Let the 2019-2020 School Year Begin

Here we are at the 1st day of August, 2019. That can only mean that the school year is about to begin!
So... Ready or not, HERE COMES THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR!

I'm sure we have our "Ready to go back to school" kiddos and then our "NOOOOOOOOO!!! Not ready" kiddos. Either way, like I said, ready or not... :)

With that being said, there is a lot on everyone's plate trying to get school supplies, clothes, shoes, etc... So like we have done the past few years, here are the school calender's for the 2019-2020 school year for Keller, Northwest, Grapevine Colleyville, Southlake Carroll, Fort Worth, Birdville and Eagle Mountain Saginaw ISDs. Click the links below for your kiddos school district and POOF their calendar will pop up! 

August 14th is the first day of school for:

Keller ISD

August 20th is the first day of school for:

Northwest ISD

August 19th is the first day of school for:

Southlake Carroll ISD

Fort Worth ISD

Birdville ISD

Eagle Mountain Sagniaw ISD

Have a great 2019-2020 school year!!

"I'm Bored!"

Mom... Dad... I'm bored...

How many times have y'all heard this since the kids have been out of school? For Keller ISD, they've been out a little longer than the rest of the DFW area so those parents have probably already heard it a million times, am I right?

In their defense, we all know that we did the same thing when we were their age. At some point most of us learned pretty quickly NOT to say those 2 words, "I"M BORED!" because it usually was followed with some sort of cleaning or outside labor in the Texas heat. 

While those are still great ideas, here are a few more:

1. GO OUTSIDE 

2. Play hide and seek (Inside or outside)

3. Have water gun fights (Outside, of course)

4. Get a few friends together and write a story. First person writes 2 sentences, pass the paper (YES paper) and then next person writes 2 sentences and so on.

5. Watch the sunrise and then later the sunset

6. Make a vision board (that's a good one for all ages)

7. Have a dance party (again... good for all ages)

8. Do an actual puzzle and not one on your phone, IPad, computer, etc...

9. Scavenger hunts are always fun

10. Volunteer in your community

11. Write a letter to a solider 

12. Play a board game

13. Learn to crochet. Could come in handy for birthdays, Christmas, etc...

14. Find a bible study to do

15. Take a bike ride

16. Write a letter to a grand parent (boy that would really make their day!)

17. Make a bucket list

18. Make dinner. Plan it, make a list of what's needed, make it and BAM! Instant night off for us parents. We'll probably have to buy it all but a night off from making dinner is a win!

19. This one might not be so fun but... Go through their stuff, get rid of what's not needed and donate it.

20. You can YouTube or Pinterest just about anything and learn to do something. When all else fails, that's always a great suggestion. Teach yourself how to make ice cream, slime, learn the alphabet in sign language, figure out a Rubix cube without taking the stickers off, just to name a few. 

I hope that these are some ideas that you hadn't thought of and that you get at least a little, "I"M BORED!" relief. Feel free to share with us any ideas you have! It's always good to have variety! 

Have a great summer!! 

Kirkwood Agency Annual Christmas Open House Mixer & Shopping Extravaganza 2018!

It's that time of year again for the Kirkwood Agency Annual Christmas Open House Mixer & Shopping Extravaganza! 

When:  Dec. 6th 2018

Time:  4:30-8pm

Where: Farmers Insurance - Kirkwood Agency

             130 E Hill St, Keller, TX  76248

Why: Fun, Food, Friends and Shopping

We'll have several vendors, including:

Mary Kay - Mindy Gardner, Threads of a Feather, MTEX Welding and Fabrication, LuLaRoe Kat Biemer VIP, CNK Bling Queens, Camille Marin with Partylite, Young Living Essential Oils, Sam's Creations - Samantha Twombly, My Three Bow Peeps, Delilah's Memory Box - DeAnna Villarreal.

We will also have Espinoza Spice Co here with samples to try and product to buy. See! We thought about the men, too! :) 

We know that it's a busy time of year but this event is one you won't want to miss! Make plans to stop by so you can get some Christmas shopping done and see some great people!

Door prizes every hour.

Our Senior Angels are up on the tree and ready to be adopted. Adopt an Angel for local senior citizens.

