Posts Tagged ‘Somerville’
Our Law Firm’s Commitment to Bicycle Safety for Somerville 5th Graders and Somerville Public Schools
For the fifth year, Somerville 5th graders have met our challenge. Our lawyers are pleased to send 370 students into summer with a free bicycle helmet from Project KidSafe, our campaign to encourage safe cycling and prevent head injuries.
The students earned the helmets by completing the CYCLE Kids curriculum, which teaches bicycle safety fundamentals. CYCLE Kids is offered as part of physical education classes at Somerville public schools. Through CYCLE Kids, some students in Somerville learn how to ride a bicycle for the first time. Others gain valuable experience or take other cycling firsts – such as riding with friends for the first time or their first ride on the Somerville Community Path.
“It’s all about your brain. Your brain is going to take you through life,” Attorney Ron Gluck told 5th graders at the Benjamin G. Brown School on Monday. “So protect your brain and it’s our pleasure to give you these helmets. You earned them, through your good work in learning about safety and bicycles.”
“It’s all about safety, but it’s also the law,” Somerville Police Officer Marianne Manfra added. In Massachusetts, cyclists who are 16 years old and younger are required to wear helmets. We urge all cyclists to wear helmets.
Shawn Maguire, principal of the Benjamin G. Brown School, Sharyn Von Trapp, the 5th grade physical education teacher and Steve Simolaris, supervisor of health and physical education at the Somerville public schools, all attended the gathering to recognize students for completing CYCLE Kids. Von Trapp handed students certificates of completion, while Attorney Gluck and Officer Manfra gave students their helmets (and we are pleased to report the students already knew how to fit their own helmets and some knew enough to help friends).
About Breakstone, White & Gluck and Project KidSafe
Attorneys Marc L. Breakstone, David W. White and Ronald E. Gluck founded our law firm in 1992. Breakstone, White & Gluck is a personal injury law firm and as part of our practice, our attorneys have long represented cyclists. We know wearing a bicycle helmet can make every difference in preventing head injuries and saving lives. Wearing a helmet is also a simple step anyone can take. We founded our Project KidSafe campaign in 2013 to encourage helmet use.
Over six years, our attorneys have given away more than 20,000 bicycle helmets to children in Massachusetts. Each year, we partner with CYCLE Kids and Somerville public schools, along with the Kiwanis Club of Somerville on its annual Bicycle Safety Day. One hundred cyclists turned out this year to learn cycling skills. The event was held last weekend at the East Somerville Community School.
We also partner with Groundwork Somerville, which gives our helmets to students who participate in summer programming and rely on their bikes for transportation throughout the day.
About Breakstone, White & Gluck
The Boston personal injury lawyers of Breakstone, White & Gluck have over 100 years combined experience representing those who have been injured by the negligence or wrongdoing of others. To learn more about our attorneys, visit our website. For a free legal consultation, contact us at 800-379-1244 or 617-723-7676 or use our contact form.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Partners with SHIFT Community Bicycle Collective to Protect Kids on Bikes
We welcomed a new community partner to our Project KidSafe campaign this year. SHIFT Community Bicycle Collective is well known in Somerville for its streetside bike education and repair workshops. The organization is a resource for the city’s cyclists, including the youngest riders.
Breakstone, White & Gluck made a donation of bicycle helmets to SHIFT and the organization gave them away a few at a time over the year, as volunteers came across children who needed one. Here are some photos of children who received helmets at Family Bike Day on Sept. 16, outside the Somerville Public Library East Branch. Looks like we have a few more cyclists out there ready to ride safely! That’s the goal, so we are happy to see it. Our thanks to SHIFT for doing such a good job this year.
Over 2,000 Bicycle Helmets for Kids in Somerville – So Far!
Breakstone, White & Gluck has over 100 years combined experience representing those who have been injured by negligence in Massachusetts. We are committed to bicycle safety in Massachusetts and have supported numerous bicycle clubs for more than 20 years. We also promote cycling safety through our Project KidSafe campaign. Since 2013, we have donated over 15,000 helmets to children and partnered with over 40 organizations, bicycle clubs and police departments.
We are committed to bicycle safety in Somerville and have donated more than 2,000 helmets here over the past five years. Each year, we donate bicycle helmets to 5th graders in Somerville Public Schools who complete the CYCLE Kids curriculum. We also partner with the Kiwanis Club of Somerville, donating helmets for kids at the annual Bike Safety Day, as well as Groundwork Somerville and SHIFT Bicycle Collective. It’s been a lot of fun and we are already looking forward to 2018.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates Bicycle Helmets to Every Fifth-Grader in Somerville
Breakstone, White & Gluck was pleased to donate 330 bicycle helmets to Somerville fifth-graders from our Project KidSafe campaign. Attorney Ronald E. Gluck is shown above, giving a young cyclist a helmet at the West Somerville Neighbhorhood School on June 15, 2017.
