SYRACUSE - Blue Rivers Area Agency on Aging has been working closely with the new organization Charity Chicks  to bring another handi-bus to the Syracuse community. 

Carol Graham, the driver and transportation manager for Blue Rivers, provides approximately 40 rides per day, between preschool, school, Syracuse area health, beauty shops, grocery stores and the senior center. It makes scheduling tight with the bus finishing the school route at 8:10 in the morning and needing to be back for the preschool route by 11:30 and then routes at noon and 3:10 in the afternoon.

In the summer Graham transports children to Bible School, 4-H camp, basketball and volleyball camps, and the library.

Graham said the service is in great demand especially for parents of school aged children. The service area includes  Avoca, Dunbar, Palmrya, Talmage, Otoe, Lorton and Burr.

 On March 1st of each year, Graham begins taking calls from parents to get their children on the handi-bus for the upcoming school year, with only 12 seats available it doesn't take long to fill up.

Graham said other parents are left to look for different avenues for their children, such as  changing their work schedules, asking other parents, grandparents or walking.

 A growing concern in Syracuse is the crossing at 11th street  and Highway 50. The development east of highway 50 has expanded with families of young children and 11th Street is the only street that has an access to the highway, but has no sidewalks,  stoplights, flashing light  or crosswalk in place.

Graham said a second handi-bus will help with this growing concern. 

The Charity Chicks, a Syracuse group founded by three women, did a fundraiser on Saturday with a 1920-style murder mystery at a local winery.

 Blue Rivers has 1 full time driver and 3 part time drivers,  so the second hand-bus can be used full time when the need arises.