The Kirkwood Agency, A to Z

Auto Insurance, Amanda, Affinity Discount 

Business Insurance

Coverage, Channing           

Discounts, Donna

Excellent Customer Service, Eddie

Financial Services, Fun

Get A Quote

Homeowners Insurance

Integrity

Jeep, Jason, Jackie

Kirkwood Agency, Keller  

Life Insurance

Motorcycle Insurance

Never a dull moment (Ask Donna or Steph)

Old Town Keller (located in)

Protecting your family

Quality

Recreational Insurance

Sling shot, Snowmobiles, Shawnee

Travel Trailers, Todd

Umbrella Insurance

Voted Best of the Best Insurance Agency of Keller for 2011-14, 2016-2018

We know a thing or 2 because We’ve seen a thing or 2

Xceptional 

Yearly Christmas Party Extravaganza 

Zombie free zone

And The August Winners Are...

One of the coolest parts of our job is being able to give back to the community. This week we were able to give back to 2 of our local teachers. JJ Magbuhut from Trinity Meadows Intermediate and Samantha George from Hillwood Middle School were the winners for the month of August. They were chosen by random draw to each receive $100 worth of school supplies from Amazon. To see their faces when we deliver to them is so great! We realize how hard they work and to be able to provide some assistance with school supplies is awesome. 

We didn't leave the rest of the teachers, administration, and staff out! No way!! We brought them some goodies, of course! Each of them play a very important part of our kiddos lives. We appreciate each and every one of them for all they do for our children. THANK YOU!

Thank you also to Trinity Meadows' Principal, Susan Mackey and Hillwood Middle's Principal, Kathleen Eckert for letting us come in and present your teachers with their school supplies.

Stay tuned later in the month for who will be the next 2 teachers to receive $100 worth of school supplies from Amazon for the month of September! 

Back to School Calender's for Keller ISD and Surrounding Areas

The month of August has arrived! WOW! With that being said, August means.....

BACK TO SCHOOL!!!! 

With a show of hands, how many of y'all have kiddos that are excited about gong back to school? I figured I could ask that in a blog because I'm pretty confident that no one would raise their hands so it wouldn't matter if I can't see y'all. :)

Here's another question for y'all? Now you don't have to raise your hands for this one. I know the answer but I'm going to ask anyway. How many parents are ready for their kiddos to go back to school? And not because you need a break, of course, but because it's time for them to get their learn on. I'm with you. It's time to get their minds back into learning and off the screens. Am I right?! 

Guess what I have for you today! School start dates AND the 2018/2019 school calendars for Keller, Northwest, Grapevine Colleyville, Southake Carroll, Fort Worth, Birdville and Eagle Mountain Saginaw ISDs. Click the links below for your kiddos school district and POOF their calendar will pop up! 

August 15th is the first day of school for:

Keller ISD

August 27th is the first day of school for:

Northwest ISD

August 20th is the first day of school for:

Southlake Carroll ISD

Fort Worth ISD

Birdville ISD

Eagle Mountain Sagniaw ISD

Have a great 2018-2019 school year!!

ATV Got Your Shoe?

Who doesn’t love a day off? When you do get a day off, what do you like to do? Are you the type that likes to just relax, watch some TV or maybe catch up on some reading? Or are you the other type; the one that can’t sit still and must be doing something like tearing up some land on a 4 wheeler? We all have our ideas of what relaxing is, right? We all unwind in our own way.

Speaking of 4 wheelers or ATV type toys, did you know it’s just as important to have them covered like you would for your home and auto? You didn’t? Well it is very important to have those “toys” insured. Why, you ask? Let me tell you about an insured that was in a pretty bad ATV accident, injuring himself and a guest that was staying with him and his family. Thankfully, the insured had coverage on his ATV. While both he and his guest walked away, it was not without an ER visit, some stitches, a concussion and a pretty major surgery.

