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Massachusetts State Law prohibits unnecessary idling of a vehicle for more than five minutes. The Medfield schools are becoming involved in bringing awareness to the law and the health issues caused by excessive idling.
Last month Medfield High science teacher Michael Cowell added a unit to his Environmental Science curriculum to help residents become more aware of the law. Students studying the issue created a TV public service announcement and created flyers, three were chosen to be used in the campaign. Flyers and videos are being distributed to the schools.
Three students, Emma DeMille, Danielle McNeeley and Lexi Lenehan were chosen as winners of the poster contest. The prizes for their Anti-Idling visuals were gift certificates from Juice On Main.
Cowell and Anti-Idling Committee member Eve Potts believed the best way to make parents aware is through the kids. Although anti-idling signs have been posted on all five school grounds, parents still idle.
To help promote greater awareness, Wheelock School’s recent newsletter to parents carried a news item about this initiative and a link to the video created by Cowell’s students,
The “Green Sanctuary Committee” of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Medfield, is also drawing attention to the Massachusetts Anti-Idling Law in Medfield.
Potts said, “Unnecessary idling is a hazard for all of us, especially children, and it is bad for the environment. This law remains widely unknown. We want to publicize it.”
The anti-idling initiative now has the support of the Medfield Board of Health, the Police Department, the Board of Selectmen, the School Committee, the Medfield Energy Committee, Medfield Green, the Medfield Garden Club and all five churches.
