Miltonians urged to be cautions in school zones Some parents creaîing safety issues when dropping off their kids, says crossing guard co-ordinator By MELANIE HENNESSEV The Champion Witb the sehool year now well underway, the Town is cafling on local residents t0 exercise caution wbcn around crossmng guards and the children they're helping arrve aI sehool safely. Wbile they may scem like simple rules of lte road, Town Crossing Guard Co-coordinator Valerie Lister is reminding residenîs of the basics like stopping whcn a crossing guard raises their stop sign and remaining stopped until ail chu- dren are off the road and the guard bas retumed ter their post and lowered their sign. "Please observe these simple rules - the safe- ty of our children depends on il," Ms Lister askcd of local drivers. In addition, she bold The Champion a few par- ents who drive tbeir cbî]dren ter and from school are crcaîing safeîy issues on the road. sucb as by doing U-turns in front of scbools. She said moves like these create "senious bazards" 10 the cbildren in tbe area. "If you do drive your cbîldren please obcy aIl tbe signs around tbe scbool," she empbasized.. "Slow down and waîcb for tbe 40-km/h speed limits. If we aIl practise safe habits around the sebools there will be fcwer unnecessaîy acci- dents where cbildren are hurt by cars." She added residenîs should neyer passa sebool bus when its lights are tlashing and should always obey crossing guards. One individual who's out there on the front âine of duty and bas scen fu-st-hand what driver% will n'y ter do is Lillian Gauthier. A crossing guard in Milton for almost 20 years, she said there was one lime when she bad cars stopped, yeî another driver came up bebtnd those vebicles and tried 10 pass theru. "I tbougbt, whaî do they think the other cars are stopped for?" she said. It's for reasons lîke these Ms Gauthier bas developed ber own technique for belping kîds cross the road safely. "I always tell tbe kids to watcb for me and I neverjump out I always give the cars a gocrd distance 10 stop," she said. But she saîd on the wbole, most drivers always stop for ber. "If you do drive your children, -im obey ai thne siguis » d thne uchooL" "You get a lot of friendly ones who wave to you." she noted. Ms Gauthier said she thinks a lot of the people on the road are parents driving their children ter school - something Ms Lister said she'd like to sec change. "Everyone should consider letting their chul- dren walk to school. This would save gas, case pollution and make il safer for everyone around the school," she said. And for those kids who do already walk, there are ruies of the road tbey sbould be following as well. In addition t0 obeying crossing guards, Ms Lister said youîhs sbould bc getîing off their bikcs and scooters and walking tbem across the road. Ms Lister said she's always looking for more crossing guards -a position that Ms Gauthier highly recommends 10 everyone. 'This job gîves me a reason ter gel up in the morning." she said. -I just love the ebjîdren. You watcb them grow." Ms Gauthier spoke with pride about the ebil- dren shc's met over the years as if tbey're her own, like a boy she used 10 belp cross tbe road who's now gone off bo university and recently came back ter visit bier. "The children, they remember you," she said proudly. '1This job helps you gel ter know the people in your town." She added she wishes more people would con- sider becoming crossing guards. 1I would encourage anybody tornty il," she said. Ms Lister said applicants have teobe at least 18 years old, physically fit, able ter deal with inclement weather like rain snow or extreme heat. have good vision and hearing and bc able 10 move quickly. The position pays $11.93 an bour t0 stant. Work bours would be a half hour before and after cach scbool day. witb start and finish limes varying by location. T1hose interested cas drop a resumne off ter Ms Lister aI the Clerk's department aI Town Hall, 43 Brown St.. or apply on-line ai www.milton.ca. Mélanie Hennesse y con be reached ai mhen- nesse s@miltoncantadianchampion.c'on. F ro m D o wnîto wn M iIt o n... To A ch i1le s Ma z da ...1ît' s 0On 1y 3 57 Q rie er S t A A'[O0N 519-853-0200 tnfo@acbîllesmnazda.ca 18.3 Kilometers 19.7 Minutes 90.9 Furlongs 11.4 Miles 20013.1 Yards 909.7 Chains 60039.4 Feet 18300 Metmr No mialter how you measure il, IcI Achilles Ntazda sbow you wby il's "Worth the Drive". New Vehicfrs i Pre-Ownest i Paru i Servi'ce