School traffic is a safety concern

Published 12:00 am Saturday, August 28, 2004

Dear Editor:

Every afternoon Monday through Friday, between 2:45 p.m. and 3 p.m., I cringe and wait for it to happen.

I wait for someone’s child to get hit or for several vehicles to collide.

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It’s bound to happen sooner or later.

There are teachers at the crosswalk, with one teacher to escort the kids across the street.

Then there’s the other end.

Approximately half of the kids that need to cross the street, do so at the other end, with no adult supervision.

I watch as vehicles line Jackson St at least three deep.

This is a true fact, not an exaggeration.

It starts as one row of cars/trucks, then two rows.

By the time the kids are let out, there are usually three rows of cars/trucks.

This blocks the street and doesn’t allow for traffic flow.

I watched last week as several vehicles drove onto the sidewalk in order to get by while people were just sitting there and making no attempts to move on.

I was behind the last vehicle that drove onto the sidewalk.

I sat there, blocked in, until someone decided to move because I wasn’t about to drive onto the sidewalk.

The vehicles were literally, bumper to bumper.

I saw fear on several people’s faces.

As I sit and watch each afternoon, I wonder where the police officers are.

I realize that we have a limited number of officers, but when someone’s child gets hit, vehicles collide, or the adults are arguing about who is wrong or right, then all the officers will be on the scene.

Why can’t we spare one officer for a few minutes to supervise the adults, for they are the ones with the problem and to prevent an accident from happening?

It’s just a matter of time before one happens, and when it happens, just remember I told you so.

Barbara James

Demopolis

Great sports coverage for out-of-state grandparents

Editor’s Note: The following is a response to an inquiry regarding sports coverage plans from a concerned set of grandparents.

Dear Editor:

Yea!

I got your article by Denton Ramsey on the Longhorns vs Pesky Titans. You probably see now why I was so interested in your coverage of that game.

Wesley and his brother, Justin, who is on the University of Alabama football team, have been good athletes all their lives.

You can see why we as grandparents are so interested.

We have been driving from Canton, Miss. to all points in Alabama following them for about six years now – from Warrior Academy in Eutaw, to Greensboro High, to WAP for Wesley

and from Warrior Academy to Delta State University(Miss.) to the University of Alabama for Justin.

Thanks for your excellent coverage of last night’s game. We look forward to reading your newspaper all year while Wesley is a senior at WAP.

Thanks for your prompt e-mails.

Charlotte and Billy Brown, Canton, Miss.