Even when we are being as safe as possible, accidents can and will happen. That’s where we come in. In this situation, they jumped on the ATV and were about to take a ride around the insured's property. The culprit… a shoe lace… I’m going to date myself a bit but do you remember the movie, “Footloose”? When Kevin Bacon is the new guy in town and is forced into playing chicken on a couple tractors with the “it” guy in town. Ren’s (Kevin’s character) shoe lace gets caught around the gas pedal and he can’t move his foot to hit the break? In the end, because he couldn’t break the “it” guy went into the ditch, causing Ren to win! Awesome, right?! Similar situation with our insured in that his shoe got stuck between the gas and the side of the ATV, while in reverse and they flipped backward onto the insured and his guest.

With all that being said, the good thing is, the insured was fully insured so he and his guest were taken care of. The guest’s medical bills and even time he had to take off of work for recovery was covered because the insured made sure that he had the right insurance in case of an accident on his property. So in his case, having the right insurance really was NO accident.

Something like this can happen not just on an ATV. It can happen on things we don't think about like dirt bikes, golf carts, boats, go-carts, snowmobiles and many more off road vehicles. This is why we want to make sure you have all the coverage you need. We are always willing to look over your policies to make sure that you do. Schedule a Farmers Friendly Review today because again, having the right insurance is NO accident. Or like Farmers Insurance says, “We know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two.”

Umbrellas! That’s What’s Up!

Do you have a dog? What about stairs in your home? Do you have a yard with a pool and/or a swing set for nice summer days? Do you drive a car of any kind? OH!!! What about a 4 wheeler? If you said yes to any of these questions you should definitely have an Umbrella. Not the kind of umbrella that protects you from rain or sun. Not that kind. You need Umbrella Insurance.

What is Umbrella Insurance? To put it simply, it’s an insurance gap filler. It covers claims that your auto, home, or renters policies may not. Things like your dog biting someone, someone falling down your stairs at home, a guest hurting themselves in your pool, a guest falling off the swings in your backyard, injuries to someone in a car accident that you’re faulted for or someone hurting themselves while 4 wheeling on your land.

You know our commercials where Professor Burke says, “We know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two”? Stay tuned for the next blog about a client, a guest on their property and a run in with an ATV. Let’s just say it’s a good thing there was an Umbrella in place. More on that to come in another blog.

Why would you need an Umbrella? If you have ever worried if the liability limits on your policies would be enough to cover a larger claim that exceeds your policy limits, then you need an umbrella policy. What Umbrella Insurance does is extends the limits of your liability coverage.

Another reason for having Umbrella coverage in place is if your occupation frequently puts you out in the public eye, if you like to throw parties and have gatherings at your home, or if  you have a vacation home. These reasons, the reasons above and a few more would be why you should say YES to Umbrella Insurance. 

The cost is typically pretty reasonable. As we all know, prices will vary but typically it ranges from about $200 to $600 a year. Yes, a year not a month. Not too shabby.

For more information, please feel free to give us a call. You can also check out Umbrella Insurance for a bit more information as well.

We Love Our Teachers!

One of the coolest parts of our job is being able to give back to our hard working teachers. Last month we started a program with a few of our local schools. We leave a ballot box for the teachers to put their name in. They fill out an entry slip, put it in the ballot box and wait for the drawing. Once we draw a name, that lucky teacher sends us an amazon order of up to $100 and we will deliver it to them as well as goodies for the whole staff. 

March winners were:

Norma Cinco from Freedom Elementary

Marla Bratsch from Hillwood Middle

Jennifer Plocek from Parkview Elementary

Chanell Gorden from Trinity Meadows Intermediate

We have one more teacher to honor so stay tuned. :)

Thank you to Gary Mantz, Kathleen Eckert, Doreen Krebs and Susan Argurieo Mackey for having us! See y'all next month!

Opening Day Picnic 2018!!

Take me out to the ball game
Take me out to the crowd
By me some peanut and cracker jacks
I don't care if I never get back
So let's root, root, root for the home team (TEXAS RANGERS!!)
If they don't win it's a shame
For it's ONE, TWO, THREE strikes you're out
At the old ball game!

We are so excited for the start of baseball season and for our Texas Rangers!! It's our year! LET'S GO RANGERS!!

Opening day is Thursday, March 29th. Texas Rangers vs. the Houston Astros!  What a coincidence! We'll be having our annual Opening Day Picnic that day, too!! :) AND it's a FREE event!

