By Stephanie Petrellese

After learning about the plight of 21 students who were recently notified that they will no longer receive busing and must now cross Nassau Boulevard to get to and from Stratford Elementary School, Garden City Mayor Robert Rothschild offered the Village's assistance.

"Usually the Board of Trustees and the school board try to keep ourselves separate, because we are separate," the Mayor explained at the Sept. 10th meeting of the Garden City Board of Trustees. "We are two distinct bodies ruling on very different issues, but all for the good of the residents of the Village of Garden City."

He said Village Administrator Robert L. Schoelle, Jr. and Dept. of Public Works Director Robert Mangan have been contacting officials in the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County to try to make the intersection at Nassau Boulevard and Stratford Avenue safer.

Susan Sonner spoke at the Board meeting on behalf of the parents of the affected elementary school students. She claims that according to the Garden City Village Police Department's annual report, there were 27 accidents with 13 injuries reported in the last six years, and "many more" which went unreported.

Sonner said pedestrians are only given 12 seconds to cross the busy county street. Vehicles are permitted to make right-hand turns on a red signal at three of the four corners. She also said parents are upset that there is no pedestrian crossing device featuring "Walk/Don't Walk" signals.

"Therefore, our very young children are expected to look up at the traffic light to guess if they might have time to make it across," she said.

Sonner said a student, on her own initiative, secured 14 signatures on a petition that requests a crossing guard be posted at the intersection from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.; adjustment of the traffic signal to allow longer time for crossing; installation of a crossing indicator box providing walkers with a digital time countdown; installation and enforcement of "no turn on red" at all corners; and installation of "children in area" signs.

Mayor Rothschild said the Village has been told that pedestrians must press the button before crossing, and will be then given 25 seconds to cross. He said the Village will continue to work on this issue, but called upon parents and drivers to do everything they can to ensure the safety of neighborhood children.

Sommer said parents, with perhaps assistance by the PTA and the Garden City Police Dept.'s youth officer, will seek to better educate students on the proper way to cross streets. "We are trying to do our part as well," she said.