It makes safety awareness a top priority… the federally-funded Safe Routes to School project has been awarded an initial grant of over $240-thousand dollars. ODOT will distribute the money to various school districts around the state including $12-thousand dollars each to Bear Creek Elementary and Juniper Elementary in Bend. ODOT’s Sally Ridenour says the money will be spent to educate children on how to get to and from school safely. This is just the first round of funds. She says the program has $3.5-million dollars available through 2009. Later funds will go to improving infrastructure such as sidewalks, bike paths and crosswalks.