Come join us for lunch on Opening Day. We will have hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, cracker jacks, peanuts and of course Texas Rangers helmet sundaes! YUM!!! We will have door prizes, games and the photo booth for some photo booth fun!

You won't want to miss out on an fun fulled afternoon. Bring your family, bring your office staff, bring your friends! Here at the Kirkwood Agency we always think the more the merrier!

Check out our Farmers Insurance, Kirkwood Agency Facebook page for more information.  Click here for the invite: Opening Day Picnic

5 Reasons to Not Have Life Insurance

While there are WAY more reasons TO have life insurance, these could be your 5 reasons not to have life insurance:

1. I’m immortal

2. It’s not a priority of mine

3. I don’t love anyone, so there’s no need

4. I only care about me #teamofme

5. I live in the now, not the later

If any of the above are you then you’re right, you don’t need life insurance. However, I’m positive that none of the above are any of us, right? Especially #1!

It’s been said that there are two sure things in life, death and taxes. Here’s a little known secret… Life insurance can help with both. OH! And have we told you we have just the guy to help you out? He is the newest member of our team, Todd Mayo! He is busting at the seams with information on how to get you into the best plan for you and your family’s needs.

Here’s the thing… Life insurance can be a tough subject to talk about. Our job is not to make you feel uncomfortable when it comes to this very sensitive subject. We are here to help you feel at ease when it comes to protecting your family if the unexpected happens.

Here’s another thing… Life insurance isn’t as expensive as you may think it is. There are a variety of different policies out there. The best thing to do is give the office a call and set up a Farmers Friendly Review with Todd. He’ll be happy to sit down and go through the different options with you.

Here’s one more thing… February is Insure Your Love month. While roses and chocolates are nice, a life insurance policy is something that will literally last a lifetime. I’m not saying don’t get your loved one roses and chocolate. I’m just saying giving them a gift that gives even after you’re gone is a pretty solid gift.

Let’s go back to the list above and change it up to why you need life insurance:

1. You’re mortal

2. It’s time to make it a priority

3. You have loved one(s)

4. You care deeply for your loved ones and their well-being after you’re gone #teamfamily

5. While it’s great to live in the now, you are prepared for later as well

Again, we understand that talking about life insurance can be uncomfortable but would you trade a moment of being uncomfortable for peace of mind? Peace of mind that your family will be financially set if the unthinkable were to happen.

Adopt a Senior Angel for Christmas

The season of Christmas is a time for family and friends to gather around with lots of food, fellowship, driving around looking at lights, gift giving, etc... It's the most wonderful time of the year, right?! In most cases, yes. In others, no.

In and around the Keller area, there are several senior living facilities.  Each of them are great places providing regular activities and even weekly outings for their residents. However, for some of their residents, the holidays can be a very lonely time. Several residents either don't have any family or family members are too far to come visit for the holidays.

The Kirkwood Agency has been honored to be able to partner with 2 senior housing facilities in the Keller area to put together a Senior Angel Tree for those residents who don't have family around during the holidays. They list out a few things that they want and send it over to us. We have been able to do this for the last few years and it really has been great. What a blessing to have our community and in some cases those outside of our community come together and adopt these Senior Angels. Some adopt one while others adopt several.

Last year we were able to hand deliver the gifts to the the residents. What a great experience! Each recipient was overjoyed and so thankful for their gift. Some couldn't say thank you enough while others were speechless.

If you would like to adopt a Senior Angel, there is still time. We have several that need adopting.  They really aren't asking for much. From cooking spices to bed sheets. Necessities is what they ask for. We just asked that you have them back to us by Monday, December 18th so that we have enough time to get them back to the residents before Christmas.

We have the tree here at the office so come on by and pick your Senior Angel up today. We are here Monday - Friday, 8:30-5:30.
Farmers Insurance, Kirkwood Agency
130 E. Hill St
Keller, TX 76248

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas! 

To Fry or To Bake? That is the Question

Oh the weather outside is frightful… Well, depending on when you read this, since Texas can’t decide whether it wants to be winter or summer. On any giving day it could be winter in the morning and summer by noon. If the weather could just change like that all year long and give us a break during the blistering hot summers, that’d be great. Hopefully we get some kind of, at least, cool weather for the holidays.

