My sister-in-law was the second person hit, and she is almost sure it was a construction worker as well. The so-called "investigation" that was reported here didn't happen. The other crossing guards have been more diligent about looking for that truck than anyone else has been. But that's neither here nor there. I understand your points, and I agree with them. The whole busing issue is a mess. When I say that the BOE doesn't have control over the roads, I mean that they can neither stop people from driving like maniacs or do anything about it when it happens. When a crossing guard has traffic stopped on Raccoon Rd. and an impatient driver pulls up onto the grass of the 911 memorial to go around the line of stopped traffic, my sister in law can do nothing...except move out of the way. A police officer could deal with that immediately. The situation is bad. But we all know that as much as the BOE tells us what we want to hear and promises to improve things, that's not likely to happen. They can't even fix what they can control, much less anything else. So because people know that circumstances are what they are, they need to be diligent in driving through those areas. Both of the guards that were struck were because the driver was either in too much of a hurry or not paying attention. There's no excuse for stupidity, no matter how much traffic there is. I think we can all agree on that.
And for what it's worth, I agree with you on the district's spending. It's out of control! And I don't like having open enrollment either. But while the open enrollment traffic adds to the problem, it is not THE cause of the problems on the road. As far as I know, it wasn't a driver from another district who was involved in any of the accidents this year. Austintown can claim those drivers ourselves.
It's really NOT that simple. There are a lot of contributing factors to the current situation. I'm not saying that the BOE isn't responsible for some of it. I'm saying that they don't have control over ALL of it.
And I'm not asking to take police officers away from their duties. I'm asking that they donate some of their off time to help out at school. Even if they do want paid instead of volunteering to help, how is it fair to pay them for an 8 hour shift when they would work like two hours? THAT was my original complaint. I never said this situation was all their fault. And if you actually read my post, you'd see that I gave kudos to Officer Toth, so there is no need to correct me. I said that he is the exception to the opinion I have of SOME local officers and their attitudes.
You're entitled to your opinions, same as I am mine. But don't put words in my mouth.
I've been thinking about this argument. I'm not going to apologize for what I said to you because you made it personal with your comment about my intelligence. I allowed myself to get sucked into that mentality, and I regret THAT. Just because you don't agree with my opinions, it doesn't make you superior to me, and it certainly doesn't make me stupid.
In my experience, people in general have changed their perception of helping one another. It's all about "me" and "what can I get out of this?" How about doing it because you can or because you should or because it's the right thing to do...or even just because--gasp--it's the NICE thing to do?
My intention wasn't to bash our police department. I live in this community, and I depend on them as much as my neighbors do. Most of the time I've had good experiences with them. As with any profession, it's my opinion that there are a few bad apples who are doing their job for all the wrong reasons. Some tend to forget that they work for us, not the other way around. The attitude you displayed here brought that up for me.
I can't tell you the number of times I've offered to do something extra at work or that one of my bosses, or even a coworker, have asked something of me that isn't necessarily in my job description. It would never occur to me to say no. I like helping out and knowing that people know they can depend on me. I like that feeling of camaraderie that comes with being part of a team, of knowing that others have my back. I assume that when the district feels the need to call someone for help, the PD is the logical choice. Not only are the police qualified for the job they need help with, they are the ONLY ones who can actually do something concrete about the problem. No one is asking them to volunteer a 40-hour work week. We were just hoping that someone would step up and help us protect our employees and our children. It would only have to be on a temporary basis since once the public realizes that there are real consequences to their actions, I suspect they might just start to take this situation on the roads much more seriously.
As I stated in my last comment, I believe that there are other things that can and should be corrected as well. We have parents within our own district who don't send their children to the elementary building they are supposed to go to because they don't like the teachers or the principal. So they have to be driven to school just like the out of district kids, adding to the traffic in that area. At least the new building will eliminate that problem next year.
I don't see anything wrong with us voicing our opinions or ideas in any public forum, and I won't tolerate being belittled because of mine. That mentality only helps prove my point.
