Transparency in Lakewood Schools

[Corey Rossen]

The transparency I would like to see is the sidewalk beneath my feet as I approach Lincoln School. In the days since it has snowed last, the school "campus grounds" have not been touched (even at the door enterances) and the sidewalks are still covered. Also, the crosswalks are buried behind a mound of snow that was pushed down the street. Yes, I would like transparency.

Corey Rossen

[marklingm]

Corey,

Very clever. I reported the issue to the Administration.

Thanks.

Matt

[Corey Rossen]

Matt, you are the Administration!
Thanks.
Corey

[Betsy Voinovich]

Matt, you are the Administration!
Thanks.
Corey

Corey,

If I could hit a "Like" button for your post, I'd be doing it now.

The next thing I'm picturing is Matt trudging down Summit with a shovel...
Accountability!

Betsy

[Diane Brinich]

My son just came home with a blood stains on his ankle from the sharp ice at the high school near the mods. Certainly the schools could make a greater effort to protect all the students.
Homeowners on Franklin do not keep their sidewalks clean, so the kids walk in the street for "safety". If you wonder why so many kids are walking in the street on Detroit and Franklin you should try to walk their walk!

[Corey Rossen]

Matt - I was just at Lincoln for pick up. Thank you for making the call, it looks great - I appreciate the quick response.

Thanks again,
Corey

[Betsy Voinovich]

Matt - I was just at Lincoln for pick up. Thank you for making the call, it looks great - I appreciate the quick response.

Thanks again,
Corey

Transparency! Even in the snow!

Accountability! Even in the snow!

Yay Matt! (Markling for School Board)


Betsy Voinovich

[Diane Brinich]

Matt, Perhaps you can let us know who to call for snow removal reminders. I noticed that Lakewood Academy has still not had any snow removed on their sidewalks. This must make the kids really welcome at that school.

[marklingm]

Matt, Perhaps you can let us know who to call for snow removal reminders.

Diane,

The City of Lakewood has the following website pages on the subject:

http://onelakewood.com/PublicSafety/Housing_Building/
http://onelakewood.com/PublicWorks/Streets_Forestry/Default.aspx#Snow
http://onelakewood.com/Mayor/

I hope that helps.

Matt

[Betsy Voinovich]

Matt, Perhaps you can let us know who to call for snow removal reminders.

Diane,

The City of Lakewood has the following website pages on the subject:

http://onelakewood.com/PublicSafety/Housing_Building/
http://onelakewood.com/PublicWorks/Streets_Forestry/Default.aspx#Snow
http://onelakewood.com/Mayor/

I hope that helps.

Matt

Meg Ostrowski wrote:

Thanks Matt.

I have submitted my concern via the city's "Report A Problem" system but perhaps the school district should play a role in addressing the situation since it is primarily students spilling out into the street.

Meg


Matt Markling wrote:

Meg,

Your post is timely.

A practice exists of holding monthly meetings with the Mayor, Superintendent, and Board President. This practice began when Dr. Estrop was Superintendent and has been the ongoing custom.

The past practice has been to discuss city/school issues at these monthly meetings. The meetings have alternated month-to-month from the school and city locations. From time-to-time, other parties have joined in the meetings depending upon the topics.

The Board would like to continue the practice of monthly meetings with the Mayor, Superintendent, and Board President as it has been done in recent years. And, in fact, our first such meeting is scheduled for tomorrow. I will make sure to raise this issue in our meeting.

Matt

_________________
Matt Markling
Lakewood School Board President

http://www.facebook.com/markling.for.lakewood.schools
http://www.marklingforlakewoodschools.com

My views do not necessarily reflect the views of the School Board or its members.


Hey Matt--

I moved this exchange back over to the "Tranparency" thread, because the last post in the
"Winter in Lakewood" thread is a beautiful tree in the snow.

I just wanted to thank you for bringing the snow removal issue up at the meeting you're having tonight. I think there are residents on Franklin who have no idea that they are supposed to keep their walks clean-- and what if they can't? The City's answer, the School Board's answer is: "Too bad, kids, walk in the street, walk on top of the snow drifts." That can't be right.

I look forward to hearing the results of your discussion tonight. Is the meeting open to the public?

Thanks again.

Betsy Voinovich

[Christina McCallum]

Hey, I was going to email some people about businesses on Detroit not clearing their sidewalks. The issues aren't in front of small, locally owned businesses; they do a good job of keeping things clear. However, Giant Eagle, whatever Developer owns the old Giant Eagle building across the street, and the empty Spitzer property don't do anything.