For the fourth year, Breakstone, White & Gluck was pleased to donate bicycle helmets to every fifth-grader in Somerville who completed the CYCLE Kids bike safety training. We donated 330 helmets from our Project KidSafe campaign this month, in partnership with the Somerville Public Schools, Somerville Police Department and CYCLE Kids.
Attorney Ronald E. Gluck was on hand today as fifth-graders at the West Somerville Neighborhood School graduated from the CYCLE Kids program and received their new bicycle helmets. Somerville Community Police Officer Marianne Manfra handed out certificates of completion while Attorney Gluck handed out the new helmets. Somerville Police Chief David Fallon, Somerville Police Captain Jim Donovan, Neil Holloway, a physical education teacher at West Somerville Neighborhood School, and Steve Simolaris, supervisor of health and physical education for the schools, helped congratulate the kids and say “Great Job.”
And from all of us here at Breakstone, White & Gluck, “Great Job Somerville Fifth-Graders.”
CYCLE Kids is a curriculum which teaches safe bike riding, helmet use and nutrition. It is taught in Somerville as part of fifth-grade physical education class. For the past four years, we have tried to encourage these lessons by giving each child who completes the CYCLE Kids program a helmet. It was worth our donation this year. At West Somerville Neighborhood School, the students learned about the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet and were even fitting their own!
To the fifth-graders of Somerville and your parents, Breakstone, White & Gluck wishes you a safe and healthy summer! Don’t forget to wear your helmet every time you ride.
| Bicycle Helmets are the Law for Children in Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
| Helmets are required for cyclists who are 16 years of age or younger. For more information, read M.G.L. Chapter 85 Section 11B. | |
Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Support for Cycling Safety in Somerville
Breakstone, White & Gluck is active in supporting cycling safety in the Somerville community. In addition to the public schools, our law firm recently donated 120 bicycle helmets to the Kiwanis Club of Somerville for its annual Bike Safety Day, which was held last weekend. We have made this donation for the past five years and are pleased to see the Kiwanis Club continue with it each year, giving children an opportunity to receive a helmet, learn bike repair and practice safe riding in the Somerville community.
Our other partners in Somerville are Shift Bicycle Collective, a community organization which promotes bicycle safety, and Groundwork Somerville, which teaches teens agricultural skills. The teens wear the helmets as they ride around between work sites across the city of Somerville each summer.
To learn more about Project KidSafe and bike safety, visit www.bwglaw.com/project-kidsafe/. To learn more about Breakstone, White & Gluck and our work for clients, visit www.bwglaw.com.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates Bicycle Helmets and Safety Vests to Groundwork Somerville’s Green Team
Breakstone, White & Gluck was pleased to help students at Groundwork Somerville ride their bicycles safely this summer. As part of our Project KidSafe campaign, our attorneys donated bicycle helmets and neon safety vests to 25 students on The Green Team.
The Green Team is Groundwork Somerville’s environmental youth employment program, where Somerville youth work to make positive social and environmental change, while gaining valuable job training and career skills. The students spend summers working across the City of Somerville, building gardens, cleaning up rivers and engaging the community about ways to protect the environment and cultivate agricultural and forestry resources. The students rely heavily on their bicycles to travel between sites and bicycle safety is a priority.
Among The Green Team’s projects: developing The South Street Farm near the Cambridge border and participating in the planning of Somerville parks. If you shop at the Union Square Farmer’s Market or the Mystic Mobile Market, you may have bought produce from The Green Team gardens.
Breakstone, White & Gluck is pleased to support Groundwork Somerville. We encourage you to visit their website at www.groundworksomerville.org.
Breakstone, White & Gluck and Project KidSafe in Somerville
Breakstone, White & Gluck is committed to children’s bicycle safety. Over the past four years, our attorneys have donated over 10,000 bicycle helmets to children across Massachusetts through our Project KidSafe campaign. We have partnered with Groundwork Somerville for the past three years, donating helmets and safety vests.
We have been active in Somerville all four years of our safety campaign, also donating helmets to The Kiwanis Club of Somerville’s Bike Safety Day and helmets to every 5th grader who completes CYCLE Kids, which teaches bicycle riding and nutrition skills. In 2016, we were pleased to donate over 400 children’s bicycle helmets in the city. Read recent coverage in The Somerville Times.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates 300 Bicycle Helmets to Help Somerville Students Ride Safe
Attorney Marc Breakstone visited Somerville yesterday to help distribute new bicycle helmets to fifth-graders. But first he wanted to talk about their commitment to bicycle safety. “Is everyone ready to take a pledge?” he asked.
Click the video to watch:
For the third year, Breakstone, White & Gluck was pleased to donate 300 bicycle helmets to fifth graders in Somerville schools who completed the CYCLE Kids curriculum, which teaches bicycle riding and safety. Attorney Breakstone visited with about 60 students at the Dr. Albert F. Argenziano School at Lincoln Park and helped hand out the new bicycle helmets and certificates of completion for the CYCLE Kids training program.
Breakstone, White & Gluck is committed to helping children ride bicycles safely. Since 2013, we have donated over 10,000 bicycle helmets as part of our Project KidSafe campaign. Every year has brought a donation in Somerville, which actively promotes bicycle safety for children, through the schools, dedicated school resource officers and community organizations which promote safety events.
Our goal is simple: to encourage children to wear helmets and prevent head injuries in falls and bicycle accidents. Massachusetts law requires cyclists who are 16 years old and younger to wear bicycle helmets, though it is recommended for cyclists of all ages.
CYCLE Kids is a Cambridge non-profit organization which provides bicycle safety and nutrition curriculum for schools across the country. Locally, Cambridge and Somerville schools teach the curriculum in physical education classes.
Attorney Marc Breakstone with the fifth-graders from the Dr. Albert F. Argenziano School in Somerville.
The Somerville fifth graders who completed the CYCLE Kids curriculum learned how to ride a bicycle, safety skills such as wearing a helmet and using hand signals and nutrition fundamentals. Students are also encouraged to share their experience – and any fears they have – through essay writing.
“It can be scary for the kids who don’t know how to ride,” physical education Kris Savage said. “It is a brave thing for them to ride in front of their peers.”
Breakstone, White & Gluck coordinated the donation with CYCLE Kids, Somerville Public Schools and Somerville Police Officer Marianne Manfra. Attorney Breakstone, Officer Manfra and Kris Savage, physical education teacher at the Argenziano School, handed out the new Project KidSafe bike helmets to the children.
This year, we learned one of the fifth-graders who received a new bicycle helmet had taken his own steps for bike safety for his school and classmates. Caleb Piehl won the Saris National Bicycle Poster Contest last fall. As part of his prize, he won a trip to the National Bike Summit in Washington D.C. in March, a new Scwhinn bicycle, safety gear and a great prize for the school: a new 20-rack bicycle parking system that can track users’ mileage.
About Breakstone, White & Gluck
Breakstone, White & Gluck is a Boston personal injury law firm which is committed to the safety of all bicyclists in Massachusetts. We have over 100 years combined experience representing bicyclists injured by the negligence of others. If you, or a member of your family, has been injured in a bicycle incident, please feel free to contact us for a free legal consultation at 800-379-1244 or 617-723-7676 or use our contact form. Thank you and RIDE SAFE!
Three Bike Helmet Donation Events from Our Project KidSafe Campaign
Wearing a bicycle helmet is the most effective way to prevent a serious head injury on a bicycle. It is most important for young children who are still in development and building their strength.
Breakstone, White & Gluck is continuing its commitment to bicycle safety by donating children’s bicycle helmets through our Project KidSafe campaign. Here are a few recent and upcoming events:
Kiwanis Club of Somerville. For the third year, we partnered with the Kiwanis Club of Somerville at Bike Safety Day on May 16th. Each year, the Kiwanis holds the event in a different neighborhood; this year’s event was held at the Dr. Albert F. Argenziano School at Lincoln Park. There was a great turnout and the Kiwanis and Attorney David W. White donated nearly 120 bicycle helmets. Children were also offered free bike inspections, reflectors, safety information and the chance to test out their skills on bicycle obstacle courses. Read more about the Kiwanis Club of Somerville.
Worcester Earn-a-Bike. This community bicycle shop teaches local residents the basics of bicycle maintenance while letting them work to earn a free bicycle. If you are under 17 years old, you must volunteer for 5 hours to receive a free bicycle and anyone over age 17 must volunteer for 10 hours.
Worcester Earn-a-Bike is also known for its popular annual Kids Bike Sale. This year’s event will be held on June 6th. This is a fun event because every child’s bicycle is on sale for just $5. Breakstone, White & Gluck participates by donating free bicycle helmets to children who need one. This is the second year we have partnered up with Worcester Earn-a-Bike. Read more about Worcester Earn-a-Bike.