For the record, I volunteer in THREE organizations...two at my son's school and one in the community. And I work my full time job as well. So I practice what I preach.
I'm not too bright? Did you know that drivers don't even have to stop for a crossing guard? They SHOULD, but they don't have to. The only people they have to listen to on the roads are the POLICE.
My point was that the police...with the exception of Officer Toth...won't help out unless the district pays them for a full 8-hour shift. The crossing guards only get $5 per time slot...and they certainly aren't there for 8 hours. Two crossing guards and several children have been hit this year. Why doesn't the APD want to help out with this situation? You must be a cop.
The district has no control over the public roads and the traffic on them. We have open enrollment so that we can bring in the revenue for those students because until the last one, the voters in this district hadn't passed a levy in how many years. Parents can help out by letting their children ride the bus if they qualify instead of adding to the traffic. The construction workers can help by coming and going at times different than dismissal time, but their union refused that request. Drivers can help by taking a different route to work. And the police can help if they'd only be seen. It needs to be a group effort.
I'm sorry that the site is acting up and won't let me post all of this as one comment...so I am filling up the board here...
But the statement that nothing is known about the vehicle is also false. My sis-in-law gave a description of the truck, along with a partial description of the driver. Why not report THAT so that maybe the guy would realize what happened and do the honorable thing...or that maybe someone he knows or works with can call the police and get this dealt with.
I am by no means trying to downplay what happened to my family member. She was injured on the job due to another's carelessness and lack of respect for the rules. But she doesn't want to be used as a martyr for the cause. Instead of having the focus on her, she would like to see these reports call into question what kinds of things can actually be done to prevent this from happening again.
And again, the BOE has no control over the public roads. Tell everyone to start calling the police department and demanding to know why they won't cross our children without being paid for a full 8-hour shift. Or why, when they are present at the crosswalks, they sit in their cars and do nothing to help the flow of traffic....or issue citations when they are warranted.
And lastly, the drivers themselves need to take responsibility for their own actions. Respect that you are driving through an area overrun with children.
And just for the record, Colaluca and Bokesh weren't even present when the incident occurred, so how can they give statements to the press about it? Come on Vindicator, at least talk to a real witness if you aren't going to ask the actual victim about it.
My sister-in-law was not on Idaho Rd, and she was not "struck" by a car who fled the scene. She was pushed by a truck that was turning, and she doesn't believe the driver even realized that it happened. She has 3 cracked ribs...from the STOP sign hitting her (not her own elbow)...and she is not all broken up. She would rather see the time and effort spent on correcting the problems with the traffic than on speculating about her so-called experience.
What I'd like to know is how they printed an entire story about my sister-in-law without contacting HER to find out exactly what happened. Yes, she was injured while crossing the kids, but most of the facts here are not correct and have been grossly exaggerated. Obviously something needs to be done about this situation. But instead of blowing everything up into a huge phenomenon, how about concentrating on doing what needs to be done and not throwing someone into the limelight who doesn't want to be there.
People, PLEASE...follow the law, drive carefully, and help protect our children and our school employees. I may blame a lot of things on our BOE, but people's carelessness is not their fault. The Austintown Local School District does not control stupidity on the roads of this community. It is your own responsibility when you are behind the wheel of a car to be patient, aware, and follow the rules of the road. It made me sick to read that people pull around a crossing guard in the street holding a Stop sign. Really?! Your work schedule or dental appointment is not more important than someone else's life. My son is one of those students, and my sister in law is one of those crossing guards. They have more of a right to be on that road at certain times of the day than you do!
Austintown School crossing guard is struck, injured
My sister-in-law was the second person hit, and she is almost sure it was a construction worker as well. The so-called "investigation" that was reported here didn't happen. The other crossing guards have been more diligent about looking for that truck than anyone else has been. But that's neither here nor there.
I understand your points, and I agree with them. The whole busing issue is a mess.
