Owls fly with new safety skills at fun Elliott event

June 3, 2025

Angela and Tylin showed off their new safety-first skills this spring by moving their heads back and forth before stepping onto the Billy Wolff Trail.
 
The two Elliott Elementary School first graders looked left, right and left again as part of the 2025 Bike to School Day celebration. Hundreds of Owls stopped by four educational stations with local safety leaders. Lincoln Public Schools, LPS Sustainability Department, Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD), City of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU) Department, Safe Kids Lincoln-Lancaster County and Black Hills Energy teamed up for the annual event, which took place at Elliott this year.
 
Tylin said it was important to be aware of trail traffic such as pedestrians, bikers or rollerbladers. Rachel Redepenning, a public health educator with LLCHD, and Delrae Hirschman, a volunteer with Safe Kids Lincoln-Lancaster County, taught children how to safely approach major routes like the Billy Wolff Trail, which runs along the western edge of Elliott’s campus.
 
“If you don’t look both ways, you might get hit,” Tylin said.
 
Angela was awed by a safety session with a large profile vehicle. Black Hills Energy employees Mark Husmann and Fernando Izaguirre helped children climb into the front seat of a utility truck. They explained to the Owls how difficult it was for them to see around the outside of the vehicle and how vital it was for students to make eye contact with drivers.
 
“When you see the truck, you can’t stand and play next to them, because the driver can’t see you,” Angela said.
 
Redepenning and Elliott Principal Michelle Kulas said they were both encouraged about the day’s outcomes. They felt it was essential to help students soak in many safety lessons throughout the morning and afternoon. In addition to the large profile vehicle and trail etiquette sessions, they also learned how to properly wear a bike helmet and safely navigate crosswalks by school.
 
“Giving them all of those different safety pieces and being able to provide them in one day is really awesome,” Redepenning said. “It’s across the board. It helps them in so many different ways.”
 
“Our students want to be safe and they want to make responsible decisions,” Kulas said. “Our job is to provide them with the education they need to make those decisions independently and know how to stay safe.”
 
Kulas requested that the trail etiquette session be added to the day’s agenda this year. The Billy Wolff Trail features 11.25 paved miles throughout Lincoln and has become busier in recent years. This is especially true near Elliott’s section of the trail, which is close to the Lewis Ballfields area and the growing Telegraph District.
 
“This trail is a big commuter trail, so there were a lot of bikes today,” Hirschman said. “Kids could see, ‘Oh yeah, we do have to watch out, because there are really fast bikes coming through.’ It really hits home for them.”
 
Redepenning and Hirschman also spoke with students about proper ways to travel on the trail. They emphasized walking or biking on the righthand side, saying “On your left!” when passing someone and watching out for people who might try to step onto the pavement.
 
“Several kids we’ve talked to bike to school every day on the trail, especially the fifth graders,” Redepenning said. “They’re out there running and walking on the trail a fair amount, so being able to have these safety skills is huge for them.”
 
LTU employees Melissa Ramos-Lammli and Roberto Partida spent their day teaching children about crosswalk safety along N Street. They told students to look left, right and left again when they approach a crosswalk, and to make sure that vehicles are stopped before they step out onto the street. They also told them to be aware of their surroundings both in the crosswalk and on both sides of the road.
 
Ramos-Lammli, a senior traffic technician, and Partida, a transportation planner, presented their tips to students before helping them navigate their way across N Street. Ramos-Lammli said she enjoyed spending time with younger and older Owls.
 
“I love working with the kids and just reminding them,” Ramos-Lammli said. “A lot of them know the basics, and we want to make sure we encourage that and take that home with them and pass it along to their families and older and younger siblings.”
 
Ramos-Lammli said the spring timing of the event was critical for both students and area drivers. Many children will put their safety training into practice as they walk or bike to friends’ houses, neighborhood parks or local libraries during the summertime. The increased number of students who are outside also means drivers must pay extra attention while moving across Lincoln.
 
“It’s so important to do this right now,” Ramos-Lammli said. “Kids are going to be out at all hours of the day going to their activities, so it’s really important that we make sure that drivers are aware that they’re going to be out there.”
 
Redepenning said the partnership with LPS will help students like Angela and Tylin remain safe throughout their childhood years in Lincoln.
 
“The school’s been very supportive of really helping to push these messages out, not just today, but all year round,” Redepenning said. “They really do care about the kids’ safety and are great supporters of getting the message out there to prevent those injuries from happening.”
 
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