Brett Bentley, Features Editor, 530-477-4219, learning@theunion.com
E1 | Saturday, August 10, 2013 | The Union
Get ready to get back to school safely By Jennifer Terman Staff Writer
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What’s for lunch? Area parents share ideas Looking for some inspiration with healthy school lunches this year? We asked local parents in the food business, as well as a few around The Union to share some of their favorite healthy lunch ideas beyond peanut butter and jelly.
“We like to put dinner leftovers whenever we can. I have a few great soup recipes that I am looking forward to sending with Felix in a special thermos he has during the cooler months.” — Wendy Van Wagner, In the Kitchen, Nevada City
Van Wagner also suggests: Sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots with a dijon dressing, cheese slices, grapes, peaches, sliced Japanese turnips. “Water, fruit and healthy meat sandwiches. Stay away from chips, and processed chips.”
JOHN HART/JHART@THEUNION.COM
A school bus near Union Hill School on Highway 174 turns on its red lights. At right: CHP officer Justin Barnthouse cites a motorist who did not stop for the school bus’s red lights. Traffic fines incurred in school zones, like construction zones, are doubled.
— Dennis Houlihan, Nevada Union High School varsity football coach
“Pitas, salads with leftover chicken from the night before, or celery with peanut butter.” —Betsy and Brian Hamilton, The Union
Betsy adds that it’s best to buy fresh ground peanut butter – it tastes the same, but without sugar, or hydrogenated oils. Sliced apples are also a good snack. Add a little lemon juice in the morning to prevent them from browning.
“Upon stopping to load or unload students, we are to turn our red lights on immediately as we’re coming up to a bus stop,” she said. “At 200 feet we must turn on our amber lights at the top to tell people you need to prepare to stop. At 100 feet, the driver is to turn on their turn signal to indicate they are pulling over and the red lights go on, which means to stop; and the red lights are not turned off until we are leaving the bus stop.” If a driver foregoes this process and tries to quickly drive around a bus, they risk hitting a child, Davison said. “If a kid is running across the road or trying to get to the bus stop late and a car tries to gun it and go around, there’s a chance of fatality,” Davison said. According to the California Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules site, the offense for passing a school bus with flashing lights is $680 and 1 point on your driving record, the financial penalty
“My kids love strawberries, dipped in Blood Orange fused olive oil with Alfoos Mango white balsamic vinegar. They also love cut-up fruit mixed into yogurt.” equivalent of driving with a suspended or revoked license. “It’s a huge fine,” Davison said. “The second offense doubles and with the third offense, your license can be taken away.” Disobeying a crossing guard is also an expensive offense at $280 and 1 driving record point. Another important safety precaution parents should be aware of is keeping accurate and up-to-date contact information, said Karrie Misley, who works part time with the Nevada Union High School nurse’s office and special education program. “If there was one thing I could wish (for parents to do) is to notify the school when
they change their phones,” Misley said. “It can be really dangerous if a kid has broken a leg or arm and all the numbers are disconnected.” Misley said she has seen several incidents where emergency services have to be contacted because a parent has outdated contact information. “I know so many who change their numbers at the drop of a hat and they need to contact the school, email the school, records or nursing office,” she said. “Just communicate. That’s a big thing.” To contact Staff Writer Jennifer Terman, email jterman@theunion.com or call 530-477-4230.
— Jeanette Angell, Olive Vitality
Angell added that any time her children pick the fruit or vegetables themselves, they are more likely to eat it. Other suggestions mentioned: Salami with cheese and crackers (a homemade version of Lunchables), tortilla rolled up with cream cheese and turkey and cut into bite-sized pieces, bagels, soba noodles and sauce, hummus and veggies, and oatmeal. For more ideas or inspiration, check out the following websites and blogs: www.parenting.com/tags/kids-lunch-ideas www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/04/19/ school-lunch-roundup/ For more on school lunches and healthy options on a budget, see Thursday’s Family Focus section.
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ushing your student to school in order to beat the morning bell can lead to some major consequences, so local public safety officials encourage parents and other drivers to get prepared to slow down. The vast majority of western Nevada County schools open their doors to students returning from summer vacation on Wednesday and Thursday. But before they walk through those doors, many will be strolling along the sidewalks and streets of the community. School and public safety officials hope they are able to do so in a safe manner. Pedestrians in cross walks have the right of way at all times and if drivers are following the 25 mph speed limit, slowing down shouldn’t be an issue, said California Highway Patrol Officer Justin Barnthouse. But too often people are put in perilous situations on the way to school. “People try to rush through (a cross walks) and if somebody is in the middle, you’re supposed to wait for them to be completely through,” he said. “Especially in school zones, there’s more of a necessity.” Traffic offenses in school zones also include a double fine, similar to a construction zone, Barnthouse said. “So let’s say a ticket for doing 10 mph over (the speed limit) is about $200, now you made it $400 because you did it in a school zone,” Barnthouse said. The highest group of people who are often ticketed for speed-related offenses in school zones are rushed parents, Barnthouse said. “I write more tickets to moms and dads who are running late than I do to people just trying to get through,” he said. “If your kid’s a few minutes late to school, your kid’s a few minutes late to school.” Another safety issue drivers should be aware of is the proper protocol for a school bus that is loading and unloading children. The largest problem is lack of understanding of what the ambercolored and red-colored lights that flash on a bus mean, said Paula Davison, safety training supervisor.
THIS SCHOOL YEAR’S BUS SCHEDULE
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