I have had the privilege of working as a morning and afternoon crossing guard for Marshall Public Schools. A few years ago my assignment was the four-way stop at the intersection of Saratoga and Southview Drive. This is normally a very busy intersection during the morning and afternoon when young elementary and middle school kids either walking or riding their bikes to school.

In the early morning heading toward Southview Elementary, drivers are faced with bright sunlight shining directly into traffic heading east. While traffic is very courteous watching for us as crossing guards, one of things we notice on a consistent basis is the number of drivers who are on their phones.

I do believe that Minnesota has a law that drivers cannot be on their phones, unless its hand free while operating a motor vehicle. Please for the safety of us, as crossing guards and your children going to and coming from school, put your phone down.

Imagine how you would feel if you were distracted and hit someone while using your phone.

My assignment for the past couple of years has been the intersection of Saratoga and “C” Street by the Marshall Lyon County Library. Traffic at this particular intersection at times can be very, very busy with kids walking, numerous buses coming and going. I do my very best to keep traffic moving especially the buses as they can be on tight schedules transporting kids to various schools.

A couple years ago, the city of Marshall along with Marshall Public Schools put in flashing kids crossing signs further down on Saratoga by James Street, and also on Southview Drive by Silvervine Street.

These areas are considered “school zones” and the speed limit is clearly marked at 20 mph. From my vantage point on the corner of Saratoga and “C” street, and when time permits I can clearly see how fast people are driving when they enter the school zone along Saratoga Street in a southbound direction.

It’s not uncommon for me to notice that drivers are exceeding the 20 mph. Some might be only a couple miles over, but this past week one driver’s speed was flashed at 37 mph. Not only is this exceeding the “school zone” limit, but I also believe it exceeds the normal speed limit on a residential street.

It appears that drivers, some not all, are consistently exceeding the normal 30 mph speed limit when coming from the fire station area heading south. Its’ common to see 23-29 mph when the signs flash at the James Street cross walk. In addition, some are on their phones as well.

Please for the safety of everyone, including yourself, slow down, put the phone down and pay attention while driving. Operating a motor vehicle is hard enough, no matter the age etc. of the operator.

Or, do we need to make a plea to the Marshall Police Department to patrol, stop, and even ticket offenders?

In my opinion, no.

Lastly, one of the things I have noticed about your children whom we help cross these intersections is how polite they are. They wait for us to make sure traffic is stopped and safe to cross when we enter the intersection with our signs. They say good morning, have a great day and even a good weekend.

Parents you should be proud.

— Russ Labat is a resident of Marshall