Kids taking part in the A. George and Patricia Pradel Safety Town of Naperville’s Open Bike Night Thursday were the first to check out the campus’ latest addition.
On Thursday morning, employees from Canadian National Railway, in cooperation with members of the city of Naperville’s electric department, installed a newly refurbished railroad crossing gate made especially for the miniature village.
It’s been years in the making, Safety Town President Laurah Georgi said, and she couldn’t be happier.
“We are so grateful for Canadian National Railway’s generous donation of the rail crossing gate equipment and labor,” Georgi said. “The rail crossing gate is an important part of our interactive safety curriculum, which is taught every summer to local children.”
Located at 1320 Aurora Ave. and run by the Naperville Junior Woman’s Club in cooperation with the Naperville police and fire departments, Safety Town includes streets, tiny buildings, traffic signs and signals, a railroad crossing and a classroom, which is used throughout the year for various safety- and health-related programs.
Georgi said the original railroad crossing gate was donated about 20 years ago, and when it stopped working in 2012, funds weren’t available to repair or replace it.
“Safety Town, its programs and facility are completely operated and maintained by volunteers,” Georgi said. “Safety Town does not rely on tax dollars, but instead operates using the funds generated from our programs and donations from corporate sponsors.”
The replacement came to fruition after Georgi was put in contact with Naperville resident and CN retiree Gordon Trafton, who was able to connect her with CN officials.
“Safety always comes first at CN, and we work hand-in-hand with the communities we serve to advance safety,” CN spokesman Patrick Waldron said. “We are pleased to be able to contribute to Safety Town and help teach children how to be safe in their communities, especially at railroad crossings and around railroad tracks.”
The gate, formerly located at a railroad crossing in Freeport, was rusty and needed to be replaced. After a fresh coat of paint and some minor changes to retrofit it, it was “repurposed” and ready to make its debut in a new home.
“A key focus of our community partnerships programs is safety and safety education,” Waldron said. “We work to be good neighbors, and have many employees who live in Naperville.”
Lights flashed and bells clanged as the railroad gate lowered near the tracks at Safety Town in Naperville. For Georgi, those were the sights and sounds she’d been waiting to hear for several years.
“It’s an integral part of our curriculum because it makes train safety interactive for our kids,” Georgi said. “We felt like we were missing something when it wasn’t operating; we are thrilled to have this major donation from CN that will bring our program back into the forefront of train safety and safety in general.”
The Naperville Junior Woman’s Club and Naperville Police Department have Open Bike Nights scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. July 15 and Aug. 2 at Safety Town. The program is open for children ageas 3 to 10 and teaches them about lihts and signs, hand signals, crossing intersections and other safe biking rules. Cost is $5.
Jane Donahue is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.