual “birth date” or “expiration date” of the seat; it should be on
a computer-printed label. Also look for a sticker stating the seat was made
for use in automobiles. ·
Check
the seat carefully for evidence of cracking, twisting, strain or stress marks
in the plastic, worn harness webbing or broken buckles. ·
Never
use a seat that was previously involved in a crash. The seat may be
compromised. Use
this chart to determine what kind of safety seat your child should ride in *
*Information in the above chart provided by the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of
Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) pamphlet (printed June 2008) obtained from
the Westport Police Department. on Saturday,
September 13, 2008. For more information and updates, please visit: Child Passenger Safety -
Executive Office of Public Safety
“It was very
informative and we cannot wait until we have our next event (whatever we may
decide in the near future). The Westport Police Department was wonderful to work
with. They were very supportive and they were the ones who donated the
helmets,” lauded Ms. Beaulieu. For more
information on this event or the Westport Family Medicine Center please call
(508) 636-5101. EverythingWestport.com Saturday,
June 12, 2010 40 year-old Mike Simpson knows a
thing or two about water boarding. The Osprey Sea Kayak employee with the
Johnny Weissmuller physique isn’t involved with interrogations, not unless
you call paddling while standing upright on a surfboard for six miles,
torture. Simpson joined 63 paddlers of all
kinds of paddlecraft in the 7th annual
River Run Race sponsored by the Westport River Watershed Alliance and Osprey
Sea Kayak Adventures on June 12, and lapped the field, finishing first under
cloudy but dry skies. “I’m really stoked,” he said. Stand Up Paddling (SUP) is new to
Westport, having been introduced to Westport a few years ago by Samantha and
Carl Ladd of Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures. But it proved its worth as a
competitive form of paddling as upright paddling aficionado Simpson finished
first in the enduring race from Hix Bridge to the Head. I’ve been surf boarding my whole
life,” said the Little Compton resident. “I’ve been doing stand up paddling
for about three years. I paddle a lot. This past winter I went to Honolulu
Bay, the Meccap of stand up paddlinghawii and trained under the biggest names
in SUP. As a result I learned new techniques and completely changed my
paddling stroke.” Friday Night Lights, Whites and
Westport Brut at the Vineyard. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, June 13, 2010
The tradition continues as the
tremendously popular Sunset Music Series returns July 2nd to Westport’s
cultural hot spot under the setting sun. Come early to get a spot. Read more with photos from last year. Westport Rivers Sunset Music Series -
Summer Line-Up
Their typical
venue is the winery back lawn overlooking 80 planted acres of Vinifera that
offers up some of the area’s most spectacular sunsets. One exception will be
Friday July 23rd. The event will be taking place at their family-run Farm
Brewery right around the corner. This is a family
friendly event. Admission just $5 per carload. Visitors are always encouraged
to bring blankets, beach chairs, sun block, and bug spray. Please no
brought in alcohol. Please no climbing on our old stone
walls. (They don’t want your kid getting crushed) Westport Rivers
wine and Just Beer brews will be available for purchase. Please feel free to
bring your own potluck picnics or take advantage of the occasional vendors
who sometimes offer fun food items during select shows.
Friday August 6th
Putnam Murdock
http://www.westportrivers.com/
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