Emmitsburg children lasso up some
 safety tips at bike rodeo

(9/20) On September 8 Emmitsburg held its first bike rodeo to the delight of over 40 children.

From 9 to 11 a.m. participants had an opportunity to complete an obstacle course aimed to teach them about bike safety. Police officers were on hand to show participants the ropes, which involved mounting and dismounting, weaving and maneuvering and short radius turning.

“Most kids can do everything, we just teach them to do it safe,” said Frederick County Sheriff’s Office Corporal Tom Johann.

In Maryland, law requires all bicyclists under the age of 16 to wear a bicycle safety helmet when riding on public property, which includes roadways, trails and sidewalks, which is something Emmitsburg Mayor Jim Hoover is glad to see.

“Safety was the least of concern with bikes when I was growing up. It’s a learning curve, reality is there’s more vehicles on the road nowadays; it’s a little bit more challenging,” Hoover said. “There is a good reason to promote the course and safety.”

There is no penalty for helmet law offenders in Maryland so Mayor Hoover hopes that the rodeo will cause kids to think that wearing a helmet is “a little bit cooler.”

Volunteers were on hand to give out free helmets to those who needed one and the town is hoping to hold the rodeo again next year.