8 responses to “TeaSpoon Meeting on Thursday”

1. Anonymous

   April 25, 2006

   I’d also like to see a campaign by the schools (all levels) and the community about “awareness” of one’s surroundings, paying attention, and how cell phones and I-Pod earplugs can greatly diminish our senses. It is difficult enough to navigate as both a driver, and pedestrian in this town, and these devices add another layer of complexity to the mix.

2. Anonymous

   April 25, 2006

   I think Jen’s idea of a “community awarness” program or talk would be great.

   Talk about diminished senses (or diminished capacity almost…); I see kids jay-walking to BHS with earplugs in and their hoods pulled up so as to limit their vision.

   Now they’re are deaf and blind- and with those loose-hanging pants, the boys couldn’t run from impending disaster if they had to- now they’ve crippled themselves as well.

   What’s next? Foot-binding?

   Of course, in my day, streaking kept one pretty commando-ready. So kids always take things to extremes.

   Pete

3. Anonymous

   April 25, 2006

   I am very poor at cartooning, but I’ve got a great “picture” in my head after reading Pete’s blog

4. Patrick Jensen

   April 26, 2006

   I can’t be at the meeting, but here is my two cents:

   Fences, Fines, Family, and Friends.

   1. Fences: Fence the track. Pay the cost. What’s more important then children?

   2. Fines: Police the track aggressively. Provide warnings and then fines/community service for violations.

   3. Family: Employ volunteers (parents or other family members) to monitor the worst parts of the track before and after school hours.

   4. Friends: Education programs sound great and remind students to be on the lookout for their friends when crossing the street or around train tracks. (Accidents will happen, but awareness from here on out may help prevent future tragedy)

5. Joyce – visitor

   April 26, 2006

   Would it be possible for Sam Trans who drops students on California Dr. to cross the tracks at Oak Grove and drop the students on the other side of Carolan and then circle around the block and return to their normal route? This way the students would not have to cross two busy streets (California and Carolan) or the train tracks.

6. Anonymous

   April 26, 2006

   This seems like a no brainer to me, also.

7. Joanne

   May 7, 2006

   An option for fencing: In recent years Minneapolis has built a light rail system from the downtown area to the airport. The rail tracks, which run through the city’s southern neighborhoods, are fenced — but rather than a chain link fence or a cement freeway soundwall type of barrier, the fence is fairly unobtrusive. It consists of fence posts (maybe 4 feet high) spaced about 10 feet apart with 4 single strands of barbed wire placed about every 10 inches apart. So it’s not terribly noticeable (and therefore not terribly unsightly), it probably wasn’t that costly to erect, but it probably is effective in keeping out most folks or large animals that might stray towards the train.

8. Joanne

   May 9, 2006

   Okay — I took another look. The fence is not “barbed” wire — it’s just wire cable. At street crossings there are large yellow traffic signs that say “Look” with directional arrows pointing in both directions. A “minimal” cost fence (has the look and feel of a country ranch fence)with possibly a high return in terms of saving lives.