Frustration, confusion and concerns at street crossing

NORTH CANAAN — The much-debated school crossing guard issue continues with a another change that has raised questions and concerns.

It remains unclear how, but the decision was made to no longer have a guard at the crosswalk in the center of town. Letters were sent by North Canaan Elementary School Principal Rosemary Keilty early this month to parents of students living in the Station Place apartments advising them that their children would now be considered bused students.

That followed a decision by the school board, at the urging of crossing guard Don Caranci, to move the designated student crossing to a different Main Street crosswalk. During the process, it was discovered that the students were crossing the street before the bus arrived. They were told to wait, instead, on their side of the road, and cross with the bus’s flashing red lights.

All that quickly changed when Resident State Trooper Jim Promotico observed the volume of traffic, as well as the large number of distracted and speeding drivers going through the center of town. His advice to the school was not to take on the responsibility of crossing students at all.

As of April 5, Caranci was crossing students at the crosswalk that connects the sidewalk in front of the school to the Town Hall parking lot. He said it seemed at first a useless place to be, thinking there would not be much, if any, traffic over that particular crosswalk. But it cuts at a diagonal across the right angle turn Pease Street makes there. It is impacted by traffic on Pease Street, and vehicles going in and out of the parking lot. Many of the school staff park there, as well.

Caranci came to the April 8 school board meeting to express his shock and concern over what happens daily in that crosswalk. In just four days on the job there, he saw 12 drivers run through one of the three stop signs; 22 drivers go the wrong way on Pease Street (designated one way for an hour each during the morning arrival and afternoon dismissal times); 18 people parked in adjacent fire lanes. Six teachers crossed outside of the crosswalk, as did seven students and two parents.

“I was crossing a student when a lady ignored me and pulled out of the Town Hall parking lot,� Caranci said. “I stopped her from going the wrong way down Pease Street. She quickly turned her car around and almost hit the child. I watched one teacher run the stop sign five times, and I’ve only been there four days.�

To Caranci, it seems the answer to keeping students safe is not where they cross the street, but the attitude of drivers. His new assignment has shown him that dangerous drivers are not just strangers passing through town.

He observed that parking issues at the school are also a problem. Caranci said people regularly park illegally in fire zones and handicapped spaces. It was noted that most of the board members attending that night’s meeting had parked in fire zones. Member Dorothy Cecchinato said she parked in the parking lot, and urged her fellow board members to do the same.

Questions posed by The Journal and Caranci during the public comment portion of the meeting were recorded by Chairman Dolores Perotti, who said they would be answered later in the meeting. But the agenda had already been approved and no adjustments could be made to add it as a separate item.

The questions included Caranci’s plea to clear up confusion over whom he reports to, and why Keilty is now requiring him to be outside of his vehicle at all times during his duty time.

At the end of his comments, Chairman Perotti told him he needed to go to the Board of Selectmen. Caranci said First Selectman Douglas Humes told him to contact the school board. When contacted by The Journal prior to the meeting, Humes declined to comment, saying that the town pays Caranci, but all decisions regarding the crossing guards are the responsibility of the school board.

“I’m caught in limbo,� a frustrated Caranci told the board. “I don’t know who to talk to. Neither board is taking responsibility.�

He said he informed Humes three years ago, when he was diagnosed with arteriosclerosis, that he would be unable to stand for long periods. It was never an issue, Caranci said.

When manning the Main Street crosswalk, where he said students were few and far between, he parked adjacent to the crossing. He could see students approaching well in advance and was out of his car and waiting for them.

At the new location, there are a lot of students, but they all come within a very short time frame and waiting in his car no longer works, he said. He said he feels this new directive appears aimed at getting him off the job.

Caranci also expressed his concern that for the more than 10 years he has been on the job, none of the concerns he expressed during most of that period were heeded.

“Why is it that the resident trooper comes out once, offers a recommendation, and suddenly there are changes. I’ve been telling the board for 10 years there needed to be changes. I’m also concerned because when I went in to talk to Doug [Humes] and asked to see my employment file, there was nothing in it. Not the letter about my diagnosis. None of the letters I had written over the years were there. How can there be absolutely nothing in an employee file?�

It was suggested by board member Richard Greco that the school board request a copy of the crossing guard contract, in order to know exactly what the job entails.