Andover police and children put Safety First

AndoveR-The Andover Township Police Department has given away a brand new BMX bicycle and three bicycle helmets to kick off its Summer 2004 Bicycle Helmet Safety Program. During the months of July and August, members of the police department will be patrolling the neighborhoods looking for children riding their bicycles. If a child is observed wearing a helmet, they will be given either a Burger Buck donated by the Sparta Burger King or a coupon donated by the Sparta Dairy Queen good for one ice cream cone. If a child is observed riding without a helmet, they will be issued a warning and given information on how important it is to wear a helmet. The police department held the Bicycle Helmet Safety Poster Contest for the third grade class at the Florence M. Burd School after receiving the 20" BMX bicycle as a donation from Hinkley Auto Sales located on Newton-Sparta Road in Andover Township. The first place winner of the poster contest, Mikaela Molnar, received the bicycle and a gift certificate for a bicycle helmet donated by Cycle Works located on Route 206 in Byram. The second place winner, Trevor Morgan, received a gift certificate for a new bicycle helmet donated by the Andover Township Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 177 and an ice cream cone coupon, and third place winner, Morgan McMickle, received a gift certificate for a new helmet also donated by the FOP Lodge 177. Two Honorable Mention winners each received a coupon for an ice cream cone and a burger buck. Pictured above is the first place winner, Mikaela Molnar, displaying her winning poster "Safety's always on my mind."