Students at Poland Regional High School looking for food or drinks will frequently visit the Dollar General, located across from the school on Route 26. The problem is that there is no direct crosswalk, so students have to walk more than 1,000 feet down the road to the lighted intersection, then walk back up the other side. The teens will often choose to just jaywalk.”Sometimes my heart stops because I’m like, ‘Get out of the road!'” said Berni Westleigh, a school resource officer. She frequently parks her cruiser to monitor traffic in the school zone and says she sees it too often. On top of that, the side opposite the school doesn’t have a crosswalk, so in the winter, students are forced to walk in the road.”Cars are coming this way, cars are coming that way. They’re jumping over and they’re running for the Dollar General and you can’t see them,” she said.She knew that a crosswalk closer to the school and the Dollar General would solve a lot of the risks students faced, but getting the money to make it happen was the next problem. That’s until high school senior stepped in.”Ava Ouellette had come up to me and said, ‘I really don’t have a senior celebration. What am I going to do?’ And, like, eight bulbs went off in my head. I’m like, I know what you could do,” Westleigh said. Senior Celebration is a project that all Portland Regional High School students participate in before graduation. It requires students to do research and to produce deliverable products. Some students have built furniture or composed music. Ava, not having experience with fundraising before, would be raising money for a new crosswalk.”She had her task, and she was determined to figure out how she needed to get this done,” said Garrett Christen, the teacher overseeing Ava’s Senior Celebration.Ava’s teachers describe her as being very articulate and having a lot of ties with the community, making her perfect for the job. She got to work reaching out to businesses, making fliers and posting on social media. At one point, the town council agreed to match Ava’s funds with $7,000.As of Thursday, Ava had already raised more than $5,000.”She comes in with a tally and she’s like ‘I can’t believe this much! I can’t believe this is happening!” Westleigh said.At this point, the fundraiser could stop and the crosswalk will get built. Westleigh says the tentative plan is to try to have it in place by the end of May. The crosswalk will also include flashing lights to help with visibility when people are crossing.”She has made this crosswalk actually become a reality for me, and I can’t thank her enough for it,” Westleigh said.
Students at Poland Regional High School looking for food or drinks will frequently visit the Dollar General, located across from the school on Route 26. The problem is that there is no direct crosswalk, so students have to walk more than 1,000 feet down the road to the lighted intersection, then walk back up the other side. The teens will often choose to just jaywalk.
“Sometimes my heart stops because I’m like, ‘Get out of the road!'” said Berni Westleigh, a school resource officer. She frequently parks her cruiser to monitor traffic in the school zone and says she sees it too often.
On top of that, the side opposite the school doesn’t have a crosswalk, so in the winter, students are forced to walk in the road.
“Cars are coming this way, cars are coming that way. They’re jumping over and they’re running for the Dollar General and you can’t see them,” she said.
She knew that a crosswalk closer to the school and the Dollar General would solve a lot of the risks students faced, but getting the money to make it happen was the next problem. That’s until high school senior stepped in.
“Ava Ouellette had come up to me and said, ‘I really don’t have a senior celebration. What am I going to do?’ And, like, eight bulbs went off in my head. I’m like, I know what you could do,” Westleigh said.
Senior Celebration is a project that all Portland Regional High School students participate in before graduation. It requires students to do research and to produce deliverable products. Some students have built furniture or composed music. Ava, not having experience with fundraising before, would be raising money for a new crosswalk.
“She had her task, and she was determined to figure out how she needed to get this done,” said Garrett Christen, the teacher overseeing Ava’s Senior Celebration.
Ava’s teachers describe her as being very articulate and having a lot of ties with the community, making her perfect for the job. She got to work reaching out to businesses, making fliers and posting on social media. At one point, the town council agreed to match Ava’s funds with $7,000.
As of Thursday, Ava had already raised more than $5,000.
“She comes in with a tally and she’s like ‘I can’t believe this much! I can’t believe this is happening!” Westleigh said.
At this point, the fundraiser could stop and the crosswalk will get built. Westleigh says the tentative plan is to try to have it in place by the end of May. The crosswalk will also include flashing lights to help with visibility when people are crossing.
“She has made this crosswalk actually become a reality for me, and I can’t thank her enough for it,” Westleigh said.