Shepherds Of Crossing Zone Guard Flocks Of Children Through Rain And Snow, Volunteers Always There For Safety Of Students
“Brandon, no!” yelled Jeanie Eastman, holding up her hands from the opposite side of the street.
The blond fifth-grader pulled his bicycle back to the sidewalk muttering under his breath, “we were practically across.”
Welcome to the world of the crossing guard.
Every morning and afternoon, Eastman and her partner, Veda Bergam, stand at the intersection of Progress and Broadway to help Progress Elementary School students cross the street.
It’s a thankless job.
They suffer through the rain and snow. Their hearts pound when children try to dash across the street unassisted. And near-collisions with impatient drivers are too numerous to count.
“We really have to be on our toes,” Eastman said.
So why do it?
“I hope that I’m making it a little safer for them out there,” Eastman said. “You just never know what a kid’s going to do.”
This is Eastman’s first year as a crossing guard. She’s one of 28 in the Central Valley School District. East Valley has 10, and West Valley, two. Most crossing guards are retired women looking for part-time work or stay-at-home moms who want to be close to children.
On a recent afternoon, a 9-year-old boy charged up to the intersection, spinning the wheels of his Lego truck. “I want to go that way,” he demanded, heading into the street.
“OK, but I want you back here,” Veda Bergam said, pulling him back to the sidewalk. Bergam has been a crossing guard for 10 years and has seen whole families of children come and go.
“They keep telling me how short I’ve gotten when they come back (to visit),” joked Bergam, a short woman with curly hair. “They think I’ve shrunk.”
Eastman and Bergam’s jobs became a little easier last March when Safeco, a Spokane insurance company, donated $10,000 for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department to buy traffic safety cones and flags for speed limit signs at elementary schools. Before that, crossing guards had to fend off drivers with just a small hand-held flag that says “Stop.”
“I just want people to be aware, we’re out there for (the kids’) safety, not to hold them up or make them late,” Eastman said.
Volunteers needed
Volunteers are needed to participate in Trentwood Elementary School’s PAWS program. PAWS (Parents Assisting With Students), is in its third year at Trentwood.
Community members who would like help out in the classroom or with staff needs at the elementary school are encouraged to contact Trentwood at 927-3215.
Science students win award
West Valley High School’s science program tied for first place and received a $250 award during a regional meeting of a national organization last Thursday.
The Partnership for Environmental and Technological Education is a national organization that helps tie community colleges to employers. The organization’s meeting was at North Idaho College and all Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho high schools were invited to present their science programs.
West Valley High School was represented by junior Grace Williams and teacher Bob Peregoy, who team-teaches the school’s science project class with Bob Bohlen. Last year, Williams became the fifth state science champion produced by WVHS in eight years for her project on the growth problems of the wildflower Indian paintbrush.
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