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. To give thanks of course, but also for all the delicious food. Turkey (fried or baked), stuffing (or dressing). That’s always a debate in our house on what to call it), green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes and gravy over all of it. Well, maybe not the sweet potatoes. And then there’s all the desserts… Great. Now I’m starving.

Speaking of turkey, what do you prefer?  Fried or baked? Personally, I like the fried turkey. Here’s why, I don’t have to stay up all night long, basting the turkey to make sure it doesn’t dry out. I think I was scared from the turkey gone wrong in the movie, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”. Someone did not stay up to baste that turkey is my guess.

There is a right way and a wrong way to fry a turkey. If you haven’t ever fried a turkey, make sure you are absolutely certain that you know how to do it the right way. Awful accidents have occurred when done the wrong way. Our good friends over at Paul Davis Emergency Services of Keller sent out an email talking about Holiday cooking safety. It also had a link to an article by Popular Magazine, “How to deep-fry a turkey without killing yourself" with just the right information on what to do, what not to do and how to clean up frying a turkey.

I highly suggest reading the article in its entirety before you get your turkey frying on. Luckily we have a couple volunteers to actually fry a turkey and be videoed while frying. Let’s have a big, warm welcome for Eddie and Jason. They are our turkey frying duo. Enjoy the video and remember, do your research and make sure you know how to fry a turkey the right way. 

Kirkwood Agency Annual Christmas Open House Mixer & Shopping Extravaganza!

It's that time of year again for the Kirkwood Agency Annual Christmas Open House Mixer & Shopping Extravaganza!

Join us for a night of fun, food, friends and shopping.

We'll have several vendors, including:
Young Living Essential Oils, Shawnee C Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, Miss Vick's Cake Balls and Rum Cakes, MK's Glam Shack, The Knot Salon, LuLaRoe Bates Boutique VIP Group, Threads of a Feather, Averee Grace Designs and Wine Tasting by Un WINED with Annie.

Make plans to stop by, we know it's a busy time of year, but you can get some Christmas shopping done and see some great people!

Door prizes every hour.

Adopt an Angel for local senior citizens.

Stop by Tangle Salon and Boutique next door for more Christmas shopping.

Who's Ready for the 2017-2018 School Year?!

Can you believe that it's almost time for school to start? Summer sure did go by fast. Summer as in summer vacation for the kiddos, not the weather...

With that being said, here are the start days and links to get your school districts 2017-2018 calendar:

Keller ISD starts August 15th

Northwest ISD starts August 28th

Grapevine Colleyville ISD starts August 21st

Southlake Carroll ISD starts August 28th

K-8th grade calendar

9th-12th calendar 

Fort Worth ISD starts August 21st

Have a great 2017-2018 school year! 

To all the 2018 Seniors, you are almost done! You can do it! 

Mosquito Season! The Season We All Look Forward To, Said No One Ever!

No one in the history of mankind has ever loved the sound of a mosquito buzzing around their ear or worse yet getting bit by one! I’m not sure how true that is but I’m pretty certain no one has ever loved the sound of a mosquito. Half the time you can hear them loud and clear but can’t see them until they’ve bitten you and then it’s too late. And aren’t they just so sweet to leave you a souvenir (or a few souvenirs) for you to deal with for the next few days… More than anything, they are the definition of a nuisance. 

There’s no real way to wipe them off the face of the earth. I know because I searched the internet longer than I probably should have and found nothing. However, we can protect ourselves as much as possible from them. There are sprays and lotions to protect ourselves but there are also ways to prevent mosquito activity. There are a few different plants you can have around the house, inside and out, that work as deterrents.

 

One thing I’ve always heard is to make sure there is not standing water in or around your house. Those are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. When I see that I instantly get itchy and want to dump it over which in most instances I do. Whether at my house or anyone else’s house. Birdbaths are among one of the standing water places I didn’t think about but the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mentions birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, tires, buckets, planters, and trash bins are also breeding ground for mosquitoes.

 

Here’s a NOT so fun fact for you. The CDC put together this illustration for us to see the life cycle of a mosquito. For more information, visit there site at https://www.cdc.gov.