Friends of Lexington Bikeways. The Friends of Lexington Bikeways donated bicycle helmets from Project KidSafe to children at Discovery Day on May 23. The group showed children how to properly fit the helmets and spoke about safety with parents and children. This is the second year we have partnered up with the Friends of the Lexington Bikeways, which is active in promoting and supporting safe cycling and development of bike routes. Read more about the Friends of Lexington Bikeways.
Photo: A volunteer helps a child adjust a bicycle helmet at Discovery Day in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Makes Bike Helmet Donation to Somerville Schools
We want to share articles from the Somerville News Weekly and BostonNewsGroup.com about the CYCLE Kids program and our bike helmet donation to the Somerville elementary schools. CYCLE Kids is a Cambridge organization which provides curriculum that teaches riding skills, bike maintenance, road safety and nutrition. Locally, the curriculum is offered in Cambridge and Somerville schools as part of physical education classes.
Earlier this week, attorney Marc Breakstone attended a graduation ceremony for children finishing the curriculum at the Dr. Albert F. Argenziano School in Somerville. Breakstone, White & Gluck donated 325 helmets to Somerville schools.
“Our firm is honored to be associated with CYCLE Kids which does such an incredible job educating kids in bike safety and healthy lifestyle choices,” Breakstone said. “The energy, excitement and elation in that gym were inspiring and many people should be recognized. Our firm looks forward to continuing to support this effort for years to come.”
Attorney Marc Breakstone, Somerville Community Police Officer Marianne Manfra and Somerville Deputy Police Chief Michael Carbral with a graduate. Photo credit: The Somerville News Weekly.
Fifth-graders at Somerville’s Dr. Albert F. Argenziano School graduating from CYCLE Kids program, joined by community officials.
Participating in the event were Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, Superintendent of Schools Anthony Pierantozzi, Deputy Police Chief Michael Cabral, Somerville Community Police Officer Marianne Manfra and CYCLE Kids Founder Julianne Idlet.
Breakstone, White & Gluck is donating bike helmets to cycling organizations throughout the Boston area in 2014. It is the second year we have made these donations and expect to donate 2,000 helmets by year’s end. We have donated helmets to Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward, CYCLE Kids, the Kiwanis Club of Somerville and Worcester Earn-a-Bike along with other organizations.
It is our second year partnering with CYCLE Kids. Last year, we partnered with the organization and donated 300 helmets to fourth-graders in the CYCLE Kids program in Cambridge.
While CYCLE Kids is based in Cambridge, it is a national organization that promotes healthy lifestyles for youth and families. CYCLE Kids uses the bicycle as the vehicle to teach the importance of adopting healthy, active lifestyles. The CYCLE Kids curriculum teaches riding skills, bike maintenance, and road safety. In addition, the curriculum provides practical skills based on a child’s existing knowledge of nutrition such as portion control and how to balance a meal. The CYCLE Kids curriculum is present in 8 states, with 38 programs and reaches 3,000 children a year.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates 175 Helmets to Somerville Bike Safety Day
Bike Safety Day in Somerville is always a great way for children to kick off a summer of safe bicycle riding. This year, Breakstone, White & Gluck was pleased to participate, donating 175 helmets to the Somerville Kiwanis Club for distribution to children from the Winter Hill Community School. Over 130 children were fitted for helmets that day and the school was given the rest to give students individually as needed.
Above photo includes: John Welch, Winter Hill School Re-Direct Officer; Somerville Police Officer MaryAnn Manfra; David Blumsack, Somerville Kiwanis Club Event Organizer; attorney David White of Breakstone, White & Gluck; George McLean of the Somerville Kiwanis Club; Nancy Bushnach of the Somerville Kiwanis Club and Ellen O’Brien of the Somerville Kiwanis Club.
The event is hosted annually by the Somerville Kiwanis Club and was held at the Winter Hill Community School playground on June 22. Children who registered in advance came out with their bikes for a free inspection, helmets and reflectors. Children and parents then had to test out their new skills on bike safety obstacle courses.
As part of the event, children registered their bikes with the Somerville Police Department and were given fingerprinting kits.
The helmet donation was part of Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Project KidSafe, launched this year. To date, our firm has donated over 900 helmets and is on track to donate 1,000 by the end of summer.
