Traffic-safety poster boy hails from Eudora

!A fourth-grader from Eudora is being honored for a poster he created to help boost awareness of traffic safety in Kansas.Trevor Neis, a 10-year-old student at West Elementary School in Eudora, was a regional winner in a contest conducted by the Kansas Department of Transportation as a prelude for Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day, which is this coming Saturday, Oct. 18.Trevor’s poster – a colorful, detailed depiction of a rural railroad crossing – reminds drivers to “Stop for the Train.” The poster also includes a list that outlines what contributes to traffic fatalities (drunken driving, drowsy driving and others in the “Deaths” column) and what can be done to avoid such problems (listed in the “To Prevent Deaths” column).Among Trevor’s tips: Wear seat belts, use car seats, drive while wide awake and adhere to a “no distracting the driver” policy.Trevor’s poster was among a record 1,574 entries for the contest’s three youth divisions. Trevor won among 8- to 10-year-olds in northeast Kansas; students from Manhattan won for 5- to 7-year-olds and for 11- to 13-year-olds in the region.”The unique thing about this contest is it focuses on the youth in Kansas, and helps to instill safety in our youth,” said Kim Qualls, a department spokeswoman. “This helps them understand the importance of safety in all facets, whether it’s in a car, at a railroad crossing or simply crossing the street. “It puts safety foremost in the minds of youth, so they understand how important it is to be safe in everything they do.”Trevor is scheduled to receive his award during a ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday at Wal-Mart, 1501 S.W. Wanamaker Road in Topeka. He will receive a new bike, donated by the store; and a new bike helmet, from Safe Kids Kansas.Saturday’s event is scheduled to include a variety of safety events conducted by the Topeka Fire Department, Shawnee County Sheriff’s Department and Kansas Department of Transportation.