So what can we do to prevent getting bit? One of the repellents the CDC  suggests using is DEET. The higher the percentage the longer amount of time you’ll be protected. They also recommend to read the label on how to put it on correctly to insure that you are protected properly. Now it doesn’t say that if you use DEET that you are completely immune to mosquito bites unfortunately. And as for babies and small children it suggests not to use them on babies 2 months and younger. If you have a baby that young, make sure to dress them in clothing that covers as much of their body as possible. Also, never apply repellent onto your kiddos hands, eyes, mouth or places on the skin that are irritated or open wounds. If you are interested in using a repellent that is natural, click EPA to visit website for more information. 

While searching through the internet to find better ways to prevent these pesky mosquitos from hanging around the house, I came across an article from Rodale’s Organic Life, “8 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes Naturally”. Did you know that there’s a plant that is actually called, well… Mosquito Plant. The article said that, even though it’s called a Mosquito Plant (Citrosum) it’s the least effective plant when it comes to mosquito control. However, if it is the only thing around, it says you could crush the leaves on your skin to provide a bit of protection.

 

These are the other 7 plants:

Lemon Balm – keeps mosquito bites low but the plant can take over your garden.

Basil – it is toxic to mosquito larvae so it suggests planting it around any natural water sources.

Lavender – I’ve always known lavender to be a smoothly plant. Apparently not for mosquitoes (as well as moths and flies). They’re not big fans. It also says to rub the leaves on your skin to release the oils.

Peppermint – so this plant keeps adult mosquitos away and not only kills their larvae but also larvae of other species. It has to be concentrated to work the best.

Sage and Rosemary- for those of you who enjoy gathering around a campfire, Organic Life says to toss sage or rosemary into the fire. The smell it of either of them burning is not a pleasant one for mosquitos and other insect. The only thing is that you will have to stay near the fire.

Catnip- you have to be careful with this one. It works in 2 ways – a repellent for insects but also it attracts cats. So if you do not want to have cats hanging around, maybe try one of the other 7 plants.

 

I hope these options help with battling those pesky mosquitoes. If you or anyone you know happens to know how to wipe them out permanently we would love for you to share with us. 

 

Illustration by CDC

 

Kirkwood's Class Act for the Month of May is...

The last Kirkwood's Class Acts Teacher of the Month for the 2016-2017 school year is...

Mrs. Stephanie Worrell of Hillwood Middle School. Thank you for being there for our kiddos! You are greatly appreciated! And thank you to Mrs. Kathleen Eckert for letting us come in to present Mrs. Worrell with her awards.

Friends, if your child had a teacher, counselor, principal, etc... that has made a huge difference in their life, please lets us know. We will be taking a summer break but you can still submit your nominations to us for the 2017-2018 school year. Please send your nominations to Stephanie at stephanie.ekirkwood@farmersagency.com with the special educators name, school they are at and a brief summary of why you think they should be our next Kirkwood's Class Acts, Teacher of the Month. It does not have to be a teacher as Mrs. Worrell is one of the counselors at Hillwood Middle School.

AND to all teachers out there, if you are looking to shop around for a new insurance provider, we would love to have the opportunity to be one of the places you shop. Farmers offers discounts to educators! Who doesn't love a discount?

Come see us at Farmers Insurance, The Kirkwood Agency, where having the right insurance is NO accident!

Have a great summer!

April's Kirkwood's Class Act Teacher of the Month Goes To...

Congratulations to Mrs. Kelly King of Bette Perot Elementary. She is our Kirkwood's Class Acts Teacher of the Month for April!

She received a $100 Gift Card from Farmers Insurance, The Kirkwood Agency, $30 Gift Card to DeVivo Bros. Eatery, 30 minute massage from Tara Hayden, Licensed Massage Therapist, a $25 Gift Card to Out On A Limb Boutique and a personalized tumbler.

If there is/was a special educator who made a difference in your child's life, please let us know through a message or email Stephanie at stephanie.ekirkwood@farmersagency.com. Include their name, school they are at, and a brief summary of why you believe they should be the next Kirkwood's Class Acts Teacher of the Month. Help us give back to our local teachers.