Our Boston lawyers have donated helmets to children in need through these programs: Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward program, CYCLE Kids in Cambridge, Boston Cyclists Union and the Dedham Bike Rodeo. Bikes Not Bombs of Jamaica Plain was given a monetary donation to support its youth programming.
Above: Attorney David White of Breakstone, White & Gluck of Boston.
Below: Somerville Police Office MaryAnn Manfra.
Bicycle Accidents Rare in Boston Hubway Program, Officials Report
Boston’s popular Hubway bike sharing program will expand into Cambridge and Somerville next spring, providing more opportunities for healthy, environmentally-friendly and fun travel.
Boston’s program, which began in July 2011, is scheduled to close its 60 bike rental stations and 600 bikes this week for the winter. Bikes are expected to be available again next March, weather permitting. At the same time, Cambridge plans to open 20 stations in areas such as Harvard, Central and Inman squares. Somerville plans to open 8 stations including in Porter, Union and Davis squares.
Brookline is also working on adding two Hubway stations at Coolidge Corner and Brookline Village.
Boston’s Hubway program had 3,650 annual members in its first season. The system is partly funded by a $3 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration. It is intended for short trips as an extension of public transit. Annual members who pay $85 per year and those with one-day $5 and three-day $12 memberships can take unlimited rides, but they must return bikes within 30 minutes to avoid incurring additional fees.
Among annual members, the average ride lasted 17 minutes.
As officials close up the Boston program for the winter, they report concerns over an increase in bicycle accidents never materialized. The program saw no serious bike crashes requiring ambulance response and only two bike accidents overall.
But one issue is less than half of Hubway cyclists appeared to wear bike helmets, the program reported. Nearly 75 percent of riders on other bikes wore helmets. The city of Boston has tried to boost bike helmet use by working with 30 bike shops to offer subsidized bike helmets for less than $10.
The Boston bike accident lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck urge cyclists to learn Massachusetts bicycle laws. Click here for our guide.
We also urge cyclists to consider purchasing bicycle accident injury protection through their automobile insurance policies. Check your uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which provides protection if there is a bicycle accident. This insurance is affordable and can ease the physical and financial recovery after a bicycle accident. Click to read our guide What Every Bicyclist Needs to Know About Car Insurance.
Click here to read an article in The Boston Globe about the Hubway bicycle sharing program.
Click here to learn more about Boston’s Hubway sharing program.
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Cambridge Leads Massachusetts in Bike Accidents
Cambridge and Somerville are known as bike-friendly communities, but new state figures show they are also among the most dangerous places for cyclists in Massachusetts.
Cambridge saw 400 bicycle accidents involving cars from 2002 to 2009, according to The 2009 Top Crash Locations Report, which was recently released by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Over the past decade, the city had more bike-and-car crashes than any other community in Massachusetts, a recent Boston Herald review found.
Eight of the top 10 areas for bike crashes were in Cambridge. The state’s most dangerous bicycling intersection was Inman Square in Cambridge and Somerville. From 2002 to 2009, there were 106 bike accidents around Hampshire and Cambridge streets.
Other Cambridge areas included several sections of Massachusetts Avenue, including through Alewife Brook Parkway on the Arlington border. Porter Square – at Massachusetts and Somerville avenues – had the third highest number of bike crashes.
The state’s bicycling population is growing as infrastructure improvements continue and new bike share programs begin. Boston and Salem began bike share programs this summer, while Somerville is expected to launch its program next year.
With this growth and changes in Massachusetts bicycling laws in recent years, it is important for both drivers and cyclists to understand the law and follow it. Here the Boston bicycle accident lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck share some basic tips:
- Motorists are required to report accidents with bicyclists resulting in more than $1,000 in property damage or personal injury. It is a good practice to report all accidents in case pain and injuries arise later.
- Leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury is a crime in Massachusetts punishable by up to two years in jail.
- Motorists are required to identify themselves and the owner of the vehicle to the cyclist, even when bike accidents are not reported to police.
- Bicyclists are required to report all accidents they are involved with that cause personal injury or $100 or more in damage.
- When a bicyclist is injured in a car accident, the driver’s auto insurance provides up to $8,000 in Personal Injury Protection benefits (also known as no fault benefits). These benefits cover medical expenses and lost wages, even if the driver was not negligent
- If you are a cyclist, you can protect yourself by purchasing coverage for accidents. Coverage can be purchased through your car insurance policy.
Additional Bicycle Resources
Facts About Cycling in Massachusetts
What Every Massachusetts Bicyclist Needs to Know About Car Insurance
What to Do When Car and Bike Collide. Boston Globe. Sept. 25, 2011.
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