When I say that the BOE doesn't have control over the roads, I mean that they can neither stop people from driving like maniacs or do anything about it when it happens. When a crossing guard has traffic stopped on Raccoon Rd. and an impatient driver pulls up onto the grass of the 911 memorial to go around the line of stopped traffic, my sister in law can do nothing...except move out of the way. A police officer could deal with that immediately.
The situation is bad. But we all know that as much as the BOE tells us what we want to hear and promises to improve things, that's not likely to happen. They can't even fix what they can control, much less anything else. So because people know that circumstances are what they are, they need to be diligent in driving through those areas. Both of the guards that were struck were because the driver was either in too much of a hurry or not paying attention. There's no excuse for stupidity, no matter how much traffic there is. I think we can all agree on that.
December 11, 2012 at 11:32 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Austintown School crossing guard is struck, injured
And for what it's worth, I agree with you on the district's spending. It's out of control! And I don't like having open enrollment either. But while the open enrollment traffic adds to the problem, it is not THE cause of the problems on the road. As far as I know, it wasn't a driver from another district who was involved in any of the accidents this year. Austintown can claim those drivers ourselves.
December 10, 2012 at 9:06 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Austintown School crossing guard is struck, injured
It's really NOT that simple. There are a lot of contributing factors to the current situation. I'm not saying that the BOE isn't responsible for some of it. I'm saying that they don't have control over ALL of it.
And I'm not asking to take police officers away from their duties. I'm asking that they donate some of their off time to help out at school. Even if they do want paid instead of volunteering to help, how is it fair to pay them for an 8 hour shift when they would work like two hours? THAT was my original complaint. I never said this situation was all their fault. And if you actually read my post, you'd see that I gave kudos to Officer Toth, so there is no need to correct me. I said that he is the exception to the opinion I have of SOME local officers and their attitudes.
You're entitled to your opinions, same as I am mine. But don't put words in my mouth.
December 10, 2012 at 8:57 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Austintown School crossing guard is struck, injured
I've been thinking about this argument. I'm not going to apologize for what I said to you because you made it personal with your comment about my intelligence. I allowed myself to get sucked into that mentality, and I regret THAT. Just because you don't agree with my opinions, it doesn't make you superior to me, and it certainly doesn't make me stupid.
In my experience, people in general have changed their perception of helping one another. It's all about "me" and "what can I get out of this?" How about doing it because you can or because you should or because it's the right thing to do...or even just because--gasp--it's the NICE thing to do?
My intention wasn't to bash our police department. I live in this community, and I depend on them as much as my neighbors do. Most of the time I've had good experiences with them. As with any profession, it's my opinion that there are a few bad apples who are doing their job for all the wrong reasons. Some tend to forget that they work for us, not the other way around. The attitude you displayed here brought that up for me.
I can't tell you the number of times I've offered to do something extra at work or that one of my bosses, or even a coworker, have asked something of me that isn't necessarily in my job description. It would never occur to me to say no. I like helping out and knowing that people know they can depend on me. I like that feeling of camaraderie that comes with being part of a team, of knowing that others have my back. I assume that when the district feels the need to call someone for help, the PD is the logical choice. Not only are the police qualified for the job they need help with, they are the ONLY ones who can actually do something concrete about the problem. No one is asking them to volunteer a 40-hour work week. We were just hoping that someone would step up and help us protect our employees and our children. It would only have to be on a temporary basis since once the public realizes that there are real consequences to their actions, I suspect they might just start to take this situation on the roads much more seriously.
As I stated in my last comment, I believe that there are other things that can and should be corrected as well. We have parents within our own district who don't send their children to the elementary building they are supposed to go to because they don't like the teachers or the principal. So they have to be driven to school just like the out of district kids, adding to the traffic in that area. At least the new building will eliminate that problem next year.
I don't see anything wrong with us voicing our opinions or ideas in any public forum, and I won't tolerate being belittled because of mine. That mentality only helps prove my point.
For the record, I volunteer in THREE organizations...two at my son's school and one in the community. And I work my full time job as well. So I practice what I preach.
