County awarded defensive driving training award from VML –
"Where the Rubber Meets the Road"
May 31, 2013
FOR RELEASE AT WILL
At the May 21 Board of Supervisors meeting, Beth Rosenthal, Director of Safety Services with the Virginia Municipal League Insurance Programs (VMLIP), presented York County government with an award recognizing its success in the Where the Rubber Meets the Road (WTRMTR) campaign.. Where the Rubber Meets the Road is the name of VML's training program where members are trained to be instructors in defensive driving.
In 2009, VMLIP started this campaign to address losses related to vehicle accidents. As of 2009, vehicle accidents accounted for half the cost of all claims for the insurance pool. York County was one of the first VMLIP members selected to join this campaign and has continued participating for the last three years.
Through the program three York County staff members were provided with free National Safety Council Defensive Driver Course "train the trainer" instruction. These trainers attended a two-day academy to become certified to teach the course to other county employees. VMLIP funded the tuition, course materials, lodging, meals, and travel expenses for member employees to attend this training academy. Financial support is also provided from VMLIP reinsurer ACE. In return, member participants must provide driver instruction through their selected trainers to a minimum of 90 percent of their drivers within the first year of their signed agreement, conduct annual DMV record checks, and enforce a vehicle use policy. Additionally, members may continue this program on a yearly basis by training at least 50 percent of their drivers.
York County exceeded the first year goal by training 100 percent of the county's drivers and continues to exceed the 50 percent retraining requirement during the second and third years. In addition to the reduction in automobile claims and insurance premiums, York County receives a 5 percent premium credit on the automobile liability coverage premium by participating in this program.
County employees Casey Nance, Marty Tomasek, and Tommy West were acknowledged as certified trainers in the WTRMTR program.
Kayak Queen Creek from New Quarter Park
May 31, 2013
FOR RELEASE AT WILL
Bring your own kayak (BYOK) or canoe to New Quarter Park on the third Saturday of the month from now through October for an out-and-back paddle on beautiful Queen Creek led by park staff. Relax while you learn more about the historic creek and see Ospreys, Egrets, Great Blue Herons, and Bald Eagles along the way.
Participants should arrive at 9 a.m., drive one mile to the put-in site with park staff, and expect to launch by 9:20 a.m. The paddle will last about two and half hours with take-out around noon. The program is free and open to the public. Kayaks are available to rent. Call Parks and Recreation for rental information. Bring water and a snack and remember to wear a hat and sunscreen.
BYOK get-togethers for kayakers and canoeists are a York County Parks and Recreation program. New Quarter Park is located in upper York County at 1000 Lakeshead Drive, next to the Queens Lake neighborhood.
For more information or to add your name to the New Quarter Park e-mail list, call Parks and Recreation at 890-3500 or New Quarter Park at 890-5840.
View and learn about Osprey at New Quarter Park June 22
May 31, 2013
FOR RELEASE AT WILL
Cheryl Jacobsen and Jan Lockwood, Virginia Master Naturalists, will join other Master Naturalist osprey watchers at New Quarter Park on Saturday, June 22, from 10 a.m. to noon to show off the birds that are nesting along Queen Creek. The Master Naturalists are watching the birds as Citizen Science volunteers and certified Virginia Master Naturalists for the global OspreyWatch program, led by The College of William and Mary's Center for Conservation Biology (www.osprey-watch.org).
The program presenters will talk about osprey migration and nesting while allowing program participants to take a closer look at the birds and nestlings through their spotting scopes. Virginia Master Naturalists who are members of the local Historic Rivers Chapter also watch osprey nesting in other locations on the York, James, and Chickahominy Rivers.
To access the program, participants will walk to the far end of the park and back, a hike of approximately one and a half miles. The osprey-watching location can be accessed by bike and is handicapped accessible by car.
In addition to their work as osprey watchers, many of the Master Naturalists also participate in other projects at New Quarter Park including monitoring bluebird trail for the Virginia Bluebird Society and mapping wildlife for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Master Naturalists also provide many hours of volunteer service to York County by pulling up invasive plant species, installing rain gardens, maintaining a teaching trail, and conducting field trips for area students at the park.
New Quarter Park is located in upper York County at 1000 Lakeshead Drive, next to the Queens Lake neighborhood.
For more information or to add your name to the New Quarter Park e-mail list, call Parks and Recreation at 890-3500 or New Quarter Park at 890-5840.
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