Bike Safety Rodeo

Area families are being asked to pedal their way to Skubitz Plaza on July 18.

According to a press release from the Fort Scott Police Department, in conjunction with the Fort Scott Farmer's Market and Mercy Health Center, the FSPD will be sponsoring a free summer Bicycle Safety Rodeo from 8-11 a.m. on July 18 at Skubitz Plaza.

The Bicycle Safety Rodeo will include several booths that will focus on bicycle safety related topics, such as pre-riding maintenance, basic first aid for bicycle related injuries and handouts featuring bicycle safety facts, the press release said.

The free event will enable law enforcement to have a positive impact on the local community in a non-emergency situation, Fort Scott Police Department Chief Ron Puterbaugh said.

"It's a chance for us to be involved in the community in something other than just emergencies when people's stress levels are high," Puterbaugh said. "It gives officers and citizens of the community a chance to interact on a one-on-one level."

The press release said the bike rodeo will also include a bicycle registration booth. A Fort Scott city ordinance mandates that all bicycles in the city be registered. Area residents who have not registered their bicycles may do so free of charge at the event, according to Fort Scott Police School Resource Officer Toby Nighswonger.

Nighswonger explained that since many area residents purchase their bicycles from the same local department store, many of the bicycles look the same and unless the bicycles are registered there is no way to know who a stolen bicycle belongs to when one is recovered by the police.

Puterbaugh said bicycle registration helps the local police department return stolen or lost items to their rightful owners.

"It (registration) gives us a chance to retrieve their lawful property in the event it's lost, stolen or misplaced," Puterbaugh said. "The idea behind the ordinance is not to punish people but to be able to return property to people."

Also at the event Roger Lomshek and Tail Wind Cyclist, Pittsburg, will be on hand to provide free safety checks for all children's bicycles. Lomshek and his staff will also be setting up a free obstacle course for area children to ride through that will help teach safety procedures.

"We'll check over all of the kids bikes to make sure they're safe," Lomshek said. "They will have a chance to ride through an obstacle course to check their bicycle handling skills and to make sure they can navigate with proper hand signals and keep the bike in a fairly straight line especially when starting and stopping."

Lomshek said it is important for children to learn proper bicycle safety information in order to keep them safe when they are riding.

"It's (teaching safety rules) something that is very important if parents want kids to understand the rules of safe riding," he said. "Kids need to learn how to follow actual laws and rules of riding on the road in a safe manner."

Since there is a lot of misinformation available in regards to bicycle safety, Lomshek said the obstacle course will help the children understand the correct safety procedures.

"It's a fun way for kids to learn what they need to do to stay safe when riding on the road," he said. "It (obstacle course) definitely helps keep them safe. We're given them proven tactics of how to stay out of trouble. We teach them how an experienced rider rides and make sure they are riding like that."

In addition to the bicycle safety checks and the obstacle course, Lomshek said he and his staff will be checking bicycle helmets and make helmet adjustments for free at the event.

Puterbaugh said he encourages local families to come out on the 18th and participate in the bicycle rodeo.

"We encourage everybody to come as a family and enjoy a morning of fun-filled safe activities," he said.

Anyone with questions or who would like to volunteer to help contact Nighswonger at (620) 223-1700 or Mary Corpstein with the Farmer's Market at (620) 857-4190.