December 10, 2012 at 11:55 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Austintown School crossing guard is struck, injured
I'm not too bright? Did you know that drivers don't even have to stop for a crossing guard? They SHOULD, but they don't have to. The only people they have to listen to on the roads are the POLICE.
My point was that the police...with the exception of Officer Toth...won't help out unless the district pays them for a full 8-hour shift. The crossing guards only get $5 per time slot...and they certainly aren't there for 8 hours. Two crossing guards and several children have been hit this year. Why doesn't the APD want to help out with this situation? You must be a cop.
The district has no control over the public roads and the traffic on them. We have open enrollment so that we can bring in the revenue for those students because until the last one, the voters in this district hadn't passed a levy in how many years. Parents can help out by letting their children ride the bus if they qualify instead of adding to the traffic. The construction workers can help by coming and going at times different than dismissal time, but their union refused that request. Drivers can help by taking a different route to work. And the police can help if they'd only be seen. It needs to be a group effort.
If I'm not too bright, you're a total idiot.
December 10, 2012 at 10:36 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Austintown School crossing guard is struck, injured
I'm sorry that the site is acting up and won't let me post all of this as one comment...so I am filling up the board here...
But the statement that nothing is known about the vehicle is also false. My sis-in-law gave a description of the truck, along with a partial description of the driver. Why not report THAT so that maybe the guy would realize what happened and do the honorable thing...or that maybe someone he knows or works with can call the police and get this dealt with.
I am by no means trying to downplay what happened to my family member. She was injured on the job due to another's carelessness and lack of respect for the rules. But she doesn't want to be used as a martyr for the cause. Instead of having the focus on her, she would like to see these reports call into question what kinds of things can actually be done to prevent this from happening again.
And again, the BOE has no control over the public roads. Tell everyone to start calling the police department and demanding to know why they won't cross our children without being paid for a full 8-hour shift. Or why, when they are present at the crosswalks, they sit in their cars and do nothing to help the flow of traffic....or issue citations when they are warranted.
And lastly, the drivers themselves need to take responsibility for their own actions. Respect that you are driving through an area overrun with children.
December 4, 2012 at 1:04 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Austintown School crossing guard is struck, injured
And just for the record, Colaluca and Bokesh weren't even present when the incident occurred, so how can they give statements to the press about it? Come on Vindicator, at least talk to a real witness if you aren't going to ask the actual victim about it.
December 4, 2012 at 12:41 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Austintown School crossing guard is struck, injured
My sister-in-law was not on Idaho Rd, and she was not "struck" by a car who fled the scene. She was pushed by a truck that was turning, and she doesn't believe the driver even realized that it happened. She has 3 cracked ribs...from the STOP sign hitting her (not her own elbow)...and she is not all broken up. She would rather see the time and effort spent on correcting the problems with the traffic than on speculating about her so-called experience.
December 4, 2012 at 12:39 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Austintown School crossing guard is struck, injured
What I'd like to know is how they printed an entire story about my sister-in-law without contacting HER to find out exactly what happened. Yes, she was injured while crossing the kids, but most of the facts here are not correct and have been grossly exaggerated. Obviously something needs to be done about this situation. But instead of blowing everything up into a huge phenomenon, how about concentrating on doing what needs to be done and not throwing someone into the limelight who doesn't want to be there.
December 4, 2012 at 12:34 p.m. permalink suggest removal
‘This didn’t have to happen’
People, PLEASE...follow the law, drive carefully, and help protect our children and our school employees. I may blame a lot of things on our BOE, but people's carelessness is not their fault. The Austintown Local School District does not control stupidity on the roads of this community. It is your own responsibility when you are behind the wheel of a car to be patient, aware, and follow the rules of the road. It made me sick to read that people pull around a crossing guard in the street holding a Stop sign. Really?! Your work schedule or dental appointment is not more important than someone else's life. My son is one of those students, and my sister in law is one of those crossing guards. They have more of a right to be on that road at certain times of the day than you do!
November 14, 2012 at 2 a.m. permalink suggest removal