Have a fun, productive and safe summer

With the end of another successful school year and hundreds of students crossing the stage for graduation ceremonies, another summer vacation is here for Columbia County's children.

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Please; let's make sure it's a safe one.

Summertime activities abound in Columbia County - vacation Bible schools and summer camps, along with outings at parks, pools and the lake. There's little excuse for kids to sit inside all summer, and with just a little oversight the activities can be fun and safe.

- Water safety especially is important. With plenty of pools and hundreds of acres of water at Clarks Hill Lake, swimming and boating are a major part of summertime plans. Children should never swim unattended. Additionally, the law requires all children under age 16 to wear lifejackets while on boats.

- The old saying, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop," is often true with teens. There are too many activities available for boredom to be an excuse for mischief.

- Perhaps most importantly, as many grads hit the road for beach trips, each passenger in every vehicle must wear seat belts. Vehicle crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens - and most teens killed in car crashes weren't wearing seat belts.

There's no reason summertime can't be fun, productive and safe. The only guarantee is that it will be over far too soon.