Clinton Township Newsletter

4 O c t O b e r 2 0 1 6 www.ClintonTwpNewsletter.com As children finalize their Halloween costumes and strategize key "trick or treat" routes through local neighborhoods, HART Commuter Information Services reminds parents to also plan for safety. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, children are twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than any other day of the year. "Halloween is a 'walking holiday'," says Tara Shepherd, executive director of HART Commuter Information Services, the non profit organization promoting sustainable transportation in Hunterdon County. "It is an important time to reinforce two key elements of pedestrian safety-visibility and predictability," she notes. "Children are smaller, and by their very size, are less visible to motorists," she points out. "Children also don't process speed and distance the way that adults do, so they cannot always judge how close or how fast a car is going," she adds. "Dusk and nighttime conditions, as well as dark costumes, add to lower visibility and can create a higher safety risk," Shepherd cautions. HART recommends that all children and their chaperones wear reflective items, such wristbands, sashes, safety vests, or reflective tapes/tags, as well as carry a flashlight or other illuminated item, such as a glow stick, to improve the likelihood that they will be seen by motorists. HART is offering free reflective wristbands to interested residents. The wristbands are available for pick up only Monday-Friday, 9:30 am - 3:30 p.m. at the HART offices in the Raritan Town Square Center (Lowe's/Walmart), 146 Route 31 North. The office is located in the same building as the AAA Retail Store, 2nd floor. There's a limit of four sets per family. H A R T o f f e r s t h e f o l l o w i n g a d d i t i o n a l Halloween safety tips: • Wear reflective items such as wristbands and reflective tape. • Take along a flashlight for evening trick or treating. • Use sidewalks and crosswalks; do not cross midblock or "jaywalk" • Where there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic and only cross at corners. • Don't assume a driver sees you or your child. Make eye contact before crossing. • Always accompany small children. • Make sure that costumes do not block a child's vision or create a trip hazard when walking. • Do not allow children to "horseplay" along the side of the road. • Do not be a distracted walker. Put down the cell phone. Stop texting. • Serve as a role model to children through your own pedestrian behavior by following these rules. HART Commuter Information Services (HART), a nonprofit transportation management association (TMA), works to promote sustainable transportation in our county. HART is governed by an independent Board of Directors and is funded in part throught the NJ Transportation Planning Authority/ Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), NJ Div. of Highway Traffic Safety, NJ Dept. of Transportation and NJ TRANSIT. All HART programs and services are provided free of charge to those who live or work in Hunterdon County. www.harttma.com. h A l l o w e e N p e d e s t r i A N s A F e t y : v i s i b i l i t y & p r e d i C t A b i l i t y A r e t h e k e y s www.MSIPlumbingandRemodeling.com 1109 Route 31 South, Lebanon New Jersey Licensed Master Plumber #8722 908.735.4438 your plumbing experts! Water Conditioning & RO Systems Sewage Ejector Pump Service & Replacement Kitchen Sink & Dishwasher Installation Emergency Sump Pumps Maintained & Installed Battery & Water Backup Sump Pumps Repair & Installation Of Toilets & Faucets Fix And Repair Clogged Fixtures & Drains Gas Piping Design, Repair & Installation Water Pipe Repair & Maintenance Emergency Leak Repair And Automatic Alerts Ice Maker Lines Repaired & Installed Generac Generators Installed & Maintained Full Remodeling Services o C t o b e r i s F i r e s A F e t y M o N t h by Anne Thornton, President, MSI Plumbing & Remodeling As long as I can remember, October has been Fire Prevention Month. I never knew the history of why October was chosen as the month. In researching this article, I discovered that the National Fire Prevention Month has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire which occurred on October 9, 1871. In two days the Great Chicago Fire destroyed half of the existing city, leaving 300 dead and 100,000 homeless. Let's focus on the dangers of kitchen fires. According to the latest research, cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Two of every five home fires begin in the kitchen—more than any other place in the home. Cooking fires are also the leading cause of home fire-related injuries. Often when the fire department is called to a fire that started in the kitchen, the residents say that they only left the kitchen for a few minutes. Sadly, that's all it takes for a dangerous fire to start. Here are some safety tips: • Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food. If you must leave the room, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove. • When you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, stay in the home, and use a timer to remind you. • If you have young children, use the stove's back burners whenever possible. • Keep children and pets at least three (3) feet away from the stove. • When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves. • Keep potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper and plastic bags, towels, and anything else that can burn, away from your stovetop. • Clean up food and grease from burners and stovetops. • Lastly, when a fire happens, there is no time for planning. Sit down with your family now and make a step-by-step plan for escaping from a fire in your home. • Know where your fire extinguisher is mounted, and make sure everyone in the family knows how to use it. • Ensuring that you have working smoke detectors in your home greatly increases your family's chances of surviving a fire. For more information about installing water-efficient appliances, remodeling and improving your home, please visit us at our office, give us a call or visit us online. MSI Plumbing & Remodeling, 908.735.4438. MSIPlumbingAndRemodeling.com.

• Cover