MAC okays funding for another crossing guard





Officials at Red Oak Elementary School in Oak Park have tried everything they can think of to slow the traffic in front of their school.


Bright orange construction cones to mark the school crosswalk often went ignored.


Officials even published the license plate numbers of speedy drivers in the school newsletter and told anyone who got caught breaking traffic laws more than once that they wouldn’t be allowed to drive on school field trips.


Rockfield Street, which runs in front of the school, is a popular short cut between Kanan Road and Lindero Canyon Road, but fast-moving traffic is endangering students and must be brought under control, school representatives recently told the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council (MAC).


"You can be in the middle of the crosswalk and cars don’t stop," said Carolyn Reinhart, a member of the Red Oak site council. "Our fear is a child might not be seen." The MAC agreed to pay up to $10,000 for another crossing guard at the Pesaro/Rockfield street crosswalk, bringing the number of Red Oak guards to three.


Because of certain road regulations, Ventura County wouldn’t allow a speed hump to be placed on the street or a stop light at the intersection.


Officials hope the extra crossing guard will improve matters.


"I sat there and watched the cars and it’s a problem," said Todd Haines, MAC chairman.


Red Oak opened seven years ago with 280 students; today more than 600 attend the school, according to principal Jeff Hamlin.


"Our parents and school staff have done everything we can to be proactive," Hamlin said.


The school recently changed its student drop-off pattern to reduce Rockfield traffic, according to Hamlin.


In other MAC news, officials report the installation of two new traffic signals in Oak Park will be finished by September.


The signals are being installed at the corner of Kanan Road and Sunnycrest Drive and Kanan Road and Oak Hills Drive.


Haines expressed concern that recent budget cuts in the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department budget might affect law enforcement in Oak Park.


"We weren’t cut enough that we would have to lay individuals off," said Chris Godfrey, commander of East Ventura County Sheriff’s Station.


"It appears we won’t suffer any reduction of service on the street."


Ventura County fields one full time deputy in Oak Park and two part-time deputies for crime prevention and DARE (Drug Awareness and Resistance Education).


–John Loesing



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *