ASHTABULA —
For the past 20 years, when children headed off to kindergarten in the Ashtabula Area City School District in the fall, they knew a little more than most about how to get from home to school safely.
That’s because they participated in the Ashtabula Fraternal Order of Police 26’s Safety Town.
“We have been able to provide this worthwhile safety program to our pre-kindergarten children, and we plan to continue, but it is not possible this year,” said Jim Oatman of the Ashtabula Police Department.
The school district has set aside a permanent site for Safety Town at the new elementary campus next to Michigan Primary School off Wade Avenue, but it’s not ready for Safety Town.
“It’s fantastic that we now have a permanent home,” he said. “Soon we will be up and running and better than ever.”
Oatman apologizes that the popular program can’t be held this summer, but members of the FOP are working at the new location.
Since 1992, the school district has played an important role in Safety Town. The school district allowed Safety Town the use of a school and buses to help prepare the children for kindergarten and teach them valuable safety lessons, Oatman said.
“By having a permanent location we will no longer have to move from site to site and will be able to improve our outdoor miniature city for the children,” he said, noting Safety Town supporters should “stay tuned” for news about an upcoming fundraiser.
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