After I dropped my son off at Garfield yesterday, I was headed home but turned around to pick up a woman and her daughter who I knew were headed to Garfield. They were on Detroit just west of the Giant Eagle, traversing the huge snow banks en route to school. They do not have a car and they walk everywhere.

The mom told me they sometimes walk all the way up to the Giant Eagle store, through the parking lot, and back up to Bunts because the sidewalk in front of GE is so treacherous. With St. Ed's, Garfield and LHS within a half mile or so of this intersection, can't there be some enforcement of snow clearing? Can anyone report on the discussion of snow removal at the BOE meeting last night?

BTW, I've been impressed with the City's use of front end loaders and trucks to minimize the snow accumulation at street corners.

[Meg Ostrowski]

My original post from Winter in Lakewood thread;

Matt,

Thanks for keeping your section of Lakewood walkable during the winter. Getting motivated to clear a path over and over and over again isn't easy. I have been very concerned about kids (and adults) walking in the streets (particularly on Franklin) this season. Has the school district been working with the city and/or residents to keep kids out of the streets when the snow piles up? I have seen reminders in newsletters and am aware of the senior snow removal program but obviously it's still not getting the job done.

Without AWD, I am all too aware of how easily a car can slip in this weather even when only light pressure is applied to the brakes.

Where do we go from here?

(Matt suggested contacting the city. I did.)

In response to my "Report-A-Problem" submission regarding kids walking in the street on Franklin to avoid having to negotiate snow and narrow walkways, I received a message from the city's Public Works Dept. Here are some highlights and a portion of my response.

From Public Works:

The walks and treelawns are very narrow compared to most streets so they get extra snow piled on them. This then takes extra effort by the residents (who are responsible for cleaning the walks). Some resident do, many don't. This year our street plows have tried to reduce the amount of snow pushed up on the walks by leaving more in the street. In many spots, we are leaving 2' of the roadway unplowed to keep more snow there. Lakewood does have an ordinance requiring property owners to clean the sidewalks but it is very tough to enforce city-wide. ...students need to take some responsibility.

My Response:

Leaving more snow in the street seems like a good, cost-effective solution and maybe it is keeping more kids on the sidewalk than in past winters. As a driver, I actually feel like the kids on the sidewalk are safer than at any other time of the year because of the added distance and buffer. Maybe bike lanes will do the same.

I agree that the students need to take responsibility but my tweenager tells me the ones in the street don't care if they die so preaching to them about the dangers won't make a difference! As a parent, if I knew my kid was walking in the street, I'd be working on an alternate route, mode of transportation or therapy.



Fortunately spring will be arriving soon and this will resolve itself...until next year.

[Betsy Voinovich]

Hey Meg--

Wow, the students need to take some responsibility. I get that, to some degree, they shouldn't be pushing each other in the street, or messing around on the snow drifts, but what if they are?

And what are they supposed to do when no-one has shoveled and they have to walk in the street no matter what?

I remember trying to get my son to school in the winter, with him walking-- he was five-- and me pushing a stroller down Detroit when we were a one car family. The Lutheran church didn't shovel and neither did Taco Bell, there was nowhere to go but in the street. Or I could have gone the other way and pushed my stroller on Franklin. Detroit was safer because it's slower.

So when a student who is being as responsible as he or she can, walking in the street, because it's the ONLY WAY TO GET THERE gets hit by a car being driven responsibly but it slides, it's icy, the brakes didn't work, all it takes is that, we've all been there more than once this winter, then what do we say?

Ohhhh. We should have shoveled! There weren't even that many spots, but the ones that were there were terrible hazards and now look. Is that what we're waiting for?

If the parents have to take it up because the City and the School Board won't protect our kids we can do that. We can organize teams of parents to shovel I imagine. Or hook up the H20 kids to handle these sections of the streets along with the sidewalks of elderly people who need help.

But maybe when the School Board took this up with the City the other night, different solutions were proposed. I'm hoping Matt Markling comes on here and gives us some good news. Matt, if you're reading this, I understand that you can't single-handedly fix this, though I may joke about you walking up and down the streets with a shovel.

I guess if our elected folks can't or won't help, it's time to talk to the PTA's and that's not a bad thing.

I'm still wondering if the people who aren't shoveling even know that they're supposed to.


Betsy Voinovich

[Diane Brinich]

LHS's response to kids and snow was to make an announcement that the kids found walking in the street to and from school would be in trouble! Wow that really resolves the issue!
I am so glad for warmer days ahead so that we all can be safer on Lakewood sidewalks and streets. This issue will probably just be shelved and we can all bring it up again next year.

[Mike Zannoni]

Diane --

Can we get some corroboration on this announcement. Where, when and by whom? Thanks.