Flashy signs, slower roll

STERLING – The Sterling-Rock Falls Jaycees want drivers to give kids a brake, and they’ve put up $750 to make sure people do just that.

Jaycee president Dylan Devers along with Jaycee members Travis McBride and Nick Hubbard donated money to the Sterling school district Monday to put toward traffic safety.

If you want to see how the district spent the money, it won’t be hard. Just keep your eyes peeled for flashing stop signs near two of the city’s schools: at Lynn Boulevard and 16th Avenue near Franklin Elementary School, and Lynn Boulevard and Sixth Avenue near Challand Middle School.

The signs – which replaced some of the existing signs at the four-ways – are designed grab drivers’ attention at two of the busier intersections in town and remind them that they’re in a school zone. “They get going pretty fast there,” Birdsley said, pointing north on Sixth Avenue.

Devers said the group alternates donating money between Sterling and Rock Falls, and this year was Sterling’s turn, since the past 2 years’ fundraising went to Rock Falls.

“We like to go back and forth across the river and spread the wealth,” he said.

The Jaycees will stick with flashing lights for their next fundraiser, but this time the lights will be in the sky. They’ll be raising money for their Christmas for Kids program during their annual Independence Day Celebration at Westwood Fitness and Sports Center, 1900 Westwood Drive, where fireworks will flash, pop and boom in the night sky, beginning at dusk. Gates open at 5 p.m. and there’ll be a bounce house, dunk tank and food vendors. Admission is $5 a carload, and extra proceeds will go toward the Christmas program.