A blog dedicated to keeping Palestine Herald-Press readers informed of upcoming events, stories in progress, special news related to our local area or fun or useful things our readers might find entertaining. Posts by Community Editor Cheril Vernon.
Area schools are headed back to school on Monday and that means the time before school starts and the afternoon are going to be busier on the roads.
Drivers need to keep their eyes open and step up safety around school zones, crosswalks, bus stops and wherever children may gather.
• Be ready to driver slower in school zones and bus stops
• Always stop for school buses with flashing red lights. Drivers approaching the bus must come to a full stop while the red lights are on.
• Anticipate traffic ahead of time. This summer you may not have had any trouble getting around Loop 256 in time to make it to work on time. But during the school year, Loop 256 can get congested from Story Elementary School all the way to Palestine High School and the turn by Palestine Middle School. Be prepared for that. The busiest times are from 7:35 to 8:10 a.m. in the mornings and from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m.
• Obey crossing guards.
• Anticipate the worst. There's always a chance a small child may run in front of you — that's why it's important to slow down and prepare to brake.
• Be careful around parked cars and backing up. Small children especially can be hard to see.
• Avoid using cell phones when driving - There are a couple of new Texas traffic laws going in effect on September 1 — one makes it illegal to use a wireless communication device in a school zone unless the vehicle is stopped or a hands-free device is used. We already know using a cell phone while driving is a distraction, so please be extra careful.
Also, be sure to read these Transportation Tips from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that explain how children can be taught to get on and off buses safely.
Have any more safety tips to share? Email me at community@palestineherald.com
Tuesday was a sober event for those who attended the "Every 15 Minutes" mock accident scene at Cayuga School.
With background music that evoked emotion from teens, parents and school staff who watched as emergency personnel and law enforcement arrived on the scene of the mock accident as the Grim Reaper surveyed the damage.
And there was plenty. The two-car accident threw one teen out of the car — and instant fatality in this case. Three other teens laid lifeless in their vehicles, with their bloody arms hanging out the window. The fifth teen - the "drunk" driver, was unhurt, of course, and was handcuffed and taken to jail. The emergency medical personnel and fire department worked together to extract them from the car while providing medical care. As the Grim Reaper walked the premise, their lives hung in the balance as the minutes went by slowly.
Eventually, a helicopter from Air Rescue in Corsicana arrived on the scene to take the injured to the hospital.
And while all of the above was staged, as a parent myself, I know it had to affect many of those watching the scene, as no matter what I tried, tears still rolled down my eyes. The same way it did the first time I saw the "Every 15 Minutes" program in Neches in 2004.
With many of us as parents facing the issues that arise with our children becoming of legal age to drive, the worries mount. Not only do we have to worry about them driving safe, we have to worry about them not drinking while driving.
While it would be easy to not worry about it and say "my kid wouldn't do that," the fact is every 15 minutes a teenager dies in the United States from an alcohol-related accident.
So we can't ignore it. The message of the "Every 15 Minutes" program is to make these young teens who are beginning to drive or may be in a vehicle with a teen driver, to realize their actions do have consequences.
As EMS Director John McMeans told the kids — before they graduate from high school, they will ALL know at least one person who died in an alcohol-related accident. Maybe the person they know won't be the drunk driver, but it could be a person who was at the wrong place at the wrong time when the drunk driver was on the road.
Early Tuesday morning long before the mock accident, the Grim Reaper had been making his rounds. Every 15 minutes he stepped into a classroom, tapped a kid on the shoulder and pulled them out of class. Their obituary was read. An obituary they had to write themselves. The students were returned to class, but not unchanged. The had to put on black t-shirts and wear white paint on their face. They were considered the living dead and could not talk or react to the living for the rest of the day. They weren't alive.
But during the day, there was laughter and giggles as the Grim Reaper neared and many joked around. But as John McMean tried to reinforce: It's not funny when you are begging for your life. He should know. He remembers the faces of all of the teens he has zipped up in a body bag.
His point: Take it seriously. Drunk driving kills people.
To make it even clearer, following the mock accident, the 20 students who participated in the program were taken to the hospital and funeral home. Their parents were asked to "identify" them. Even though this was a fake event, as a parent I don't know if I could do it. It brings out feelings that we as parents hope we never will have to face. And I hope while the parents were sobbing above them, I hope the teens underneath the white sheets could how much pain the thought of their possible deaths put on their parents' faces.
Then, the students were taken to a local motel with the Palestine EMS as chaperones, where they were instructed to write a letter to both their mother and father as if God had given them once chance to say the things they wouldn't be able to say if they had died in the wreck. Parents at home were instructed to do the same.
On Wednesday morning (March 11), the students will assemble along with the "living dead" and their parents. A special speaker will talk from a personal experience about why you shouldn't drink and drive. Some of the parents and students will read the letters they wrote to each other. Having seen this before in Neches, I know how hard this is. While it simply looks like words on a piece of paper, when you put them in the context of thinking you may never see that person again and what would you tell them, the emotions kick into high gear.
If anything, maybe it will make some of the teens think before they drive and do their best to always drive safe and responsibly.
As John McMeans told me: If it saves only one person, it's worth it.
P.S. I apologize for the choppy video. I'm in the learning stages.
Mrs. Trahan's Theater Arts classes presented puppet showsto the first-grade classes at Slocum School. Theater students created their own puppets and wrote their own puppet skits. Each skit included a moral or lesson: No back talking, no stealing, pay attention, no bullying, and treat other people nicely. The first graders really enjoyed the skits and the theater students enjoyed presenting them.
Teacher Cathy Edwards and her first-grade class.
Slocum students Gina Lively, Gavin McClain, Dylan Catron, Andee Magee and Kolton Prine.
Here are a few photos from Westwood ISD we wanted to share:
Many of Westwood’s staff and students participated in a district wide Talent Show on Feb. 3.
Mrs. Dunnam’s American History classes recently studied about the Louisiana Purchase. Each student also created a journal of the events in the view of Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea, or any other person who was part of the expedition. Students created the journals using paper, feathers, tea, and a variety of other objects. Westwood Junior High’s 7th and 8th graders were treated to brownies and ice cream if they made A’s and B’s on their report cards. A’s, B’s and C’s received packets of M&M’s at lunch, while all A students enjoyed a trip to Mazzio’s.
Here are a few photos Elkhart ISD has sent in that we wanted to share: Above, Mrs. Wallace's second-grade class had a visit from local EMTs from Palestine. Mr. and Mrs. Warren are the parents of one of the second grade students. The students were allowed to explore the inside of an ambulance while learning about the skills required to do the job. They were given safety tips and advice for emergency situations. They were introduced to CPR and allowed to practice their skills.
Mrs. Neel's first graders had a fun winter day making "Snowman Snot." The thought sounds a little bit disgusting but all the kids had a blast. What a terrific way to teach about fractions and measurements.
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