They’re Not Trying to Hide, They’re Just Smaller

“In 2015, motor-vehicle-related crashes claimed the lives of 5,376 pedestrians—an increase of 9 percent over the previous year—and injured an estimated 70,000 people. Deaths among bicyclists rose by 10 percent, with motor-vehicle-related crashes taking 818 lives and injuring an estimated 45,000 bicyclists.” –National Highway Traffic Safety Administration -National Highway Traffic Safety Administration¹

5,376 lives lost in motor-vehicle related crashed with an estimated 70k people injured in the states in 2016… I don’t know about you but those numbers are outrageous to me. 1 life lost is too many but over 5,000 in one year, not to mention that number is higher than the previous year. And according to the Texas Department of Transportation2, “From 2015 to 2016, Texas motorcycle fatalities increased from 464 to 493 (6 percent), and crashes resulting in seriously injured motorcyclists increased from 1,902 to 2,006 (5 percent).”  Unacceptable, y’all...

Let’s talk about this issue, especially since May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. In an effort to raise awareness for Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the Texas Department of Transportation³ introduced the “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles” campaign. It cannot be stressed enough that as drivers we all need to thoroughly look before changing lanes because sometimes it can be hard to see a motorcyclist. Motorcyclists, stay out of blind spots. If you can see yourself in a side mirror, so should the driver. All drivers have the same rights and responsibilities as those on a motorcycle.

Even a minor collision with a motorcyclist can be fatal so keep an eye out for them. They don’t have airbags, or metal surrounding them to keep them safe. The only thing they have is a helmet but even a helmet sometimes isn’t enough.

Those of us who do not ride motorcycles need to know that motorcyclists aren’t trying to hide from us, they’re just smaller. Watch closely for them especially when you’re changing lanes.

Whether you drive a car, truck, motorcycle, 18 wheeler or even if you’re riding a bicycle, be more alert and less distracted. Let’s go back to the “Old times” and just drive. Just think of how many accidents could be prevented if we just had to drive and not be on our phones, doing our make up or as some of you may have read in a previous blog of ours, watch Netflix and drive… It is our responsibility as drivers to share the road with one another and always be aware of those around you, giving yourself plenty of space between yourself and the driver in front of you.

It seems as though motorcycle accidents are happening more often, especially in the DFW area. Maybe it’s because of social media where most everything is in real time. One thing I always think of when I see the news of a fatal accident, is that I hope they had life insurance. Although none of us like to talk about that possibility, having a life insurance policy does need to be considered, especially if you are a motorcyclist. A life insurance policy is so important for all of us, because if an unfortunate event happens, your loved ones will be taken care. Having a Legacy Gift, as we like to call it, will then give you peace of mind knowing your family will be taken care of.

Sharing is caring so let’s share our roads and watch out for one another. Let’s all make an honest effort to keep one another safe. 

Texas Department of Transportation #LookTwiceTexas video

1. https://www.nhtsa.gov/share-road-pedestrians-bicyclists-and-motorcyclists

2, 3. https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/statewide-news/09-2017.html

February's Kirkwood's Class Act, Teacher of the Month is.....

Drum Roll Please!!! 

The winner of February's Kirkwood's Class Acts, Teacher of the Month goes to.... Mrs. Nancy Disterlic of Central High School (Fort Worth, Texas)! Congratulations Mrs. D!! It was great to be able to present this award to you. It is well deserved! Thank you to Mr. Hinson and Mrs. Coker for helping us pull the surprise off. We appreciate you and all of our special educators! Mrs. Disterlic received a $100 gift card and a super cool personalized tumbler from Farmers Insurance, The Kirkwood Agency, a $25 Gift Card to The Local Watering Hole, a $30 Gift Card to DeVivo Bros. Eatery a 30 minute massage from Tara Hayden, Licensed Massage Therapist and a $25 Gift Card from Out On A Limb Boutique.

Do you have a special teacher, Principal, Counselor, VP, etc... that had a positive impact on your child? Submit their name, school and a brief summary of why you nominated them. If they are chosen, they too will receive all that Mrs. D did.

Send those nomination to Stephanie at stephanie.ekirkwood@farmersagency.com or you can message us through our page. Let us know if you want to remain anonymous.