Guardians in the street: Crossing guards brave weather, traffic to keep kids safe
By Heather McDonald
Irene Helm sat in her car to stay warm, eyes keen to the traffic. Cars slowed, turned, jumped through the intersection, and all the while she watched.
It wasn’t long before Helm left her vehicle and marched straight into the middle of the intersection of Second Street North and Maria Drive. It was 3:35 p.m., right at the heart of high traffic.
“Here,” she said. “You can cross.”
Helm, 93, is a school crossing guard, one of many dedicated daily – through wind, snow, sleet, hail and sunshine – to making sure children (and on this day, older adults) throughout the Stevens Point Area Public School District and Stevens Point Catholic Schools get across streets safely.
“I enjoy it,” said Helm, who’s been crossing students for nearly 20 years, the last few at this corner. “Some of them are so cute … you get to know them. They’re active and it makes you feel younger.”
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