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***image1***“That would never happen in the KMC!” At least that was my initial reaction when a school crossing guard told me his harrowing experience.
The guard had just set out a warning sign and cones to close New York Avenue on Ramstein for 20 minutes, allowing school children to safely cross the street to the Ramstein elementary school. Without warning, a driver decided to circumvent the cones, narrowly missing a 6-year-old child who was pulled back to the curb by the alert crossing guard. That guard is now a visible hero in my book.
Safety should always be a primary consideration, and when young children are present in motor vehicle traffic areas the risk of injuries and fatalities are greatly increased.
So, it is absolutely vital that community members obey safety rules in housing and school zones. The driver above received a friendly visit from our security forces, but this was not an isolated case.
We are all in a hurry in this time-sensitive world, but let’s not let it get the better of our common sense. The actions of a small child can be unpredictable, so remember to exercise extreme caution in areas that children frequent, especially as school starts again in our community.
By the way, you can be a visible hero, too. We have a significant number of parents who walk their children to school every day, yet we don’t have enough volunteer crossing guards. All it takes is an hour a day, 30 minutes in the morning and another 30 minutes in the afternoon, to make a huge difference.
Be an active part of the solution – volunteer.
It truly does take a community to raise a child, and even if you can’t volunteer as a crosswalk monitor, remember to slow down and be attentive in and around our children – their future depends on it.
Community members can volunteer to be a crosswalk monitor by calling Derrick Richardson at 480-6223 or 06371-476223.
