Letting toys do the talking

Winnie the Pooh says, “Go slow, honey.” He, Elmo, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and dozens of other stuffed animals are standing guard along Courtland Avenue in northeast Spokane as part of a neighborhood bid to stop motorists from speeding to and from Esmeralda Golf Course. All of the signs and stuffed animals are the brainchild of local Block Watch leader Diane Mills, who has lived in the neighborhood for the past 35 years — 30 of those with Esmeralda Golf Course open. The bad news for residents along the three blocks of Courtland Avenue east of Freya Street is that their stretch of neighborhood is the only way to the course, and golfers late for their tee times — as many as 2,000 a week — sometimes cruise by at supersonic speed. Enter Mills, who, since the course opened this spring, has posted toys and signs in front of just about every home along the golfers’ Courtland route. “It’s actually worked very well. There were years when we would just yell, ‘Slow down,’ or spray them if we were watering,” says Karikaye Finch, who worries about the safety of her three children. Now, a 2-foot-tall sheep dog asks, “Please go dog gone slow.” Mills’ creativity gives motorists a little nudge and a little entertainment. “I like to do it lovingly,” she says. Still, speed past the stuffed black cat urging safe driving and risk years of getting stuck in the slow lane and suffering flat tires. Mills says she cruises yard sales and “St. Vinnie’s” for stuffed animals, orange cones and golf-related tchotchkes. She’s stocked rolls of duct tape in every conceivable color, and has her own copy machine to mass-produce signs. Some of the animals stay up overnight, but Mills collects many of them each evening for nightie-night time in her garage. It’s a way to keep them clean and dry and prevent theft. Mills says the animals’ messages are getting across to drivers. “We have slowed the traffic down at least 50 percent.”

You ask, we answer

“Have you thought about reviewing the rules of the road when it comes to merging when a lane ends?” asks Libby Forsyth of Nine Mile Falls. “Maybe I’m mistaken, but when the line says ‘left lane ends,’ isn’t it the responsibility of the person in the left lane to merge safely into the right? I have nearly been in an accident two or three times a week where the lanes merge on Northwest Boulevard near Audubon Park.” Libby, you are correct. When a lane ends, motorists in that lane must merge with drivers in the remaining lane. Got that, folks?

Bad news for teen drivers

Sorry kids, but your parents can now keep track of your driving habits. A program called Teen Arrive Alive is now offering parents extensive opportunities to track their kids’ driving. The decal program includes a bumper sticker with an ID number and toll-free phone number for people to report driving behavior, and parents can get notification of any new messages via e-mail. If that’s not enough, Teen Arrive Alive also offers a global positioning program that offers parents complete information about where the teen is driving and how fast. Or how about both? The options range in price from $10-$20 per month, not including the required cell phone service. For more information, check out www.teenarrivealive.com.

Dividing east and west

The Washington State Department of Transportation is installing a median barrier along Interstate 90 between Sullivan Road and the Idaho state line. Work is scheduled to begin today and take until mid-September to complete. It’s necessary because the median is less than 50 feet wide, leaving the possibility of crossover accidents. WSDOT reports there have been an average of eight such accidents per year on this section of I-90. A second part of the project will include paving on several freeway ramps in that area. There won’t be lane restrictions during the day, but there may be some in the evening and night.

Slow going

Spokane County has several chip-seal projects scheduled for this week, which could cause delays. Here’s a rundown: Graham Road from Medical Lake to Fairchild Air Force Base and Hallett Road from Thomas Mallen Road to Spotted Road today, Hallett Road from Spotted Road to Dorset Road and Grove Road from Andrus Road to Hallett Road on Tuesday, Dorset Road from Hallet Road to 41st Avenue and Garden Springs Road from Abbott Road to Rustle Road on Wednesday and Lewton and Lewis roads from Geiger Boulevard to Sunset Highway on Thursday.